PowerUp Dublin reminded us why NPA is so much more than a recruitment network.
This year was particularly special as we welcomed five first-time conference attendees from the EMEA region. Having new attendees at the conference is one of the best ways to help them build relationships, gain confidence in the network, and see firsthand how collaboration creates opportunities. We are especially grateful to our members who travelled from the US, Canada, and Australia to join us, most of whom are regular attendees of our regional conferences.
Vanessa Raath's AI workshop gave us practical insight into what is actually working in recruitment today. Rather than talking about AI in theory, she demonstrated which tools are best suited to different recruitment tasks and showed live comparisons of search results across multiple platforms. The biggest takeaway is that we are all on our own AI journey, but there are now tools available that can genuinely save time and improve productivity.
Darren Brown reminded us that some of the most valuable business lessons don't come from our successes, but from the mistakes, setbacks, and hard conversations we experience along the way.
Mark Whitby challenged us to rethink business development in his session on winning high-value clients. His message was simple: stop doing what everyone else is doing. Recruiters are competing in crowded inboxes and LinkedIn messages. A targeted approach to selling; instead of fishing with a net, use a spear. He gave us practical ideas that we could implement immediately.
One of the most valuable parts of the conference was learning from our peers. Tim Lane facilitated a discussion on using partnerships to enter new niches and geographies faster, while Ralf Spahn led a panel session showcasing how members have expanded existing client relationships into new revenue streams through collaboration across the network. We heard from Double Platinum members who openly shared the strategies that helped them win business outside their geography and specialism. Special thanks to our panellists: Pablo Alvarez, Jim Lyons, Laura Schmieder and Brian Small.
Julie Parson rounded up the meeting with her infectious energy, where we had an open floor discussion on fee comparison across different regions, what’s working for our businesses today, where are the opportunities in our regions and what business models are working best for us.
We also celebrated Ralf Spahn as the EMEA Regional Volunteer of the Year. Congratulations, Ralf, and thank you for everything you do for the region and the entire network.
Dublin certainly delivered on the fun. From our walking tour through the city, to live music in the pubs, Guinness, dancing, the dinner and entertainment at Celtic Nights, there was no shortage of creating memories.
