Archie Archer, founder and managing director, Contraband International
Brand: Open, honest, fun, passionate and knowledgeable.
Top tip: First impressions count.
"My brand has formed organically through my reputation. I have never been about strategic brand-building; it's not in my nature. I have maintained my sense of adventure and fun, but as an entrepreneur. I have combined this with my business acumen and knowledge. Both of these traits have shaped my personal brand. You need a voice to be heard, because the event industry is booming at the moment. Creating a brand for yourself brings a personal essence to business and what you do.
Being confident, at the top of your game and a female doesn't make you a bossy bitch. It is often a label that is used when people are intimidated by a woman's success. This label is simply not me. I am always myself: fair and very honest."
Kevin Jackson, vice-president sales and marketing EMEA, George P Johnson
Brand: Always delivering on promises. Making sure everyone understands that 'the experience is the marketing'.
Top tip: Be authentic and memorable. A personal brand is the most perfectly realised version of your self.
"In my very early days I didn't set about creating a brand, but I decided about ten years ago to look at what I stood for and ensure that I communicated it. My brand is 'out and about' in front of its audience all the time.
I attend lots of events and this year I have spoken at conferences in places such as Madrid, Moscow and Las Vegas. I also write and blog and I mentor a growing number of individuals at all levels.
Every interaction, in the real world or online, is a brand-building opportunity. To really do that, one has to add value to the lives of the people you work with and for."
King Dahl, executive director, MGM Resorts Event Productions
Brand: Authenticity and integrity - and putting clients' objectives above my own.
Top tip: No truer words were ever said than by author Jay Danzie: "Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark."
"I began in the event industry long before people thought of themselves in terms of a personal brand. However, I always knew the feeling or impression I wanted to project.
As the industry has evolved, so has our way of doing business. But the principles I began with remain as solid, if not more so with maturity, as time goes by. What is important for long-term success is being remembered in a positive light.
I keep my brand fresh by staying ahead of the curve, as opposed to with the curve. When your work is forward-thinking, so is your brand and how you are perceived."
Richard Dodgson, creative director, Timebased Events
Brand: Authoritative, fussy and disruptive with a smattering of OCD.
Top tip: Don't try, just be yourself.
"I don't think a personal brand should be manufactured or conceived, at least not in this industry. It's more about being yourself in a professional sense and letting communications reflect that. It's important that clients feel they can trust me and my team to deliver. In this sense, a personal brand can be very important for establishing and maintaining strong business relationships.
I want clients to feel confident and reassured that we know what they are trying to achieve and we know how to make it happen. Genuine sincerity and honesty are key to that dynamic.
I never wanted Timebased to be just about me. We still work within this strategy, but I have learnt to recognise that as the figurehead of a business, your approach and personal brand values epitomise the results turned out by your teams."
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