Finding the Australian stars of tomorrow

An Australian event association thinks it has found a winning way to secure the future of the industry – embrace the next generation of event professionals Ensuring a workforce that includes and caters for the needs of the younger generation is crucial to the sustained success of any industry. It is three years since the Exhibition and Events Association of Australia (EEAA) began its initiative to support young people in the industry, and encourage their development as young leaders. The EEAA Young Stars Program was conceived to deepen the reach of the EEAA’s membership, getting more people under 35 actively involved in the life of the association and, by extension, the industry. “While the association had an annual award for a young achiever, little else was being done to stimulate and engage our young members,” says EEAA chief executive Joyce DiMascio. “I felt we had a responsibility to be more proactive about engaging young people working in our sector.” The other reason for kicking off the programme was to build a more sustainable association. But as Gen Xs and Gen Ys were not known for joining membership associations, DiMascio said she needed to reach out to those who represented the future of the industry. But how to do so? Ambitious plans for professional development courses and seminars were put in place but in reality, these proved difficult to deliver. “We found an EEAA Young Stars and Leaders Table to be the most effective and popular means,” she says. “At these events, which are run like an at home dinner party, participants can ask anything of our guest leader. They operate under Chatham House rules and the events facilitated by our Your Stars committee Members. “This gave them the opportunity to introduce the evening, facilitate questions and make closing remarks. Even these tasks have been good development experiences for our budding leaders.” While the first table was first set for just 12, in August it attracted 50 people. “While this may sound insignificant, when you have a room full of 50 of our brightest – absorbed in the content, asking intelligent questions, contributing thought-provoking comments – you know our future is in good hands,” says DiMascio. “It’s so exciting to see the next generation of young leaders developing their careers and being so actively involved and passionate about the industry,” adds Sydney Showground GM Peter Thorpe, another EEAA member. “I believe the Young Stars Program is helping our young people to gain access to the tools they need to be successful and ensure we continue to have a thriving event industry right into the future.” The association also put together a speed dating-style dinner with its board of directors, now held each year immediately following its AGM. A volunteer committee is now working to a strategic plan, and this in itself has been a development opportunity for the young committee members. “Learning about the challenges of steering a group of volunteers, presenting to the EEAA board, taking on responsibilities and seeing them though, are all leadership building experiences,” she says. Investment in supporting the careers of our younger colleagues will strengthen our industry and help it to evolve. “Young staff hold the key to transforming and reshaping the sector for the future,” says DiMascio, before leaving in search of a larger table for next year’s event.