What did we learn from the opening session of the Demolition Summit…?
Whilst others are off making themselves look pretty for tonight’s Demolition Awards here in Amsterdam, I have taken time out to think over the past day of communication and interaction with demolition professionals from across the globe.
During the past seven hours or so, I have met a number of people for the first time, many of them from far-flung corners of the globe. Now as an Englishman who speaks no foreign languages and who has only a rudimentary grasp of his native tongue, such interactions would normally prove difficult. But, thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular, these people were friends long before I met them face-to-face. Furthermore, it transpires that we all share one common language; the language of demolition. And while certain words of phrases get lost in translation, it doesn’t take long to decipher what everyone is talking about.
I was critical of last year’s Demolition Awards which, I suggested, were not internationally representative. This year’s awards are still a few hours away so we don’t yet know just how global these global awards will be this year.
But, one thing’s for sure, the Demolition Summit preceding them has been by far the most internationally-inclusive demolition event I have ever attended.
Credit where credit’s due – Organisers KHL and D&Ri have done a fine job of bringing the industry together. What the industry does now with that togetherness is entirely down to the delegates here.
