Supporting a trade fair organizer with organizational and process development

Trade fair organizer needed support with various organizational and process-related topics, e.g.

Being increasingly confronted with exhibitor requests regarding ESG documentation – question of how to handle such requests needed to be answered
Responsibility for organizational development had been transferred from HR to Inhouse Consulting – question of how to collaborate regarding personnel planning and recruitment process needed to be answered
Observing brand divergence due to substantial autonomy of foreign trade shows and suboptimal resource utilization at HQ and abroad – question of how to steer international brand management needed to be answered

Clarification of handling exhibitor inquiries regarding ESG documentation, etc.

Research on relevant laws (including Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz and EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) regarding potential reporting or information provision obligations and implications
Categorization of exhibitor inquiries and requirements regarding content, formats, and channels of submission, as well as their evaluation in terms of acceptability and commonalities in content
Conceptualizing a standardized process for handling inquiries including a recommendation regarding the degree of customer orientation and the design of an ideal workflow
Derivation of corresponding responsibilities including a recommendation regarding make-or-buy and suitable departments for inquiry handling, as well as an estimation of personnel requirements
Contribution to the development of suitable templates through a gap analysis, i.e., comparing the existing code of conduct with the content of exemplary exhibitor inquiries, and formulating suggestions for additions

Clarification of the future personnel development process

Refinement of the scope of the standard process to personnel planning and recruitment (personnel reduction and restructuring with more of a project character)
Analysis and evaluation of the current process and responsibilities for personnel planning and requisition
Recommendation of adjustments to the personnel planning and requisition process, including process steps, timelines, and responsibilities
Development of suitable templates for recruitment requests, proposed KPIs to objectify workload for each department/team, and a recommendation for adjusting business plan calculations

Clarification of international brand management

In-depth interviews with departments to refine the problem description and conduct a root cause analysis
Challenging the status quo and conceptualizing adjustments to processes, responsibilities, and role profiles in the HQ and subsidiaries
Storylining and preparation of a decision proposal

Implementation of a customer-oriented and efficient process for handling exhibitor inquiries including the distribution of a standard ESG documentation and handling remaining inquiries through a centrally competent unit
Adaptation of the personnel planning and recruitment process including the examination and approval of the yearly personnel planning (instead of individual reviews and approvals) to reduce effort and strengthen the budget responsibility of departments
Redesign of the mandate for international brand management including strategic responsibility in the HQ and operational implementation in foreign subsidiaries to avoid quality and reputational risks, improve resource utilization and eliminate unclear mandates