TALENT ACQUISITION, RETENTION & DEVELOPMENT OF MEETING PROFESSIONALS THE PANEL Sissi Lygnou CEO AFEA
Sarah Markey-Hamm CEO ICMS
Alessandra Damant Senior Event Operations Manager Arinex
What’s the best way to attract new talent? Focus more on the human side of the employee
Ori Lahav President, IAPCO (Moderator)
Concerns from the attendees: 36% Talent retention 45% Staff recruitment 18% Future of the workplace
As an employer, can the meetings industry compete with the tech industry?
Environment with a good work-life balance
Encouraging well-being activities within daily routine
What does flexibility mean and how much do we need to accommodate as an employer? There are no limits on flexibility
Provide training Reword position descriptions in terms of
Some of us may have forgotten the buzz and rush from running in-person events We need to communicate how vibrant the industry is, but we’re too busy to communicate the benefits because we’re busy doing the job
Are there ways besides KPIs to do evaluations? The power of listening
We’ve learned we can adapt to difficult circumstances and survive
Show appreciation Kindness and flexibility can return 10 fold
Open communication
We’re not scientists, but we can bring scientists together to share their learning
Listen to your staff, find out what is important to them
Think about nobel prizes that have been won because people met at conferences
It’s an industry with very high number of transferable skills,z so we can grab people from other industries. The PCO part of the job can be taught
Flexibility starts with leaders ‘Servant leaders’ establish boundaries between life and work
How important are education investment and flexibility in staff retention?
Foster passion show what happens
The tech industry might not be stimulating for someone suited to events, and if you’re bored, how long can money sustain you in your work?
“Find something you’re passionate about and you’ll never work a day in your life”
Key way IAPCO can come in, work with institutions
Do you think employers should have a different perspective when approaching recruitment?
Education to emphasise the value of the meetings industry on a national level
More flexible HR
How can we introduce education and skill sets before people enter the industry as a hook?
Consider reverse evaluation staff-manager
Creating a positive culture
Gen Z & Y interested in career progression base progression based on merit not availability
in al is on vidu i s gre e ind o r h p p for t e Ke ind m
We’re not scientists, but we can bring scientists together to share their learning
Teams should be educated constantly on new trends and industry changes
It’s always cheaper to retain staff than hire new people Encourage crossdepartment skill sets
Ask if you’re fostering the right environment to get the best from people? Are you helping them grow?
What does job satisfaction mean to them?
Flexibility starts with leadership. Find out what flexibility means
Hybrid working, should there be a policy or case-by-case?
Celebrate successes together
Keep a flexible hybrid environment depending on the situation Consider the benefits of the osmosis of conversation and in-person knowledge Base it on the individual and how they are most productive
Skills can be trained, personality, ethics, and ethos people are born with, capture that Have people on board that you would share a glass of wine with at the end of the day
Closer to an event, in-person creates a better team