CEI's Event360 in Hong Kong saw a team of experts in the events industry come together for a day of sharing and learning. Here are the best things we heard on stage.
On curating a relevant audience at events
“At the end of the day, I can’t really remember most of the keynote speeches that I listen to. I mostly take away the synergies that are in the room.” – Olinto Oliveira, live communications director, MCI Group
On branding the events industry
"Here in Asia, [we] still use the MICE acronym. It's not aspirational, it’s very limiting. Business events is the acceptable term in US and Europe." – Nigel Gaunt, chairman, Future Credits
On workplace practices in the events industry
"With the right policies in place around it, the industry might be ripe for agile workplace practices. I’m quite passionate about the notion that productivity isn’t actually linked to number of hours in the office." – Sam Baxendale, regional director, Salt
On selling sustainability to clients
"Sustainability doesn’t mean it has to be cheap. It’s on trend, it’s how you package it, it’s how you make sustainability sexy. Present a sexy way to wow the customers and make them feel they are contributing too." – Cristina Lopez McLauchlan, founder, The Vibe Tribe
On including alcohol in your program
"If drinking (alcohol) is an important part of a program, it’s probably a perspective that will change over the years. Coming from a customer journey POV, you can allow for those moments. But everything's changing, whether we are socialising in the workplace or outside, [heavy drinking] has become a no-no, and we’re getting judged heavily over time…" – Guy Paillard, director, brand strategy & technology, Imagindustries Limited
On the need for paper qualifications
"In my 28 years in the industry, people rarely do something based on their degree or qualification. Unless they’re a lawyer or a doctor. [Paper qualifications] are not a determinant of competency, they’re a determinant of passion." – Dawn Dennis, founder, Continuity Consulting Limited
On personalising content at events
“Personalisation is what everyone under 40 wants. They want to be able to say ‘I met like-minded people, I had a great experience, I felt like I was looked after’. It’s hard work but I think that’s the secret.” – Stuart Bailey, chairman, Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association
On remembering your goal in events
"You can't just create an event on the theme if the company you work for is not practicing that. If you come up with the theme of sustainability, please don’t do that unless you have evidence you are doing it.... you're not in a mission business, you're in a commercial field." – Seraphina Wong, former executive director, brand management and advertising, Asia Pacific
On the changing dynamics of influencers in China
“This Wanghong era is the idea that only 100 people are coming to an event – but now we have video.” – Scott McLean, managing director, International Sound & Light
On measuring the success of an event
"Event measurement is a joke. Interviewing 100 people before an event and 100 people after an event will cost you 5,000 dollars. I don’t understand the value of actually measuring something." – Greg Paull, principle and co-founder, R3
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