Are Event Managers Living for Today or Planning for the Future?
20th March 2017
We are entering an age of uncertainty, full of controversy and change. Is this uncertainty affecting the events industry? And are events managers resilient enough to mould to the changes they’re facing?
What Headline will be Next?
It is often impossible to characterise the world’s current state with complete accuracy. However, many would argue that the sheer amount of global change; particularly in politics over the last four months have left society feeling uncertain about the future.
Are Event Managers Resilient Enough?
Events are part of our social fabric, they can be shaped, shifted and impacted by uncertainties, forever challenged in a turbulent environment. Therefore it is essential for event managers to be resilient and adaptable. Events can be affected by a multitude of external forces, it is imperative they recover and if necessary reinvent themselves to survive.
Numerous academics highlight the importance of resilience, flexibility and adaptability within the events industry. It is crucial, then, that event managers are able to forecast risks that may arise and, if necessary, react and adapt through efficient and effective contingency planning.
From Brexit to Trump to the growing fear of an imminent recession, there are numerous factors worldwide that are contributing to the ever expanding list of uncertain outcomes which are pushing the industry to adapt its ways in order to survive.
The process of managing risk assesses positive and negative occurrences that may affect the way in which an event is designed and implemented. This acts as a contingency plan, evolving with current times and reflecting the necessary and possible actions based on the current understanding.
However, if resilience and contingency planning skills are incomplete or out of date, the damage limitation will be inadequate. Event managers have a duty of care to event attendees, using risk management and contingency planning to assess and determine potential consequences.
But with an ever-dynamic environment will the use of speculative analysis be enough?
Reliable Media or Untrustworthy Tabloids?
Reliable or not, the media has the power to change a person’s opinion in a matter of seconds. Every day we wake up to a new headline claiming to be ‘breaking news’ – to what extent does this affect the event world?
Brexit and Trump are current topics but is what we are reading really that accurate? Or should we be taking it all with a pinch of salt? Is exaggeration overtaking media outlets?
With news being so contemporary we do not know if statements made are accurate or not. There are positive and negative news reports floating around discussing the events industry. These can either be taken into consideration by the industry or put aside, as most news reports are not credible enough to affect the choices we make.
What is Happening Now?
The haze created by Brexit is slowly starting to lift, but with a lack of action, anxiety still holds a presence among industry professionals. What hurdles will they have to face? It’s difficult to forecast what Brexit will look like and how it will directly affect the events industry, if at all, but professionals are already thinking about what can be done to ‘Brexit-proof’ contracts.
Economic issues are inevitable and have been seen to directly affect the events industry. During the 2008 economic recession organisations were seen to introduce cost-cutting measures relating to employee business travel and their participation in events. Several sources predict another recession in the future, therefore it is important to address whether event managers are resilient enough to tackle this issue, and whether past experiences have prepared them for another potential economic down turn.
But, looking at the positives, the $ to £ rate could improve or lower sterling could mean the UK becomes an attractive destination. Trump seems keen to negotiate trade deals with the UK, and look at how partnerships could benefit Britain after the Brexit vote.
As soon as Brexit was announced, the £ began to drop and event managers questioned what impact this would have. Natalie Crampton, director at TEC in Dubai, stated she was tightening budgets as clients could no longer afford previous luxuries. But, while overseas budgets have shrunk, the opposite effect has happened to UK . Excel London’s director James Rees stated that the referendum result had been a positive one for international clients calling to take advantage of the exchange rate. Where could this leave the UK as an event destination in the coming future?
International Live Events Association chair, Kevin Jackson agrees the industry is robust, with strong connections. He believes if event managers keep doing what they do best, building relationships, they can drive the industry forwards.
Thinking to the future, where will event managers be in the next 5 years? Will uncertainty rock the event industry boat or will they be left unaffected? Could these uncertainties create opportunities?
Industry professionals all over the world are voicing their concerns about the future of the events industry and whether they can plan for the potential changes, or are there too many ‘unknowns’ that they cannot possibly plan for the future?
Interesting piece and something most people will be considering regardless of their work. There will clearly be some adverse effects, especially if another(possibly a lot worse) financial crisis hits. The future of the EU will also play a huge part for UK based events and could cause a lot of problems from site crew,right through to movement of travel for artists etc. Not to mention currency problems.
Unfortunately it will be the small companies and independents that don’t have the budget or infrastructure to deal with these changes that will be worst hit. Large companies will always find the money albeit maybe reduced amounts. Events managers as individuals will always adapt to whatever changes they need to,it will be a question as to whether the companies for which they work are positioned to do the same.
