Extremely Disappointing and…
Extremely Disappointing and Unprofessional Experience
Unfortunately, our experience at the MK Job Show was extremely negative.
We visited the event during our office break as ordinary visitors, as our office is only a few minutes away. We work in the education sector and simply wanted to understand whether there could be any opportunities for our organisation to take part in future events.
My colleague approached the organiser, Mike Bickerdike, with a genuine enquiry. Instead of listening to what we were trying to explain, we felt we were immediately treated with suspicion and accused of trying to promote our business without having a stand.
We repeatedly explained that we were not promoting, distributing materials, approaching attendees, or trying to conduct business at the event. We were simply asking about potential opportunities for the future.
What was most disappointing was the way the situation was handled. In our experience, the organiser was rude, confrontational and unwilling to listen. We were repeatedly told to leave and threatened with security, despite remaining calm and trying to explain ourselves politely.
We completely understand that exhibitors pay for stands and that unauthorised promotion should not be allowed. However, asking a genuine question about future participation is not the same as actively promoting a business.
The whole situation made us feel embarrassed, disrespected and humiliated. For an event that is supposed to bring professionals, employers and organisations together, we expected a much higher standard of communication and professionalism.
A simple polite conversation could have resolved everything within a minute.
Based on our experience, I would not recommend approaching this event for business or partnership enquiries unless there is a significant improvement in how visitors are treated.