n the past , the meetings and events industries have relied heavily on experience and past performances for growth . With meetings and events growing exponentially over recent decades , budgets have nearly always been written based on the ‘ more than last year ’ principal .
While that is not entirely wrong , it is a little bit like slamming the foot to the floor on a car ’ s accelerator and expecting it to go faster . The only dial I ’ m looking at is the speedometer . It is no wonder then that our industry is one of the most stressful industries to work in : we
Peter Heath , founder of Venue Performance , will be providing accurate event data exclusively for Conference News in 2021 . Here , he sets the scene for what to expect
are always trying to go faster . Simple .
However , all that has now changed . Continuing with the car analogy , more specifically car racing , the safety car ( the Government ) is now out controlling our speed .
The long pause that has been enforced on the meetings and events industry through Covid-19 has forced many organisations to reset . They have reset budgets , goals , objectives , business models , and cultures . Yet , all this resetting has been done in the dark . The Government doesn ’ t recognise the events industry , so therefore hasn ’ t
Right : Peter Heath , Venue Performance
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consulted Booking trends us with regards to its very own ‘ reset ’. How frustrating has that been ? I have paid very close attention to LinkedIn this past year and , oh my , what an outpouring of emotion . Many businesses and individuals have suffered .
If only we could have a greater impact in Westminster and be invited to work more collaboratively with the Government on the gradual re-opening up of our industry .
The trouble is ( and I ’ m going to be controversial here ) we don ’ t know who we are . We don ’ t know who we are and resultantly we don ’ t know our numbers , because we haven ’ t been recording them collectively as an industry .
How many of us have gone into a major budget meeting not knowing our numbers ?
The clever people know their numbers and if you don ’ t , they will drive a coach and horses straight through your attempt at that request for more cash or more time .
And there it is : our industry hasn ’ t been able to engage with our government because we don ’ t know our numbers .
So , as an industry , how about we all collectively reset ?
Therein lies a great opportunity . During this horrendous pandemic , we have all learned many lessons : about ourselves , our teams , our leaders , our customers and our businesses . And while it has been beyond hard , I also know that a www . conference-news . co . uk