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Elevating Knowledge: The ABPCO Festival of Learning at The Eastside Rooms
28 Plays8 months ago
At The Eastside Rooms, we’re thrilled to host this year’s ABPCO Festival of Learning on April 29, with the newly introduced Technology Showcase taking place the evening before.
This prestigious event, aimed at bringing together the entire association events industry, represents the perfect intersection of collaboration, education, and innovation—values we hold dear. We interview Heather Lishman (ABPCO Association Director) and Pauline Beatie (ABPCO Co-chair) to learn more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Key Participants
00:00:04
Speaker
Hello, happy new year and welcome back to Inventful Encounters. I'm CEO, the marketing manager here at the Eastside Rooms and I love Birmingham Eastside. Hello everybody and welcome back. I'm Leanne, the director of sales from the Eastside Rooms. So this month's episode is very interesting.
What is the Abco Festival of Learning?
00:00:19
Speaker
We're joined by Heather and Pauline and we're going to discuss the Abco Festival of Learning. So I'm a huge advocate for the Abco Festival of Learning. I think it's such an amazing event that's organized each year. It's an annual event.
00:00:32
Speaker
and We're very fortunate this year to be hosting the Abco Festival of Learning at the Eastside Rooms, which I'm delighted about. But and we've got Heather and Pauline here to kind of talk to us a little bit more about about the event and kind of the learning that happens. But personally, just to kick us off, I'd like to say, you know, I've attended the past two events, Heather, that you've organised. the first one was that I attempted was in Talford and last year's was in Glasgow and I think I told you at last year's event you know I took two of my team with me to the event last year because I felt like when I went to the event in Talford there was so much to learn and it's so educational and the content is so well thought out and put together so excellently that I just said to Tanita
00:01:19
Speaker
um last year you know she had to come along to the event with me because it was so good. So Heather can you tell us a little bit more about it and you know a bit about the history of the APCO Festival of Learning because like I said I've only attended the past two.
How did the Festival Originate Post-COVID?
00:01:34
Speaker
Well you've actually attended the majority of them then Leanne because it hasn't been going that long. so So we started in 2021 him because we felt like after COVID, that dreaded term, and everything has gone virtual and we weren't meeting together to to the same extent. And our chairs then, Barbara and Mike, wanted to bring the industry back together um and and to do something for learning. So we had the awards for for in person and and we'd had lots of, before COVID, we had lots of round tables in person. but What they wanted to do was say, well,
00:02:10
Speaker
if we're going to do much more virtually we still have to have that ability to bring people together yeah and and to learn really. um So we started in 2021, that was our first one um um at tech Excel and we did it in conjunction with the Excellence Awards because we weren't sure how it was going to go so we sort of put our foot in the water and combined the two um and decided actually that was great but um our values are excellence, learning and belonging and we just felt like the excellence thing with the excellence awards and the celebration and the sort of party.
00:02:46
Speaker
didn't necessarily go with the learning side of things. So we wanted to separate them so we could see two distinct events. So one was the learning and networking and collaboration and one was the excellence and party and and celebration. So Telford was actually our first standalone festival of learning. oh yeah So so we're we're very young um and growing each year and hopefully we'll continue to grow where when when um we we come to Birmingham.
Inclusive Approach and Industry Collaboration
00:03:15
Speaker
um And I think the difference with our event is that it's aimed at the whole association events industry. So but some will just invite PCOs, some would just invite suppliers. um We want everybody to come together because we think together we learn so much. So like you said, for the venues learn from the PCOs, the PCOs learn from the venue.
00:03:39
Speaker
um and and destinations and IT suppliers or whoever it may be. So our thing is inclusivity really for for the events industry. It's about connecting event professionals together. It's amazing because I didn't realise it was so young. and like yeah and said I was there in Glasgow and the content was so insightful that I thought it'd been going for years and you'd learn obviously over the years what people wanted. No, that was, well, it was our second and a half really.
00:04:10
Speaker
ah we Yeah, it seems like such a well established event. I mean, like when I went to the one in Talford, you said that was the first standalone event that you've done, which I just thought that that was incredible. You know, and I remember I had to speak a lot um at one of the sessions there and even like just being on a panel like I built such a good relationship with the people that was on the panel with but then the feedback from all of the sessions worked so well because I feel like they were all really interactive you know I remember doing a panel discussion and then having lots of questions afterwards which is great because the audience were really engaged but I've had a little look at the agenda obviously for this year's festival of learning so how do you go about kind of looking at you know the content
00:04:54
Speaker
Heather and Pauline you know and kind of deciding what you're going to focus on for each event to make them different but still really educational and insightful.
