End of year update – 2020

As December begins I am still so bewildered by the months that have preceded us. Before we start the annual hype up for the holiday season (albeit a bit more local this year) I reflect on the year and where we were this time last year. In 2019 we had run 17 major conferences and seven of those were held between October and December! Things were hectic and everyone I knew was ‘too busy’ and just wanted time to stop for a while. Stress was the norm and no one had enough time. What a difference a year makes….we have run one physical, face-to-face conference this year and while we are now running full virtual conferences online, it’s certainly not even close to the old ‘busy’.

Around the globe we all had to slow down and in some ways come to a complete halt. However, as devastating as this has been for our economy (and personally to my team and business) I do also feel like it has been an opportunity for many of us to take stock, evaluate and find so much to be grateful for. It has definitely been a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted. Some of the lessons I have been reminded of this year are:

Have a back-up plan

As we have seen so many businesses crumble, impacting on economic and mental health, it’s important to remember to have a contingency plan. If your job or your life as you know it was gone tomorrow, what would you do? How would you cope, survive or adapt?

Look after your health

Physical and mental health can’t be ignored. They must be a priority at all times or nothing else matters.

Do work that matters to you

One of our long-standing clients has been instrumental in the research for a vaccine for COVID-19. While things may have slowed down in many sectors, others have never been busier and it makes me proud to be associated with work that makes a difference. It has always been my passion to ‘connect people to share knowledge’ and while we now connect very differently to what we did last year, the desire and passion have never been stronger.

Value the simple things

Face to face events, hugs, sharing a cuppa with a colleague… nothing can beat these! So as we ramp back up and face to face events start to be normal again, let’s remember the value of connection and make the most of the simple but most fulfilling moments in life and at events. We have twelve large face to face conferences scheduled for next year and we are roaring to go, connect, and get back in a room with all of you!

Hand sanitiser and Zoom meetings are life now

Not sure this needs explanation… however COVID safe plans, social distancing restrictions, and hand sanitiser stations are commonplace now. Our team is trained and ready to meet health regulations and strive to keep our delegates and guests safe at all times.

Foundations

This year Expert Events celebrated our 14^th birthday. From a one-woman show with a newborn to the eight-woman strong team we are now, I am grateful that the foundations, business basics, industry associations and programs I made sure I invested in and put time aside for ‘a rainy day’, were all used this year. I have faith in the mentors, industry colleagues and friends that have offered advice and taught me what I know. My team is stronger and more capable than ever and I have confidence in our future success.

Remember to grow

This year has given my team and I the time to upskill and expand our service offering in many ways (well beyond what was planned). Many of us have done jobs that weren’t in our job descriptions and we are tougher and more dynamic for it. I’ve had time to get to the bottom of my to-do list and dust off old skills too. While using the best technology and staying abreast of developments has always been very crucial to our business model we now have a stronger, smarter and more technologically advanced offering. Our latest virtual conference the ASCEPT-APSA 2020 Joint Virtual Scientific Meeting was a huge success with over 100 speakers, 120 e-posters, 350 virtual delegates and 4 concurrent sessions over 3 days.

So as we move towards the end of the year, our thoughts go to 2021. I wanted to extend my thanks for your support and for riding through the year with us. We are now capable of running full virtual events, we earned more certifications for our team and we became closer.

As we stare down the barrel of 2020 ending, I hope you get to spend time with the people you love, cherish your connections and have much to be grateful for.

Thank you for your support. Here’s to what’s next!

Lidia Dalton
Director

Lasting connections and successful conference experiences

I am thrilled to express my heartfelt gratitude to Expert Events for their exceptional support during the DATTA Australia and WA State Conference. Stephanie and Kelly were an absolute pleasure to work with, displaying unparalleled professionalism and dedication. No problem was too challenging for them to tackle, and their commitment to ensuring a flawless event was truly commendable.

Stephanie and Kelly went above and beyond our expectations, demonstrating a remarkable level of expertise and resourcefulness. Their meticulous planning and attention to detail played a pivotal role in the seamless execution of the conference. Every aspect, from logistics to coordination, was handled with precision, making our event a resounding success.

The entire experience working with Expert Events was nothing short of fantastic. Their proactive approach, problem-solving skills, and genuine passion for their work shone through at every stage. I wholeheartedly recommend Expert Events to anyone seeking a top-notch event management team. Thanks to them, our conference was not only a success but an enjoyable and stress-free experience for all involved.

Shaun Lane

President, DATTA WA

Expert Events provides outstanding support in the organisation of our annual conferences. They are extremely professional, take initiative and are quick to implement our requests. I would highly recommend Expert Events for taking the stress out of large conferences as well as smaller meetings.

Maila Hughes

International Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (ISMRT) Past President

It was such a relief to have an expert of such stature taking care of every detail. The summit ran so very smoothly, with no single detail out of place. But it was the preparation and planning that really impressed me the most. You led these details so beautifully and contributed to the other aspects of the summit and the meetings were a pleasure to be part of.

Thank you very much.

Dr Sue Ogilvy

Program Director, Farming for the Future Summit

Given their experience and expertise in event management, we immediately engaged Expert Events to help us plan and execute a Summit event.

Their ability to innovate for solutions and their attention to detail are a couple of the factors for their success. They are superb communicators maintaining open and clear communication with all parties involved to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that the event ran smoothly. Their adaptability and flexibility meant we could have confidence in the event being a success, even though things changed as we progressed through the planning stages. The team at Expert Events made us feel like we were their only client and their commitment to our needs was extraordinary.

I would highly recommend Expert Events.

Adam Curcio

Operations Manager, Farming for the Future Summit

Your whole team were, as always, fabulous. Special thanks to Steph and Georgia for being so kind and professional with newbie co-convenors!

Ngaire Mayo

HEIA(Q)

Thank you for your outstanding work on the HERDSA conference. You supported us in delivering exactly the conference we and our members envisaged. You were friendly, professional, organised and clear throughout the three years it took to organise the conference.

Thank you for your work, and for your positive impact on the Australian tertiary education sector. Expert Events is awesome.

Prof Christy Collis

HERDSA

The Expert Events team have been a wonderful addition to the ‘extended’ Rural Medicine Australia (RMA) conference team – and supported both virtual and face to face event delivery of RMA. They have been nothing short of professional, friendly and efficient since we first started working with them in 2020. The EE team respectfully offered guidance throughout the planning process; provided current industry knowledge for consideration; were willing to try new approaches and technologies, and were always on-hand to reassure and support. They also brought a fantastic sense of humour and fun – which was important for the culture of our event. There is no doubt they contributed to the incredibly successful delivery of our conferences during the challenges of the pandemic. We think they are RMA-zing…

Rachel Killorn

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine

Great job by the Expert Events Team (on the Australian Foundry Institute 56th Annual National Conference – QLD)!

Joe Vecchio

Operations Manager, Northern Iron & Brass Foundry

Your team was marvellous – so supportive and professional. I have received loads of feedback (about the 2022 Trauma-Aware Schooling Conference), all very positive.

Dr Judith Howard

Associate Professor, QUT

Thanks for helping us make our online conference such a wonderful experience for organisers, speakers and attendees. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to others and will definitely use Expert Events again.

Katrina Martin

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) 2021 Primary Care Refresher