 When I ask people in my work network “How are you?” they often respond, “I’m so busy”. Whilst that is a positive thing (post-C-19), I’m always left thinking that’s not quite what I asked. Busyness is a powerful social signal, though a somewhat counterintuitive one. At the turn of the 20th century, economists predicted that the ultimate symbol of wealth and success would be leisure – showing others that you were so successful that you could abstain from work. Instead, the opposite occurred. Now, it’s not free time but busyness that gestures to a person’s relevance. In my life, I am on a perpetual search for the truth. My friends often tell me that I’m sometimes a little too blunt (I call it ‘open’), but they also say, “I like that.” IMO, when armed with the truth, so much (more) can be achieved: In friendships, partnerships and in life. Barriers come down, sincere and meaningful conversations occur, and relationships deepen and grow. “I’m so busy” is a bit like the projection of social media. But, of course, we all know that so much on social media is not the full story (look at me having a wonderful time), and that it covers up some of the truths. But we all engage in it – well, most people. Turning our attention to April’s data for M&E, we see that not everything in the garden is rosy. And like the social media ‘look at me’ posts and the ‘I’m so busy’ responses to questions about people’s wellbeing, I don’t mean it’s all lies. I’m sure you are busy, and there are moments in your life when you are having a brilliant time (post that). Our industry is in fast-track recovery mode with many, MANY positive stories out there. But on closer inspection of the numbers…AKA the truth, there are signs that some default busyness settings might benefit from a reset. There are signs that all that glitters is not gold (pyrite). April numbers confirmed that our industry is experiencing a reset to the norm. Normal might well be a very welcome return for many and the industry as a whole. But it does mean that the crazy times experienced of late (2022) might be coming to an end. And that’s before the 3 bank holidays month of May. Did you budget based on crazy times or normal times? 2023 is turning out to be challenging. Positive but challenging. How is your business performing? And how does it compare with the market and your competitors? The true measure of performance. he truth is in the data. If you’d like to see the truth – please message us  The beginning of the return to normal Bookings & Events Want to know more? Book a call with VP  Q1 2003 Economy Tracker The Business of Events, in partnership with Venue Performance, analyse quarterly conference and meetings data from venues across the UK. Download your FREE copy  ENTER NOW It’s awards time….. Once again, we’re delighted to be supporting the London Venue & Catering Awards – a fabulous event in the capital’s M&E venues calendar. ENTRY DEADLINE 15th JUNE Get your entries in for what is always a very special occasion. GOOD LUCK CLICK HERE TO BOOK A DEMO If the news above isn’t enough, please head over to our testimonial page and see/hear what leading figures in the events industry are saying about us. And if you’d like to see some examples of our insightful reports, simply click here Have a great month Venue Performance team  Contact us: peter.heath@venueperformance.com 07971 572827 |
