As I start to write these words on what would have been the eve of the annual CeeD Industry Awards, I acknowledge I am motivated to do so whilst reflecting on a year of what has taken place in our community. Normally this motivation and action supports my address to the CeeD Awards - but not for 2021.
I do not need to remind anyone of what we have come through by using the now well-used phrases of our times, wrapped around terms such as “unprecedented” or “like no other”. I do think that with 2020 vision we certainly did not see what was ahead of us back in February 2020!
One of the decisions we have made these past 12 months regarding the 2021 Awards was - should we go virtual and digital or delay? Afterall, we have successfully pivoted the CeeD community of peer-to-peer best practice engagement to a digital model, so we could have done the same with our Awards.
But then, we realised that flexing to a digital awards model would have missed the whole essence of why we come together as a sharing community. Our day-to-day engagements and events have majored on interaction. As a minimum, chat room activity but, more commonly, sessions full of hands up and human two-way conversations. The CeeD community come together as much to share and contribute to the conversation as to listen and learn.
The same rationale applied when it came to the CeeD Industry Awards. We pride ourselves on listening to our members and reflecting their views and asks. The words I have heard repeatedly from those who have attended our annual event tend to be ‘energetic’, ‘noisy’, ‘celebratory’, ‘friendly’ and ‘relaxed’, and even ‘party-like with a sense of family gathering’. This is always followed up by acknowledging that the structure of a glitzy affair and managed with the highest levels of professionalism shines through.
Great to hear these words as that was the brief we set. We wanted to achieve a proper celebration, sharing success through the awards but maybe, as importantly or more so, bringing all the community together to continue to share and network.
Essentially a CeeD Clinic/workshop on steroids! We executed on the brief – so job done!
It was clear to us we would not be able to deliver the CeeD Industry Awards the way we wanted via an online model, but a big well done and respect from me to all those organisations who did pivot and delivered great online virtual events.
It would be wrong not to reflect on the reason that we made our decision grappling with a global pandemic.
Many of us will have had direct connections to sad moments and stories to loved one’s family and friends, directly or indirectly related to Covid-19. For me, a close and long-standing chum sadly passed away. His wife is probably my oldest friend as we met as bumps before we were born (our parents were close friends). My chum was a member of CeeD through his company and sat with us at the inaugural CeeD Awards in 2019.
This really made me think about how we mark the anniversary of last year and project forward to February 2022, doing so with respect and sympathy.
I just drew on the time of mid December 2020, attending that small funeral service, a sad time but also one of celebrating a life and positive memories. Twenty people at a service and then at a distanced reception afterwards, the strength in the room, the feelings of that bond of sharing and support was very strong.
So, with full respect to my personal/family network, I would say the CeeD community feels similar. Although our network has not escaped some personal and organisational challenges, they have been understood and treated with respect by the community as we have come together. There has also been the strong desire to share and celebrate the experiences of the last 12 months in all our sessions. The interest in talking about the future possibilities and opportunities have also featured. Just the whole community appreciating and managing to share stories of both survival/consolidation and growth/success at organisational and personal levels together is heartening.
Manufacturing and engineering have been relatively resilient, other sectors less so but, overall, the ability to adapt and handle challenge and rise to the challenges of Covid-19 have featured strongly. Stronger supply chain resilience and innovation and a continued approach to sharing best practice are the feelings I am taking into 2021.
This parallels the same feelings I felt from the close community of family and friends in dealing with the sad occasion at the end of 2020.
So how do I close off this blog? The one that replaces the speech I would have been writing and then nervously delivering tomorrow evening (25th Feb 2021).
It is by saying we should all continue to build and share our experiences, support each other with knowledge exchange and advice, openly and with respect.
We should draw on these experiences of the past year and use some of these to create submissions/entries to the CeeD Industry Awards 2022. We should celebrate and share these stories. It will make us stronger as community to learn from each other.
We will be able to look forward to digging out a suit and shirt (I have not worn these for a long while) or a dress for a happy occasion. So, when the time comes (and we really hope this will be February 2022) we will smarten up and come along to celebrate and network with our CeeD community whilst respecting memories of past friends and family.
I will certainly take my moment to reflect and toast my chum and others and the happy memories. It will be great to do this gathered with others on the night making new memories and I am sure meeting and making new friends.
I think a fitting tribute and one I am really looking forward to.
The CeeD Industry Awards 2021 are planned to take place on 6th October 2021. However we are keeping an eye on progress and announcements for exiting full or partial lockdowns, so have also reserved 24th February 2022, just in case. Please mark both dates in your diary and we will confirm plans in April/May.