One of our core company values is being curious, and as a team of ambitious individuals, we need to stay on the ball with our ever-changing industry. This is why we always encourage our Passionistas to frequent industry events, workshops and online courses.
To make this easier for everyone, we’ve partnered with BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) to get access to exclusive events. BIMA is the voice of digital and tech and is a membership organisation for those working in digital to come together to learn, socialise and change the industry for the better.
Over the past few weeks, a couple of our team members have attended different BIMA Roundtables, related to their niche aspect of digital marketing. Our Joint Managing Director and New Business & Marketing expert, Chily, attended the New Business Roundtable, and one of our Paid Media Executives, Michelangelo, attended the Junior Peer Network Roundtable. Here, we’ll find out more about their BIMA experiences.
BIMA New Business Roundtable
The BIMA New Business Roundtable provides agency professionals with a safe space to discuss the trials and tribulations of winning and keeping business. Here are Chily’s key takeaways:
I really enjoyed attending the New Business Roundtable. It’s always interesting to hear what challenges other agencies of different sizes and in different stages of growth have when approaching new business.
The structure of the roundtable is that everyone shares a challenge they are currently facing, and then the moderator — in this case, Adam Graham, founder and MD of Gray Matters, a business development agency — addresses those challenges and sparks conversation around them.
I left the meeting feeling inspired and capable of solving my own challenges and having a few ideas to try out.
I feel that going to these events is really important for people at all levels, from Execs to leadership, as hearing different points of view on different areas of business can only enrich your experience and your knowledge.
As an agency, we’re always finding new ways to approach New Biz, so it’s incredible knowing that our New Business & Marketing Director finds the time to attend these invaluable industry workshops and apply her newfound knowledge with the team.
BIMA Junior Peer Network Roundtable
Michelangelo attended the Junior Peer Network Roundtable, one of BIMA’s newer roundtables. It consisted of an interactive session focusing on current challenges juniors face in the industry.
Together with two other Passionistas, I went to the BIMA Junior Peer Network Roundtable in May. This was a dialogue between BIMA mentors and young digital marketers from various agencies. The discussion in this session centred on the challenges that young professionals in the sector are now confronting.
The three main points we discussed were:
- Hybrid working and how that affects relationships
- Tips, tools and practices that aid collaboration
- How seniors can help juniors
Hybrid working has made it difficult to build relationships, pick up on the office dynamic and understand how your colleagues work as you’re not around your peers as much as before. So, as a junior, you must be proactive and forward-thinking when asking questions and completing tasks. This also means giving juniors enough time to work on their own and complete tasks.
Some of the tips and practices we spoke about that help with collaboration are:
Random Rambles
This is a process that happens every other week, where a random name generator picks two names. These two people then introduce themselves to one another through Slack or in person. They may jump on a call and have a conversation, or they may go for lunch together. Either way, this process allows for everyone in the agency to really gel and get to know each other.
Drop-in sessions
When working from home, this is a 5 to 10 minute session with your manager during which you can ask any questions about your work. Nine times out of ten, your manager is busy with their day, so this is a booked meeting and it eradicates any kind of hesitation or anxiety when trying to ask for help.
BIMA mentoring programme
This is a powerful initiative that helps aspiring digital professionals get ahead. It is a six-month programme for BIMA members only, that supports all levels of talent development in the industry. Mentees are matched with a compatible mentor from another organisation, based on experience and interest.
Some juniors at the roundtable spoke about how they feel seniors can support and enhance their development as digital marketers, including:
- Taking time out of routine to support them
- Helping build confidence by asking questions that encourage a different way of thinking
- Helping them overcome certain barriers e.g. imposter syndrome and anxiety
In conclusion, I would like to state how important it is that, as juniors, we are attending industry and networking events. These events give us the opportunity to better our knowledge in our chosen field, meet new and intellectual people and make meaningful relationships, which all aid our career development.
From executives all the way up to directors, we love and encourage our Passionistas to attend industry events so they can fuel their minds and learn from other professionals in the field. If you want to join our supportive team, check out our careers page for the latest job openings.