Thank you for your thoughts Rick. Unfortunately you are probably right in saying it will be the small companies that are affected. We can only hope that if that were to be the case that the industry as a whole and the government among other areas would support the smaller companies. Although large companies are likely to be able to support themselves financially, it would be interesting to see the affect consumer behaviour has on companies themselves and how much pressure they put on companies to reduce prices.
Great article! The Events Industry will continue to thrive but the current backdrop of political and economic uncertainty in the UK, Europe and the US will no doubt put additional pressures on the sector. These will largely revolve around funding pressures for both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. The corporate sector will continue to deal with short lead times and squeezed budgets, whilst charity and arts events may see access to EU funds blocked at a time when they are already dealing with sustained cuts to public funding and reduced sponsorship opportunities in the UK. Movement of travel for international artists may also become more complex due to BREXIT, and this adds to additional security measures at airports already affecting the travel of equipment and instruments. However, it’s not all doom and gloom – the fall in sterling will hopefully give events and tourism in the UK a welcome boost! Thanks for a thought provoking article!
Thanks for your comments Nikki – nice to hear you have a similar opinion and a positive outlook on the future!
Nice piece Ellie, all issues raised are certainly relevant.
Although tightening of the ‘event’ purse strings is the reality if business performance is affected by economic factors, you’ll find that in times of change organisations look to their events function to galvanise teams/people so they can end up with even more projects to deliver.
Agency EMs have a slightly different challenge to ensure they remain relevant to our end customers and understand any change in strategy during this time. Becoming more creative with spend and demonstrating value key here.
Personally, I’m very optimistic about how the industry will hold up. There will always be pasties and pints at the rugby (well for the next few years anyway….)
Thank-you for your comment Mark. Interesting point you make. Do you not think events companies, even if they galvanise their teams, will struggle if their aren’t customers out their looking to put on events? Or in the wake of Brexit, will we get more international business?
Interesting to have an insight from an Agency EM’s point of view.
A very interesting and informative article that clearly lays out the challenges affecting the industry and the skill sets and qualities needed to meet those challenges. Whatever the size of a company, resilience, flexibility and adaptability together with agility are qualities that need to be part of any company’s culture in this age of massive change. Inculcating such challenges is an essential part of a company’s ‘survival toolkit’ together with the individuals therein.
Glad you found the article interesting and informative, and interesting to hear your views on the use of a company’s ‘survival toolkit’. Do you believe this toolkit is efficient and effective in being resilient enough to withstand the current uncertainty we are facing?
A very interesting and informative article about a subject that can not be ignored as budgets are getting tighter yearly.
Thank for your positive comment David. In your professional, have you experienced the effects of a tightening budget, in the wake of economic change and uncertainty?
This is a problem for all companies and it is the nature of the macro environment to force change upon organisations. The issue of resilience is one that is of most use to event managers. Whilst a lot of media reporting is sensationalised (unfortunately it appears that certain outlets deem this as the way to gain readership/followers), there are balanced opinions out there, they just need to be found. Any company is continually scanning the environment and asking themselves “how does this affect my business” and providing solutions to these problems. One way of being on top of this is by joining a good industry association who will “filter” news and provide a balance to the arguments in order that you can make the correct decision for your company.
I agree with article and the comments from jlannon2014. the blog focuses on the commercial dangers as business operators we need to concentrate on the action.
There is a great saying;
‘Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values’
Thank you for your feedback jlannon2014. As mentioned by joining a good industry association you can find balanced arguments relating to this subject. Looking at reports from AEO, they concentrate on adding value, seeking opportunities’ and addressing challenges, whilst everything around us is in a current state of flux. They highlight that we as an industry need to recognise common goals.
Further to your comment, as event professionals it is difficult to filter through sensationalised media.
With Theresa May finally revealing that article 50 will be triggered on March the 29th, hopefully we will all have a better understanding of the impact Brexit may have on the UK as a whole, and specifically the events industry.
Thanks for your addition comments c boyd, we agree that it is now how we react to the outcome of the uncertainty we face, regarding all the issues discussed in the blog, be it for better or worse.
As a current Business student, it is interesting to see the possible viewpoints surrounding the uncertainty of current issues, such as BREXIT and the Trump Presidency, and what sort of implications these may pose on industries. This article has helped me understand that the issues are the same for everyone, but dealing with them is different for each sector.
