The Birmingham Recruitment Agency Expo opened on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, for two days of celebrating all things recruitment and the remarkable recruiters who make the industry what it is today.
Rec Expo, held at the Birmingham NEC for the past 12 years, features a blend of industry supplier stands, insightful seminars, and valuable networking opportunities.
Stewart attended the first day of the Expo on behalf of MAYACHI and he reflects on the highlights of his visit:
Why attend the Recruitment Agency Expo?
I’ve always attended the Recruitment Agency Expo, as it provides an excellent opportunity to network with numerous industry suppliers who have stands or come to the event for the same purpose. I wanted to use the opportunity to advertise the MAYACHI services both in conversation and whilst wearing a MAYACHI t-shirt to give out some free merchandise.
Did you attend any seminars whilst at Rec Expo?
I only had chance to attend one seminar whilst at Rec Expo which was held by Dries De Coster from Chat Automation. This great seminar demonstrated the use of AI and automation using D.W.I.G.H.T (Digital Worker Bot for Generic Human Tasks) to help recruitment businesses. If I had attended day 2, I would certainly have attended Andy Dunne from the TEAM Network talking about Building Your Network and Christina Robinson from Green Umbrella Marketing and James Whitelock’s joint talk on Recruitment Marketing Horror stories.
Did you gain any business whilst being at the Expo?
I always see the Expo not as an opportunity to do any direct selling but to meet up with as many recruitment suppliers as possible in one setting, as they are my main referrers of MAYACHI’s services to the industry. Whether this was chatting with suppliers on stands, bumping into contacts who have attended or having a beer and burger with fellow providers, these chance meetings with multiple people in one place make for an ideal networking opportunity.
Were there any highlights over your visit?
One of the highlights of this year’s Rec Expo was having lunch and drinks with Mitch Sullivan and Jon Brooks, both of whom I have followed on LinkedIn for many years. Mitch had many stories of his time working in the recruitment industry and Jon was giving out his self-published book “The #1 Book of Recruitment Pricing Jokes” which caused no end of laughs and entertainment.
What did you gain from being at the Recruitment Agency Expo?
I believe that the main gain from attending Rec Expo was the brand exposure of MAYACHI to the industry. I had many conversations regarding the company’s progress over the past 10 months and the possible future partnerships with these providers.
Will you be attending the Recruitment Agency Expo in London in March 2025?
After the success of the Birmingham Expo, I will certainly attend the London Rec Expo in March next year. Following conversations with my marketing company, I am looking to potentially secure a speaking slot for attendees to learn about one of the services offered by MAYACHI.
MAYACHI views the Recruitment Agency Expo as an excellent platform to showcase the strengths of the recruitment industry, highlighting how it embraces new technology and innovative methods to fill essential vacancies and keep various sectors running smoothly.