Joe Watson, CPP’s Post

There's one week to go until the final deadline of this year's PRWeek UK 30 Under 30 Awards! So if you haven't submitted an entry yet - for you or one of your teammates, now's your chance. My tip for entrants: think about how you (or your teammate if you're nominating a colleague) have gone above and beyond in your career, delivering on SMART goals and have made a real positive impact in our industry. So be 'Specific', 'Measurable', show how the impact you've made was 'Achieved', tell us why it's 'Relevant' and how it was 'Time-Bound' (when it happened). And above all, let your personal passion come through - show us what makes you, you! Looking forward to reading the entries soon... For more details visit: https://lnkd.in/dX2tcAva

It was a lively discussion with a diverse group of industry leaders this week, as we unearthed some great ideas on engaging and supporting our industry. Some of the key takeaways include: 💭 Focus on initiatives that are targeted and specific for relevant businesses, think about stage in business cycle, and what they need at each stage. 💭 Connect meaningfully with industry to build relationships (in person trumps all!); and enable thoughtful networking opportunities. 💭 Tone of voice is an important consideration in industry comms. Empathy is hugely important at the moment. 💭 Apply a multifaced approach to ensure messages gets through 💭 Partner with organisations in your ecosystem who already communicate with the industry to streamline messages to achieve greater engagement 💭 Be realistic about the mechanisms you use to engage. If something isn't working, change it up, think differently. 💭 Engagement is a two-way relationship. Consider how to create commitment from both ends. Thanks for sharing your wisdom this week Jess Greatwich, Kim Storey, Jacquie Burnside, Karlie Chevalley, Jennie Curran and Vanessa Costanzo 💫

https://lnkd.in/eT8uMBfq! I’m honored to be considered for the Most Influential People in the Events Industry, https://lnkd.in/eT8uMBfq! but I believe this recognition should stand for something more than personal achievement. It’s a call to action for all of us in the industry to step up and push for higher standards. First and foremost, I want to emphasize the importance of facilitators, or as I like to call them, “collaboration artists.” These individuals are the glue that holds any successful event together. They foster meaningful connections, encourage collaboration, and create spaces for genuine engagement. It’s time we recognize their role as critical to our industry’s future. The event industry itself plays an unrecognized yet pivotal role in sparking progress. Events are often where the most innovative ideas are born and connections are made that drive change across industries. We must advocate for the recognition of our field, not just as a logistics provider but as a catalyst for solutions, creativity, and collaboration. In addition, we must: • Promote Sustainability • Ensure Diversity and Inclusion • Improve Networking Opportunities • Support Mental Health and Wellness • Leverage Cutting-edge Technology • Year-Round Engagement • Increase Safety and Security • Leave a Legacy This nomination isn’t just a personal milestone, it’s an invitation for all of us to come together and improve the quality of our industry. I challenge my peers to join me on this quest, not just to gain recognition, but to elevate the way we create, collaborate, and connect, ensuring that our gatherings have lasting, meaningful impact and that the importance of our industry is fully recognized. Let’s make our industry one that people truly value and look forward to being part of.

Now that we're all back from summer and various other kinds of breaks, I’d like to share something semi-personal that I will work hard to find time to focus on over the coming months and into next year. In addition to my "day job," I also have the privilege of serving as co-chair of the Page Society in Switzerland. For those unfamiliar, Page is the world’s leading professional association for senior strategic communications and corporate affairs leaders, as well as educators. Our membership includes chief communications officers (CCOs) from Fortune-ranked global corporations, leaders from top nonprofits, CEOs of the world’s foremost public relations agencies, and esteemed academics from top business and communication schools. The mission of Page is to elevate the enterprise leadership role of the CCO. We aim to do this by upholding the highest professional standards and continuously advancing the understanding, practice, and teaching of communications. If you're interested in learning more about our regional and global programs or are curious about membership and how to get involved, feel free to reach out to me or my co-chair, Michael Willi. We'd also be happy to invite you to one of our upcoming events, whether in Switzerland or other key markets across Europe, Asia, or the Americas. In the meantime, here’s a sample of what’s coming up, including our 2024 Global Conference in Half Moon Bay near San Francisco in California, at the end of the month. #Communications #CorporateAffairs #ChiefCommunicationsOfficer #CCO #StrategicCommunications #EnterpriseLeadership #Role #PageSociety #ProfessionalAssociation #Membership

Did you know that 69% of employees would change employers for better job fulfillment?* In today’s competitive job market, it’s clear that fulfillment at work is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention. At Twenty & Creek, we understand the importance of creating a workplace where employees feel valued, connected, and inspired. We believe that a strong sense of community, shared values, and meaningful relationships are the building blocks of a thriving team – and we’re here to help you build that foundation. Whether you’re planning corporate training, leadership events, workshops, or special appreciation events, our venue is designed to facilitate connection and growth. We offer a space where your team can come together, foster collaboration, and strengthen the bonds that drive success. As you plan your next corporate event, consider how Twenty & Creek can be your partner in creating a purpose-driven environment that enhances both professional and personal fulfillment. Contact us today to book your event and start building a workplace where success and satisfaction go hand in hand. *Goh Chiew Tong, “The Great Resignation Looks Set to Continue—1 in 5 Say They’ll Change Jobs in the Next Year,” CNBC, May 24, 2022

