Whether it’s incentive travel or conference planning there is one all-important thing that every event organiser needs to remember in order to truly guarantee success. Something that goes beyond unparalleled logistical expertise or decades of experience. And it’s something industry veterans and new starters alike are equally qualified to do.
The answer was given by Black Book’s CEO, Joe O’Connell, on the latest season of the Flock Together podcast. When asked what his letter to the industry would be he said: “Essentially just be kind, it’s all about being kind.”
Joe gives an example from his volunteer role as Co-President of SITE GB, an association for incentive travel experts. He explains that when their industry events sell out the feedback received directly - or indirectly - is often not ‘kind’. He goes on to say “we’re all human, just give us a little bit of slack - just be kind.”
But this kindness goes beyond civility or compassion, it also makes good business sense too because successful events rely entirely on successful relationships.
Black Book as an event agency was born from the idea of strong relationships - hence the name - and kindness in its broadest sense could include all of the values that the agency uphold including; transparency, authenticity and inclusivity.
When you’re transparent with your clients and your suppliers you foster trust and connections. This is particularly important when it comes to venue finding - be it for event spaces or group accommodation.
Authenticity is also vital in building trust and strengthening relationships but more importantly it means that individuals feel that they can be themselves and therefore perform to the best of their abilities.
As for inclusivity, Joe is very passionate about the topic. Addressing DEI on the podcast he says: “There needs to be a lot more representation of all different ethnic backgrounds and sexualities etc - we just need to do more as an events community to bring that into fruition.”
We at Black Book are passionate about the relationships we have with our clients, our suppliers and our employees. This means we prioritise kindness and the aforementioned values in everything we do and therefore deliver events with heart - be they once-in-a-lifetime incentive trips or global large-scale conferences.
If you’d like to work with us on your next event get in touch.