2021 With Nick Hamilton

2021 was a fantastic year here at Inconnection with a lot of brilliant events. Read on to hear from our MD, Nick Hamilton and his thoughts on the year.

How has the year at Inconnection played out in comparison to other years?  

Planning for 2021 was uniquely challenging due to the uncertainty of client plans for the year. We pride ourselves on the close relationships with companies from a broad spectrum of industry sectors which helps us to anticipate their needs in relation to events, hospitality, and direct marketing.  Understandably, it was particularly difficult for our clients to have fixed plans for the year, but the overwhelming consensus was that our clients were committed to making things happen by working around the challenges and constraints of the pandemic and corporate policies. In short, people wanted to adapt and progress.  

How did you deal with the unpredictability? 

2020 was an immense help from a planning perspective as our clients reacted so positively in that year to our new services – including MemMail and Virtual Events. We enjoyed strong demand for these new innovations which gave us the confidence to invest further in 2021 – both in terms of people and technology.  And so, we entered the year with cautious optimism and were delighted to have beaten our targets by year end. 

How has a growing team impacted Inconnection?  

Over the last couple of years – and 2021 in particular – we have really benefited from the diversity and specialisms of our teams’ members. Collectively, they give us the know-how and skills to tackle a wide range of client briefs and respond positively when new challenges and opportunities arise. Furthermore, we have a highly successful apprentice programme which has contributed very positively to our technology platforms, MemMail service and marketing programmes while providing new perspectives from people with diverse backgrounds and skillsets.   

How will advocacy play into next year at Inconnection and how will this effect clients?  

2021 was a breakthrough year for our Advocacy Programmes – which encourage stakeholders and influencers to engage and spread the word about brands, products, and services. Creating a world of opportunity powered by people. As well as building a powerful technology platform (the Advocacy Portal), we have helped clients to embrace advocacy to build their channel and partner programmes. Whilst still a new concept for many of our clients, we expect many more to use our Advocacy Portal and Services to help achieve their goals for the next twelve months. 

Why has hospitality been so popular this year? 

It’s really interesting to all at Inconnection that the success of new services like MemMail and Virtual events has been matched by one of our most traditional services – hospitality.  Whether it was a day at the races, a music event, sporting fixture or team building experience – our clients have welcomed the chance to meet, greet and network one again. Whilst the reason for doing so is as individual as the client, there’s no doubting the effectiveness of face-to-face interaction – especially given the rise of remote working, video-conferencing and collaborative software platforms. This has led us to undertake client research into the relative strengths and weaknesses of live and virtual events in today’s business world – the findings of which we will share in the year ahead. 

Which events stood out the most this year? 

With over six hundred projects to choose from, it’s difficult to pick favourites – ultimately our measure of success is client ratings and advocacy scores.  However, the projects we have found the most exciting and inspiring combine elements from different Inconnection services to create the perfect blend for the task at hand. Consequently, we’ve seen MemMail significantly improve the uptake of live events, virtual and live combing in hybrid events that significantly improve reach and MemMail increasing engagement with hospitality events.  

Why was this year’s London Comedy Lunch the most successful yet? 

To start with, our hosts and their guests created a fantastic atmosphere - something we anticipated with the event selling-out in record time – which was probably a reflection of the collective excitement of having the chance to come together after an enforced delay. The comedians (Jimmy Carr, Matt Richardson, and Gary Delaney) thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere which was reflected in their performances and backstage feedback. And a different venue proved as popular as our regular venue. Ultimately, the success of London Comedy Lunch is measured by client feedback so, the record Net Promoter™ score of +67 and satisfaction rate of 4.6 out of five are extremely important to our team. 

What are your expectations for 2022? 

There’s no denying that the past two years have been a significant challenge for Inconnection – which is why we are so proud to enter the new year in such a healthy position in terms of our financial position, client base and team.  Early indicators (which have been building for many months) is that our clients, old and new, have a healthy appetite for our full range of services and are keen to work with Inconnection to achieve their goals. We are privileged to have the opportunity and will do everything in our power to make this year our best yet. 

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