Well obviously I’m going to say yes to them all and here’s why…
It’s a busy time of year leading up to Christmas and in the Children’s activity and franchising sectors events all add up and budgets can be stretched, however I do believe it’s so worth attending.
We celebrated an award win at the recent What’s On 4 Kids Awards in Southampton, we got to celebrate with the team and spend some quality time with some franchisees. I did however, miss one event this year and I had real FOMO, I love networking and I love creating content so events are great for both!
You make real connections when celebrating each other! Being on a table with people you may not have met before expands your connections and if they achieve a win you celebrate that little louder for them. You mingle at the reception drinks, dance away together on the dance floor or catch up at the bar after over a lemonade. Networking can lead to collaborations as I’ve written about previously, it can connect you to great new suppliers or coaches or inspirational people. Talking of inspiring it can help you discover what the judges valued and awarded and help you with what to focus on for your next award application!
And content, well most know how I love a large group TikTok dance, and whilst it’s great to show community and collaboration, can get great views and grow followers, it actually warms my heart seeing how a 15 second move around to music makes people from all sectors laugh and smile! Video content is so good for brand engagement, relating to your audience, showing some behind the scenes and celebrating your own wins or those of others is infectious to watch.
So, how can you make 2025 a year of attending for you? The good news is many of the events in both the Children’s activities and franchising sectors are being spread out from next year so you can spread that budget out across the year rather than such a huge chunk between September and December. Get on industry websites and socials and check the 2025 calendars, clear your diary and get booking.
Chatting and connecting online is great but face to face at awards events is special and you never know – beautiful things might just happen. Whether it’s an award win or an exciting new adventure.
