Last month saw the highly successful 2023 Tomorrow Meets Today (TMT) event and its largest to date, which welcomed nearly 50 people to the ASOS facility in the Camden area of London.
The venue proved to be the ideal setting for the top quality mentoring and networking aspects and further emphasising the unique benefits of the initiative.
TMT founders wellbeing and mentoring consultant Sajna Rahman and Pareto FM vice chair Andrew Hulbert were present and centrally involved to ensure the proceedings exceeded the expectations of all attendees. Ms Rahman engaged in sessions with young people throughout and Mr Hulbert oversaw the timing and organisation of all stages.
The evening opened with a speed mentoring session that provided young leaders with the opportunity to introduce themselves and engage with senior industry professionals for five-minute periods, before moving onto their next contact. This meant that each person interacted with the same number of experts throughout the main phase of the evening.
The concluding networking session also allowed everyone to continue their early conversations and to meet more people. There was a palpable atmosphere of high energy enthusiasm throughout the evening’s activities and this was further endorsed by attendees after the event.
Speaking to FM Director prior to the event (see the front cover interview of this issue with Ms Rahman and Mr Hulbert), both founders stated their belief that the TMT initiative continues to display the potential to increase its impact on the FM industry. The reaction of attendees on the night and during the days that followed have confirmed this and more information on future events will be shared as soon as they emerge in the New Year.
Possibly one of the most notable developments within the event was the fact that high levels of appreciation were expressed from all attendees, including those from both young people and their senior industry leader mentors. Further to this, Ms Rahman and Mr Hulbert have reported that the benefits are frequently seen to include both groups, with young people enjoying the unique experience of receiving advice from long-established leaders, who then report the value they derive from their younger contacts.
This has led to more discussion about the reverse mentoring aspect of the TMT initiative and explains both why it continues to attract more leaders to volunteers and why its founders believe there is considerable scope for more expansion in the year ahead.
Having received an encouraging number of applications from those wishing to take part, which allowed the founders to select the most promising to attend, there are numerous options to consider for the type and formation of future events. These have combined with the encouraging reaction of the industry experts taking part, many of whom have stated their willingness to continue their support.
Ms Rahman and Mr Hulbert have additionally stated that despite their extensive efforts, they have been unable to find any similar events taking place within the UK business sector, providing further confirmation of the uniqueness of the TMT concept. Although the first events took place well before the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the various developments that have followed in the years since, including the recruitment difficulties of the last two years, it has proved to be highly effective in assisting individuals and organisations to deal with these.
The TMT finger is firmly placed one the pulse of the FM industry and this is another positive factor that will see it continue to thrive and develop, which in turn will see more value enjoyed by all those involved in the years ahead.
Those wishing to receive more information about future events are invited to click on TMT – ESGx | Pareto FM and leave their details.
TMT attendee feedback
All those attending the TMT event expressed their appreciation and enjoyment for the evening and the efforts of everyone in making it a memorable occasion.
FM Director invited comment on the event and their reaction to the in-depth interactions enjoyed with fellow attendees.
Sajna Rahman comments: “Last night blew me away! The energy in the room was electric, and the speed networking format was spot on. You could see people getting real value. Excited to hear the incredible stories that unfold from this diverse gathering of leaders and future leaders. Phenomenal evening that exceeded expectations and the best TMT event we have delivered to date. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended, the venue and hospitality by host ASOS.com was exceptional. Thank you to Pareto FM for continuous support. I can’t wait for the next one,” she says.
Her enthusiastic response is echoed by Pareto FM chair and co-founder of TMT Andrew Hulbert, who says: “What an evening! I was absolutely blown away by the buzz, the people and the energy in the room. For me, this was the best TMT we’ve ever delivered. Such an incredibly diverse set of people but all with the common aim of supporting each other. The venue and hosts, ASOS.com, were absolutely exceptional and it just added to the brilliant event. We are so grateful to everyone who attended and we look forward to hearing the amazing stories following the event. Just brilliant!”
Jaguar Building Services site manager Jason Ajayi says: “Tomorrow Meets Today was a great networking event where I had the privilege to connect with inspiring leaders and FM professionals to get advice, learn from their experiences and grow my network.”
On Verve director Bianca Angelico says: “Tomorrow Meets Today was an incredible night of speed networking, where I had the opportunity to meet a future leader every five minutes. The key for me was identifying the challenges these future leaders faced and exploring how I could offer support or connect them with someone in my network.
“It was inspiring to interact with such incredible and promising individuals who are set to shape the industry’s future. Furthermore, I caught up with established industry leaders and made valuable new contacts. It’s amazing to reflect on my own journey – just eight years ago, I was a future leader benefiting from such events, and now, I’m paying it forward. This event had a massive impact on my career, and I’m thrilled to contribute to the success of others.”
Pareto FM marketing director Rachel McEntee says: “Set in the inspirational head offices at ASOS, the TMT event was something else. The whole event broke the mould of traditional networking and threw the conventional networking model out of the window.
“This event fostered genuine connections and meaningful conversations in both directions between mentors and mentees that will continue well beyond the event. To see so many future leaders sitting opposite today’s industry leaders in a speed dating style was incredible. It was an evening where the boundaries between tomorrow and today blurred, paving the way, not just for collaboration but networking,” she says.
Further proof of the success of the event was provided by the numerous complementary posts on LinkedIn in the days that followed, including the comment below from OCS portfolio event coordinator Charleigh Churchill: “What a brilliant opportunity to meet an inspirational group of leaders within the FM industry, learn about their journey, confidently talk about yourself and your achievements, and speak about ways in which you can help each other with future opportunities!”
