Friday Thoughts – Tomorrow sees the doors open for the final show of the year. It is the Newark Mind Body and Spirit Show. Putting this show together has been a pleasure. Not more so than any other, because all the shows bring Ian and me a great deal of happiness. Work is not difficult or hard when you love the objective. Organising the events is made easier because profit is not a priority. Building the identity and brand of our organisation comes before material gain. And this aspect provides unprecedented freedom to spend money on, and test ideas. So, working without the restriction to show high profits provides the freedom to re-invest without restriction. So long as bills are paid and there is a reasonable reserve of money for unforeseen circumstances, the pursuit of the objective continues.
The Newark Mind Body and Spirit Show required plenty of thought, especially in the area of attending Community balance. The demand for tables for this event was in line with the need for all 2020 shows: in a word exceptional. To indicate the demand for stands I could have run this show in the more extensive Lady Eastwood Centre and provided Visitors with a ninety attending Community event! We have sixty Community attending this weekend, and adding an extra twenty participating members would have been easy to accomplish. However, the Cedric Ford Pavilion was booked and information on LEN, the ‘accessible’ dot com site, and social media streams would have been wasted. There would have been too much confusion to make a move to the more significant site.
The attending Community list confirms the Mind Body and Spirit status. The list attains a good balance of Community and talks schedules, so Visitors who are interested in MBS shows feel it is worthy of attending. Even though some have suggested, the event is a re-named Well Being Show. I am at a loss to know why anyone would want to undermine the work and choice of The Community who are part of this weekend show. The investments of time, resources and finance in the shows is substantial and to undermine Visitor perception is unfair to the Community who have invested in the Mind Body and Spirit Show.
Next year, the MBS shows organised by LizianEvents will fly the ‘Pure Spirit’ flag. And we have some subtle, but essential changes to ethos and design of these events. During 2020 there will be two, possibly three Pure Spirit dates. 2021 will enjoy more Pure Spirit shows, the calendar and venues will be announced during February.
What does this mean for the future? Well, seven Well Being Shows, three/four Pure Spirit Events and two Creativity Connected Events will realise Community numbers above two-hundred and fifty: and a possible ten-thousand Visitors per annum. With a commitment to reinvesting our profits into the infrastructure of the three shows genres, all involved will become part of a secure event platform. Inevitably, the Community’s strength and Visitor attendance will grow, in alignment with the investments of time, resources and promotions. Yes, there is an immense way to go and many evolutionary changes ahead, however, we see growth in every aspect of our organisation. The growth in demand for stands, interest in new events, sharing of information, and the Community’s involvement in promotion indicate the progress being made.
We will continue to work 365 days a year to attain our objectives. You should be in no doubt: we will continue to reinvest profits in The Community and the infrastructure of the shows. The identity of a LizianEvents organised event is becoming more established. I see this as an important show; it is a stepping-stone to the future.
The question for today is how will this weekend’s show fair? My answer is: ‘As well as the shares and connections made by all involved!’. It is heartening to see an increase in Community involvement and promotion of their events. We have no gauge for footfall numbers, as this is our first Mind Body and Spirit Show. However, the interest and interaction is very promising for the weekend’s event.
Liz
Liz Clark
MD LizianEvents Ltd
