On 22nd March 2023, I headed down to the Excel in London to visit the second day of the Communication & Technology Expo. The event was powered by the Business Revival Series, and had a plethora of industries, companies and stories exhibiting and sharing their work.
This year, Customer Experience Magazine had the privilege of being an official media partner for the event. It was an honour to have a hand in such a fantastic event that connected so many areas of the business world.
Not only did this Excel space by the Business Revival Series hold the Communication & Technology Expo, but 3 other events too! Wellbeing and technology exhibitions, talks, demonstrations, goodies and experts filled the venue and brought plenty of engagement with them. The other 3 events held here were:
- Remote Working Expo
- Business Innovation Expo
- Corporate Wellbeing Expo
Not only did I come away from the event refreshed with new knowledge in these enriching fields, I also left with an expanded network. There was so much to learn and hear about, so let’s dive into people’s insights and what they made of the event.
Connecting & communicating
The great thing about networking and business events is the opportunity to chat with so many individuals about their take on both the event at hand, and their business. You get to hear so many experiences in different depths and takes on the world. And that’s truly invaluable.
While forming new opportunities for our collaborations and partnerships to provide great content for our readers, I got the chance to ask a few individuals what their thoughts were and get an idea of how people were feeling.
Declan McAteer, 8×8
Travelling into London from Belfast for the Expo and to meet his usually remote-working colleagues, Declan expressed gratitude and positivity about the event.
“A really great thing about this event is seeing the wide variety of industries exhibiting and visiting over the last two days. It’s interesting to see the scale of sectors involved in activities and events such as these. It can widen your networks drastically. I’ve had fun exploring more people and businesses”
8×8 also held an impressive exhibit at the Excel – demonstrating their services and software while networking and mingling with visitors and catching up amongst colleagues.
Jake Harris, KMS Lighthouse
Seemed excited for the event and the opportunity to network with so many new people and spread the word about the knowledge management company.
“We’ve definitely exceeded our goals today which was the main aim of coming here. It’s been a lot of fun for us as a team and for myself individually”
Patrick Bailey, HiBob
Having only been at the company for a few months, Patrick was enthusiastic and grateful for the event and the opportunities granted. He was eager to learn more and willing to chat and connect with many visitors.
Michelle McIntosh, The Six Pack Revolution
Although I only got a few moments to speak with Michelle, she was extremely excited to be at the event. It was a great opportunity for her company, the Six Pack Revolution, as they even all sported matching t-shirts! Michelle was also particularly keen to be there for Ross Kemp talk and see the keynote speech from the spokesperson in her company.
Learning more through seminars
It was a welcome surprise to see local UK celebrity Ross Kemp as one of the keynote speakers discussing some of the most dangerous adventures of his career so far. The BAFTA-award winning documentary film-maker, actor and author was extremely well received with many staying around afterwards to grab a selfie with the star.
Despite the stardom, he produced humbling, sensitive and greatly necessary and significant insights which everyone in the space locked on to. He was a fantastic spokesperson and guest for the event. He was extremely keen to share his thoughts and experiences. Here are some of the key parts I took away from the 45-minute long session:
- Ross’ main business tip (as asked by an audience member) is to always focus on growing a team around you. Not only does it create transparency, room for communication and friendships for business success, but it’s also part of the fun in the normal day-to-day job.
- “You have a gut for a reason”. Ross honed in on the importance of trusting your instinct completely when it comes to business decisions and what you feel is right for yourself and the business.
- After sharing a short anecdote of a time he accidentally insulted someone via email in a message not intended for them, he shared why you should never act on impulse in business.
- And after a discussion on men’s mental health being underfunded and the value of putting yourself and your mind first for the good of your business as an after-effect, he ended by saying – “looking after yourself is intrinsic to succeeding in business”.
A successful expo partnership completed!
The Communication & Technology Expo was a fantastic opportunity for CX professionals everywhere to grab a new perspective and piece of knowledge. I certainly feel as though I met this chance at the event. Until the next Expo!