FIRST LOOK: MARK BREAKSPEAR

MARK BREAKSPEAR, SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, DLC EVENTS

THE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER SHARES HOW DLC EVENTS IS DEALING WITH THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

The UAE events sector has been hit hard by the colossal loss in revenue caused by the pandemic. Originally, we thought the timing could have been worse; although we lost the end of what was a successful events season for most, we were not so far away from the quiet summer months where all of us budget for little to no turnover for two or three months anyway. Things will be back to normal by September, we thought… However, the bleak reality is that COVID-19 has taken and continues to take a large bite out of the 20/21 season, as we end the year with a greatly reduced calendar. Thankfully, some events are getting underway – albeit at a much slower rate than hoped – and we are heading in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of the UAE government and the dedication of the industry, but we are still a long way away from how our diaries looked in 2019 and pure survival is at the forefront of our new business model. Many have not made it this far and unfortunately there will be more casualties in the coming months, but at DLC Events, we have strived to keep our heads above water and feel that, as a team, we are stronger than ever. Staff morale has always been at the core of our business, as we feel our team’s attitude on site as well as in the office can be greatly affected by job satisfaction, empowerment, and a true sense of belonging. We have focused more on health and wellbeing during the quiet summer, converting part of our warehouse into a gym where we meet each morning before work to train, which has improved teamwork and mutual respect as well as the obvious health benefits. Positivity in general is important to us at DLC, and we always try to ensure that staff keep smiling and enjoying their time at work. We have regular company lunches and try to create a fun working environment – we even welcomed a few cats into the office recently, saving them from life on the streets and helping to provide some stress-relief for the team.

We understand that when our schedule is overflowing, every one of the team pulls out all the stops to make our events happen flawlessly, often working long hours, evenings, and weekends without recognition from the attendees who benefit from our skills and experience. We have focused even more on ensuring they know that we will look after them when times are tough, like they look after us when times are good!

We have the benefit of a manageable payroll to contend with, having always kept a core number of in-house staff and relying on freelance specialists when required. Everyone has voluntarily accepted a reduced salary temporarily because we understand that when the business benefits, we all do. As such, when the business needs our support, we make sacrifices. Employees were also given the option of extended unpaid leave, which some took to spend more time with their families in their home countries. I’m sure many of our industry colleagues with larger workforces did not have the same luxury but,

regardless of situation, we have always been keen to put our employees first, as they have done with DLC over so many hectic years.

With the halt of events over the summer, we needed to approach things with a different mindset to survive. Our normal corporate clientele had no requirements, so we began looking in areas not previously considered. Pitching towards the public, we found a few areas of our business that would benefit people with smaller celebrations and entertainment requirements, which kept our team engaged and motivated. From home cinema experiences to haunted house spectaculars, we have done some of our most unique projects this summer – and a lot of it was thanks to the team working together to investigate new ways of generating revenue.

As the industry begins to get up from its knees, we’ve seen an abundance of people taking advantage of the current situation to negotiate rock bottom prices. While we are used to offering reduced rates during off-peak periods, we always avoid damaging the value of the industry by competing on price to an extent that it will set a precedent for the future. Being flexible on budgets does not mean taking advantage of those trying to make a living and survive in the most difficult time in our recent history. Blaming the pandemic for unpaid invoices is unacceptable. Companies did the work, and they should be paid; the end client is not their client. The UAE events industry needs to be supported from the top down, and the first way is for clients to pay their invoices on time, and in full, and for this money to be filtered down the network of sub suppliers to ensure that everyone can use their cash forecasts to plan effectively for the future – something that is impossible to do with huge delays in payments.

With credit control, striking a balance between being firm and professional and achieving results, to being too forgiving and risking the business through lack of cashflow is an art, and we like to think that our office management has been integral in the company surviving by finding this crucial balance each day.

Like many events this summer, the focus has shifted strongly towards virtual platforms for clients to facilitate their events safely. Despite a drastic change in the profit margins this creates, with most of the revenue being filtered away to the platform developers, it has been a necessity to progress down this route to maintain the relationships and continuity with existing clients, rather than just turning down the work.

Thankfully, as a leading conference systems provider in the Middle East, DLC has had the opportunity to partner with remote interpretation solutions platform, Interprefy, and has integrated with many event platform providers to offer the same quality of language services we deliver on site, to this new virtual world of events. We have also had the opportunity to collaborate with 3Monkeys Creative Consulting, by installing an interpretation system within their virtual event studio, increasing the scope of services they can offer to their clients.

Finally, with more time in the office than ever before, we’ve had more time to dig up old contacts, to get reacquainted with old friends and clients and remind them of our current scope of services, whilst building new relationships in preparation for what we all hope will be the comeback of a lifetime.

There has never been a better time to refresh the website, to meet new as well as old clients, update the client lists and look forward with optimism. Despite how hard survival during the COVID-19 pandemic has been, there is a future, and it looks bright; we just need to reach out and grab it with both hands together as an industry and we will come back with a newfound appreciation of work, colleagues, and the industry as a whole. Photos: DLC Events www.dlcevents.com