From what I have found, the most effective way to show resilience is to show acceptance, as opposed to resistance, to the ever-changing circumstances in the business environment. Who knows what opportunities this may reveal!
Thank you for your interesting response, we are glad you found the blog helped you further understand the current uncertainty affecting the events industry and the business industry as a whole.
Do you think the business industry as a whole needs to work together in order to overcome what challenges we face in the near future? For example, should event managers, and companies as a whole, be looking to business managers for support and guidance?
It is great to hear different perspectives on this issues from different industries. I think there will definitely need to be cross over between industries in order for us to be successful in the future!
Great blog and good read!!!
A really contemporary topic and one that affects event management organisations as well as the individual managers. Both need to prepare for the future and it is, as you say, an uncertain one. For businesses they need to prepare not just by adaptability and contingency planning (as you rightly point out) but by scenario planning as a first step – what could feasibly happen, good and bad, major and minor, and how likely are these scenarios? This approach to scenario planning has been widely used in the tourism industry (see Ian Yeoman’s work for example http://tomorrowstourist.com/pdf/Scenario_Planning.pdf ) and originated in the petrochemical industry with Shell – see http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/scenarios.html ). Another useful place to look for ideas is http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-use-and-abuse-of-scenarios but whatever you do as a manager or business you have to prepare for likely scenarios and those that will have a significant impact if they do happen.
As an event manager at the start of your career you need to be guided by those with experience, insight and information and if you are only ‘living for today’ then your professional future could be severely limited in 5 years’ time. If however you spend so much time planning for the future and neglect your current clients and their current issues the your business will soon dry up too!
Thanks for your comment John, the McKinsey article has made for an interesting read, especially further incite into scenario planning. Specifically, the point regarding the need to look for events that are certain, or nearly certain to happen, and ensure scenarios include a wide range of outcomes.
You talk about event managers starting their career and looking to more experienced professionals for guidance but could you argue that to an extent it’s unlikely any event professional has ever experienced such uncertainty? Yes they may have worked through the recession in 2008, but Brexit, Trump and a potential recession, is a complete different ball game.
I found this blog an interesting read, I hadn’t thought of the industry which I have been working in for the past 2 years being so directly affected by the points which you have highlighted, and in fact it is a little scary to think the industry has the risk of being so vastly affected.
Do you believe that the imminent start of Brexit negotiations will cause other businesses to back off from requiring as many events? Or could it be something we are all going to plow through without batting an eyelid?
Thanks ChelleRoche223 for your comments.
We agree that it is a situation that we are going to have to plough through, however, not necessarily without batting an eyelid.
Nobody knows how or if Brexit will affect the UK as a whole and more specifically the events industry, it will only tell with time. As reported by Evenbrite, Nick de Bois, a member of the Events Industry Board, it is an opportunity for the sector to do very well in markets we haven’t previously been as active in.
Very interesting read. The most effective way to tackle willful ignorance in the world is with educated and level-headed responses like this one
Thanks for taking the time to read the blog Mark, glad you found it interesting.
Interesting questions posed.
What are you referring to with ‘damage limitation’ for occurrences and ‘speculative analysis’?
I know that in the wake of the attack in Bruxelles insurance increased as did police presence and overall security.
Are you referring to economic implications or threat of the event being viewed as a potential target?
Risk assessments identify risks and outline steps taken on site to minimise or nullify identified risks. If the risk is speculative then accurate and effective steps become difficult to identify and implement.
Thank you for your comments Hugo. Your comments have provided another outlook on our contemporary issue discussed.
We are looking at events as being potential targets of suffering due to the upcoming threats from Brexit, Trump and a potential recession and what implications this could have as a whole on the industry – and how EMs will face these situations. Its all speculative at the moment as there are new and uncertain events happening, which we have little past data to work from, and so until things progress the events industry must continue to speculate in order to prepare.
This is a great blog post and the changes mentioned are definitely issues that are leaving us on edge with uncertainty.
I think the event industry will shift in some way or another, but it will not be immediately. However, it is something we should be keeping a close eye on and it will be a continued effort to keep up with the gradual changes.
For instance, we have no idea how Brexit could impact our event tourism, but if we begin to see changes we need to act quickly.
Nevertheless, do you not think that some sectors of events will be affected more so than others? For instance, will the UK wedding industry be affected by Donald Trump’s overruling of media content?
A great starting point for issues that will inevitably be long lived, but perhaps we should advise certain sectors to look into them more than others.
Thank-you for your comments Caterevolution! Glad to see you agree with some of our points, and it’s definitely an issue the events industry will be keeping a close eye on over the coming years.
