Recruitment firm finds exhibition personnel

Listgrove has successfully sourced a second marketing executive for the Reed Exhibitions team that is managing the UK's plastics, packaging and semi-conductor shows.

Leading Recruitment and Human Resources (HR) company Listgrove has successfully sourced a second marketing executive for the Reed Exhibitions team that is managing the UK's plastics, packaging and semi-conductor shows.

Colin Robinson, previously with plastics materials company PolyOne, now joins Ian Crawford, Exhibition Sales Director at Reed's Richmond, Surrey offices.

Mark Guest, Listgrove Business Manager says that 'it is particularly pleasing to build relationships with clients to the point where repeat business becomes a natural development.

Both candidates are very well equipped to now drive the business forward.' Guest notes that for sales and marketing people in particular, the plastics and packaging industries 'can sometimes be difficult arenas to break into.

Employers often want to see proof of a good deal of sector-specific know-how before being prepared to move forward to examine sales and marketing skills.' And so when the time came to select candidates for the Reed Exhibitions vacancies Listgrove Limited made sure to assemble a shortlist of candidates who were not only commercially adept but were also well-versed in the detail of the plastics sector.

Says Guest, 'In the case of Ian Crawford, it was clear that his years of experience in the sales and marketing of plastics injection moulding and ancillary equipment was going to give him a strong advantage for the job of Interplas Exhibition Director.

We helped demonstrate to the client that he was the right candidate for the role, and we were also delighted that Ian went on to produce the most successful Interplas in over a decade.' Recent appointment Colin Robinson joins the Interplas team with know-how gained from working with plastics materials suppliers.

Robinson is also experienced in polymer processing technology and has first-hand experience in selling polymers through exhibitions.

'Colin's materials-based skills and contacts should be the perfect complement to Ian's machinery-based expertise,' says Guest, 'and should give Reed Exhibitions much optimism in preparing for the next Interplas show.' Guest has over fifteen years experience in successful sales and marketing appointments at Listgrove Limited.

He advises today's successful candidates to cultivate stability, drive and enthusiasm in their outlook and in their career resumes: 'Two years is perhaps a minimum period of service in which to seek to make achievements at any company whatever the changing role,' he says.

Guest adds that 'potential employers in every sector want to meet people who are there for positive reasons: who have researched the market and who specifically want to work for their company.

'And, with the advent of modern interviewing techniques such as Competency Based Interviewing (CBI), Guest also believes that sales and marketing people have new ways in which to impress new employers.

'A level of formal qualification will always be required at interview,' he says, 'but the best-run selection processes open up opportunities in which candidates are encouraged to describe in detail their own strengths, character and leadership qualities.

This is particularly beneficial for sales and marketing appointments.' Ian Crawford of Reed Exhibitions testifies to the services provided by Listgrove - 'both for myself - and as a client.

In many ways,' he says, 'plastics and packaging industries are small and niche industries.

Not only does it matter who you know - but in term of sales and marketing it also matters very much what you know.' Crawford says that 'my background in injection moulding machinery sales allows me to reach into the heart of the plastics and packaging sectors.

Colin's background in materials will supplement this very well and together we are looking forward to making a success of our plastics and packaging events.'.

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