A Well Being Show

Community Cornerstone Article

What is my interpretation of ‘Well Being’? – Regular readers of LizianEvents News (LEN) articles, should have an idea of the direction of ‘Well Being’ Shows. This article is constructed from a selection of random notes taken over the last few weeks. I feel the thoughts will be insightful to the future. We network everything we do, and transparency is key to the future. In long articles like this; people who work with us gain an understanding of the reasoning behind our ethos. (note → arrows indicate significant paragraphs copied from my notebook).

→ My feeling is for an enterprise to thrive it should be considered a living entity. So, we must be focussed on The Well Being Show being healthy, thriving and vibrant. For this idea to work well, Liz and I do not consider we own or possess The Well Being Shows. To do so would mean personal choices influence the future. By not acknowledging LizianEvents as our property we are enforced to make intelligent decisions, not emotional mistakes.

→ Yes, there are legal and logistical obligations, these are not challenges or obstacles, they are part of the administration. Ensuring the organisation is materially healthy ensures every penny of profit is ploughed back into the soil of future success. So long as we generate a profit and fulfil legal obligations, we are free to nurture the Well Being Show in a free-flowing evolution. Material security eliminates the possibility of opening the doors to an unbalanced show.

Here are three examples of why being free of material constraints benefits The Community:

One

→ Some years ago I spoke to an organiser who told me ‘I don’t care about readers, I can fill the room with them. They are always good to fill up a ‘slow’ show’. I have never forgotten that remark and the connotations within it. At Newark we had one reader and a therapist drop out before the event. Liz could have filled the space with two phone calls. Our choice was to leave the show as it was and not fill the spaces. After all the spaces were paid for, and we would not suffer a financial penalty. And, I feel the remaining Community Members benefitted from the decision.

Two

→ We have to be able to guide an ‘exhibitor’ who makes demands outside of The Community’s terms and conditions. Personal or emotive feelings cannot influence any decisions made regarding the smooth running of events. And because the T&C’s set the boundaries, no external demands can be tested by ‘exhibitors’. Therefore the T&C’s every Community Member is asked to read; influences how we deal with ‘demands’. Inflexible? Not at all, as administrators of the organisation; working for the long-term success of the business; we have to demonstrate to those who invest in The Shows, that their investments are in safe hands. If an ‘exhibitor’ was allowed to enforce a change; the Health of the show becomes undermined; we will not allow this to happen. On three occasions ‘exhibitors’ have attempted to manipulate the T&C’s. Are they still with The Community? Not a one.

Three

→ An enquiry is received from a retailer who wished to book a large number of tables. A financial choice would have allowed the booking to be made. By accepting the reservation, the balance of the show is decimated and the Well Being of The Show would suffer. Intelligent thought dictates a Visitor is better served by many Community Members with different products and services. After we rejected the proposal, the applicant suggested they were ‘the biggest and the best’ and their presence would encourage Visitors. The reply to this is simple: ‘The Community’ encourage Visitors to the Shows’. Is there inflexibility on both counts? No, the priority must be toward The Community.

An astute reader will ask: ‘Why is Ian writing about the material aspects of the Shows?’ The answer is Liz and I are dedicated to establishing well-defined parameters of trading practice. Our choice is to not ‘possess’ the shows. We choose to keep the material aspect well defined, and we operate at all times in profit. Making a heavy material commitment to Social Media, LEN and internet streams is the administrative choice we make. As the Shows grow in stature and visibility; Visitors will recognise foundational principles of LizianEvents Well Being Shows as part of their enjoyment of each Show.

Also, The Community is clear of what to expect from us and our commitment to them. The answer to the question: ‘Why is Ian writing about the material aspects of the Shows?’ Is this: “There is a phrase which changed my working world from worry and loss to happiness and profit, I recite it every day An honest tradesman can stand amongst Kings”.

Allow me to indulge further:

→ Do not consider LizianEvents as ‘the best’ ‘most successful’ ‘busiest’ or ‘better than’. We are future orientated, and our memories of the past are not of golden heydays. There were many dud shows. Consider the phrase: ‘Gamblers only remember the winners’. I can think of eight disasters without a second thought. Never forget one good event doesn’t make for a year of celebrations.