We have some idea how it will affect Brexit as, not being part of the EU, means less free movement which potentially hinders people picking the UK as a host destination, especially within the EU.
Personally, we think, that the business sector of events will be the most heavily affected, if any. As a whole, event tourism may take a hit as a result of higher travel restrictions.
Fantastic article. A really interesting and informative read. As an events management graduate, I agree that those of us in the industry are becoming more anxious as changes are put into place. Do you feel that the events industry was fully prepared for Brexit? In your professional opinion, what would you say are the main highlights of Brexit in terms of its impact on the world of events?
Thank you for your thoughts Shanice! I don’t think any industry was or will be fully prepared for the affects Brexit will have. Contingency planning will help event manager’s plan for a range of outcomes.
In terms of the main highlights, these could include; possible travel restrictions from both directions and the potential loss of health care insurance (EHIC cards). We may soon need a visa to get in and around the EU – how will this effect event tourism and specifically international conferencing?
There could be increased travel costs, as currently cheap airfare comes from an EU agreement, if so, will delegates be prepared to pay the extra costs? Or will event managers be forced to increase the prices they charge to cover the cost?
Another thing to think about is, how are other countries now going to view us as a nation, without the EU?
What an interesting blog, it is interesting to see the topic in which you have chosen out of the many in the world. I have been reading the majority of the blogs from this user however this is the only one which has intrigued me to stay and comment.
I believe as an retired event manager and now entrepreneur, that you have hit the nail right on the head there with how these sudden changes in our once docile political environment have rocked the industry boat.
I am glad that you were able to find some positives in your work as we should all keep an open mind in these situations, and if the worst is to happen then I am sure we will stand together to survive.
Do you suspect that event managers clientele may reduce the number of events they require, if a recession which you suggested may be an outcome does in fact become reality?
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on our blog Richard!
I agree, it is all about keeping an open mind and taking each day as it comes when dealing with the uncertainty we face. A study carried out by Goldblatt and Seung-Won stated that event industry organisations, profit margins notably decreased as a result of the recession. It pointed out that one of the main factors for a decrease in profits margins was the decreased sponsorship companies were receiving adding to the general effects of economic recession on all revenue streams. In reflection of this report I do believe that clients will reduce the number of events they require as this was seen when we went through the recession in 2008.
You have hit the nail on the head with this one! Yes we will be affected whether the outcome is positive or negative and yes event managers will have to adapt. You have made a great argument to showcase how resilient the event industry has been and how it should continue to be, not to say their wont be any fatalities, smaller companies may struggle or even fail if we were to hit another recession however we can strive to work against these odds and come out victorious!
Great work. Now to wait to see how the next political steps play out. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for your comment Martin! Unfortunately I agree with you in saying that if we are to experience another recession soon, small companies will struggle to survive, if even survive at all.
Here’s hoping us event managers can pull together!
Hello, I followed this blog link from the twitter event hour this Wednesday night. I have not been disappointed in what I have read.
I am a part of a small event organisation and we have just began discussing how these topics might affect how we run our events, although we do not work overseas on a international level, we do have some clients from other countries who have organised events in the UK for their UK based firms.
Much like you described in your blog, we are uncertain as to the affect which these issues may cause us, if any at all.
However the blog was an enlightening read and I will be sending the link to my colleagues to open their minds to the key areas you have highlighted.
Many thanks.
Wow JordJHutercherson, thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog, and glad you found it interesting! If the industry is even affected at all, be it positive or negative, it will be interesting to see the effects it has on small event organisations. It’s all a bit of a waiting game at the minute unfortunately, but we can always hope for the best.
Additionally, thank you for sharing our blog with your colleagues, we look forward to hearing their thoughts.
Hello. I am one of Jordans colleagues and I am glad he directed us to this blog, we all agree with what he has commented. The blog was a great insight into what we should be considering when planning for the companies future.
Great stuff!
A controversial topic with many sides to it.
A strong topic to be looking into, especially with article 50 being put in place and Trumps unpredictability.
This blog was highlighted to us through a recent Twitter post, at first I thought it was going to be another blog of insistent whining about how every thing is hitting the fan (to put it politely).
However, I was pleasantly surprised. This was a well thought out blog which highlighted both positive and negative possibilities. For it to have merit I would have like to have seen more facts and figures, however am fully aware that there is not a lot of (if any) reliable data out there right now and it is still early days for all of the topics you have covered.
I agree it is something to keep an eye on and that all industries should be prepared for any large changes which may incur as a result of politics.
