Opinion
A crisis is a terrible
thing to waste
Chris Skeith, CEO, Association of Event Organisers (AEO), looks
on the brighter side of lockdown
soared, as we have seen a greater desire
to come together to share and learn.
Listening and participating on a myriad
Zoom calls as so many great minds
come together to create, collaborate
and resolve, has been nothing short of
inspiring.
As an industry, we are working
through common goals to present clear,
consistent messages to the government.
The primary focus of our lobbying
has always been to ensure they
understand our industry, the part we
play in the economy, on businesses, on
people and our need to have dedicated
representatives.
Together with our sister associations
(AEV,ESSA), our members and various
industry bodies, our voice has never
been stronger - something we will
continue to reinforce on the other side.
Wow; where did the last few
months go? Returning from the
UFI CEO Summit in Italy, having met
Pope Francis in February was sure to be
one of the most memorable parts of the
year; wrong.
So much has changed in the months
that followed that our lives, and the
events industry, have been impacted
forever. With events cancelled, jobs
furloughed and some lost, and entire
supply chains shaken, it will continue to
send shock waves through the industry
for time to come.
Embedded in the challenges of
lockdown are silver linings, ones I hope
we can carry forward beyond Covid-19.
A time for reflection
I’ve loved not commuting to the office
and the many meetings. It has afforded
me more time to re-evaluate my
priorities personally and professionally.
However, I’ve missed my friends and
colleagues from around the world and
can’t wait until we meet again but also
learnt that we can be globally connected
without travel.
Embracing technology
Being able to implement or expand on
digital processes in the business has
been our lifeline and built resilience
into the DNA of our company.
With our FaceTime Exhibitor
Masterclasses cancelled for 2020, we
have taken this time to review rolling
out that content digitally, to reach
international exhibitors on different
time zones, further promoting the
power of live events.
Digital meetings have also meant
engagement and communication with
our community has never been better,
and a hybrid events, combining face-toface
with digital, will become the new
norm.
A united cause
Attendance on our working groups has
The team
Internally it feels like something has
lifted. While the team is assuredly
missing the office interaction, meetings
have become more streamlined,
productivity higher and it’s heartening
to see them all looking out for each
other.
The realisation of how human we all
are has paved the way for more genuine,
empathetic and supportive interactions.
A lasting note from a member
The solidarity, outlook and optimism
from AEO members has been incredible.
Emma Cartmell, CEO of the CHS
Group, recently said the following,
which has inspired this article: “My
business coach said, ‘A crisis is such
a terrible thing to waste’ - and he’s
right - our industry will come out of
this much stronger. I’m learning so
much, becoming a better business
person and strategically looking at
ways I can expand the business to offer
other services, which will no doubt
strengthen my business in the future.”
* Stanford Economist, Paul Romer
48 — June