Evolving Content Planning
00:05:03
Speaker
and We've sort of changed that over the years as well actually.
00:05:06
Speaker
and the first time because it was the first time we felt like we needed to go out and ask certain people to come and help us because we we couldn't guarantee how many people we were going to get what we were going to do so we sort of looked at what some of the big themes were in the industry and then approached people. um This last year in Glasgow we went out completely for abstracts and went completely about from the abstracts and then this time we've done it a little bit differently we've sort of said okay that there are certain key areas that we want to include um and then the river the case studies is and quick fire things so so so we've changed the format a little bit for the actual event and this time we've got some panel discussions because we think that's really important to get
00:05:52
Speaker
industry perspectives and, like you say, Leanne, to learn learn from each other. um And then we've got some PCO-led sessions, so and that that are sort of almost like TED Talks. I think the other thing that works really well with and that content piece for Festival of Learning is that we have a task force that acts at the content. and So when we're driving that agenda, it's coming from the task force and of course the task force are all members. So when you're trying to make sure that it's aligned to what people want to learn, what we want to know about what's current, you know that's where it's coming from. It's from the members, it's that appetite. So it sits as its own entity, if you like.
00:06:36
Speaker
actual planning side of it, is direct the content is driven by the members, which is amazing. and Really providing what the members want to want to hear and what they want to know about. name Exactly. and yeah I was just and filling in the gap here Heather by saying it's the task force obviously, a dedicated task force that helps drive that content, which keeps it really relevant.
00:06:58
Speaker
And we've got industry people on there and and PCOs so and yeah and you know what what what would be important to them. so And we meet every month. So that Learning and Task Force also puts together all our virtual meetings through the year as well so that we can make sure that we've got that balance between what we do so that we're not repeating stuff, but we you know we're we're we're using their expertise.
00:07:23
Speaker
And then also just unlike the Abco community. So I love all of the Abco members because I feel like it's such a supportive and association. You know, we have have had lots of kind of interactions of Abco members since we joined. But then also I feel like they're really good at kind of cross referring. So we've had you know a lot of business actors come off the back of our abco membership but what do you think kind of instils that and ethos across the members Heather you know and the collaboration that everybody has and who is an abco member because I feel like it is very much a community.
Community and Belonging in Abco
00:08:05
Speaker
him and that That's really nice to hear Leanne. When it was our 30th anniversary we decided we we got lots of different things but we didn't
00:08:14
Speaker
chi sort of say what our values were. yeah and We had a massive um sort of um communication with the membership and then we we had the exec had a full day on trying to work out what what were we trying to be for the community and that's I mentioned before excellence learning and belonging though that those came out and I think it is that belonging because Oftentimes people, particularly what we'd call an in-house PCO, somebody working in a charity or an association as an event manager, it can be quite siloed. They're the only people working on that particular sort of um event. Everybody else is doing doing different things. So and to to be able to have a safe space,
00:08:57
Speaker
to network with other like-minded people. And I think because we have um the the application process for for AppCo, we're we're really strict. We turn away a lot lot of people, you know, so we we want to make good. Yeah. Because once you're in, it feels like you're in a bit of a club, doesn't it? Yeah. Hopefully right from the beginning, we we instill that sort of sharing, caring um sort of ethos. And it is all about collaboration.
00:09:27
Speaker
I find it phenomenal. Pauline sits on it. and we We started a PCO, just sort of networking virtual group um last year. And you think, gosh, oh you know, PCOs like Conference Care come together with people like TFI or and Seven Events or or whoever, and that they all sit in a virtual room and talk and they help each other. them And in real life, they'll be competing for yeah cool for that business. but There is this sort of thing about we all want to get better, we all want to improve, we want to help each other to sort of pull the
00:10:02
Speaker
pull the industry up rather than to to sort of hit each other and keep it down and I think that's an important thing. I think also the the format of how we do things especially the festival of learning and and and even with we're just at the feedback from the awards which were at the end of December and the feedback is always about that networking opportunity and how that works And as you see, you only have to do a little bit of time with people when you've you've got past that, oh, I've made that introduction, I've seen that person online for goodness knows how long, but I've actually never met him in person. And the conversation just naturally flows. and you you know ah My background is sales and I always see that what I love about Alco is it's not that kind of environment. It's not like a hard sell at all. No, people just genuinely start working together because through the events and through the collaboration, they see what other people do. They see the answers, they experience it, they live it and they go, oh actually that would be really useful, that that could help me and and then they refer each other. So
00:11:11
Speaker
I think the format of getting everyone together the night before, the afternoon before, to yeah move into the event, particularly for Festival of Learning. It's a full day of learning. All the introductions, all the hellos, all the catch-ups have been done the night. before done yeah it's day that Everyone is like ready to go. They're really fired up about the sessions. So yeah, there's loads and loads of learnings from it.