What outcome are you hoping for from this? Are you concerned as future event managers or do you feel this is something you are ready to tackle?
Thank you for your positive comments MTeesdale68. While researching this topic we looked at a number of different angles and it soon became apparent that with Trump and Brexit being such contemporary issues the facts and figures are somewhat lacking and inconsistent surrounding both topics.
We think within the events industry we are very much a creative and relationship-based industry that we will need to leverage in order to help move the industry forward through the uncertain time. Personally, we think as event managers we need to concentrate on the opportunities we can create from this situation, and not focus on the negatives.
As soon to be professionals in the events industry, we believe we are as prepared as we can be for the uncertainty that lies ahead, and highlighting it in our degree shows our awareness to the topic.
Thank you for your reply, it looks like you have done your research and I agree you may be more prepared than others through your degree, be sure to still learn from those who have been in the industry for a while now, but be sure to make them aware of these issues and help them be prepared.
I have worked in the events industry for over 30 years now and I have to say this is the first topic which has me a little concerned for our future.
Your blog gave me a little more comfort and information on the topics, as you said in your blog, much of the news we read today is fake and just looking for hits. However you seem to have made some sense of what they have been talking about and put that into a context which I can get my head around.
Thank you for your comment Mary. Glad that we could offer you at least a little more insight into the issue. Like you said, many people won’t have seen anything like this before which is why there are so many questions as to what affect it will all have on the events industry.
Agreed! I am studying for an event management degree at the moment and I believe this should be a more spoken about topic! Its nice to see like minded individuals taking the first steps to highlight these issues.
Do you think event managers may enter an industry in which only the strongest will survive? Or do you believe there may still be some hope of small businesses (as a aspiring entrepreneur I am hoping to enter the industry soon)
Hi Alex, thank you for your comment. It is nice to see a fellow event student taking an interest in this issue.
From the research we conducted for this blog we found event managers showed a history of being resilient against uncertain times and seem to bounce back from the majority of issues faced. I do not see why a small business cannot succeed if you are determined enough and willing to change strategies in order to adapt to the ever changing situation. We would like to wish you good luck with your business and any future plans you have for after your degree.
A very thought provoking blog. Many ‘so called’ experts are forecasting a recession now Article 50 has been invoked by the UK government and Brexit is actually underway.
Our ‘untrustworthy tabloids’ and on occasion ‘untrustworthy broadsheets’, seem to be at the forefront of peddling the doom and gloom stories about a recession.
So for arguments sake – let’s say these media outlets were change to their attitude, and support the idea of a possible boom period once we have left the EU.
Do you then think that the events industry could benefit from perhaps increased revenue streams and employment opportunities generated by leaving the EU?
If you think that the events industry could benefit, do you think that we would see different types of events after we have left the EU?
Hello Dai, thank you for your comment. You make some interesting points. From how we see the public react to media news, it may be safe to assume they have a lot of power on how we view life and how positive we are about different events.
If the media were to start reporting positive headlines there is a very good chance event businesses would receive a more positive outcome and it could very well increase the number of events held.
As it stands, Brexit may be the beginning of more nationalism events, returning to a more classic period of time in which Britain is the main focus
I am firstly impressed that you have chosen to take on this topic, it is a little risky in this current age to have a political point of view. However you have showed professionalism in how you have structured your blog and you have attempted to give a even argument of a very new situation.
I enjoyed reading the blog and felt you may have bee a bit cautious to go too politically in depth for fear of backlash, don’t be concerned. Everyone will have an opinion and yours comes across as a very valid point, especially towards such a growing industry like events.
Hello Bill, thank you for taking the time to read our blog and for the kind comments, it is always a risky subject to give a political opinion or even use politics as a case study, we tried our best to give an even opinion of the current happenings and I hope this showed in our writing.
Good interpretation of current events, a well thought out blog which seems to be written in a level headed manner. Glad to see that this hasn’t been influenced by the right wing media campaigns which are currently running the world.
Could these changes have the potential to influence event managers to provide more events in the UK to reduce the overseas risk? And if this is the case, could this actually be a positive move for the UK event industry?
Thank you Enid for your comments – glad you find our blog level headed, we tried to consider the potential risks to the industry without media influence.
We believe this could lead to people staying in the UK, but potentially lead other EU or overseas countries to find elsewhere to host their events as it’s cheaper, but agree staying inside the UK could lead to less risk.
This could definitely be a positive move for the UK and we hope it leads to brighter things in the future.
