Due to the nature of the journal’s content, I need to be out and about quite a bit, interviewing industry luminaries, attending and reporting on conferences, going on overseas trips (usually with Panasonic!), presenting myself at TSI Members’ Evenings and numerous other gatherings of the great and good. Networking is vital in this industry, you see, and it’s hugely important for SMT. Not only that, I enjoy it tremendously.
Way back yonder (pre-2004, in truth), splitting my time up was never a problem. Since then, though, things have changed a tad. As part of the Security Portfolio at CMP Information, SMT is what’s known as a journal ‘hub’. It’s the core part of ‘Brand SMT’, but a good many ‘spin-offs’ now spiral from (and into) that hub. The Security Excellence Awards, The SMT Forum, SMT Conferences and Round Table Debates and Media Partnerships (with the likes of the British Retail Consortium and Skills for Security) are just a few things I could mention.
Then there’s all of my internal commitments at Ludgate House, including Performance Plus, Security Executive meetings, one-to-one’s with my publisher Adrian Newton, meetings about IFSEC. The list is pretty much endless.
What that means is that my time is now at a premium. You must never take your eye off the ball where the journal is concerned, though. If you do, the spin-offs would not happen. However, it’s now becoming increasingly difficult to be omnipresent for a simple reason that is not of my own making. Unfortunate clashes of major industry events.
In 2007, we have had more than I care to mention. For example, on 10 October, the night of the Security Excellence Awards, The Company of Security Professionals also held its annual Black Tie soiree. Both parties thus missed out on having some high-ranking individuals at the dinner table. In a few days’ time, we now have the problem of Skills for Security’s National Training Conference being held on the same day as the Association of Security Consultants’ Consec event. SMT is the Official Media Partner for both, so where does that leave me? Having to procure a freelancer, I suspect.
From my point of view, it’s time ‘the industry’ appointed a Diariser (to use the latest buzz-phrase dreamed up by some marketing dude with too much time on his hands) so that all of these events can be planned in unison. That way, I and my fellow colleagues don’t have to miss anything, and don’t upset anyone by not being around on the day due to the fact that we’re halfway up the country on board a Virgin train going somewhere else.
Any takers for the job? It would help me out, I can tell you!
