Megan’s August Monthly Roundup

August monthly roundup: The calm before the autumn conference storm

Can we take a moment to appreciate that we’ve almost made it through the school holidays? To all the parents who have spent the last six weeks juggling work, childcare, summer clubs, days out, snacks, more snacks and trying to remember what day of the week it is… you’re nearly there.

Roll on next week when the schools are back, routines return, and we can all take a deep breath.

August is always an interesting month at Horizon Leeds

On the surface, it looks quieter. Fewer delegates come through the doors, fewer large conferences take place, and there’s a little more breathing space around the venue.

But behind the scenes, it’s often one of our busiest planning months of the year.

Whilst many people are taking a well-earned break, others finally have the headspace to think about the months ahead. Autumn conferences, team-away days, strategy sessions, workshops and networking events suddenly move from being ideas on a to-do list to something that actually needs organising.

And honestly? I’ve had some brilliant conversations this month.

One thing I’ve noticed is how quickly autumn is taking shape. Enquiries are turning into proposals; proposals are becoming contracts, and the diary is filling up nicely. There’s a real sense of momentum being built as organisations start planning for the final few months of the year.

I love a challenge…

One day this month perfectly summed up why I love what I do.

In the space of a few hours, I found myself talking to clients about:

• A December conference using Create@1 as the main conference space with Inspire@ as a breakout room.
• A fully hybrid event with international speakers joining sessions across different rooms.
• A family conference that requires a crèche, meaning lots of conversations around childcare, safeguarding and creating the right experience for attendees.
• A confidential Christmas product sampling event, recreating how an edible product could appear in-store, alongside workshops and strategic discussions.
• And possibly my favourite enquiry of the month… filming a kitchen!

The conversation started with whether our kitchen could be used as a filming location and quickly evolved into discussing whether a kitchen set could be built inside one of our event spaces. And that was all in one day.

It’s one of the things I genuinely love about Horizon Leeds. Yes, we host conferences, meetings, and workshops every day, but no two events are ever quite the same. Sometimes people ring, knowing exactly what they need. Sometimes they have a challenge they’re trying to solve. And sometimes they simply have an idea and need somebody to help bring it to life.

Those are often my favourite conversations.

Business doesn’t stop in August

One event that really reinforced that this month was the Federation of Small Businesses conference, which we hosted here at Horizon Leeds on 26th August.

With around 80 delegates and 20 exhibitors, it was a fantastic reminder that business still happens in August.

In fact, I’d argue that August can be a brilliant time to bring people together. Let’s be honest, holidays are expensive. Many business owners and organisations aren’t disappearing for the whole summer. Instead, they’re using this time to plan, network, learn, and prepare for the busy months ahead.

What I’ve always liked about August events is that people often arrive with a little more space to think. Conversations feel less rushed. People spend longer networking. There’s time to explore ideas properly before September arrives, and everyone’s diary becomes hectic again.

The atmosphere at the FSB conference reflected exactly that. A room full of people making connections, sharing ideas and investing time in their businesses and professional development.

For all the talk of virtual meetings and digital communication, people still value getting into a room together. They still value conversations.

And that’s something I don’t think will ever change.

Welcome to the team, Andy!

August has also been an exciting month for us as we’ve welcomed a fantastic new member of the Horizon Leeds team.

Our new Venue Operations Officer, Andy, joined the team at the end of last month and has settled in brilliantly.

It honestly feels like he’s been part of the team much longer than a few weeks.

He’s already proving to be an AV whizz, fantastic with clients and huge support across the venue. As a relatively small team, everyone plays an important role in creating the delegate experience, and Andy has thrown himself into that from day one. If you’ve attended an event recently, there’s a good chance you’ve already met him.

You can find out a little more about Andy on our Meet the Team page, and next time you’re visiting Horizon Leeds, do make sure you say hello.

Although I do have to admit he’s set the bar pretty high already. Not only is he brilliant at what he does, but I think he may actually drink more coffee than me… which is quite an achievement.

Looking into the Horizon

As August draws to a close, I’m really looking forward to seeing what autumn brings.

What I’ve loved most about this month hasn’t necessarily been the events themselves, although we’ve welcomed some fantastic clients. It’s been:

• the conversations
• the early ideas
• the challenges
• the “could we do this?” moments
• the opportunities to help people shape events that achieve exactly what they need them to

Because whether it’s a conference, a workshop or even filming a kitchen, the best events nearly always start with a conversation.

So, if you’re planning something for autumn, even if it’s still just a rough idea at the moment, give me a shout. I’d love to hear about it.

In the meantime, enjoy these final few days of summer. Here’s to fresh notebooks, back-to-school routines, plenty of coffee and what promises to be a busy and exciting autumn ahead.

Right, I’d better go refill the snack drawer. Have a brilliant September and hopefully see you at Horizon Leeds soon.