Do you want to help drive positive change in our industry? ESSA's Project Manager, Nicola Crawford, discusses everything you need to know about ESSA's Working Groups and encourages members to join a group today. TO JOIN, REGISTER BY 30 JUNE.
Q: Can you explain the overall role and benefits of Working Groups?
A key part of ESSA’s purpose is to enable members to do it better. One way we do this is by facilitating conversations between members within Working Groups.
The benefits of joining a Working Group include:
- Leading and representing
- Setting best practices
- Collaborating
- Networking
- Driving supply chain issues
- Driving awareness
- Building and sharing knowledge
- Investing in yourself
Q: How many working groups does ESSA have and what is each for?
ESSA runs four groups:
- FUTURE FOCUS: This group defines, identifies, and captures ESSA members' wants and needs, focusing on all aspects of talent development and retention, recruitment, skills/training and employee nurturing.
- SUSTAINABILITY: This group creates resources, guidance and online and face-to-face training for members to progress their sustainability journey alongside continuing to develop the Sustainability Module in line with new regulation. A key objective is to ensure venues and organisers understand the value of the ESSA Accreditation process, of which the Sustainability Module is part, and use it as a supply chain industry standard for measuring.
- ESSA EVENTS COMMITTEE - Events are a key ESSA member benefit and this group focuses on developing relevant content to promote learning, engagement and networking opportunities for all.
- DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: This group aims to support members in the creation of a sustainable, driven industry which allows everyone to feel included and motivated in order to thrive.
The group supports members to:
- Feel empowered individually and organisationally (interdependent)
- Change individual and company thinking to make a positive difference in the industry
- Understand why ‘different’ means something
- Protect industry talent, particularly younger generations
- Have global appeal - the virtual world has opened us up to international audiences
- Form a sustainable company
- Create online and face-to-face training
Q: How many people are in each group and who are they?
The working groups vary in size. We ensure that we have good membership representation within each group so that when decisions are made, there will have been input from those directly benefitting. For more specialist groups such as D&I and Sustainability, we also have representation from specialists to support discussions.
Q: How often do the groups meet and how are they managed to ensure that outcomes are achieved, and ideas are progressed?
ESSA runs most groups on a quarterly basis. We find this supports the association and encourages member attendance. We also set up ad hoc meetings for timely discussions when needed. In addition, there are Cross Association Working Groups (AEV, AEO and ESSA) which are more varied in terms of how often they meet.
Q: Who decides upon topics, actions, decisions and future goals?
Mostly the members. As the groups are for the benefit of members, we allow them to dictate what challenges and solutions they would like to discuss. We do occasionally nudge groups in the right direction or pass on feedback from other working groups or board meetings where relevant.
Q: What key initiatives have come directly from ESSA’s Working?
Many, such as the ESSA Accreditation’s Sustainability module, sustainability training and soon to be released Diversity and Inclusion training.
Q: ESSA is also involved in Cross Association Working Groups. Can you tell us about these and how they differ from ESSA’s standalone groups?
Cross Association groups look at the industry as a whole whereas the ESSA groups just look at the supply chain. Together with our sister associations, AEO & AEV, these groups bring together key stakeholders from the supplier, organiser and venue communities to collaborate on issues that affect us all to support and enable everyone to do it better for the benefit of the whole industry. These groups cover the following topic areas:
- Health & Safety
- HR
- Electrics Technical
- Technology
- Sustainability
- Diversity & Inclusion
Q: What is your role in Working Groups?
I support with all admin aspects such as notes, information sharing and undertaking required actions. Within Cross Association groups, I am the collective voice of the supply chain.
Q: How are the groups changing moving forward?
When the industry returned after covid, the supplier representation within Working Groups dropped due to busy calendars. Given their importance, now that the industry has returned to some sort of normality, we want to relaunch the Working Groups.
We are running a quick application process to join a group, giving you the opportunity to share any specific information regarding relevant experience or specialisms you can bring to a group.
Q: How does someone join a group?
We ask that you please register your interest by 30 June.
Click this link and complete a quick application form here - www.essa.uk.com/about-essa/cross-association-working-group
We look forward to welcoming you and working with you to create a better, safer and more sustainable industry for all.
