AGM 2017 Review

Members old and new took to the River Thames on April 27th, for the Event Supplier and Services Association’s (ESSA) 10th anniversary AGM. Held aboard the Jewel of London, the river boat which hosted the inaugural ESSA AGM in 2007, the meeting enjoyed unprecedented attendance, with over 100 representatives from 57 member companies on board.

With the river cruise underway, ESSA director Andrew Harrison officially opened the AGM, welcoming the delegates and conducting them through the standard formalities before moving straight onto the board elections.

Every year one third of the ESSA board must stand down by rotation, and this year there were 7 delegates standing for the 5 board places available. With all votes and proxy votes counted and verified, the following members were elected to the board:

• Antony Burton, beMatrix UK Ltd
• Martin Cottrell, A1 Event Exhibition & Office Cleaners Ltd
• Andrew Kennedy, A Perton Signs Ltd
• Lou Kiwanuka, Eventshaper Ltd
• John Robson, Aztec Event Services

ESSA chair, Chris Criscione of Equinox Design, then took to the floor to offer his debut chair’s report. Criscione first introduced himself and his experience with the association as well as noting his pride at that fact that his tenure will take place over ESSA’s celebratory year. After thanking his predecessor, Andrew Kennedy, Criscione looked back on his time aboard the Jewel of London 10 years ago, and noted how far the association and the industry had come since.

After thanking the board, Criscione closed his report by giving an insight into the efforts to encourage more young people into the events industry, before handing the floor back to ESSA director, Andrew Harrison and the director’s report.

Harrison’s report took the form of a retrospective, reminding the assembled members of the successes and the challenges met by the association over the last decade, expounding how the association had overcome the 2008 recession to emerge stronger and more optimistic than ever. He went on to summarise ESSA’s activities over the last two years before looking ahead to the likely challenges and issues of the decade ahead.

Harrison finished his address by wishing ESSA a happy birthday, and giving the floor to Margery Youngs, who was deputising for the ESSA treasurer, John Robson of Aztec Event Services. Youngs delivered the treasurer’s report showing the associations’ strength, financial health, a growing membership and positive position going forward.

With the main business of the AGM concluded, Martin Cairns, commercial director of Reeds Carpets, took to the floor to chair an exclusive members’ forum discussing health and safety issues, a pressing subject for many contractors. The forum generated a robust and lively debate, featuring a broad spectrum of views on the subject, and with many delegates contributing their experience and opinions.

After the conclusion of the members’ forum discussion, Harrison brought the AGM to an official end by thanking the many delegates, saying, “it has been such a pleasure to see so many industry friends with us here today to celebrate such a landmark anniversary for ESSA.”

The assembled delegates and guests then raised a glass to toast the association, before breaking for a buffet and refreshments and enjoying their view of the capital from their vantage point on the Thames.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the gallery.