Best practice - a boring and restrictive process?

Pauline Beattie, ABPCO's newly appointed co-chair, and a director of Conference Care, talks about Best Practice and its value as part of the event delivery process

ABPCO’s role is one of direction and education because a lot of what this association does is about providing advice and useful content on all aspects of event delivery, particularly in times of crisis and changes in legislation. 

We like to think of ABPCO as a repository of industry knowledge, supported by incredibly experienced experts, and a dynamic, comprehensive education programme that encourages members to share literally decades worth of award-winning experience. This means ABPCO’s membership can learn and benefit – enhancing their performance, mitigating risk, saving them time and money.

Best practice

At the heart of this educational core is ‘Best Practice’ – which is so important when it comes to event delivery. I say this because generally event delivery of any size or complexity is a high-risk proposition – and until an event is delivered, it’s predominantly an idea or concept, often with many variables and multiple stakeholders (who often don’t agree with each other).  

So, what is Best Practice?  I’m sure you know, but just for the record:

It is a tried and tested framework of processes, policies and approved recommendations, that draws upon the knowledge, experience and the successful track records of those that have gone before you – in a particular industry, or area of specialisation etc.   

These processes and policies have been actively, robustly tested in real time – often by your peers – and provide a series of ‘checks & balances’ that in this case would allow us to land an event safely, to the highest standards, on budget, on schedule and to deliver an exceptional delegate experience.

The framework may include anything from pre-designed briefing forms, budgets and schedules, standard contracts or policies that can be customised, a list of preferred suppliers, the latest legislation, or innovative ideas on how to deliver a sustainable event, or how to integrate DEI more creatively and effectively.

Some people do flinch when you mention Best Practice, because it does sound a bit restrictive and rather dull, but I can honestly say that over the years, I’ve found it to be the ultimate tool in our Event Toolbox. I view it as the foundation upon which my team can build an event – using those solid bricks of ratified information that we know we can trust, giving us the gift of time for more innovation and creativity. A good Best Practice Framework can also help us become more aware of risk, where to look for it and how to manage it - so mistakes can be contained from the start.  

There are plenty of ‘how to create a Best Practice Policy’ guides on the internet, so I wanted to share my thoughts on the many complex and surprising areas of event delivery where Best Practice can influence, guide and support the event organiser. When you really start to think about it – it’s surprising!

Event planning

Events are often high-value investments, with multiple stakeholders, complex communication channels and approvals procedures, with ‘blended’ budget responsibilities. Expectations are always high, and often clients/stakeholders come to the table with very different perspectives on what ‘their’ event should look like.  

A Best Practice framework can help you to manage this type of complex scenario because it can focus all concerned on a logical pathway, with indicative processes and useful guidelines – particularly for those clients or stakeholders who are not experienced in event delivery.  

Sometimes our clients or stakeholders have their own Best Practice Framework – which we are asked to adopt – and that can determine a different way of working. This may mean you have to work within the two versions, which may be quite challenging, but consider it an opportunity to learn new ways of thinking and doing – with the choice to incorporate some potentially new ideas into your own Best Practice Framework. 

At ABPCO, our learning programme is a vibrant Best Practice Framework ‘in action’; where on a continuous basis throughout the year, our Executive Team, Members, Partners, Sponsors and Suppliers deliver and share their own ‘hands-on’ expertise in event delivery.  This can be through scheduled online seminars or talks, F2F sessions, a monthly members’ forum – which all members can attend and ask each other advice.  ABPCO’s incredible educational flagship event – The Festival of Learning – is dedicated to promoting Best Practice across our sector. Attendees benefit from presentations, interactive sessions, 121 mentoring on core subjects and disciplines, plus an innovation hub to showcase what’s new and exciting in the world of event tech. This summer ABPCO will begin to build a ‘Best Practice Knowledge Vault’, which will be accessible to all members.

From my perspective, far from being put off by the idea of using a Best Practice Framework, I see it as a superb investment for any organisation. It can be an incredible tool for event delivery; a living breathing evolving thing, that benefits from on-going input, sharing and curating, that is enriched as it grows – and from which everyone can benefit.

About ABPCO

ABPCO is the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, an organisation that supports all those delivering events in-house, and in agencies, for Associations, Not-For-Profits, Unions, Charities, Societies and a wide range of membership Organisations. 

Pauline Beattie is ABPCO’s newly appointed co-chair, and a director of Conference Care – a long established and respected event company. Here she talks about Best Practice and its value as part of the event delivery process.