00:11:33
Speaker
So just taking it a step backwards, we've talked about how you come up with the content, but taking it back a step. How do you decide on the venues to take your event to? Like what kind of things do you look for in a venue?
Choosing Venues for Accessibility and Sustainability
00:11:44
Speaker
It's really important for us to, um you know, with with the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, we cover the whole of... I'm glad you got that in because I was just thinking we haven't said that yet.
00:11:56
Speaker
written know we but so So we want to take the the um our events out to our communities. We don't want to just be London-centric and we've we've had them in London and we will continue to have other ones in London and but you know a lot of people think oh it's too too scary to take it out of the city um and actually what we want to do is we want to showcase different places yeah let him and we don't want to just keep going back to the same venue because for the professional conference organizers it's an opportunity for them to see a venue in action to see what the hotels are locally, to see how easy it is to get there for for transportation um and just have that whole and experience really, maybe see where they could go for different dinners or what they can do. So and we want to rotate it. We want to make it as accessible for transport as we possibly can because and we're trying to push for people to come via public transport if they can.
00:12:57
Speaker
and And we want to go to venues that that maybe cost a little bit more, that people are used to using, but also to regions and and and places that maybe have gone off off the radar a little bit. So we've been to Harrogate, we've been to Brighton, we've been to Telford. So so we we just want to sort of showcase for all of our community, whatever their budgets might be, and and to show them you know what's on offer. and But we always look for something purpose-built, something that's a conference centre, everybody's there for business reasons, and the AV, the catering, everything supports what what you're supposed to do.
00:13:36
Speaker
I was just going to tag onto the back of that. More and more, we're looking at the sustainability credentials of the venue. So, last year the Festival of Learning measured the carbon footprint of the event. Yes, a bit under, actually, yeah. So there were recommendations on the back of that. So of course that's things that we can take away and implement going forward for future festivals and events. So it's great that Eastside Rooms already has green meetings. So you've got a whole load of things that you're already doing that aligns really well with that whole journey of sustainability that we want to demonstrate.
00:14:14
Speaker
and And hopefully by the time the Festival of Learning comes around you will be able to also measure your carbon footprint here. Yeah, we're going to carbon name and Pauline's um organisation is going to do that again because we did it for the Festival of Learning last year so we'll be able to compare and contrast this year so we're going to do that.
00:14:35
Speaker
And um we've also got an EDI networking group and we're trying to get some sort of common standards that we might be able to use for EDI. And if we manage to get those in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to try to incorporate, sorry, Leanne, I'm just telling you this now. I'm going to try and incorporate as much of that as we can as well and use that as a learning opportunity as well. and So we're we're just trying to um finalize that and then we we can hopefully incorporate some of those things that that maybe, you know, we we we just try to try to showcase what the different people are doing in the industry, I suppose. Yeah. And it is all about our events being best in class. that That's the thing. Abco events have got to stand there on that pedestal because our audience are obviously all event organisers, all professional conference organisers, so everyone's looking at the event.
00:15:27
Speaker
and we need to to delete they have to leave feeling inspired no plan i've got no numbers two boys And absolutely, I do feel like, and I know I keep saying this, but after I went to the event in Talford, I really did feel like the content was just so good. Like, you know, quite often you'll go to a conference and there might be a few sessions that you think, oh, that's quite interesting. And you'll have to sit through a few sessions where you think, oh, you know, this isn't really and and a session that I would choose. But actually, I think, you know,
00:16:00
Speaker
As a committee, you do such an amazing job of putting together a really good agenda for the whole event because I found every session was insightful and obviously we're a venue. So like you said, you're trying to appeal to, you know, organizers and associations as well so it is um it is difficult to kind of tick the box I suppose for all of the different attendees to make sure that the content is relevant but I think you do a really good job of that so you know you should um as a committee be proud of what you're putting together and also and the fact that the content is so educational as well.
00:16:38
Speaker
And I think this year, because, you know, we're we're hoping to grow again. So I think we had 125 in Telford, we had 150 in Glasgow, we're aiming for 175 for you, Leanne, and we're all in one plenary room the whole day. So we've really concentrated on how we can make it sort of quick and try trying to, so so that they're not just sitting in front of one person the whole day. So we we we we need to sort of just try to work out how we can make it um feel i love almost like that a festival feel, you know, different yeah so and and doing different things at different times of the day, and networking it energizes the difference between panels and creative thinking and, you know, those quick, quick fire Ted talks. This is what I've learned from this experience. And and just to try to to sort of keep that momentum going through the day, really. We're just going to head back to Pauline who has just given us an update on how the Abco Festival of Learning has got a new edition this year, which is the technology showcase and the evening before.
