Yoliswa Zilwa and Melissa Crafford of Complete Exhibitions – adding a women’s touch to delivery excellence |
Although the physical attributes of men will always see them being involved in the physical side of supply, a women's natural ability for lateral management and creativity has meant that many a build-up is now very much a split of men and women.
A particular element of the business where women dominate is the design of custom stands and pavilions. The ability of women to visualise and create exciting spaces, allocating distinctive branding positioning and open meeting areas, lends itself perfectly to stand design. "Our design department at Complete Exhibitions is operated by a team of women who have really helped us to provide some amazing stands which exceed the clients' expectations and constantly push the boundaries of what we deliver." Robert Walker, Business Development Manager, Complete Exhibitions, explains.
The well known natural ability of women to multi-task means that they can operate a lot more efficiently than their male counterparts when it comes to managing multiple aspects of an event and, in many cases, multiple events. "The women at Complete Exhibitions are the first port of call for many of our exhibitors. Their ability to handle multiple requirements for numerous exhibitors efficiently is an asset that we can ill afford to be without," continues Walker. "These ladies will take the lead on a build-up and manage the entire process, coordinating numerous supplier requests within exceedingly tight deadlines and ensuring that these all come together to create the desired site."
It is sometimes daunting for an industry to go through change of this manner, however, it should be embraced. Walker concludes, "Results are the defining objective, men and women achieve their solutions differently. This is an asset, not a disadvantage. It's all about getting the right person for the job."
In an industry where a decade ago the glass ceiling for women was distinctly limited, now many top positions within every sector are occupied by women. As the industry continues to grow so too will the role of women.
