Opinion
Communication
Striking the right balance of regular
communication to maintain a
connection without getting ‘Zoom-ed
out’ is also important. In lieu of face to
face contact, holding weekly huddles
where everyone from an office/team/
project group dials in with their camera
on (yes you can wear a work blouse/shirt
with jogging bottoms!) and shares their
priorities for the coming week, allows
people to feel connected. It also gives
each team member a sense of ownership
around what they are working on
and provides a vital space to share
knowledge and experience amongst
peers.
We have tried to maintain where
possible the same communication
techniques with our venues, contractors
and freelancers, replacing (rather than
cancelling) all previously scheduled
event planning meetings, quarterly
review meetings, external working
groups and such with virtual meetings.
This has allowed us to continue to stay
engaged with our industry colleagues
and peers during this time, understand
their current challenges and provide
support where needed.
It’s been great to see people in their
own homes with the occasional guest
appearances from children, partners,
pets and the odd delivery driver! It
really drives home that we are all
fundamentally in the same boat: we’re
not going through this alone.
Pre-Planning
I think we’d all pay good money for a
crystal ball right now to know when
we are going to be onsite next! I think
it’s essential to start scheduling now
what your resumption could look like
operationally, and to continue to review
and realign that plan over the coming
month.
Consider the following points:
Resource Allocations: are your
freelancers or preferred contractors
going to be available when you need
them?
Event Project Plans: with much of
the industry likely to be operating
on a condensed timeframe, diarising
deadlines with event teams and
contractors now to ensure availability
later is essential.
Process Review and Refinement: how
many times have you wanted to address
your signage process? Now’s the time!
Discussing new ways to work as a team
and creating supporting documents will
be invaluable in months to come.
Review Your Exhibitor Manual: which
forms/processes do you really ‘need’,
and which can you remove to help your
customers navigate easily through
the complex task of arranging their
participation at an event?
Working Groups: how your team share
knowledge, experience and best practice
can be what sets them/you apart. Divide
your team into groups, give each group
a focus and encourage them to work
together to find new solutions and ways
of working.
Resumption Measures: no one knows
“It’s important
that we focus our
energy on positive,
productive tasks
that we can control
and influence
rather than on
those we cannot”
what these are going to be for certain, so
try to prepare for all eventualities. Start
brainstorming thoughts and ideas now
to give you a head start in the future,
and make sure to include your external
contacts, too. Different perspectives
from different disciplines both within
and outside of the exhibitions industry
will give you a lot to consider and bring
to the table at your next event meeting.
Personal Development and Wellbeing
Whilst undoubtedly there are some
days where even getting showered,
dressed and logged on can feel like an
accomplishment, it’s important to seize
the days when the opposite is true. For
many of us, the time gained from a lack
of commuting means that we have more
time to consider our longer-term goals
and development needs.
Many companies have risen to the
challenge with free online content and
webinars. Ones I am personally using
are ‘Ops in Lockdown’ (www.opsshaper.
co.uk), The Healthy Work Company
www.healthy-work.com and, although
not free, a fantastic benefit at Informa
Markets is having access to LinkedIn
Learning www.linkedin.com/learning.
From an operations perspective, I’d
recommend focusing on courses on
resilience building, major incident
training, crowd management
techniques, change management
leadership, mental health, stress
management techniques and project
management principles.
Finally, consider adding some more
social elements to your diaries to help
with personal and colleague wellbeing.
Here at Informa Markets, we have book
clubs, mentor/buddy programmes,
virtual water cooler/beer trolley
huddles, town halls, newsletters, and
virtual exercise classes to keep us all
motivated.
I hope this has been a useful insight
into my approach to operations during
a pandemic. I for one can’t wait to dust
off my safety boots and hi vis and get
back onsite. After all, we’re operations
professionals – what’s your superpower?
May — 51