I will be the first to admit I voted out of the EU. For personal reasons which I will not divulge into. I think that although you seemed to try and stay impartial to the debate within your blog, the writing is still swayed towards Brexit being a negative outcome. I am none the wiser than anyone else, but think it is a little early to make too many assumptions.
I do agree however that we should be prepared in all industries, whether Brexit is for better or for worse, things are going to change and we will all have to adapt.
Hi Rod, thank you for your comments and honesty on the matter. I agree that it is too soon to make assumptions as to what may or may not happen in the near and far future, and we should all definitely be prepared to adapt. Enough people and industries seem to have faith in the deals we will get out of Brexit to give hope to others who don’t. It will be interesting to see how events develop now that Article 50 has been accepted by the EU.
I emigrated from Sweden to move to the UK about 8 years ago now, so this current topic has rocked the boat within our family. We run a small business from home and do not believe we will receive any backlash from the upcoming changes.
Your blog makes some interesting points and hinted about changes I had not thought about beforehand.
I think a positive attitude towards these changes is the best action to take. Just like Annie said “The sun will come out tomorrow”.
Thanks for you comments Tjjakko – really interesting to hear from someone who has moved here but glad you don’t feel any backlash. Definitely agree that keeping a positive attitude will help and hope the best for the future, not just within events!!
I believe you have achieved writing this blog in a lighter light than it could have been if steered by the media campaigns. As a native from Denmark, I have been posted in the UK for 10 years and am always impressed with its versatility. I do not think that leaving the EU will make the UK and less efficient and am sure this will be mirrored within the events industry; especially if what you have written about their resilience is true.
Thank you for your comments Brian, good to see you are so positive about recent events. We feel assured that event managers have faced difficulties in the past and so should be able to overcome these changes.
A well written blog, the topic kept me interested even though only have secondary experiences with events as often the participant or employing an event manager to run one on behalf of my company. I am not sure that I will become personally affected by Trump or Brexit to a huge extent, although I think it is good to be aware of these issues and not live in ignorance.
Thank you Andy, it’s always good to gain an insight from both a participant and employer of the event industry . We agree, to live in ignorance could impact our ability to be prepared and adapt to the changing environment. It will be interesting to see how Trump and Brexit impact the industry and definitely keep our finger on the pulse will help us to be one step ahead.
Link highlighted to my attention during #eventhour on twitter. I decided to investigate the relevance of the blog and was pleasantly surprised to find myself learning something. Blogs such as these give me hope in our future generations as it shows that they are taking nothing at face value and are using investigative skills to make their own opinion on important topics.
A very easy read which seems to have involved a plethora of reading.
Good Job. Credit to the writer(s)
Great to hear from you Andi and appreciate you taking the time to read our blog.
We tried to keep all information relevant when composing our blog and appreciate that you feel the future is in reasonably prepared hands, hopefully!!
From your point of view how do you feel the industry will be affected, are there other areas we should have taken into consideration? And is the UK the best place to continue to develop as event managers of the future?
I enjoyed reading this blog, it has lots of interesting theories and has given me a clearer insight to what the future may hold.
Thanks for your comments Sara, glad you enjoyed the blog and it helped you to gain a deeper understanding of recent events. Was there anything in particular you found useful?
I have lived in the UK for 5 years now due to my husbands deployment, it is weird to think I when we move again the UK will no longer have the EU connection with us. I don’t think this will make travel too different and I hope the cost of travel will not rise by much, if at all. Trump is on a whole other level, but would hope that no matter how polite the UK is to him, that they always move with caution and prepare for the unexpected.
This is a lovely blog which represents the resilience I have experienced from living in the UK and I don’t think it will ever change.
Thanks for your comments Kerry. It’s nice to hear that someone else won’t lose faith in the UK despite the unknown effects of Brexit.
We hope in light of such developments, the UK will be able to further strengthen a bond with outside markets. In regards to Trump, we agree the UK must move with caution and look to secure good relationships to promote resilience.
Wow. What an insight into such a prominent topic. I had not thought to look at it from this angle before and now that you have inspired me to do so I have begun my own research. I completed my doctorate not long ago in this industry and it fascinates me to think the industry is still ever changing and evolving. I am sure I will never keep up, but it is fun to try!
Hi Sarah, thank you for your comment, its great to hear from a like minded professional who has recently completed a doctorate. Out of interest it would be great to hear what you found out from your research.
This industry is forever changing and intrinsically impacted by it external environment. It will be interesting to see how the industry develops with the changing times. Hopefully we can all keep up!
