“ I have been trying for years to get this off the ground , but it requires huge funding to get the personality testing required .
“ I ’ m at the wrong end of my career to be the leader of this and it does need money , it needs syndicates of fundraising amongst the likes of RX and Clarion , DMG and midsize players . I know it is worrying a lot of companies like Tarsus and Clarion because they don ’ t know how they are going to have enough people to run the shows they ’ ve got .”
“ We absolutely need to pay more and we need to focus on what the career development is . ”
Selling exhibitions The industry also needs to do a better job of promoting itself to the wider world .
“ I don ’ t think there ’ s any option but to find a solution ,” he says . “ Retail is in decline , why aren ’ t we finding people from the retail sector , that ’ s the most obvious , they ’ re customer focused . If you had a campaign going to shops on the high street that are in danger of closing and said ‘ come into events ’ they ’ d say ‘ wow ’.
“ If you expect to stop at 5 o ’ clock , go work in a shop , because our industry is not like that , but our industry is much more rewarding .”
Foley is convinced there is appetite for the positive action needed to bring new people in . He says he ’ s had conversations with the likes of RX ’ s Hugh Jones who he is convinced would be happy to contribute their share to make a difference .
“ We absolutely need to pay more and we need to focus on what the career development is .
“ We need to tell the wider world about our industry and we ’ ve got to raise the money and do it .” EN
November — 23