Hire and Rental News - August 2019

EVENTS IN FOCUS Opportunities to meet and learn proved worthwhile I t was great to see and meet so many Events members during HIRE19. I spent a lot of time at the HRIA stand at the Convention and it was so wonderful to chat with like-minded businesses and discuss challenges for the future and how I can help in my new role as President. Yes we have some challenges ahead and yes it will take a concerted and cohesive effort, but I know we are in this together and it is heartening to know so many of us in the Events industry are ready to effect change. At the end of the day, the reality is, we all face similar challenges and have similar needs and it was great to talk personally with other industry members and compare notes on the challenges we face. I would like to reiterate to all Events Division members how much I welcome contact from members, with any and all feedback and any questions members might have. We have a unique opportunity to address our challenges with our renewed committee and current forward progress, but if our committee doesn’t know what issues you may be facing, then we can’t take any action to improve the circumstances. HIRE19 also featured a great Events Workshop which was well attended and included valuable information. For those who didn’t get to attend, the workshop looked at the progress underway on applicable Modern Awards for the Events market; weighting guidelines and the importance of following the established requirements; as well as compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act when hosting events where people with disability may attend. You can read a summary of what was discussed in this issue, on p47. Members were again encouraged to contact HRNet for advice and information on a broad range of employment issues. So whether you need some input on minimum wage rates, or employment entitlements, or perhaps you’re unsure of your record keeping obligations, or need assistance with dispute resolution, employment dismissal issues, or even staffing issues when purchasing or selling a business and child employment, HRNet as an HRIA business partner offers input when you need it most. You can access the member benefit via the HRIA website. Site tour at Harry the hirer As an added bonus to HIRE19, Events members were invited to tour the Harry the hirer premises on the Friday immediately following HIRE19, and more than 20 members took up the opportunity to spend three + hours onsite with Harry the hirer staff, division managers and their operations team. It was a very interesting and insightful tour for those of us present, taking us through all elements of the operation and introducing us to some of their key staff. It was such an amazing insight into the scale and size of their business and I cannot thank Harry the hirer enough for their generosity and candour, specifically Brent and Brett for opening their doors to the members and their commitment to moving forward and sharing knowledge to lift our industry. If you missed out, stay tuned; we may feature some more site tours later in the year, but up next is the NSW Events Division Meeting to be held at HTS Hocker in August on the NSW Central Coast in conjunction with the annual Events Expo. Plus, we are still operating our regular events focus group for anyone interested in joining. Everyone is welcome and input is vital to ensuring we stay on top of current issues. The Events Division is also currently tackling the Modern Awards project with MST Lawyers and we anticipate we will have some news to share in the coming months once we have made a submission to Fair Work Australia. Erin Johnston Events Division President President’s message P46 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS AUGUST 2019