TMPR getting ahead of the curve at FIREX

Written by: Mimi Deen

Attending industry events is crucial for keeping up with the latest regulation changes, product launches, and market trends. TMPR believes in ongoing professional development as this provides an excellent opportunity for on-the-job training and continuous learning to stay ahead of the curve. Earlier this year, we were fully engaged in EdTech at Bett which was held at the ExCel London Exhibition Centre.

TMPR returned to ExCel again last month, this time to learn more about the latest developments in fire safety and protection at FIREX. The three-day event was a great development opportunity as it brings together fire safety professionals and showcases the latest product, services, and technologies in the industry. Representing TMPR at the show were Tom Martin and Oliver Thorne. Having attended a fire safety event previously, this was their first time at FIREX. Despite having to navigate some tricky train delays on their way back, they both gained valuable insights and ideas to share with the wider team. 

“My first experience of FIREX was a very positive one. It was a brilliant opportunity to check in with the fire protection industry, and see a wide range of passive fire protection solutions up close, including product demonstrations and installs,” explained Tom.

Oliver also had the opportunity to visit various exhibitor stands and to learn about the latest products and services at FIREX. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“It was great to see the enthusiasm all around for fire safety from early on at FIREX. We attended a few live demonstrations on how to install fire-stopping solutions into various apertures, which was great viewing for beginners and experts alike.”

Tom was particularly excited to be there in-person, having supported a client with stand design and event planning for the show. Here are some of his highlights:

“We also attended some thought provoking seminars which will undoubtedly support our future projects. A particular highlight for me was checking in with our client, having been heavily involved with the preparation of their event planning and design. Seeing the stand come to life was very satisfying, and clearly resonated with its many visitors.”

What industry events are you looking forward to attending or hosting this year? If there’s a construction, manufacturing, or engineering related one you think we should know about, drop us a line at hello@technicalmarketing-pr.com.

Juggling a Masters and Marketing Internship: Introducing Rubie Barker

In case you may have missed our first instalment of this series, be sure to head back to catch up here. But to kick off the introductions to our internship programmes, this blog will shine a light on our new recruit Rubie Barker, who has joined us as one of our Marketing interns on a three-month placement with TMPR.

Having graduated from Cardiff University last summer with a BA Joint Honours degree in English Literature and History, she’s continued her studies in Cardiff by embarking on a Masters degree in English Literature!

As she takes her first few steps with TMPR, we asked her what she was most looking forward to and here is what she had to say…

Developing my writing

While I have spent the last three years of my degree consistently writing, creating copy in the technical marketing world is a whole new challenge that I can’t wait to tackle.

I’m looking forward to learning more about the marketing needs of the engineering, construction, manufacturing and edtech industries. Everyone here has such valuable experience that I can’t wait to learn from and develop a new style of writing!

Assisting with social media campaigns and posts

The team here does such a broad range of work, but I’m keen to learn more about the use of social media and LinkedIn particularly. From making sure that the right prospective clients are reached, to best displaying the products companies have on offer, I want to learn how to use these platforms to their full potential. Learning about its effectiveness and how best to use the platforms will be such a valuable experience for me.

Working with the whole team

From my first chat with Louise, I knew that the whole team would be lovely, and they have been so welcoming! Settling into a new work environment can be daunting at times but it really hasn’t been. I can’t wait to spend more time working alongside them, getting to know them and learning from their experiences.

On cloud 9 with another PRide award nomination

A lot has changed since TMPR first entered the CIPR Cymru Wales Pride Awards back in 2018…  and so we’re excited to announce that we’ve been recognised in this year’s shortlist!

Being shortlisted in the “Small PR consultancy of the Year” category (for the fourth time, no less) is a huge accolade for everyone in the TMPR team. The awards celebrate and reward the hard work of Wales’ leading PR agencies, departments and individuals, so to be recognised on a national scale is testament to the team’s dedication.

Over the past 12 months, TMPR has realised some tremendous achievements … from growing the in-house team, to delivering high-profile client projects (not to mention our second year in double digits as we mark 11 years in business), it’s been an epic year!

We’ve grown in capacity through staying true to our values, investing time and energy into developing new talent:

“The team continues to develop while maintaining exceptional standards and building strong partnerships – the CIPR awards are a homage to that. We cannot wait to celebrate alongside our fellow PR shortlists (virtually) this October, good luck everyone,” said Louise Morgan, TMPR founder and director.

Alongside the in-house team, TMPR owes our continued success to a trusted and talented extended network. Part of the TMPR family since 2020, Jo Hart shares what it’s like to work with us: “While a freelancer for TMPR, I’m part of the family – whether an agency catch up or team rewards and celebrations. TMPR is a great place to work and a great agency to work for.”

The awards ceremony will take place on 11th October 2022, and while it is being held virtually again this year, TMPR is currently hatching plans for an in person event so the team can get glammed up… watch this space.

Best of luck to everyone shortlisted!

