News Focus
at the very beginning. Before we even
got the green light from the NEC,
and they said they’d support this no
matter what happened…The comment
that Dyslexia Box made was that if
it had been anyone else but me who
had come to them with this idea, they
would have said no. But, because I’m
very well-known and respected in the
dyslexia sector, this has allowed me
to create a show that is so specific”.
The event seems set to be a success,
with over 2,000 registrations in just a
few months.
Social media has been invaluable in
promoting the event, with the show’s
biggest advertising spend going into
promoting the event online. The
show has also been promoted through
educational channels via mailing lists,
and through print media, but the
social media posts have been most
successful, creating more than just
hype.
Smith said: “The comments on
social media are just amazing,
people are so happy about it, and it’s
becoming a family/friend reunion
concept, and tagging all their friends
into it. It’s really beneficial for us, but
it’s also really heart-warming that
people really want [the show].”
These communities are helping
the event form its own identity, as
not just a place where people receive
resources and support, but also
somewhere that those with dyslexia
can meet, share their experiences,
and become friends.
The Dyslexia Show will be hosted at
the NEC in Birmingham. Smith said
of working with the NEC: “It’s been a
long relationship, we’ve been in talks
with them for about three years, so
it’s been a long time coming to get
to this point…The team we have at
the NEC are just so supportive, and
they’re literally trying to do all they
can to help us move the event forward
and make it really successful.”
The show will be dedicated to the
field of dyslexia and feature talks,
seminars, workshops and Continuing
14 — November
Professional Development (CPD)
sessions.
Special Educational Needs Solicitors
will also have a legal surgery which
aims to educate those there on the
laws around dyslexia and special
educational needs.
When asked whether or not his
dyslexia had affected planning the
show, Smith was optimistic: “I think
it’s actually a benefit rather than a
negative, as it allows me to see the
bigger picture. So, me and the NEC
staff, the day we’ll be really happy is
when we stand there on the Thursday
evening, every stand built, all carpets
being cleaned, and we’re looking at
the show being an empty show, but
seeing it go from an empty hall to
being an actual show. I think that’s
my amazing feeling.”
Whilst Smith does struggle with
things like communicating, he has a
team ready and willing to assist him
– both an operations manager and a
communications lead help the event
by tackling issues that Smith cannot.
As he says: “I may not be an expert in
things, but that’s why we bring people
in that are.”
Accessibility is incredibly important
at the event, not only for those with
dyslexia, but for those with other
disabilities too. For Smith, the
most important thing is making the
seminars accessible, so anyone who
wants to gain CPD points may. So
far, there are plans to enable closed
captions on all seminars, as well as
allowing the presentations made to
be downloadable. In addition, Smith
plans to make the programme for
the event digital, so that accessibility
software can be built into it.
The NEC have also been
championing accessibility by working
closely with Smith and his team,
and trying to help them in any way
possible to ensure the event can be
attended for all.
Smith plans to repeat the event in
2021 and 2022, with the hope that the
event will be able to continue in the
future.
Smith said of these future plans:
“We have plans for the next three
years, but beyond that plans are
already in place for the show but in a
different location, or a similar show
within the education field later on.
We’re not there yet, but you have to
look at the bigger picture, and that’s
the benefit of having a dyslexic run
the company – that’s what I’m good
at.”
The National Dyslexia Show will
take place from 20-21 March 2020.
EN