The Datebook Datebook Autumn 18 Calendar of Events | Page 12

I am a Dinosaur – Looking Through a Telescope at the Future By David Jamilly Theme Traders I n the fun fast paced events industry our main adrenalin buzz comes from being swept along with the tide from one exciting event to the next. How often do we allow the time to step back and view the industry from afar and as a whole? impermanence as is said many Eastern cultures) and this is particularly relevant to our world of events in which the key to both survival and growth is deeply rooted in our ability to adapt and change according to the rapidly evolving macro factors. A good analogy is to think of looking at London from an aeroplane window as opposed to working in an office in the city. There is always a bigger picture and it is always the bigger picture that is actually the driver of the industry’s overall development. Some of the macro factors and real drivers include: The events industry is totally unique and has gone from strength to strength in the last 30 years or so. It is now a 42 billion pound industry in the UK and continuing to grow incrementally. On the subject of growth, it is a fundamental law of nature that everything is in a constant state of change (or miles of a city. The younger generation have already spearheaded this trend. 3. Massive decrease in global jobs and attrition of working hours as technology and automation take over, resulting in an increase in leisure time but a loss of sense of purposefulness 5. Standardisation of our food content as scientific farming methods take over and drain the resources of the natural world to meet the needs of the increasing population. For example there is only 10% of the large fish stocks left in the seas since 1960. 6. The entire store of historic and contemporary knowledge being available to everyone along with exposure to the habits and culture of the world’s past and present. 90% of the world’s data has been produced in the last 6 years alone. 1. Increase in global population from 5 billion in 1990 to 7.5 billion and now rising to 10 billion by 2050 2. The move from rural to urban. In 1800 90% of the world lived in villages, by 2050 90% of the world will live within 5 These and other macro factors are already accountable for some of the trends that we have all been experiencing in recent years, for example: coupled with mental health challenges. (25% of the UK population experiences this at some stage). 4. The diminishment of human concentration levels as instant stimulation rolls out through the virtual world and we spend up to 80% of our time attached to mobile devices in one way or another. 1. Shorter lead-in times 2. Budget pressures 3. Increase in expectation levels 4. Speciality segmentation 5. Increased competition in the market place Through looking from afar it makes it easier to achieve the harmonisation required to meet the rapidly changing needs of our events industry and to plan for excellence of delivery. The overall principle, the practise of stepping back to see the bigger picture, applies similarly whether you are in commerce or charity, back of house or front, working for yourself or someone else. David Jamilly can be reached on E-mail: [email protected] 10 THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK Our Job in events is to keep making our clients and guests smile and it is through greater wisdom and understanding that we can best continue to achieve this.