Upskilling Event Staff – The Big Welcome Back

It is fair to say that the last year and a half has not been easy for anyone. But the events industry has suffered more than many others due to lockdowns, restrictions on numbers of people who can be in one place at any given time, and constraints on what can be done when we are in groups. As we try to open up and find a sense of normality, those in the events industry are looking to bounce back with a spring in their step, hoping to make up for a lost time, and come back all guns blazing.

For events companies, staff are a major asset. It is often the staff that can turn a good event into an exceptional, unforgettable event, and helping them to be the very best that they can is essential.

Upskilling Event Staff

There are many reasons why upskilling your event staff is a great idea. Firstly, for them, it can be a morale boost after a rough period of time. Maybe they are uncertain about the security of their job, feeling unloved after the past few months, and need some belief. By showing them that you are prepared to invest in them and their career, is an excellent way to boost morale.

Upskilling your event staff is also a good idea for your business. You will have a more skilled workforce, have the potential to fill in the gaps where you are missing personnel, and have a generally happier, more motivated, and more productive workforce.

Tips for Upskilling your Event Staff

When it comes to upskilling your event staff you have many options available to you:

Make a personalised plan.

Everybody is different and every member of staff deserves to be helped on an individual basis. Take time to discuss with them what they want out of their career, what areas they think would be beneficial for them to upskill in, their strengths and weaknesses, and how you think that you can help them with this. From this, you can create a personalised plan for their upskilling and future development.

Professional qualification.

Consider putting your staff through a professional qualification that can be mutually beneficial to both them and you. You could consider a qualification in health and safety, for example, adding strings to their bow and allowing your event business to benefit from their knowledge and training. Good knowledge of health and safety is essential in the events world and this could prove to be very helpful to you whilst giving your members of staff the opportunity to progress in their careers.

Don’t be afraid of technology.

The business world as we know it is changing, and we are increasingly seeing technology being incorporated into the day-to-day running of businesses. This is known as an augmented workforce. And the world of events is no different. Whether you are using technology in the planning stage, in the kitchen, to program fireworks or to facilitate networking at your events, the role of humans is changing. Instead of making your staff feel like their jobs are threatened, you will need people to operate and manipulate the technology, maintain it, fix it and procure it. Why not upskill some of your staff to be able to do this?

Use mentors.

Mentors can offer excellent practical support for staff who are training. Although some training might need to be done in a more academic way, mentors can offer moral support and advice, as well as allow for shadowing on a practical level. In addition to the support that you are giving to the staff that are training, being a mentor can often be motivating and beneficial to the person who is mentoring.

Make their upskilling continuous.

A sure-fire way to lose the employees that you have upskilled is to put them through a course and then leave it. Your staff might get disillusioned if they are not using their new skills, and could go on to leave, letting another business benefit from their training. Try to make their training a continual process, offering them ongoing opportunities to use what they have learnt – and reward them for the new or extra work or responsibility.

Don’t ignore the potential of virtual training.

When it comes to events, you will know that it’s all about the experience. So, the idea of remote training might seem a little odd. We don’t know what the future holds, and there is a chance that we might all be sent to work from home again. You can use this time to help your staff to upskill, give them purpose, and something to do, whilst being beneficial to you and your business.

 

The pandemic has posed a lot of challenges across industries, specifically the events industries that have had to endure long periods of restrictions. We hope this article has inspired you with ways to upskill your event staff to ensure a smooth running of business now that restrictions are lifting again.