08 Aug The Newbie Attends a C&IT Forum
Wowza. Now that has been a jammed packed, eye opening, fantastic week. I now know for certain that I’m on the right career path. Whilst my colleagues were working extremely hard to pull together a World class pitch for a jaw dropping RFP, I was at a 2 day forum designed to bring agencies and suppliers together. This forum began at the tantalisingly beautiful Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. Around 80 suppliers and delegates including myself were treated to a summer garden party; Pimms, afternoon tea, Ice cream, popcorn, strawberries and cream were all in full flow (with fabulous sunshine being an added bonus) to encourage us all to network and of course relax.
I don’t need to go into detail when I remark on the grandeur and luxuriousness of The Grove was, it was certainly a privilege to wonder around its grounds. For me, the next part of the forum almost brought me to tears with excitement, Warner Bros Studios Tours – The Making of Harry Potter. Admittedly I had been before and there was many around me who hadn’t even seen the movies however with a private tour a whole new experience was created. Death Eaters roamed around us, animals from the movie made appearances and the public free tour made certain that every single person had a memorable night. Even the Potter haters exited with huge grins.
The following day we got down to business, our agenda was a mix between seminars and one-to-one meetings with suppliers. I loved both. The seminars broadened my knowledge on event creativity and the importance of client / agency relationships, while during the one to one meetings I gained knowledge and personal connections with venues / suppliers.
Being part of the events industry requires a personality that stands out; a person who can talk to anyone and someone who isn’t scared to ask questions. When you attend an event like this you can’t afford to disappear into the wood work, it’s all about letting people know who you are and what you can do for them. Judging by the amount of business cards I came away with, I fitted in well.
