Every PA is looking for new ways to help them to improve the way they work โ to be inspired, to be educated with the latest tips and techniques, and to find new suppliers who can help them do their jobs better. The Conference and Hospitality Show in Leeds offers the perfect chance to do all of that and more under one roof.
PAs and EAs can spend hours (if not days) using the internet to research new venues โ the one that will be perfect for the next company conference, board meeting, or away day. Even once a list has been drawn up, it then takes time to call them, meet them face to face and start to develop the relationships that will ensure the very best events possible.
But now it is possible to save time and meet more than 200 national suppliers in just a few hours at the Conference and Hospitality Show (CHS17) โ taking place at Leeds first direct arena on Tuesday, 4 April. The Conference and Hospitality Show is a must-attend event for all PAs and EAs who want to be inspired, informed and educated so they can become the very best that they can be.
Venues confirmed to date include Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Horizon Leeds, Feversham Arms Hotel, Elite Hotels, Lincolnshire Showground, The Lowry Hotel, The Hawkhills, Jorvik Viking Centre, Shine Space, The Grand Hotel & Spa, Hellaby Hall Hotel, Raithwaite Estate, Cutlersโ Hall, Storthes Hall Park, Ramside Hall Hotel, Snozone, Horizon Leeds, Ripley Castle, Lumley Castle, Matfen Hall, Linden Hall, Rockliffe Hall Golf and Spa Hotel, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, National Railway Museum, Leeds Bradford International Airport, Ageas Bowl and Tewkesbury Park.
The Hoxton, The Roof Gardens, Unique Venues of London, 1 Wimpole Street, Church House Westminster and London City Selection are among the London venues exhibiting. Groups represented include Q hotels, Elite Hotels, Malmaison, Marriott and Pride of Britain, and suppliers include Venues.org and Cvent.
Returning PAs will be pleased to hear that more than 30% of exhibitors will be new for 2017 and include Hilton Worldwide, Principal Hayley, Church House Westminster, Jockey Club North West, Coventry & Warwickshire, Ripley Castle, Peak Venues, Teamsport and Right Angle Events.
Brand new for 2017
The Little Black Book zone is the essential destination for PAs looking for that exclusive venue, intimate private dining club, or special restaurant. The LBB zone is home to a collection of stunning venues that every PA will want to add to their own invaluable little black book of contacts.ย
From Corrie to Cheese
Sean Wilson, the award-winning cheese maker and former Coronation Street actor will be delivering the keynote speaker session. Titled โMy journey: from actor to award-winning cheesemaker and chefโ, Wilsonโs keynote will share the ups and downs as he followed his passion and made such a life-changing transition. Wilson is now the brains behindย The Saddleworth Cheese Companyย and the author of the popular Great Northern Cookbook, but for two decades the former actor was better known for playing Martin Platt in Coronation Street โ the nationโs favourite soap.
PA Life Stage
The PA Life Stage has a full education programme running throughout the day, full of inspirational and motivating speakers. Here are the highlights:
How to Make Your Career Soar (9.45am-10.15 am)
Stuart Powell, management consultant, The Compass Partnership
This session explains what a stakeholder is and gives you the tools to successfully identify who โyour stakeholdersโ really are so that you can understand how they assess their experience of working with you. Delegates will learn how to engage in dialogue, not just debate and identify development opportunities to enhance your stakeholdersโ experience of you and your team and thus enhance your ability to create greater personal impact with stakeholder experience.
Essential Networking Tips for Assistants (11.45am-12.15pm)
Nicky Christmas, Founder of Practically Perfect PA
During this session, Nicky, who is recovering from networking-phobia, will share her networking journey and explain why it is so important for assistants and the benefits you can get from networking with your peers.
The Not So Accidental PA (1.15pm-1.45pm)
Abigail Jones, EA to the managing director for American Express Global Business Travel
How many of you have โfallenโ into being a PA?ย Was this always your career plan? Do you still want to do it, and if so, what are your next steps? How are you going to plan and take charge of your career? Abigail talks us through her PA journey and shares some hints and tips on how to refocus yourself as a โCareer EAโ โ how to take control of your working life and get to where you want to be, and how to reinvigorate your career planning.
The Changing Role of the 21st Century PA: Developing a Managerial Mindset (2.00pm-2.30pm)
Adam Fidler, principle and founder of Adam Fidler Academy
In his usual inspiring and thought-provoking style, Adam Fidler shares his perspectives on the new role of the Personal and Executive Assistant, and why job holders will need to foster a managerial mindset if they are to stay ahead of the game and meet the demands of todayโs executives and businesses.ย He argues why a shift in working style for both leaders and their assistants is crucial if both parties are to work effectively.ย Littered with examples from his personal career history, Adam encourages PAs and EAs to โstep upโ and take charge of their professional development.
The Event Management Stage
The Event Management Stage is packed with sessions designed to help you organise better events, including:
Being MONT BLANC: The Mindset for Performance in and out of the Business Arena (10am-10.40am)
Jamie Edwards, performance coach at Trained Brain and founder of People Network
Jamie Edwards is called upon by some of the very best sports stars and businesses to help them think differently in and out of the arenas they perform in daily. In this session you will go away with very practical tools, ideas and concepts that can be applied immediately in sports, business, or the biggest arena of all.
Data Protection and Events Registration (11am-11.40am)
Simon Clayton, chief ideas officer, RefTech
Good data protection practice in event organisation starts at the source โ the event registration process. EU data protection rules will become dramatically stronger in 2018 with the introduction of the EUโs new data protection regime โ the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Simon Clayton outlines the main changes this will bring and sets out the facts that you need in order to stay on the right side of the law.
The sales secrets that everyone in your team needs to know (1pm-2pm)
Nicola Cook, entrepreneur, author and sales growth accelerator
The landscape of sales and marketing has changed beyond recognition and most businesses are ill equipped to understand or manage a buyerโs needs as they engage. During this high energyย and practical sales acceleration workshop, Nicola will discuss the true reasons why people buy from you โ and also why they donโt. She shares a simple five-step process for managing the buyerโs customer journey that should be shared with everyone in your organisation and walks you through the key meta-principles of Sales Secretsยฉ, the sales training methodology that has added an average of +140% to the net profit of her clients.
Networking
Itโs really important for PAs to meet and network with their peers, so CHS17 has created many different and fun networking opportunities. โMeet me under the teepeeโ is the ideal spot to meet and serves free tea and coffee for everyone all day.
Register as a VIP
VIP status is available to everyone who organises events and gives you a whole heap of benefits and lovely treats โ including access to the VIP Rock Star Bar, which is sponsored by the Taylor Lynn Corporation (Liz Taylor) and Escapade Bars. Party planner extraordinaire Liz Taylor willย โopenโ the VIP Rock Star Bar at 11am with a short presentationย about room dressing; be enthralled and hear how itโs done by the very best in the business. VIPs will receive an exclusive VIP Pack before the show with special prize draws only available to VIPs and a voucher for either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail from the VIP Bar โ all served in TLCโs unique style. The CHS team will look after you from start to finish, providing you with your very own VIP goody bag, complimentary food and beverages and finishing off with the renowned after show party.
PAs who need to travel for longer than an hour to attend can apply to become Hosted VIPs and enjoy complimentary accommodation in a city centre hotel and join a welcome reception on the eve of the show.
The Conference and Hospitality Show is the event for Rock Star PAs. Come and hit the red carpet, meet world class exhibitors, make electricย connections and learn from the best in the business.
To register as a visitor or VIP, please go to chs17.co.uk using the code PALIFE.
