Forces of Change 4 explores a demographer’s foresight into the next decade and finds a recurring trend on the journey to tackle talent crunch in the business events industry.
Desirable workplace culture is an ongoing endeavour for most organisations, particularly for the business events industry that is making a comeback post-pandemic when many talents have already moved on to other industries.
At the fourth Forces of Change session held at the Marina Bay Sands on 7 September 2022, event participants discussed where the industry would be in 10 years, what business would look like, how stakeholders can shape the future of work, and how leaders can support the next generation of workforce.
Carolyn Chin-Parry, Digital Innovation Leader at PwC Singapore, was invited as the keynote speaker for the event. Her experience saw her guide valued clients to achieve their innovation and transformation goals, and she previously led PwC’s Asia Pacific Digital Upskilling initiative across 17 countries.
Work-life balance was a recurring theme, with Jean Goh, Director at Spark Planners sharing that companies are competing on culture and injecting positivity in the workplace to attract talent.
Adeline Kang, Regional Operations Director JCAP, Travel Meetings & Card at MSD, said talent retention and motivation go hand-in-hand. “If you’re coming to work in events, the concept of work-life balance has to be different and people have to be self-accountable. Motivation and people relationships need to be approached differently. Everyone has to drive towards the same purpose, whether supplier or client. Business event professionals should not have unrealistic expectations. Beyond the purpose, we also try to let our vendors feel like they are an extension of ourselves instead of just a supplier. It’s more of a partnership. Respect one another in the industry.”
The business events industry has a reputation for working long hours – do we have the courage to change that? Katherine Kay, Events Marketing Lead, APAC at Meta, challenged, “We are asking a lot from our employees for their time, passion, blood, sweat and tears. But what are we as employers doing for them?”
Watch the video to hear more key takeaways from the event, and let us know what you think at hello@untangledgroup.com.
Forces of Change is an intimate peer-to-peer ideation and learning experience for business events industry leaders. It is a platform where leaders share best practices and reimagine the industry’s future with their peers. Forces of Change is committed to facilitating authentic leadership connections and peer-to-peer learning.
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