Will Broome in Prestige Events
9th April 2008
Why is it called the 'International' Special Events Society?
The benefits of being a member of ISES are numerous and, to a certain extent, obvious on a local level. Our monthly networking events in London are better attended than ever with a careful structure designed to be conducive to effective networking. As a result we are currently witnessing the highest ever levels of business being done on a face to face basis, between members. But where does the 'international' element fit in and, more importantly, how is it relevant to members? Indeed, is it relevant at all?
Following a trip to Atlanta, USA with ISES recently (and having attended two former events in the USA and Canada respectively) I can tell you that my sentiment is that the answer is a resounding 'yes!' on a number of levels.
Firstly, the international events are well worth a visit for a number of reasons. These ISES trips, whether they are official ISES conferences, general study trips (such as the member's trip to New York City in 2007) or the annual 'Special Events Show' which is held in a different city each year in the USA, provide an excellent networking forum. Importantly, this works in two ways - with your own contemporaries from the UK, as well as with delegates from quite literally all over the world.
Having just attended 'The Special Event' in Atlanta, I returned with a notebook full of innovative ideas, not all directly and exclusively related to our industry, but from a far more general day to day perspective too. Topics ranged from 'innovative ways to brainstorm' through to presentation skills and just about everything else in between. Opportunities to network with a vast array of international delegates gave an interesting insight into event industry ideas, trends and practices in dynamic cities such as New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Cape Town and many, many more. I have also kept in touch with several interesting industry personalities since and this has already proved to be useful (an Australian contact has recommended that one of her contemporaries who has recently set up in London, join londonlaunch.com).
Closer to home, Atlanta afforded me the opportunity to get to know the group of delegates from the UK better and this was not only refreshing and great fun, but also very useful from a business perspective. For example, I can pick up the phone more readily to these very busy but highly talented people, for advice, information, or any kind of help for that matter. It's not an exaggeration to say that we work in a friendly industry, where even competitors help each other out for the 'greater good' (if events are accessible, high quality and popular as a marketing medium, then there will be more business to go around). Friendship and camaraderie (with a bit of patriotism thrown in when abroad!) is undoubtedly a key factor within the events industry and this social/business network aspect of the job should not be underestimated. Word of mouth and reputation are essential within the service industry and we are very much a people orientated sector of the marketplace.
A further dynamic offered up by an international trip is the opportunity to see a series of top class events each evening organised by the host city as a showcase. In Atlanta I attended a hugely fun event at Coca-Cola World (as Atlanta is the home of Coke) and a party at the largest commercial aquarium in the world! Strangely, the Coca-cola World party was mostly notable for its planted 'party hosts' - professional dancers who mingled with guests with funky flashing rubber jewellery (rings mainly) which they handed out to excite and involve the guests. Sporadic and highly choreographed dance routines were thrown in every fifteen minutes or so and this proved to be a flawless icebreaker - no foot tapping on the perimeters of the dancefloor! It doesn't have to be a particularly big or, for that matter, groundbreaking idea to capture the imagination, but it's sometimes useful to be in an alien environment because you'll find that you pick up a whole host of ideas when you least expect it.
The current board is working hard at making the most our of our international affiliations and one major way in which this is manifested is via the 'CSEP' accreditation which has been adapted for the UK market. The 'CSEP' (Certified Special Events Professional) will be a recognised accreditation on a global basis. Many corporates in the USA already request evidence of a 'qualification' and CSEP is one of the most respected. As our industry becomes more regulated and professional, it will become increasingly important to be able to demonstrate some form of recognised professional accreditation. We will be sending out information on the CSEP programme to members shortly via the ISES newsletter.
We look forward to seeing you at our next industry networking evening and please visit www.isesuk.org for regular updates.
Will Broome, President Elect, ISES UK. |
