12 Jun A Passion for Training

I’ve got oozes of experience in running training events but  recently, I’ve been working with a couple of training professionals who have brought a passion back to life.

For those who don’t know my background, event planning is my big passion. Any event really, I’m not fussy. I just love the buzz of it. Starting with nothing and then seeing it all come together, the whole process amazes me.

These companies have different backgrounds, and both offer different training subjects but both are predominantly, trainers.

The thing I have come to realise is that although both companies work very differently, they have the same stresses when it comes to putting on a training course.

The trainers all offer in-house courses which means a company will hire them to train their staff, but they also offer open courses, meaning they have to organise it from start to finish and the expense is on them.

With an in-house course, the delegates are there, ready and waiting, the room is set up for them and lunch is either provided or the delegates are expected to fend for themselves as they would on a normal work day. All the trainer has to do is turn up and deliver the course.

However, an open course is very different. All of the responsibility lies with the training company.

It’s quite surprising, the amount of work that needs to go in to putting on a this kind of event.

Firstly, there’s the delegates. Unlike an in-house course, they aren’t ready made. The trainers have to go out and find them. That means a huge amount of marketing is involved before they even begin to organise it.

Then there’s the venue. Sourcing a great venue is key. It has to be somewhere that is central and easy to access by car or public transport. It needs to have the right equipment as well as offer refreshments throughout the day. Cost is obviously a huge factor.

When it comes to lunch, it’s not as easy as just ordering a plate of sandwiches. You need to find out about preferences and allergies so communicating with the delegates before hand is vital. You then need to source good quality food and make sure they deliver or you can easily collect it and take it to the venue. Not something you want to worry about before delivering a course!

You have to meet and greet the delegates, in most cases give them name cards, take registration numbers where applicable and make sure they are comfortable before beginning.

Lots of work!

The thing I love most about working with trainers is that they are really passionate about what they do. They love their job and they love the satisfaction of teaching people new skills and the buzz they get from the day.

But the reality is, these are creative people and the thing that they don’t like about their chosen profession is the organisation of the event.

That’s when they bring in someone like me. What an amazing partnership that is! The trainers are creative and love to write and deliver exciting material where as I am organised and absolutely love the tasks that lead up to the event.

Both roles are as important as the other. Both are integral to a successful day but it doesn’t mean you have to be good at both roles to make it work.

Delegation is key! And this is the reason I have loved working with these companies because they have a real understanding of what makes them tick and why it’s good to outsource the rest to me.

Together, we are putting on some amazing events and the results have been fantastic!

Here’s to future projects and may my renewed passion for training events continue!