By Tanya Houston, CEO of Wildwood

The theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is #EachforEqual – an equal world is an enabled world.

Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.

Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal
world.

Let’s all be #EachforEqual.

I’ve been lucky enough to run Wildwood PR for 25 years – and in that time, I can honestly say that I have not personally experienced discrimination, but I realise this is not the case for everyone.

As a team, we are focused on delivering for clients, but at the same time, we strive to create a working environment that is fun, equal and ‘gender-blind’. In fact, at Wildwood, not unlike in many other PR and Marketing organisations, we have more women on the team than men, but many of the clients for whom we work are in the much more traditionally male-dominated industries. 

It has not been uncommon in the last 25 years for the Wildwood team members to be the only females in meetings, presentations and events.  BUT – and it is a good but – this has absolutely changed over the years. Nowadays we see many more females in positions of authority as well as at the sharp end of business, working as designers, engineers, technologists, architects and more, and it is heartening to have witnessed this (albeit slow) change. 

This is a great step forward, and we all need to continue to
empower people to develop and grow, to move on in their careers, and above all,
to be treated equally. 

Recently I attended the AVIXA Women’s Council event at ISE2020 – and the keynote speaker made a great point: the number of men and women in the world is roughly equal, out of 1,000 people, 504 are men (50.4%) and 496 are women (49.6%).  In order to survive and grow in business, we need to be creating environments that welcome 100% of this talent pool – and treating everyone equally.

By Megan Collyer

Hi! As the official PR agency for kbb and with the show just days away, I thought it would be a great opportunity to point out some of the ‘must-sees’ at this year’s kbb Birmingham…

Innovation Awards

I work on a selection of accounts within the KBB/interiors sector, so I’m used to reading about new product launches and seeing what’s currently trending in the market. Yet, I still can’t help but get excited about the products that truly demonstrate good design.

One of the standout features at kbb this year is the Innovation Awards – the awards provide the perfect opportunity for brands to showcase their latest innovations with the industry. As you walk into the NEC you will be able to view all ten of the shortlisted entries and guests are invited to vote for their favourite – I already know who I’m rooting for but I can’t wait to find out who will take home the coveted ‘people’s choice award’ this year.

Live Podcast Recording

How do you feel about podcasts? Personally, I love them. At this year’s show the Taylist team, who have recently launched ‘The Kitchen and Bathroom Design Podcast’ will be recording four live episodes at the show.

Taking place at the Central Bar at 2pm daily, the podcasts will explore a range of topics including, ‘The Wow Factor’, ‘Charging for Design’ and ‘ The Smart Home’ – not only will this allow you to take a well-deserved break but you might just learn something too!

The future of kitchen design

This year’s theme is ‘layers of inspiration’ and personalisation has been a really strong focus for many exhibitors. With so many brands launching new products at the show, it’s impossible to highlight just one or two.

However, in terms of looking to the future and thinking about what kitchen design might look like, say 10-20 years from now, I would suggest visiting Hall 17 to view the modular kitchen created by Kitchen Designer, Rob Mascari in collaboration with students at Bucks New University. The installation draws on virtual reality and looks at the changing landscape of kitchen design and the impact millennial’s will have on this.

If you are at the show this year, do come and visit us in the press office or look out for me on the show floor – the Wildwood team would absolutely love to meet you.

By Becky Vance, Digital Manager

As official sponsors of the
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) press office, the Wildwood team was out in
force at ISE 2020, from the 10^th to 14^th February. We
have several clients on the show floor, so the team were busy accompanying
media to stands, talking business, and making new contacts. But for me, one of
the most satisfying parts of ISE was seeing the turnout and value gained from
our client’s networking events.

To give context, ISE is the
world’s largest audiovisual show, with 52,000 individual visitors stepping foot
on the show floor over four days in 2020. With a range like that, it would be
foolish to overlook the potential that networking can bring.

Networking can start
conversations

When I say networking, I’m not
talking about a reception with nibbles and drinks – although this method can be
effective – I’m referring to a higher level of networking to attract new people
who may not have heard of your brand before.

For example, at ISE 2020 we
worked with one of our clients, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience
Association (AVIXA) to arrange their Women’s Council event on the Wednesday
of the Show, which consisted of two panel discussions, a guest appearance from
Hon. Ms Chacon, the Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge, Government of
Catalonia, and information on partner Women in AV’s (WAVE) mentoring scheme.
This was followed by an hour-long networking reception to end the day.

With the programme focused on
diversity and inclusion, our two panels discussed their route into AV, how
they’ve developed their roles and what they’re doing to encourage younger women
to get into the industry.

The event was hosted on ISE’s
Main Stage rather than the clients stand, making it feel less about a brand and
more like an education offering, which in turn attracted a brilliant turnout.
There was only standing room available even before the event started!

The audience were engaged in the talks,
asking questions to the panel and sharing their own experiences. Timings worked
brilliantly too – hosting an event like this near the end of the day means
people are relaxed and willing to stick around for a bit longer to network.

How it could work for you

These types of events work well
in a conference setting, where people are already gathered for business and
looking to learn new things. It’s an opportunity to talk about wider ventures
and build a network, rather than push product. It helps to be seen as a company
that cares about its community.

Ideas for event focus’ could be:

• Professional development workshops – motivating
  sessions for mindfulness, presentation skills, productivity etc.
• Feedback sessions – new product feedback or industry
  trend analysis
• Workforce development – how to attract new
  skillsets and diverse workers to your company
• Creative day – asking attendees to meet and mix
  minds on a topic with ‘yes, and’
• Quiz night – a way to bring friends of and new
  people together to make connections without business talk

Wildwood can help

At Wildwood, we have close
contacts across the AV, Technology, Housebuilding and Design industries. We
often source speakers and notable industry influencers for clients that will
attract a crowd.

Our team also has a lengthy
experience in event co-ordination and management. We’ll help you book in space,
source speakers and organise the programme, and when it comes to the day, we can
make sure the logistics all run smoothly. Plus – with a PR team at your
disposal, we have links with media to make sure your turnout is a roaring
success.

Sound good? Get in touch with us to discuss your next event.