Originally published in Trade Show Executive, Mar 2014 Issue
On a daily – if not hourly – basis, I talk to IAEE members and friends in the exhibitions and events industry about what is important and what matters today, and I am hearing a common thread weaving its way through our conversations. This trend has manifested itself in the form of a universal need to create relevant and positive experiences in everything from our places of work to the show floor to international meetings.
Seeing the need for figuring out how to create each individual’s “kool-aid”, the IAEE team engaged several volunteer members to begin developing just this kind of experience, and I am pleased that the CultureCreation was born.
The best way for organizations to produce a meaningful culture is to establish a community in which those with like interests come together to play a role in its strategic direction. As we know, by creating a culture, we create a feeling, a vibe, an extension of a brand, and it is the competitive edge that creates trust and inclusion within a group. IAEE’s new CultureCreation will provide the practical tools and relevant resources to assess an organization’s current culture or event and then tailor outcomes for success based on your defined role. Based on the overall strategic direction that the IAEE Board of Directors has confirmed, the CultureCreation will meet the needs of attendees and provide the impactful experience needed so they can effectively deal with internal and external teams for ongoing success.
Of course we have enlisted the help of experts in this field by forming a partnership with the Great Place to Work Institute who will facilitate the event and maximize all attendees’ time onsite. For more than 25 years they have made studying and identifying great workplaces a science, and through their leadership and expertise will share their knowledge for attendees to take forward and apply to their own architectures.
The Great Places to Work Institute has applied results from thousands of surveys from more than two decades and see tremendous results. They know what works – plain and simple – and not only apply their model across many industries but also within their own organization’s culture. They believe in building performance based on trust which is “the single most important ingredient in making a workplace great.”
Rounding out the complete experience is our partnership with the IAEE Midwestern Chapter who has been an excellent partner in the design and development of the CultureCreation. As with any major endeavor that IAEE plans, we seek out the ideas of our volunteer leaders to best understand how to create a worthwhile event. By being able to arrange all of the moving parts and plan the CultureCreation effectively and on a timely basis, we are delivering on our promise to members of providing the most essential education and networking resources in the industry.
For details visit www.iaee.com/culturecreation
David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA
President and CEO
IAEE
