Serving coffee and talking all things events at the ESSA conference

At the end of November, we joined almost 100 other companies at the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) conference and dinner.

The annual event brings together event suppliers from across the country to share insights, ideas and celebrate industry achievements. The day’s sessions were followed by an awards dinner, where we sponsored and presented the ESSA Member Company Award.

Before the evening got underway, there was a jam-packed day of talks and workshops. We kicked things off nicely by serving coffee to the 180 conference delegates.

One of the most valuable aspects of our ESSA membership is the opportunity to meet and talk with other industry professionals, so it was brilliant to be a part of the welcome party! Throughout the day, we caught up with and met plenty of other members.

Sustainability, industry talent and the future

Among the day’s different discussions, a few key topics stood out to us. There were important conversations around:

1. Attracting, developing and retaining new talent

2. Sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of events

3. Encouraging more young people into the industry

The talk by Ed Gillespie, co-founder of Futerra, a specialist sustainability communications agency, was particularly powerful. He discussed current megatrends within the events industry, including environmental, technical and social factors that will have an impact on every business.

“Recycling is a law of nature.” Ed Gillespie of @futerra delivers an inspiring talk about the critical importance of #sustainability in industry. #ESSACONF18 #Eventprofs pic.twitter.com/D2mhnfhTbu

— Conference_News (@Conference_News) November 29, 2018

We’re firm believers that every company has their own part to play in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. We stay conscious of this with the materials we use to serve our coffee, but there’s always room for improvement. Ed gave us plenty of food for thought in this department.

The launch of the ESSA Futures Board was an exciting development. The focus board will meet several times a year to discuss how talent can be recruited, nurtured and retained across the industry. As a young company with a growing team, this is something we’ll keep a close eye on.

Between talks, we got the chance to chat with event organisers about the day’s themes. Discussing common challenges is always useful, but we also wanted to find out about the unique issues facing our clients. This allows us to think about how our services could be better adapted in response.   

When the evening came around everyone was in great spirits and ready to celebrate some of this year’s industry achievements. Our Co-Director, Sam Fletcher, presented the Member Company Award to A1 Event & Exhibition Cleaners – many congratulations to them.

 

The day was a fantastic chance to catch up with other ESSA members and we had some truly insightful discussions, plus a lot of fun! We’re pleased to be going into 2019 continuing our work with such a valuable organisation.

ESSA’s Director, Andrew Harrison, shared a few words regarding The Barista’s support of the day:

‘The Barista has been a key supporter of our conference for a number of years now. They play their role very well, putting maximum effort into helping us host the best events for our members and the wider industry. Extending their support to the dinner and awards this year exemplifies the journey they are on as a business and, as an association, we’ll be there to support them.’

The Barista is a certified ESSA supplier. Membership includes a commitment to the ESSA Quality Service Charter and Code of Conduct.

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