PUTTING VALUES FIRST : ONE YEAR
The Eastside Rooms , a Birmingham-based venue , celebrates entering its second year by reflecting on its first
rom one perspective , The Eastside Rooms could not have opened at a more perfect time . Built in the centre of Birmingham , the capital of the UK ’ s events industry , within 18 months of the arrival of the Commonwealth Games . The venue is part of a massive infrastructure development that is set to see the city become one of the most connected – as well as recognised – in Europe .
On the other hand , we opened our brand-new conference centre during one of the most painful times in the history of the events industry – right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic .
So why did we open , why have we flourished and why has the venue ’ s success become so much a story about the character , the resilience , and the return of the meetings and events industry ?
The answers to all three of these questions are the same : values . Say what you like about our industry , as a people-led marketplace it puts great stock in personality , people and their ethics . This comes across in all our most successful brands and has become a key differentiator between those that have remained resilient over the last 24 months and those that haven ’ t .
From the very inception of The Eastside Rooms , the construction of the venue itself , based in Birmingham ’ s trendy Eastside , was built around ethics and values . From the support and protection of the building team to the ecological design , right down to the inclusion of changing rooms spaces , capable of catering for those with the more severe motor difficulties , positive values were vital in every aspect of the creation of the venue . The building of The Eastside Rooms laid the foundation for how the business wanted to act , and these values were put to the test the moment Covid-19 hit .
Throughout the pandemic , it was important that these values were held steadfast , and this was realised through the establishment of the venue ’ s ‘ relationships-first ’ approach . There was no point in fighting for quick , valueless wins . The Eastside Rooms wanted to build strong , people-based relationships first to create a strong team in the business and long-lasting , mutually beneficial relationships with the people it did business with . This is where the business focused its efforts , being of use and of service to its existing and potential clients .
Flexibility was also baked into the nature of The Eastside Rooms , both from a people and product point of view . If there is one thing that launching in a pandemic does teach a business , it ’ s flexibility . The venue ’ s facilities , however , proved themselves more than capable to switch to a more digital / virtual model , and the production and AV teams , both within the business and external to it , backed this up .
This meant that the launch of The Eastside Rooms has not only been successful , but also reflective of its wider marketplace – constantly having its agility challenged and learning the art of flexibility in real time . Since its launch , the venue has hosted some of the most dynamic virtual events around , working with some of the very best event organisers . It has also kept these relationships in place so that they can be grown to create more astounding hybrid and live variations over the coming months and years .
On a smaller meetings basis , the venue has also been able to support those businesses that have needed it most during the pandemic , be they key worker www . conference-news . co . uk