Everything you need to know about every event nomination at Buffalo Business First, compiled by our newsroom 📰 This article will help you understand our nomination process and learn how to write a winning nomination 📝 It's great exposure for you and your company to get involved in Business First's awards programs! 🏆

💡 We are built to flow with the natural pace of change. Sometimes situations arise that can be overwhelming, being able to accept the lack of control is key to overcoming what ever challenge is presented to you. In my role overseeing event operations, the critical two-hour window—one hour before the event starts and the first hour during—sees my work phone ringing every 30-60 seconds with last-minute client requests and urgent needs from stakeholders within our theme parks. Mastering the art of staying calm and providing composed, effective solutions has been an essential skill I've rapidly honed. If you're considering a career in events, never underestimate the importance of a solution-oriented mindset—it will be the key to your success. 💡Did you know that at Yas Island Theme Parks, once the operational hours have been complete you can host your very own event with us just like Ethara have done in this image. We provide all F&B, AV, and staffing needed to execute a flawless one of a kind gala dinner/ awards ceremony or after party.

My team and I have been assisting the brilliant Fresh Perspective Resourcing team with the administration side of The Freshies for the last few months. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, but it has highlighted a few things for me that I would like to share with you today. For the last two weeks, we have been facilitating the finalist interviews. There were 10 different categories, each with a panel of judges, for a total of 80 interviews (8 finalists per category… I did need to get my calculator out to add that up!!). Next week, we have the remaining 7 categories, for a total of 56 interviews. The work that goes on behind the scenes in creating these events is HUGE! Before we even got to the interviewing stage, Laura Leyland, Emily Leyland, and the team at Fresh worked hard to find the most amazing venue, advertise the awards, collect nominations for each category, and contact every person individually who had been nominated and shortlisted. We provided each shortlisted person with a badge to share on social media—this helps small businesses show the world that they have been acknowledged for being at the top of their industry. Once the voting had finished and we had our list of finalists, we then contacted each person individually again. This time, every person also received a telephone call to ensure they knew they were a finalist… all 136 of them! Judges have donated their time to sit on category panels – as these awards are for charity. My team and The Fresh team have been communicating daily (multiple times, some days) because, as you can imagine, organising this many people can be a bit like herding cats! This part of the process has many moving parts and requires a lot of patience, but listening to the finalists tell their stories has also made it the most enjoyable part! What has been frustrating, however, is that some people have decided that they don’t want to attend their interview because it no longer suits them. Sometimes, this has been with very short notice, and they have expected us to accommodate by changing the day or time of their interview. This, to me, shows that they aren’t taking their role as finalists very seriously. Or that they aren’t taking ‘these’ awards very seriously. If it is the latter, I am presuming they don’t understand the amount of work that goes into organising these events. This is the 4th year for The Freshies Awards, and they are steadily growing each year. I don’t think it will be long before they are up there with other Northwest awards that have been running for much longer. Like everything, these prestigious events must start from somewhere. They don’t launch in year one, with everyone wanting to win an award. They learn from each year and evolve bigger and better! I can’t wait to see what is in store for the fifth year of The Freshies. If you want tickets to attend this year’s awards night, here is the link: https://lnkd.in/eiAmHs3q

As we Oklahomans begin 2024, we must examine laws, DEI policies, and Executive Orders. Are Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies in corporate and educational settings inclusive of Host Nations? Inclusive of American Indian Tribes? For, if DIY(Do It Yourself) DEI initiatives fail American Indians, shouldn't DEI have been canceled in Oklahoma (the home of 38 federally recognized AmericanIndianTribes)? DEI tenets require organizations to examine their operating practices with regard to how diverse their team is, how equitably the organization manages their team, and how inclusive the group is with regard to marginalized communities. Many companies in Oklahoma possess DEI policies yet fail to recognize the American Indian Host Nations in their inclusion initiatives. The glaring omission seems ironic because many of these major industries' operations are located on American Indian Reservations. DEI presents sounds-good, feels-good policies that too often fall short of serving all communities. Take the following as a case in point: A few years ago, the superintendent and Board of a large OK school district with a DEI Director, attempted to "Reorganize Indian Education and redirect funding to Student Services." The proposed illegal use of federal funding was averted thankfully by Tribal Leadership and community intervention. Had the school district practiced their own DEI policies, the attempt to disenfranchise American Indians' treaty rights never would have made it onto an agenda in the first place. Governor Stitt's recent "Anti-discrimination" Executive Order taking aim at DEI measures may be what is needed for Oklahoma to do better because until DEI initiatives and policies, including the Governor's Proposed Merit based opportunity initiative, do right by the Host Nations, there can be only the facade of equity and inclusion.