00:17:43
Speaker
Thank you. and Yeah, so Festival of Learning is evolving. As Heather said, it's still fairly young, and but it's something that we have to keep looking at and how we can add more and more value to the members.
Introducing a New Tech Showcase
00:17:54
Speaker
And and one of our ideas is around this tech showcase.
00:17:58
Speaker
you know We wanted to provide an opportunity where there's hands-on experience for members to look at what's coming in technology, what's new, and things they might not be aware of, or just not have had the chance to actually get their hands on and think, would that actually work? and So we're creating an evening event, and a bit more of an evening event the night prior.
00:18:18
Speaker
um where we're inviting our members to come along and showcase their products but also outside of the membership to get involved and I think in terms of innovation that's a great and i'll value add for any member.
00:18:31
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. I think to kind of have that showcase the evening before, which is, like you said, totally new because it's normally networking and, you know, back to eat, isn't it, the night before, but not any kind of content. So when Heather suggested that that's what you were looking at putting together, I thought it was a great idea to kind of put some extra content to the members and and also, you know, say that they're getting something out of that evening before, as well as just a networking element.
00:18:56
Speaker
I think it just helps to justify to come the night before. just yeah yeah Usually two thirds of our delegates do come the night before so they may as well have a little bit of and interaction too and we were trying to put it all into the main day and you know because people had said they wanted to get hands-on and and you know we we just get inundated now with submissions and there was so much content for that main day that we thought but you know some of these things take time, don't they, to understand and some of those technologies and you actually want to have a little play and a practice or or or talk about your specific conference and and how and different people can support you.
00:19:36
Speaker
So hopefully having it the night before just gives people that time and that you know the the energy to be able to do that and and to get out of it what they need. and What we're going to try to do is at the beginning of the evening ask any of our and innovation showcase sort of attendees to just stand up and give like one minute of why people should go to their stand just so that people understand what they're there for and yeah what they're about um because it can be quite intimidating can't it if you just sort of oh I wonder why I would i should go to there or oh I'll just stay here and have a drink with my mate.
00:20:11
Speaker
So so we're we're going to ask them to entice people to to go to their stance and what they can learn by doing so. And and we may we may add some gamification on the app and things to incentivise people to do that. That does sound fancy, doesn't it? So let let's we we'll see about that. But and that's an opportunity for us to do.
00:20:31
Speaker
I think it helps the network in just that little bit. It just and makes it a little bit more free-flowing. One of the things about AppCo events is that we always have lots and lots of first timers. People are coming the events for the first time, which is brilliant. Our membership is growing, as as you would expect. Membership's doing really well.
00:20:51
Speaker
And so having those first timers there and having something that they can actually do and get involved in maybe just makes it a little bit easier to start making those first connections, and which just lends itself to to having those sort of conversations.
00:21:06
Speaker
Well, I present in people join Abco. So, you know, I know that and and we're part of Ain Bridge as a management company. So I know that one of my colleagues from a different property, she attended her first event, which was the awards, which unfortunately our diaries wouldn't allow us to attend, which was so annoying. But I said to her, you know, go along, it's such a friendly organisation.
00:21:28
Speaker
that you'll be very welcomed and you'll really get a lot out of it. and She said that it was a great event and she really enjoyed it and I did have a bit of so-mo to be honest. ah And I think with the technology thing, what we don't want on our learning day is people selling. And she said, you know, it's a soft sell. It's by sharing knowledge and showing that you're an expert and things. But what we don't want people on the stand on the stage just sort of selling their way. So how to get technology into that main day is quite challenging when you know if you ask one person to do about technology then ah other industry members might be like me or that that's not fair they've had an advantage so and hopefully this sort of democratises it a little bit as well. You just pointed out there Heather that the Festival of Learning is actually a one-day event have you ever considered growing it and making it a two-day or even a three-day event?
Could the Festival Expand to More Days?
