Tag Archives: events

Event Management – the Project Management underdog

Event Management is a complex field and is often overlooked by the traditional sense of Project Management due to its relaxed approach to structured delivery. However this is a misconception, as with all project managers – we all approach things differently! Events can be fairly straightforward pieces of work for training weekends and new product launches etc but the rise of large scale events such as festivals and industry conferences demanding a structured approach to presenting a business case, planning, resource management, risk & issue management, change control, reporting and stakeholder management. The role that was once deemed a “write requirements on the back of a cigarette packet” has had to change its ways, especially as even large scale festivals have had to cancel due to lack of interest – wasting time and resources. A failure in the research element could be put to blame here as the market has been flooded by such events – a huge revenue earner but only deeming real success when big names in music are headlining, and with so many to choose from naturally the greater band lists attract the majority.

Such pressures mean that events which are running need to go without a hitch – bad press for chaotic amenities and cancelled acts can damage future ticket sales.

Event Management

Here’s a word cloud taking in some of the considerations for Event Management, now that is a project plan I wouldn’t want to manage – certainly testing the length of any Excel spreadsheet and the patience of an Event PM.

The Event Project Manager, not such an underdog after all – expert Planner, Benefits Manager, and Stakeholder Specialist a great big must!

Project Challenge Spring 2013 – free event

Project Challenge is back with it’s bi-annual event at Olympia, London.

This event is a great opportunity for project management professionals to take part in discussions, watch presentations and see what is new in the PM domain – from training / courses, software, recruitment to new practices.

Spread over two days 13th & 14th March – it is a must, certainly for those in the area, as you can just pop in.

1projchal

 

Location: Olympia, London

Full details can be found here.

3 Things Businesses Need In Abundance

The business world is a tough one to survive in. It is no surprise that phrases such as ‘dog eat dog’ and ‘it’s tough at the top’ are used on a day to day basis when talking about business because they really do describe the way it is in today’s corporate landscape. Therefore, in order to make it in such an environment, a business and its workforce need to display certain characteristics that will take it above and beyond to supersede the competition.

A great business idea and plan of action are both imperative to succeeding as a company, but the venture is still likely to fall short if there is no real passion and motivation driving it. Here are three personal attributes that any business needs to display if they don’t want to be left standing still.

Creativity

Even the most basic business in society need to be forward thinking in their approach and therefore needs to be constantly coming up with new creative ideas. In a world that is littered with competition at every turn, it is important to stand out in as many ways as possible and being creative is going to help you do just that. New ideas are what drive a company forward and keep it always evolving. If you have a great deal of business creativity then the chances are you are likely to be the ones setting the trend rather than struggling to try and copy it.

Encourage creativity in the work place by allowing employees to share and develop any ideas they have. Arrange regular meetings between departments so that different areas of the company can interact and bounce ideas off one another, but most of all you should promote an environment that allows room for any idea to flourish; no matter how good or bad it seems. You could even send your employees on some creativity training courses in order to get the most out of them.

Dedication

Most of the big companies that are the front runners in business today would not be there if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of their valued employees. If you have people that are willing to put their all in for the benefit of the company then turning a good idea into a great one is a real possibility.

Success1

Creating a dedicated workforce is no mean feat, but it is no coincidence that some of the most successful companies in the world are also the best ones to work for. A list was recently released stating which corporations had the highest job satisfaction rate and search engine giants Google and technology overlords Apple both featured highly. Feeling valued as an employee, enjoying what they do and a good pay structure were all cited by the people surveyed and are all sure to breed dedication amongst employees.

Determination

With any business venture there are sure to be as many low points as there are high ones, maybe even more. In these situations you need to know that the people in your company are going to be able to pull together and work through the tough times. Many businesses come out of difficult periods stronger and with a better understanding of what it takes to make it in this unforgiving industry and this is much more likely to happen if everybody digs in and shows a little determination.

All businesses would almost definitely fail to get off the ground without determination. When starting your company it can be a very testing time and you will ultimately ask yourself whether this is really what you want to do and if the life of a business owner is really one you are cut out for. However, this is can be the making of a powerful business man. The determination it takes to get back up time and time again in the face of adversity will put anyone in great stead to make it in this ‘dog eat dog’ world.

Chris Mayhew is blogging here on behalf of Now Go Create. This innovative company offers courses on creativity training and brainstorm facilitation to help improve the productivity in your workplace. Creativity is integral to businesses so visit their website today to see what they can do for your company.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

….11 Pipers Piping! For our penultimate twist we have gone for: On the 11th day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me 11 ways to keep motivated,10 years in detail, 9 pages too long, 8 mistakes of applications, 7 deadly sins of job hunting, 6 Key Achievements, 5 Golden Rules, 4 calling cards, 3 networks, 2 referees and a killer CV.

This is a subject often comes up, both now in my CV writing capacity and previously when I was recruiting, candidates do find it hard to keep motivated when looking for a new role so here is a list to help you along your way:

  1. Keep it fresh – try different aspects of job hunting, from job boards to networking and identifying roles which aren’t necessarily advertised.
  2. Set aside an hour a day – don’t turn job hunting into a daily trawl, if you are currently in employment then you needn’t put all your spare time into finding a role if you set up jobs by email and google alerts.
  3. Ask a friend – speak to your peers and find out what they do when looking for work, you may learn something new.
  4. Chase up – follow up your applications to understand how they are being received.
  5. Ask for feedback – not only from recruiters but from your peers, find out if the methods you are using and the CV itself is clear and says all the right things.
  6. Take a holiday – this doesn’t necessarily mean pack your bags and jump on a plane, taking a break from looking at new roles can really help you come back with a fresh outlook.
  7. Get out – go to networking events, seminars, training sessions, etc there are plenty of free events around so attend and see what is new in your field.
  8. Research companies rather than jobs – looking into businesses you would like to work for can yield more success. Look out for changes in an organisation and make speculative applications based on these before they decide to advertise the role!
  9. Grow thick skin – I know rejection after rejection can be hard but you need to take on board the fact that you are one of many applying for these roles so this time you weren’t lucky but next time you might be.

10. Go above and beyond – join in group discussions on LinkedIn and Twitter, get yourself noticed, you’ll be surprised where this gets you.

11. Write about it – create a blog talking through the pitfalls of finding a new job, don’t focus on the negatives and keep it upbeat. You could help others, let off steam and may get some assistance along the way!

On the 1st day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me a Killer CV

On the 2nd day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me Two Referees

On the 3rd day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me Three Networks

On the 4th day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me 4 calling cards 

On the 5th day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me 5 golden rules

On the 6th day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me 6 Key achievements

On the 7th day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me the 7 deadly sins of job hunting

On the 8th day of Christmas The CV righter gave to me 8 mistakes of applications

On the 9th day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me 9 pages too long

On the 10th day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me 10 years in detail

On the 11th day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me 11 ways to keep motivated