→ People talk about ‘the old days’ ‘the heydays’ well the truth is ten years ago the country had a few decent and a hand full of small events. Today the ‘circuit’ is awash with the MBS genre. We are not MBS we are Well Being Shows. The intention is to have a blend of Community Members providing an eclectic mix of products and services. A diverse and changing Community consistently guides old and new Visitors to return time and again to the events. Those who moan there will never be a return to the ‘old days’ are correct, there may be an occasional ‘spike’, but over the average year this fact is proven.

→ Community Members are beginning to accept they have a part to play in the promotion of every show. If the desire is to be part of a successful show, they have to consider they are the show. As organisers of the platform, we must make the experience as smooth as possible. The old days? I couldn’t care less about the past: The future is the attention of my thoughts: as The Community becomes fully aware of their part of the process, The Well Being Shows will be filled time and time again.

→ In the introduction to a recent interview with Jon Sharpe, I commented. ‘The objective of the shows is for The Community to help Visitors leave each show as a Well Being’. (the comment can be listened to in a repeat of the Jon Sharpe interview below). It makes sense to think of LizianEvents in this way. If it is considered as alive, it will thrive. Everyone involved in the evolution must be guided to understand this aspect of The Well Being Shows.

→ It is accepted there will be cynics. Time will prove them, poor judges. Of course, it is easy to understand why some should doubt the concept of working for: not owning: the organisation. I feel I can view the Shows more realistically as something which requires constant nurturing and care because they can never be perfect (sic).

→ Those who know me, recognise I am somewhat obsessive about The Community’s Well Being Shows. The obsession is to make the Shows shine, and The Community prosper. Bringing Community Members and Visitors together by talking to people about the objectives of the shows is an essential aspect of my work. To evidence we are here for the long-term the three venues are booked into 2020, and next year we will put out 2021-22 dates.

→ People are beginning to get the idea of Well Being Shows. There is a long way to go, but headway is being made. When I said to Jon ‘The objective of the shows is for The Community to help Visitors leave each show as a Well Being’. He immediately grasped where my thoughts were directed. Jon will not be the only person to understand the idea, ethos and objective.

→ There is a need for potential Community Members to understand the ethos of the organisation. For the foreseeable future personal gain or profit is not the objective. The reputation and integrity of our endeavour is the paramount goal. Consistency and fairness are also considered in every decision made. Community Members and Visitors make the events. As organisers we isolate our mistakes and deal with them, there is no room for complacency.

→ Visitor numbers are growing and will continue to increase. We have to keep a balance of Community Member products and services at every show. It is possible the best balance is 60 Community – Spirit members at Newark and Lincolnshire. There were a large number of people we could not accommodate at the February Newark Show. To have allowed them to stand would have impacted on the Community Members already booked.

→ The messages read on LEN guide prospective Community Members to our Shows. There is no apology for reinforcing the message. Anyone who becomes involved in the Shows must have no doubts about the long-term objective. The aim is to be a hub of information and connection which helps Visitors to become a Well Being. This network must be alive to thrive, and I will continue place the prices of the jigsaw in the box. It will not be long before the Visitors can piece together the picture of what is evolving.

This week’s LEN is packed with Community information – Yara from The Woodland Trust – Jon Sharpe – Marco Grove – Jane Osbourne. We are making headway and the evolution is evident. Let’s consider next week’s LEN. It will contain three articles written by Community Members – Rose Best – Gary Longdon – Rick Paul – We have audio interviews with Glenys Underwood and Peter Wall. The following week we have community profiles for Lisa Marie and AN-OTHER, and articles about alternative diets and lifestyle. Visitors level to LEN has never been higher; over 1200 people read the articles last week. And the coverage is global.

Final Words

It is not wise to enter the mind of another human and ‘guess’ what is in their mind. There should be no doubting our intention; with over 400 thousand words already written here in LizianEvents News. And a few cornerstone articles like this one. There is no need to guess what we are doing; there is no doubt, we intend for every Well Being Show to be a Well Being.

See You Soon