How have you coped as a company over the past two years ? KN : If it wasn ’ t for the incredible relationships we hold with our exhibitors , contractors and speakers – I think the past two years would have been slightly different for us . We ’ ve been shown an incredible amount of understanding from everyone we work with which has made it easier when moving events .
We wouldn ’ t have made it through the past few years if it wasn ’ t for the team at Broadway Events . We are like a family and everyone has stepped up and worked harder than ever before , supporting each other immensely along the way .
Do you think being a smaller , independent company has made it harder or easier to cope and adapt during the pandemic ? EB : There have been disadvantages and advantages to being such a small company . The pressure on the team has been ten-fold as there were so few of us , however this pressure has led to team members discovering
Above : Kara Neill Below : Emma Barrett .
new talents and really strengthening their skill sets .
We are also a lot stronger as a business now because we survived with minimal revenue coming in .
If the world returned to pre2020 normal tomorrow – is there anything you have learned from the past 20 months that you would want to take with you ? EB : As many others did , we took the digital world by storm when we couldn ’ t hold any physical events . As a result , we have up-skilled in technology which has helped us really grow as a company and try new things that we wouldn ’ t have considered pre-pandemic .
Something that has really stood out is the importance of a healthy company and team culture . The pandemic has brought us even closer together as a team and this will only make us stronger moving forward . This also extends to the exhibition industry who have worked so collaboratively with each other , helping and sharing information wherever possible .
Are there any other hurdles that we need to overcome as an industry ?
EB : Over the past two years the industry has lost a lot of contractors and with events still moving dates , this is going to continually have an impact . Covid-19 is something that we will all have to keep in mind this year so we can reassure visitors and meet their needs .
Sustainability is something else the industry will need to put focus on this year . We play a key role in the climate crisis and I think we all need to help minimise our impact on the environment . We have recently pledged our support to the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge – a fantastic industry initiative to address these issues .
And finally , what does the medium to long term future look like for Broadway ? EB : We are working on building our communities to engage with them all year round and not just at the events . Currently , the main focus is getting our events back on track in 2022 and looking to introducing some new events in 2023 and beyond . EN
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