Totem is a hybrid occasions platform that permits customers to host occasions of any measurement – from a roundtable of ten to a multi-track occasion for 10,000 folks.
Chris Bo Shields has reimagined the occasion area within the wake of Covid-19 which has seen Totem launch its personal hybrid occasions platform in 2020. He speaks about his journey to Enterprise Issues …
What downside does your organization resolve?
Totem helps shoppers to create their very own white-labelled bespoke branded occasions panorama in order that they aren’t sharing the identical expertise with their opponents. Totem connects in-person and digital company collectively by a shared expertise, utilizing video and chat. Forrester just lately revealed a report that predicted that as we transfer again to one thing approaching actual life, the hybrid mannequin will take over, mixing each bodily and digital parts.
What sort of companies do you’re employed with?
We are able to work with any organisation that maintain occasions – every part from business occasions to inside comms and coaching.
What’s your USP?
We’re not only a tech firm that builds platforms for the sake of it. We’re passionate in regards to the occasions trade. One of the best present for us is seeing occasions folks use the platform in a approach that helps them to rework their companies. A lot of this journey into hybrid occasions is uncharted territory, and the way forward for occasions continues to be tough to foretell. That’s why Totem permits the final word flexibility for company to be in-person or digital, or to maneuver seamlessly between the 2.
What are your organization values? Have you ever ever had them challenged and in that case how have you ever handled it?
Our firm values deal with the significance of creativity, exclusiveness and environmental influence, and we now have made certain that these resonate by our merchandise. As an illustration, we embrace the choice for carbon offsetting in our hybrid app for bodily occasions. We encourage our exhibitors to not deliver printed supplies, with the intention to achieve carbon offset factors throughout the app.
How do you make sure that you recruit a crew that displays your organization values?
We do discover that recruitment processes assist us to hone our firm values. we’re requested about our insurance policies on every part from feminine management to the setting, which retains us on our toes. We take pleasure in this, because it’s the distinction between greenwashing and really measuring the influence of a course of.
Are you content to supply a hybrid working mannequin of dwelling/workplace post-covid?
We have been by no means doubtful that nice work may be achieved both in-person or remotely. Nevertheless, it’s more durable to take care of coaching, on-boarding and mentoring, to not point out firm tradition. We discover the perfect strategy is to work with our crew to seek out the proper stability for people and the corporate as an entire.
Do you will have any suggestions for managing suppliers and clients successfully?
Transparency and honesty lie on the coronary heart of any good relationship, and that’s the identical no matter whether or not it’s with a provider or a buyer. Letting suppliers know the challenges we face is essential to them delivering on their guarantees – and that is additionally the case with our shoppers.
Any finance or cash-flow suggestions for brand spanking new companies beginning out?
Act like Virgin and spend like Easyjet.
When you might ask one factor of the federal government to alter for companies what wouldn’t it be?
They should present us with a clearer concept of how we are able to work in Europe. Our enterprise used to depend on sending expert folks overseas to handle occasions. That is a lot tougher now, as there is no such thing as a authorities data accessible on how this may be achieved within the present panorama.
What’s your angle in the direction of your opponents?
We’re compassionate in the direction of the occasions world as an entire, which has suffered massively. We’ve been impressed by folks within the trade coming collectively to unravel issues, somewhat than competing with one another.
Any ideas on the way forward for your organization and your desires?
As our firm continues to develop with providers that allow true hybrid, our dream is to retain our firm tradition, and to recollect why we have been profitable within the first place.
Cherry Martin
Cherry is Affiliate Editor of Enterprise Issues with duty for planning and writing future options, interviews and extra in-depth items for what’s now the UK’s largest print and on-line supply of present enterprise information.