Really interesting read! It’s nice to see someone’s actually done their research.
Will you be posting more in the future?
Many thanks.
Hi Roger, thank you, we felt to comment and write a blog on such a contemporary topic, doing our research and making sure our figures were correct was critical.
Unfortunately this is a one time blog as part of our university degree, but glad you enjoyed reading.
I look at these types of situations as many do with marmite… You either love it or you hate it. Your balanced blog allows both lovers and haters to be involved which is always a good start. This was an easy read and flowed well from one topic to another, however I would have liked the topics to have gone into a little more depth, was there a reason behind touching on the topics rather than picking one and focusing on that?
Thank you for your comments Rob. Glad that you enjoyed reading our blog and see it as a relatively balanced argument. We juggled a bit with how concentrated to make the subject, and I agree we could have easily picked one topic to go in-depth with. We were also limited with the amount we were allowed to write, with university assignment limits. We would have loved to have written more.
Superb topic choice. These are events which no-one will be able to hide from. How far into the future have you considered this to be an ‘issue’? Do you believe that the industry will have to vastly change or will we only hit a small bump in the road before we continue on our way?
Hi Christine, thank you for your comments. In relation to how far in the future, we’ve thought about the immediate future, looking closely at the next 2-3 years with the understanding that the UK won’t leave the EU until April 2019 and by then Trump will be half way through his presidency, giving us a clearer image of his intentions.. We would like to think that the events industry will only hit a small bump in the road, if any, but unfortunately nobody can really say what is going to happen, so it is all a bit of a waiting game.
Event managers are trained to be flexible and resilient to be able to deal with various issues in their work. There is only so much they can do and plan accordingly to unpredictable changes. It is always eye opening when they come up with creative strategies to come up with solutions or use their opportunities.
Thank you for your comments. Good to see that you have the same opinion as we do in relation to event managers being resilient enough to withstand uncertainty.
Interesting read, do you think that Brexit will result in total withdrawal from the European Union or might it be that May plays it safe and try a deal much like Denmark to receive some of the perks of the EU with less of the cost?
I am also surprised at the lack of pro or against Trump comments, I don’t think he is a force we should ignore and I agree within your blog that preparedness is going to be a key factor to success.
Hi Lisa, glad you found the blog interesting.
That is an interesting question; today we read the letter Theresa May sent along with Article 50 as a base line of expectation that the next 2 years will hold.
In this letter she clearly states a wish to stay in a friendly partnership with Europe and the EU, but also mentions that all relevant EU laws will be reassessed and adapted for the UK.
May hinted that she understands the UK will not be able to join the single market and therefore will follow EU trade guidelines to ensure UK industries can still trade with ease through Europe.
We were surprised by the lack of Trump based comments, however the blog is in its early days. He is definitely someone not to be underestimated and Theresa May’s wish to stay friends with the EU may suggest she is ensuring security for the UK.
Many thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hello, I work as a casual staff member for 88 events, I am unsure as to how this came across on my Twitter feed, but all things happen for a reason and I am certain this reason was to learn something new! Although as you said in the blog, there is a lack of information on such current issues, however the questions posed within the blog are things that we in the event industry should be asking, I will email this link to my general managers as I feel this is an issue not to be taken too lightly, while at the same time not to focus all of our energy on.
Cheers!
Hi Ryan, thank you for your comment and passing it on to your colleagues. It’s always good to hear from like minded industry professionals.
We agree, it is an issue that should be talked about and important to consider.
Do you feel, that with Scotland in favour of a second referendum that your event management team may encounter further hurdles?
Hello! To add to the comment from my colleague Ryan, its great that you are trying to get people to think about these things now, cause we all know that we live very much in the now and that often do not prepare ourselves. Ryan and I were only just having a discussion today on shift about Brexit and its affects on us Scots who wish to remain in the EU, a awesome read!
Thank you for your comments Em, glad Ryan passed on the link and it was a worth while read. Living in the now is something we can all be guilty of and a little pre-planning wouldn’t hurt. We agree, we need to prepare ourselves for such uncertainties, even if only to forecast predictions for potential events or threats. It’s good to know that the topic is still contemporary and being talked about within your workplace.
Do you believe if Scotland were to separate after a second referendum that Event Management industry would take a hit?
