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What will events look like in 2021?

2020 has been a funny year for all those who work in live events. Whilst some have struggled, others have thrived as we as an industry have made the switch to digital conferences and events.

Whilst there is something about physical events and meetings that cannot be replicated on video calls, we at Fresh Tracks believe this is not a good enough reason to stop making connections with our clients and business partners.

Today, we outline our vision for 2021, what conferences and events will look like, and how they will be better than anything achieved in 2020 so far.

4 ways to instantly improve your communication

Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings on priorities, work deadlines, and a whole host of other problems.

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Nurturing your organisation’s most valuable resource

During such times as a pandemic, and indeed during any crisis, it is vital for organisations to optimise their resources. And surely any organisation’s most valuable resource is its staff?

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5 Ways to Resurrect your 2020 Conference

Is there a nagging feeling in your gut that this year, more than any other it’s important to get staff and leaders together?

Do you feel it is time to share the strategy which has changed so much? Is there a need to generate a sense of one organisation, separated by distance but united in purpose? Do your people deserve to be recognised for going the extra mile whilst stuck at home?

Some have simply cancelled their plans but in doing so will fail to give their business the shot in the arm it so desperately needs. Braver leaders are taking a bolder route, exploring new ways of communicating the mission and preparing now for the approaching moment when we can meet face to face. Here are five ways to reengage a large cohort without compromising health.

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Unthinkable thinking

The world has changed and so have our lives. We may have even adopted a new outlook, refocused on what really matters –health over wealth, friends over followers. We could be forgiven for feeling that we’ve done enough, we’ve adapted and changed to cope with our new reality.

Have we done enough? In the months and years to come, it won’t be sufficient to simply cope. We must be prepared to reinvent our products, our work and ourselves to thrive in a future which is hard to imagine. Many others have written on the societal and economic changes we are likely to encounter, so I won’t elongate this piece by repeating their words. My concern today is with our thinking. How has this changed and does it need to?

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When NASA gives feedback

A little while ago we received an unexpected email, from NASA! As you’d expect our first thought was to delete it, assuming it was spam. Surprisingly it was genuine.

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Sleep through Mental Health Awareness Week

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week running 18-24 May is sleep. A subject we’ve been especially engaged in for the past 15 years. During which time tremendous advances in the science of sleep have been achieved.

We now know better than ever before, why we sleep, how we sleep and most importantly the life-limiting effects of not getting sufficient sleep. One notable fact is that disrupted sleep is always a precursor to depression and many other psychological conditions. So it could be said that good sleep is a vaccine for mental illness.

A lack of sleep affects how you operate at work and it really impacts your ability to perform your job safely. Some of the negatives include increased risk-taking behaviour which can lead to an increase in work-related incidents. All this comes under the umbrella of serious mental health issues which can also arise from a lack of sleep.

Whilst a number of excellent books have been published on the subject in recent years, new discoveries are being made monthly and so publications go out of date faster than prawns in the sun. Instead, we’d recommend you reserve one of our Sleep Briefings during Mental Health Awareness Week, they last less than an hour and can be delivered in your workplace.

Write to us at mail@freshtracks.co.uk to check availability.

Our Shed is on TV

Here at Fresh we have a shed, it’s quite a special shed, originally built in the 16th Century from reclaimed ships’ timbers.

More recently we’ve brushed away the cobwebs and breathed new life into this ancient building. Now known as Wellbeing Barn it has become a multi-use space for team away days and small group retreats. Late last year it caught the eye of the BBC and has also become the set for a series of children’s nature shows.

If you’re looking for a private and unique space we’d love to hear from you.

There is a vaccine for mental illness

Whilst mental health is highly complex, numerous studies have proven that in virtually every case of mental illness, there is pre-existing sleep disruption.

Poor sleep is, therefore, a reliable early indicator that our mental health is at risk. Whilst it is quite normal to lose some sleep during periods of stress, the danger is that the fact we are not sleeping well can further increase the threat to the health of our minds.

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Salesforce Fiasco – Pride before a salesfall

Along with many of their customers worldwide, I have been having some trouble with Salesforce recently.

My issue began prior to the worldwide outage last Friday. It was a familiar case of arrogance from a Goliath-like supplier toward a small, though loyal customer.

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