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My first full week back at work after the Christmas break is always an exhilarating one, because it is always just a few weeks ahead of our biggest and more important event for the year, the annual Trinidad & Tobago Energy Conference. We always plan our conference for the beginning of the year, close but not too close to Carnival. This year we have a little more breathing room than usual because Carnival is late, so our 2025 dates are the 10-12th February 2025, rather than the usual final week of January. But the week has still been intense.
Even though we start working on the next conference as soon as one finishes, there is inevitably a lot of pressure as you get down to the last few weeks before a major event. We are nicely ahead of the curve with our trade show, which sold out early, and our sponsorship, but there is always a rush to totally pin down the agenda and then suddenly all of the requests start flooding in.
What makes the job easier is having a committed and experienced team delivering the event. Most of my staff in the Energy Chamber have delivered Energy Conferences in the past, and they took part in the post-conference evaluation and continuous improvement process (a key element of our QMS) so they know what we have done before and what we have agreed to do differently this time round. And we have a stable, trusted and committed team of contracted suppliers, many of whom have been with us for over a decade and take equal pride in delivering a first-class event.
There are a few things I have discovered over the years that really make a good event. One thing I really emphasise if sticking to the timetable over the days of the event. It is something that I really put a big effort into making sure we deliver, and I always try to enrol speakers and moderators into the collective task of keeping us on time. My staff often joke that they can see the steam coming out of my ears when we run late.
Delivering a successful Energy Conference is very important for the Energy Chamber. It means that we have a good chance to set the agenda for the year and it provides excellent opportunities for our members and other stakeholders to meet, do business and educate themselves about issues impacting their business. It is an event that has been financially successful, and this helps the Energy Chamber deliver non-revenue generating members services and advocacy work over the rest of the year.
It is stressful but also hugely rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy the Conference, and I am really looking forward to the 2025 edition and to making sure we stick to the schedule.