At some point, a Changing of the Guard is inevitable whether it be in your personal or professional life. People come and go; this is something we all know. We’d like to look at this from the professional side, particularly those of you, who partake in the organization of meetings and/or conferences. Whether you are a small society, group, or large association, this change can include people who are very valuable to a Board, Steering Committee, Conference Committee, or Staff. Sometimes, these people leave for new positions, their terms are up, or if they’re lucky enough, they retire. Often, groups simply need some extra help so they can focus on their other responsibilities and therefore, it requires to bring on more staff.
Meetings and events themselves move around too. Just when you get comfortable with a location, be it a city, province, or venue, it might be time to take the show on the road, and once again, there is change. This means a whole new slew of people to work with in sales, catering, tourism, and many other suppliers.
When these scenarios present themselves, how prepared and experienced are you and your team to make sure your upcoming events continue to be the best they can be? Will it be a smooth transition, or will there be a lot of scrambling, guessing, and flying by the seat of your pants? It’s important to handle the “change” properly and professionally, so you can continue to support your stakeholders and/or members.
The key to a smooth transition is not having to re-invent the wheel year after year. Having a great foundation of policies and procedures for when people and places change is super helpful.
Also, working with an event management company that is experienced and comfortable working in this environment, can assist with the transition intently and efficiently.
When we start with new clients, we are always the new kid on the block and find it exciting and intriguing to learn what you, your audience and your event is all about. We become the conduit between all parties involved so this transition moves forward with the intent of connecting and collaborating with everyone in an organized manner.
We have some tried and true procedures that make it easy for all of us to get up to speed. Working with GEM ensures you have a consistent and tenured partner to navigate your changing of the guard from one year to the next when it comes to your events. What’s more is we know that though some traditions will remain the same, we can also offer some a fresh, unbiased, perspective and suggestions.
If you have a Changing of the Guard scenario happening in your professional world of meetings and/or conferences, let us know if you want to talk about how we can make this a positive experience for you and/or your team.
