KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE AEO OPERATIONS FORUM 2025

By Miriam Sigler and Gill Geens, Ways & Means Events

As freelance operations managers, we have the unique opportunity to see events of all shapes and sizes come together under the leadership of organisers big and small. No matter how differently companies may approach their work, the one thing that rings true across every event we work on is that true success sits at the heart of teamwork, trust and communication between everyone onsite.

So, when the AEO approached us with the theme ‘Collaborate to Innovate’ at this year’s forum theme, we couldn’t have been more excited to take on the role of operations co-chairs.

For this to be a productive, worthwhile day for everyone attending, it was essential that we dug deeper than the placations that can often come with words like ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’. Instead, we needed to dig deeper, have the big conversations, and not shy away from the uncomfortable subjects.

Fortunately, the day's line-up included dynamic, future-thinking event professionals (#EventProfs) who brought honesty, insight, and the full weight of their experience to every conversation.

If you missed the day or simply want a refresh on what we covered throughout the day, here’s a topline summary of the sessions to inspire you throughout 2025.

Think again! Releasing creativity to drive innovation

Dave Hall, CEO of Ideas Group, emphasised the crucial link between creativity and innovation throughout his session. He acknowledged that, whilst it’s not always easy to challenge the way we think, doing so is the key to unleashing potential and removing creative blocks. Dave gave us a useful definition of creativity, which is the process of generating ideas that are both novel and useful.

In aid of helping companies move beyond the ‘world of what is’ (also described as “the way we do things around here” or conventional thinking), which so many of us find ourselves stuck in, Dave presented his Superheroes’ technique to instead drive attendees' minds towards the world of ‘what can be’ when faced with challenges and problems.

Take a deck of ‘superhero cards’, each showing a superhero and the definition of the characteristics that make them up. Hand those cards out and let everyone read up on their superhero and channel those characteristics. Then, carry out a brainstorming session in the style of those superheroes, finding ‘superhero solutions’ to the problem or challenge at large. Look at the superhero solutions and identify the best one - this is called an’ intermediate impossible’, ie it is Novel but Useless. Once we have the best of the superhero solutions we can interrogate them, find out how they work, and look to find a useful way of delivering the same, and that is how we find a truly creative solution. Superhero solutions are simply a metaphor for a solution in the real world. Dave told us how this technique cannot fail - we will certainly be using this in our business!

Bridging ops and sales: building a collaborative path to revenue growth

Whilst first instinct may lead to the belief that less conversation equals less stress, this session showed that more granular communication is key for operations and sales professionals wanting to collaboratively drive revenue and show success.

A diverse panel of #EventProfs from all walks of life joined us on stage to share some no-nonsense, clear examples of how we can all work better together. All agreed that clear communication from the very start is essential.

Broken down simply, one panellist shared that ultimately, the biggest challenges faced by exhibitors or sponsors are cost and time, with either being a contributor to a lost re-book. They implored ops professionals to review processes and minimise time drains, such as multiple lengthy forms, often asking repetitive questions.

From an ops’ perspective, more transparency around sales and targets and tracking broken down by quarter, month, and week was shared as an easy way to ensure teams can better plan for last-minute changes and mitigate pressure points. 

Ops & marketing: creating seamless collaboration for a better visitor experience

This panel, which pulled people back into focus, reinforced the important reminder that ‘events are made by human beings for human beings’.

With this in mind, marketing and operations attendees alike were encouraged to take a step back and reconsider the basics by asking what information they would find most helpful to plan a visit to an event and navigate their way there.

Simple things like walking the route from the nearest station or car park and planning signage together were encouraged. Similarly, creating stages and features should be a collaborative process to ensure brand synergy and visual impact alongside safety and logistics.

Marketers were encouraged to loosen their grip on brand guidelines and lean on their operations counterparts’ expertise and knowledge more. A great and very practical example of this shared by the panel was that, whilst a colour may be within a brand guideline, it may be inadequate from an accessibility perspective and, therefore, negatively impact visitor experience when used across signage. Similarly, operations teams were reminded to see cross-over spaces such as registration points and staging through a marketing lens to best find ways for them to look great whilst still running like a well-oiled machine.

Building strong venue & ops partnerships: navigating challenges together.

As operations professionals, we spend A LOT of time within the walls of venues and working alongside their teams. With representatives from Excel London, Messe Frankfurt and Farnborough International all taking a place on the panel, this session was always going to be of utmost interest - and it didn’t disappoint.

Breaking down the details that matter, the panel encouraged operations teams to always view venues as an extension of their abilities rather than a hindrance to them. They went into depth about everything from local council requirements to licensing, catering and opportunities for creative branding.

Explaining how different local authorities dictate different rules gave further insight into some of the frustration organising teams often feel. However, the panel encouraged open, collaborative communication as the only answer to create processes and experiences that, whilst different, are seamless for all stakeholders, no matter the venue.

During this session, an audience member asked what was on many attendee’s minds - what’s the deal with catering? The panel remained open, acknowledging that it can often be a contentious area for organisers. However, with limited time, it was promised that it would be an area for future discussion.

Aligning with contractors: key insights for better show execution

Changing pace slightly, this panel was a self-chaired, open chat between contractors. Giving the audience a peek into a casual conversation between the people often delivering the services that make an event possible, this was a great opportunity to discuss common pain points and communication tactics in a constructive way.

Everyone taking part agreed that, for the best exhibitor, sponsor or visitor experience possible, steps had to be put in place earlier in the process to ensure everyone was on the same page.

The marvel of what contractors can do often lies in their ability to overcome the unexpected, however that doesn’t mean we want to make a habit of it. Instead, operations teams should prioritise early sign-off and plan sharing to limit hiccups further down the line.

Exhibitor webinars were put forward as a simple but effective route to ensure everyone was aligned and anyone taking part in an event understands what is required of them.

It feels nearly impossible to summarise such an inspiring, insightful day in a few words - but if we had to, we’d remind our fellow #EventProfs to remember that we all share the same goal.

What truly matters isn't whether someone is from sales, marketing, or operations… whether they're in-house or a freelancer… or whether they're part of the core team or a supplier. What matters is their commitment to the event’s success and their willingness to work collaboratively toward a positive outcome.

With this mindset, no conversation is too difficult or uncomfortable. When communication is clear and understanding is mutual, everything else naturally falls into place.