Hi! Sorry for the 3rd comment from the 88 event team! Ryan and Emma sent theirs off before I could tell them my thoughts! I loved this, although politics and the news are often hard to understand, this was really clear for me to get to grips with and I actually think it has made me more confident for my future with the events industry! Nice to know we can stand on our own feet in the face of change 😀
Hi Vic, not a problem. Thank you for taking the time to comment along with the rest of your team. We are happy to hear it was clear to understand. It is good to know that you have gained some reassuring knowledge from this and we hope it helps you to prepare for your future within the event industry.
Do you believe your company can prepare for Brexit’s vote and be resilient?
Hi! Ryan just sent me this link, awesome insight! When I first read my email about its contents I figured it would be way out of my league to understand but I wanted to see why Ry was so pumped by it. Super easy to follow and come to terms with, I think I got lost at one stage but I understood the majority (which is better than most days!).
Guess Ry was right and we should be looking at these things now. (although don’t tell him he is right, it will make his head even bigger!)
Great stuff!
Hello Jay, thank you for your response, we are glad Ryan was able to share our blog with you and that you were able to follow it with relative ease. Hope this has prompted discussion in your office about the issues we may face and don’t worry we won’t tell Ryan of his greatness.
Good evening, I feel the 88 events team and i may be taking up your comments section this evening! Glad I checked my emails before I shut down my laptop tonight.
Interesting concept, obviously a lot of guess work and theoretical predictions, but I can see where you are coming from and the points you are trying to make. Certainly created some thoughts to sit on the back burner while Brexit negotiations are sorted and Mr Trump makes his next move.
Thank you for your comments Clair and we are glad to see you have taken an interest in our blog.
Yes, unfortunately, there is a lot of guesswork with it being such a contemporary issue, every source has different data to offer on the subject. We are glad though that our chosen topic has got a lot of people talking and thinking about the future. Who know’s where we will be this time next year?
Interesting implications to an ever expanding industry. You’ve covered the topics well, although I think were you to look into the issues with more depth, you could probably create a blog for each topic. Creatively put together, I enjoyed the trump hair image immensely.
Thanks for your comments Roy, and it’s great to get your thoughts.
Unfortunately, we were restricted to the depth we could go into due to having a word limit for an assignment, but we could have definitely written more!
This is a very interesting blog covering a number of contemporary issues which may affect the events industry in the future. You discuss using risk management and contingency planning, would you be able to provide examples on any contingency plans event companies currently have in place surrounding the uncertainty of Brexit?
Hi Holly,
Many thanks for your comment.
There is a lack of published material on contingency plans from event management companies, but we feel that due to the nature of Brexit and its surrounding uncertainty, it’s hard to pin point at this time exactly what we need to plan for. However, it is inevitable that a percentage of UK event management companies will be affected. Although it is currently speculation, we can predict some contingency plans which companies could potentially introduce, or at least areas for concern. For example, several sources report a potential increase in both business rates and import costs, as well as a predicted fall in the demand for events following Brexit. Event management companies can plan a head for such changes through strategic financial and marketing ploys in an attempt to be ready and able to adapt if these changes were to happen.
Do you feel there are any other specific areas that event companies need to plan ahead for in regards to Brexit?
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I am currently writing a report on a similar topic so it was very interesting to hear your thoughts.
From my research, I agree that media is so contemporary it is very difficult to come to a conclusion of how Brexit may impact event management companies. Personally, I think it is too early to tell.
Hi Jade, thank you for your comment, glad to hear you found our blog interesting. We agree, media is too contemporary and due to its sensationalism it’s difficult to filter through what is reliable. Do you feel this will restrict us as event managers in the future?
Great blog. Was an enjoyable read during my lunch break. Keep up the good work!
Hi George, thank you for reading and glad you enjoyed.
Wow. A whole new insight into an industry I had not even considered to be affected by these current topics. What an eye opener.
Hi Adam, thank you for your comment, we’re glad you found it interesting.
Hmm. Interesting concept, not too full on but still informative to read.
Hi Charles, thank you for your comment and taking the time read our blog.
Fabulous work. I don’t often like main stream news but this was mellow enough to keep me reading. Thank you
Hi Louise, thank you for your comment, we really wanted to provide a blog that could be engaging and informative and not appear too academic. We’re glad you enjoyed!
Yes. I agree with this blog. More people should be reading/talking about this. Good job on picking an actual relevant topic.
Yes. I agree with you entirely on this blog. Thank you for actually taking the time to look into this subject and teach the lesser educated what they SHOULD be researching!
Brilliant
Hi Jeegar, thank you so much for your kind comments and taking the time to read our blog. We thoroughly enjoyed writing about issues that are affecting the event industry now. We’re glad you enjoyed!