PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

I saw something about Creme on DeskDemon and am  thinking of going on Thursday and wondered if it was worth it?  Have you been before and what did you think?

I've been a couple of times and I didn't find any particularly new companies, that I didn't already know about - so I didn't get any new contacts.  It seemed to have loads of venues / hotels - none of which were new to me as I see them at some of the other exhibitions I visit.  I prefer to go to more focused exhibitions like the travel and event ones and get much more out of them.  Guess it depends on what you are looking for.

I attended one of the Creme events a few years ago, and found it very useful.  Some of the exhibits were good for me to see, particularly new technology.  The fashion show was great fun, but I particularly enjoyed the seminars that I attended.  One was about time management and the other about image and presentation.  Both were hosted by what used to be called The Industrial Society.

Even if you only get one thing out of Creme, that one thing may be really useful to your career and working practices.  It's always worth networking and making contacts at such events, too.  I always take a supply of business cards to hand out to potentially useful contacts and squirrel away their cards in exchange.  

Raindance

The Industrial Society, that was a long time ago!  I've been a few times too and signed up for a various seminars which, on the whole were  good, but I did notice they had the same type of seminars year in and year out.  I'm inclined to agree that it's mainly venues and hotels. You do get to pick up lots of freebies but also you have to put in your business card or the cheque book stubs to get entered in for prizes and I found that i was getting emails from these companies for ever after, which was annoying.  

Hello !

My name is Céline and I'm french. I'm looking for a job of bilingual secretary in London. Is the Creme exibitions like a secretarial show ? You know where you can find recruitment agency and everything to do with the secretarial. Thanks for your answer.
Céline

There usually are some recruitment agencies, Celine.  So take a few up-to-date copies of your resume with you if you attend.

Best wishes,

Raindance

Thank you for the information. There is just a problem. I'm in France and I can't attend at this show. I can only apply from there and If I got an interview I'll go to London. But that's not easy from here and sometimes my moral is not very high. Anyway thanks for your help

Celine

www.reed.co.uk
www.uk.randstad.com
www.cronecorkill.co.uk
www.susanhamilton.co.uk
www.huntress.co.uk

These are the major recruitment bods at this year's Creme.  I would suggest that as you can not get there in person you check them out on the web.  They will be able to give you any / all the advice re bilingual work.

This year was (as usual) poor on the freebies but good in the arrangement of stands, variety of accommodation / transport / office suppliers exhibitors.  I would rate it better than last year as it had more co-hesion and was better planned.  Did not think much of the fashion show (nothing new to see) and not even any strippers!!!

Jess

You know, the fashion show at Creme was always good, but is it the right thing to have at such a show?  As for strippers, well words fail me!  Definitely NOT the place.

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

Thanks for the different address. I'm going to have look and see if I can send them a resume. Are you a secretary yourself ?
Thanks again

Céline

Celine

I am currently in the unenviable position of being made redundant from my Legal Secretary job within a quantity surveying firm.  Long story and not a happy one but c'est la vie!.

I do know exactly what you are going through as I, at one time, almost uprooted to move/work/live in Brussels from London and so know that any and all help available should be afforded to you.

Bear in mind that some agencies are international and so may have offices in both Paris AND London.  It would be worth checking them out so they can register you there and pass the information here to London so that some interviews can be set up for you here.

Just a thought.

Bon Chance, and do let us know how you get on.

Jess

Jackie

Don't you remember how much excitement there was a few years back when they did have a stripper in the fashion show?  It was very well received (and I suspect the only reason some people went back the following year!)

Jess

I went to Creme on Tuesday because it gave me a chance to get out of the office for the day!   My grump is that none of the big airlines were there - BA, Virgin etc., come to think of it, none of the train companies were there either, so not much in the way of travel which I would have found useful.  I did get a couple of contacts for incentives and chatted with BT about the webinar - which I thought was good.   But apart from that I didn't come away feeling I had really picked up new information or contacts that I couldn't have got for myself from a couple of phone calls or on the web.  

Jess

I've not been at Creme for a while, but it IS supposed to be a secretarial show, I'm not convinced a fashion show is right.  And if a stripper is the only reason somebody is there, they shouldn't be!

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

Thanks jess for your help, your nice words and your thought (for the recruit agency). I will let you how I get on.


Céline

I agree with Susie46. I've been to Creme almost every year out of general interest. I think it's important to have a trade show just for us and I make a point of letting my boss know why I'm out of the office for the day. Last year I worked for a new company and went to Creme with a specific shopping list. I wanted information on recruitment firms, blackberries (and mobile phones in general), corporate hospitality and charter jets. Although I did make some good contacts, I came away feeling that I probably could have found more information if I had stayed at work and looked it up on the Internet. This year I thought the layout of the hall was better, although it got very hot and I just had to leave after an hour or so. It was very quiet when I was there (Thursday around 1pm), which I didn't particularly mind as this gave me an opportunity to have an unrushed conversation with some of the exhibitors. But it's still very difficult to work out the difference between recruitment firms etc from a show like Creme. Space between the stands seemed much narrower too, but perhaps that was just me. All in all I didn't really think it was inspiring. I do feel that when I'm back in the office I have to justify leaving my desk for a day. In other years I had useful information, flyers, websites etc to pass on to my boss and other departments, but this year I didn't really have anything (apart from freebies, that is!). It's a shame really, since I do feel it could be so much better. Fewer but more senior visitors and a better quality exhibitors could still make it really worthwhile, I think.