In the hot seat with… Tom Martin

Talking topic: three years at TMPR

Three years ago, Tom started with us as a fresh-faced graduate (well sort of fresh-faced, he’d started to cut his teeth on marketing and sales with another company before joining us). After being given the opportunity to try his hand at all aspects of marketing and PR, Tom’s career progression accelerated, with him rapidly earning his stripes as a fully-fledged Marketing and PR consultant.

In the first of our new ‘in the hot seat’ series, we ask Tom to share his pearls of wisdom on what it takes to carve out a successful and promising career at TMPR…

Thanks for your time today, Tom, and congratulations on your three-year milestone! I guess a good place to start will be to cast your mind back to the day you started…what advice would you give yourself if you were starting over?

Thank you! I really appreciate it…I would say much the same advice as I’d go by now – get stuck in, be willing to try new things, be open to new ideas, and most importantly enjoy yourself!

That’s very productive advice, thanks Tom. So, we know your career has developed firmly at TMPR, but how did you discover what aspect of marketing and PR was right for you?

Having been given the freedom to dip my feet into very varied areas across the agency, I naturally took more of a shine to campaign management. From organising product launches to raising brand awareness, I’ve grown in skills and confidence, and now independently take campaigns from an initial brief all the way through to execution and evaluation.

It’s progressed quite quickly for you – what a fantastic success! We know there have been many achievements during your time at TMPR, but which would you say has been your greatest?

I’d say my greatest achievements are tied to the client projects I’ve led on. I’ve carved my niche within campaign planning and management, and some of the ideas we’ve brought to life have been incredible. In the brief moments that I take a step back to consider what those projects have delivered; it gives me a sense of real pride.  

You should be proud! Now on the flip side of things…what would you say has been your biggest learning curve?

There have been a lot of lessons along the way, but I think the biggest learning curve has been appreciating the importance of mindset. Having the right skills is essential, but it’s your mindset which really drives things forward and leads to those huge breakthroughs.

And finally, what’s your favourite thing about working for TMPR?

I think we have both a fantastic team and a wonderful group of clients to work with. Being surrounded by ambitious and inspiring people and having the opportunity to work with genuine experts across a number of fields is a privilege, and not one taken lightly. Plus, the odd team social doesn’t go amiss!

Thank you Tom, from everyone here at TMPR, for all that you do. It’s been wonderful to chat to you today and hear your experiences. You’re a truly valued colleague and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you. But for now – roll on the next team social!

TMPR hits the road for The Fire Safety Event 2022

As we begin to get back into the flow of live industry events, the TMPR team recently visited the NEC in April for the first in-person Fire Safety Event since 2019.

Marketing Assistant Oliver Thorne headed to Birmingham alongside Tom Martin, and shares his experiences of the show with us here:

Keeping on top of the industry’s latest

With the stands filling quickly and the atmosphere growing from early on, it was great to see an enthusiastic response from everyone involved after the three year hiatus from live events.

With over 100 exhibitors and even more visitors, there was plenty to explore and lots of connections to be made at the event. Seeing some of the latest products and practices in person was eye-opening and refreshing to see the current level of innovation in the industry.

Sharpening our knowledge

Various presentations from industry leaders ran throughout the first day that were not only engaging but also imperative for those in the fire safety industry. We attended a couple of these sessions which included talks on the process of CCPI verification and recent developments in the prevention of fires in the healthcare industry.

Catching up with familiar faces

Fire safety is a huge consideration for some of our clients in the construction industry, some of which were even present at the event. It was lovely to say hi to some familiar faces – and some new ones too! It was great to see some of our clients in person for the first time, as well as catching up with other wider contacts that help us do what we do on a regular basis.

Alongside this, it was rewarding to see some of the great work put on display by our clients. We love to support our clients on projects like these and it’s even better when we get to see the finished products looking so good in the field – it’s fair to say our visit was definitely worth the commute across the border.

Our time at the event has us eagerly looking forward to the next one!

Until next time…

TMPR at Bett

Last month, the TMPR team took a trip to London to attend the Bett (British Educational Training and Technology) Show. For one of our clients Promethean, it is an event that is 365 days in planning, every year. This was my first time at Bett, so I was keen to explore the new and existing products on the education market as well as see the year-long plan come together for Promethean.

In the ExCel in London, the Bett Show showcases everything that is new and exciting in the world of EdTech, so this year I went to see what Promethean had to offer and to explore the new innovations coming to market!

From robots, to entirely interactive lessons – the technology wasn’t like this when I was in school! It was interesting to see how technology is being embraced in the classroom and used to better enhance the learning materials available to students.

On stand, Promethean were looking to teachers and students to share their #ClassroomStories in their video booth. In a hunt for inspiring, funny or motivational memories, a Promethean ActivPanel was up for grabs for the winning story!

Also, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Sergey Karjakin, the youngest ever chess Grandmaster, who has been working with Promethean to promote chess in the classroom. Recently made compulsory in Moscow, Sergey was talking about the benefits of chess and how it can help children improve their logic.

Exclusively, for VIPs, Promethean also had preview demonstrations available in the Platinum Suite of the next version of ActivPanel that is currently in development – so watch this space!