Good HR practice within the meetings and events industry – navigating today’s challenges

Next in our series of guest editors, we’d like to introduce HR expert Kate Goodman, a member of the CIPD and a Mental Health First Aid Instructor with many years of experience under her belt.

In this Q&A, Kate shares insights on current challenges in the meetings and events industry and how strategic HR practices can support resilience and growth.

What are the main challenges the meetings and events industry are facing right now, and how can HR teams help tackle these?

The industry is experiencing significant challenges across several areas, and HR plays a vital role in addressing them. Some of the key pain points that I’ve seen include

• employee shortages
• burnout
• communication for deskless workers
• adapting to technological change
• managing high client expectations on tight budgets

Employees retention seems to be a consistent challenge across sectors. What are some strategies HR can use to boost retention specifically within the events industry?

Retaining talent is particularly challenging in the sector due to the demanding nature of events work. I think HR could boost retention by enhancing the Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This involves

• creating clear career progression paths
• offering flexible work options
• promoting internal growth through upskilling and reskilling opportunities.

These steps don’t just fill skill gaps – they’re also more budget-friendly than recruiting externally.

Given the intense demands of events work; burnout is a serious concern. How can HR address employee wellbeing without large financial investments?

Burnout is a huge issue, with 40% of absenteeism linked to stress. HR can address this by prioritising mental health initiatives that are both effective and affordable. This could include flexible scheduling, quiet spaces for recharging at events, and ensuring managers are trained to spot signs of burnout. Developing a supportive culture, where employees feel comfortable voicing concerns, also plays a crucial role in reducing burnout.

Many roles in the events industry are deskless. How can HR effectively communicate and engage with these employees?

Firstly let’s think about what defines a deskless worker. In reality, anyone who doesn’t have a desk and therefore have the ability to access information or stay up to date. They often get left behind and missed out leaving them in the dark, it can be very frustrating not to mention risky in terms of operations and getting things right first time. Let’s take on-site event employees as an example, they often miss out on regular communications. HR can bridge this gap with mobile-friendly communication platforms that allow for easy access to updates and feedback.

Appointing ‘engagement champions’ on-site is also helpful—these individuals act as a direct link to HR, gathering feedback and addressing immediate concerns, which enhances engagement without adding significant costs. From an operational perspective, having up to date information is key, especially when the customers world might be ever changing. Managers need to think about how they intend to keep everyone up to date and what processes they will put in place to ensure this happens. Using technology, can help as can effectively delegating to supervisors or area leads.

Talking about technology, it’s advancing quickly, and it’s impacting the events industry significantly. How can HR help employees adapt to these changes?

The rapid adoption of technology, especially in event planning and management, means that digital skills are essential. HR can support this shift by offering ongoing training to help employees become comfortable with new tools. Encouraging adaptability and a growth mindset is also key, so employees are prepared for future technological changes. These initiatives improve operational efficiency without requiring massive budgets.

With rising client expectations but often tight budgets, how can HR ensure teams can meet demands without overextending resources?

It’s a balancing act. Cross-functional training is a cost-effective way to enable employees to handle multiple roles, making teams more versatile and resilient. Additionally, fostering a collaborative, problem-solving mindset across teams means they’re better equipped to meet client expectations creatively. By making full use existing resources, HR can help maintain high standards even in financially constrained environments.

Given all these points, what would your top ten tips be for any HR team or manager in the events industry to consider?

Here are my top ten tips for HR teams and managers:

1. Strengthen your EVP. Make your organisation attractive by emphasising career progression, flexibility, and well-being. Make sure you follow through with delivery of that.
2. Prioritise upskilling. Invest in training to fill skills gaps internally, which is cost-effective and boosts employee morale. People like to learn and develop new skills, and it’s good for our mental health. Speaking of which, number 3 on my list would be
3. Promote mental health. Implement low-cost wellbeing initiatives, such as flexible scheduling and access to mental health resources.
4. Engage deskless workers. Use mobile-friendly communication tools and appoint on-site ‘engagement champions’ to keep deskless employees connected. Create processes to ensure no one gets missed.
5. Embrace technology. Support digital upskilling, ensuring employees feel comfortable using new tools, which improves productivity.
6. Focus on adaptability. Develop a growth mindset to prepare employees for industry changes, including technological advancements.
7. Encourage cross-functional skills. Train employees to be versatile so they can cover multiple roles as needed, making teams agile.
8. Support psychological safety. Create a culture where employees feel safe sharing concerns, reducing stress and improving retention.
9. Optimise resources creatively. Encourage problem-solving that makes the most of existing resources, especially when budgets are tight.
10. Listen to your team. Regularly gather and act on employee feedback to refine HR practices and improve overall employee experience.

“By focusing on these areas, HR can play a transformative role in helping the events and meetings industry navigate current and future challenges successfully.”

Kate Goodman Head of HR Services for Farringford Legal Ltd and an independent consultant at Kalida People Ltd.

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