00:22:25
Speaker
It's sort of, them in a ah but never never say never, um but i i that the first time it was sort of a two thirds of a day um and then the the excellence awards, then we went to a full day with the networking supper the day before, last year we did a little bit of learning because we had the mentoring session the day before,
00:22:47
Speaker
ah him and then the full day, this time we're doing the network innovation hub. um no Never say never, um if we continue to get as much content as we do, but I just think people are so busy in their lives aren't they? Justifying a lot of days out of the office can be quite challenging, so this in 24 hours basically, yeah they get an awful lot for that 24 hours. Yeah, you do. And i just I just feel like people, you know, it it's harder to justify being out of the office. I know, you know, for myself, you know, like life is busy, isn't it? um The more we can fit in, the better. But and we may get feedback this time that we've tried to squeeze too much in. But we'll see.
00:23:34
Speaker
like One of the things that changed last year with AppCo events is that they're now all CPD accredited. So to your point, whether that means there is more of a demand and more value seen with the events, it's just something to to watch because, you know ah as as we mentioned before, a lot of our members can work in silo. So having access to this continuous professional development is what we want to make AppCo the place to be.
00:24:02
Speaker
and And obviously, the events are a huge part of that. So yeah, at the end of the day, we're still quite a small association. um and So there's a little bit of that. It's about resource. and But whether it continues to grow, is you know you have to listen to the audience, ultimately, don't you? um well we'll We'll put a pin in that for now, Heather. like Let's talk to I think one of the challenges is, so I've been with APCO 14 years now and before that there used to be one annual conference and then no other the meetings really through the year and when I was brought into APCO Jennifer and and and Michael who were the chairs then said people are finding it difficult if they can't get to that one conference for a reason.
00:24:48
Speaker
then they don't get another event for Abco. Let's make it so that we have events all through the year, just smaller ones, and then at least they come to one or two of those, as as were always, in-person roundtables, um then then they feel like they've got something from Abco. So that's why we went from having more with a confidence to to the the sort of the schedule through the year, really, and then Covid changed it to being much more virtual.
00:25:17
Speaker
and then there was that opportunity actually to still bring people together. So ah we we don't we don't stand still, we we try to evolve and we try to just sort of see what's happening in the marketplace, what our feedback comes back, what what we need to do to improve and we try to input as much of that as we can. I think that's really important to change as the market changes and as people want different things to adapt your event to suit that.
00:25:44
Speaker
um yeah Yeah, I mean ABCOV, an association, is a membership organisation, so it's led by members, four members, so it makes us quite adaptable because we do lots and lots of interaction to know what people are looking for, and and as Heather says,
00:26:02
Speaker
I mean, it's great that you feel Festival of Learning is so well established as an event because it is still quite young. But, you know, we constantly review how that works, how it looks. And as you said, Heather, it was jammed. The content is jammed for one day. We couldn't do everything that we wanted to do. So who knows? Who knows? Yeah.
00:26:32
Speaker
One of the other things we're quite keen to do is, is as you say, keep providing that community aspect and throughout all of the events. And and I think that you you'll still see that when you you know when everyone's at Eastside Dreams. We are trying to involve more and more technology. so um Obviously, Eastside Dreams fits really, really well with that. and You're very well set up.
Future Plans for Technology Integration
00:26:56
Speaker
Technology makes, in my opinion, makes events more inclusive. that It gives you the opportunity to bring more more people along with you in different ways. and So I think that you'll see more and more of that at abco events going forward.
00:27:12
Speaker
So just before we finish, can we hear a lesson that you've both learnt from organising the Bachelor of Learning, what you've learnt, a key takeaway from you, nice please.
00:27:23
Speaker
and me I think to have it PCO led because um I think coming from the professional conference organizers, them sharing their best practice, that is relevant information, relevant learning for our whole community. ah him and That is really at the heart of what we do and um the feedback has grown better and better since we've been trying to do that and hopefully this year with the content that we've got with a number of pcs that we've got represented speaking and then then you know that that will continue to evolve really.
00:28:03
Speaker
um I'm fairly new into being co-chairs, so this will be my first Festival of Learning and as co-chair, but I think for me it's all about the feedback, actually taking the feedback on board. We're fresh out of awards, we've got great feedback, and but there's all also things that, you know, are valuable things that we can think about and do something with to make Festival of Learning even better than awards was. and So that's always my takeaway, that that that's what we want to learn from.
00:28:32
Speaker
that great Thank you both for joining us today and we will see you I suppose at the Festival of Learning which is the 29th of April this year? Yeah with the previous night on the 28th. Absolutely. Fabulous. Well, thank you both for joining us. I'm very excited that we're hosting the Festival of Learning at the Eastside Rooms. It's a fantastic event and thank you for everything that you both do you know and the rest of the committee to put the event together as well. We're really looking forward to it. So are we. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. As always, to stay up to date with all things the Eastside Rooms and eventful encounters, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at the Eastside Rooms. Bye.