CONVENTION CENTRES
CONVENTION CENTRES
The personal touch
Design , structure and technology are often the talking points when it comes to convention centres , but a world-class team is what really makes the difference , writes Brittney Levinson .
Convention centres across Australia are continually investing in staff training and developing new initiatives to reward and recognise the hard work that goes on behind the scenes .
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre ( GCCEC ) general manager Adrienne Readings says the centre ’ s team members are its most valued resource .
“ As a team , GCCEC strives to deliver event best practice for our clients and guests , but also internally to ensure we evolve our processes , improve efficiencies and maintain a strong level of engagement with our team members ,” she says .
As well as formal , mandatory training , GCCEC offers specially-crafted training to meet the nature of the industry .
“ The training methods used largely depend on the topic , people ’ s roles and available resources . Therefore , our tailored approach to events also extends to training with no ‘ off the shelf training programs ’ so to speak ,” says Readings .
She says when the centre introduces a new product or service , new training needs are analysed and developed .
“ A great example of this has been the work conducted in shaping a more robust safety and security culture at GCCEC ,” she says .
“ We ’ ve invested in overhauling our operations to include additional resources , who have streamlined all event logistics to assure the safety of our clients , exhibitors and suppliers .
“ We ’ ve been able to create a benchmark for workplace health and safety and I believe our practices have resulted in a more seamless experience , from event bump-in to bump-out , for all parties . This is what good customer service is all about .”
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre ( MCEC ) takes a similar tailored approach to its training and offers a high potential program for those who perform above and beyond .
MCEC director of people and culture Helen Fairclough says the program is designed to identify high performing employees that show a high level of potential , and then build an individual development plan for them .
“ Their manager then works with them on that development plan and the idea is that it gives them opportunities and exposure outside of the regular work roles and training ,” she says .
“ They might attend high profile events , or be selected for working groups or leadership dialogue with members of the trust or board .”
MCEC ’ s Unity Program outlines principles and underlying values that all staff members work towards . Employees who exceed in the principles of excellence , innovation , integrity , respect , and working together , are recognised with quarterly awards .
One of the most recent recipients of the award compiled a pocket guide for staff and visitors to the centre .
“ One of our employees from customer service could see that there was a need for our new employees , agency staff and customers to really understand our venue ,” says Fairclough .
“ It ’ s a rather large venue and if you ’ re a new employee or customer , it can be difficult to find your way around . She took the initiative to create a pocket guide , which contains maps of both the convention and exhibition centres , that ’ s now being used across departments and is available at our customer service desk .
34 Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 2 , 2017 www . cimmagazine . com