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SCMC PREVIEW
The final speaker of the day will be Chris Holmes, the swimmer who won a total of nine gold, five silver, and one bronze medal at four Paralympic Games between 1988 and 2000. He acted as director of integration for the 2012 London Paralympic Games and is now a diversity adviser to the civil service as well as sitting on the House of Lords Select Committee on Social Mobility as Lord Holmes of Richmond. Engaging, informed and challenging, Lord Holmes will have some key messages to deliver on health, wellbeing and productivity.
EXHIBITION ZONE The Shopping Centre Management Conference is a key opportunity for management teams to see the latest products and services from the industry’s leading suppliers. The busy exhibition with more than 30 stands will host displays and events aiming to grab delegates’ attention. What can exhibitors do to stand out? Clare Andrew, managing director at Shoppertainment Management has been a long-term supporter of the event. She says: “On the stand, we always try to incorporate a competition with great prizes that tie in with current trends. Last year we launched a Twitter competition where attendees had to simply follow us on Twitter and tweet us saying hello. The winner won a Fitbit. Carrying on with the ‘health’ theme, we also gave out free smoothies on stand too that gave people a good morning energy boost. This in itself drums up excitement and conversation and gets the team approaching attendees.” Andrew says events play a key role on Shoppertainment Management’s marketing strategy. “Creativity is really showcased at conferences,” she says. “New ideas and techniques can be shared and give everyone that extra bit of SHOPPING CENTRE MARCH 2017
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motivation for their projects. New tools such as social media management software, apps that help our workload become more adaptable or give work a competitive edge, are also showcased. “Being around others who share the same passions and interests also helps fuel inspiration back in the office too. It’s also great to invest in your teams and allow them to break out of their comfort zone and speak to numerous potential new contacts." But for Andrew the event is not just about business development. She explains: “We find conferences are a great tool to revive and refresh ideas. The talks allow us to discover the new insights, trends and key topics that will be significant in our industry over the coming months. It is really important for us to come back from attending conferences like the Shopping Centre Management Conference with new discoveries that can be passed on to the wider commercialisation, marketing, PR and creative teams.”
ACE AWARDS After a hard day’s learning and networking, the shopping centre managers’ gala dinner is a chance for delegates to relax in convivial company. The evening will kick off with the presentation of the ACE Awards, recognising excellent customer service by shopping centre staff. The panel of judges, chaired by Andy Davy from The Mall Maidstone, have been out mystery shopping centres all across the UK. At the dinner they will be able to reward shopping centre employees who go above and beyond their job descriptions to welcome and assist visitors. This year will see a refreshed format for the ACE Awards with new categories and new judging criteria to reflect the way customer expectations are continuously changing. www.shopping-centre.co.uk
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