Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire was the backdrop for this year’s EXECSec Summit, when around 70 delegates gathered to meet with suppliers and network with their peers. PA Life Editor Colette Doyle finds out how they got on
Trade shows have their place, but we all know the frustration of schlepping wearily round a hall for hours on end, desperately trying to track down the right person to speak to about a venue for next year’s annual conference. That’s just one of the reasons that the EXECSec format is so popular, as it provides delegates with a pre-arranged schedule of appointments with suppliers that they really want to talk to.
This year’s event took place at the Heythrop Park resort on 31 March and 1 April and once again the feedback was incredibly positive. As an attendee from the NHS puts it: “It’s a really good idea; a much better way of meeting the supplier relevant to my business, with no trawling around numerous stands, which is tedious.” The delegate from ACEVO calls it “a fabulous, well-targeted event” and adds that it’s “great to meet suppliers in a non-pressured environment”. A representative from Hills Quarry Products agrees that the event is “very useful for future requirements and [locating] potential suppliers” and an attendee from Data Interchange goes so far as to call it “a breath of fresh air after the traditional trade show”.
As well as being able to identify new suppliers who can offer companies a wide range of valuable services, such as venues, travel management and corporate gifting ideas, the seminar programme that runs alongside the meetings is perennially popular and this year was no exception.
Susie Barron-Stubley kicked things off with an opening presentation on influence and leadership, while among the other notable speakers was Sue France on how to resolve conflict in the workplace and Deborah Shaw on the secret of dressing for success. This made for an “excellent mix of seminars, suppliers and opportunities to network with other PAs; a really worthwhile event”, according to the representative in attendance from Ashfords LLP.
The networking opportunities are another important aspect of the summitand are always highly appreciated by all those who are present. “Brilliant networking opportunities in a fun, relaxed and informative environment”, as the delegate from BNP Paribas Real Estate says, while the attendee from Sportech comments that they would “highly recommend EXECSec to all management assistants as an invaluable opportunity to meet suppliers, with the chance for great networking”. The suppliers agree. “A great way to meet and network with key PAs from various sectors,” comments a representative from John Lewis.
The informal networking extended to a gala dinner on the first evening, complete with games organised by media partner PA Life’s chosen charity Jeans for Genes and marvellous musical entertainment that included an uncannily accurate Adele tribute act. “The gala dinner was amazing,” enthuses the representative from ACEVO.
Overall, delegates were once again fulsome in their praise of the summit “amazing – high-quality client meetings and a beautiful venue,” notes UK Power Networks. Guardian Financial Services surely speaks for all the attendees when its management assistant concludes by saying: “Truly inspirational; so good to meet a tremendous group of peers with energy for our line of work. So good to know, too, that there are individuals out there who appreciate us.”
Log on to forumevents.co.uk/forum/ ExecSec-Summit/upcoming-eventsexecsec- summit.html to see more feedback from this year’s EXECSec delegates
