INTERVIEW shouldn ’ t think there
I are many people better prepared for any eventuality than Ops professionals . Emily Peat is the former director of operations for NCC Events . For almost five years , she worked on two of the UK ’ s largest annual tradeshows , held at the NEC , both for the leisure vehicle sector .
During her time heading up operations for the National Caravan Camping and Motorhome Show plus the Motorhome and Caravan Show , Peat dealt with the full gamut of logistical challenges involving oversized leisure vehicles arriving on-site from across Europe and the threeday build that ensued .
“ I ’ m very much a detailorientated person and a great believer that if all the hard work is done in advance , everyone has a much smoother time on the show floor ,” Peat says . “ We ’ re incredibly fortunate in the Ops industry that we ’ re trained to handle a vast range of scenarios from fire safety to medical emergencies . Society in general is far less resilient these days and far more dependent on the likes of the NHS or the emergency services . When you see something happen in the street , people will stand back , lacking the confidence or the knowledge to get involved .”
Peat ’ s long-held societal observation , along with two defining incidents that occurred when she worked for NCC Events , has inspired her to launch her own twoday show next year called , Readyr Live .
“ We had a gentleman who suffered a cardiac arrest at the entrance to the NEC
Emily Peat
Ready organiser one
Emily Peat will debut Readyr Live at the NEC in June next year . She speaks with Mike Fletcher about how her operations career has inspired her to help others be ready for whatever life throws
piazza on the busy opening morning of the show and no one went over to help ,” she recalls . “ I then witnessed a motorcycle accident and was able to both administer first aid and manage the traffic due to my operations training . As soon as I jumped in , other people were more willing to help . People want to be more prepared for these kinds of scenarios but without the knowledge , and without the confidence to succeed , people don ’ t put themselves forward .
“ Readyr will empower people to be more prepared and more confident in their abilities . We want to position ourselves as the antidote to
“ Readyr will empower people to be more prepared and more confident .”
people ’ s fear of not knowing or not having the confidence to act , so that we may bring peace of mind and more assuredness to everyone ’ s lives .”
Lancaster-born Peat began her career as an event manager at the NEC so the Midlands-based venue was an obvious choice for her debut show . Readyr Live will run from 29-30 June in Hall 17 and cover five different tracks - ‘ Protecting what you love ’; ‘ Empowered living ’; ‘ Health for life ’; ‘ Our changing planet ’; and ‘ Immediate help ’. Peat is working with Tembo for marketing and The Benchmark Collective on the sales elements .
The Readyr concept will also offer an online resource hub , where people can tap into articles and interviews with different experts , along with a strong social media presence and a year-round e-commerce proposition so that exhibitors can retail their products via the Readyr website .
“ Each year will culminate in this incredible live event that will bring a community together that ’ s already been engaged for 365 days with access to so much inspiration , products and knowledge ,” Peat says . “ What started as an exhibition idea from this former ops girl has developed into a much more rounded proposition and I ’ m excited to see it take shape .”
Readyr ’ s digital retail offer means that should the exhibitions industry ever experience another seismic event like the Covid pandemic , Peat ’ s exhibitors would still be able to trade and her company would still be able to operate .
“ We ’ re practising what we preach by ensuring company resilience and a supportive , ready-for-anything mentality ,” Peat concludes . “ Ops training has made me readier than many people in society . Now we ’ re getting ready to bring that readiness to life .” EN
Winter — 63