On the road again - New Zealand Roadshow 2019

Since hitting the road once more for our hugely popular annual roadshow series across New Zealand, we took some time to reflect on an experience we’ve been sharing with our New Zealand customers since 1999.

The very first Roadshow was run in Wellington by CEO Martin Neyland. Martin still runs some of the training sessions today, with the same twinkle in his eye – and many of our customers know him personally.

Long-time Accessit Trainer, Christine Cross says, “Martin relates really well to the group, he always has. It’s special for our customers who have been with us for such a long time to see him present every year.”

Sarah Hunt, from St Theresa’s School (Plimmerton) agrees. “Martin always covers an amazing variety of areas and always gets a few ooh, ahh moments from the attendees when he reveals a clever shortcut or new feature. I never tire of this annual Roadshow. It’s a worthy addition to my yearly calendar.”

“Now, of course, with the company growing and growing, it’s no longer a one-man band, but an entire operation,” Christine adds.

Same same, but different

Whilst the company has continued to grow globally, one thing has remained the same, and that is the personal nature of the Roadshow. Year after year, the Roadshow proves a hugely successful way for us to keep in touch with our customers, and for Accessit users to touch base with each other. In fact, 54% of our attendees claimed that networking was one of the most important aspects of the roadshow, along with new features, general tips and tricks, and question and answer time.

For Christine, the Roadshow is so much more than a training session, “It’s an absolute thrill for us to get out there and meet those we’ve trained or spoken with on the phone. It’s not just about the training for me – it’s about getting to see our customers in their own context. Seeing what wonderful school librarians they are. In the case of our host schools, we even get to see their fantastic displays, and the special relationships they have built with their students. Occasionally the hospitality students even cater for morning tea, and the food is out of this world,” says Christine.

Rachel Graham, from Hastings Christian School, says, “It was a great morning that was professionally set out but also informal in the way we could interact with the tutors and other librarians which meant it was a really worthwhile experience. It was really neat getting to meet people I’d talked on the phone with, they’re such a friendly crew.”

Learning from every angle

It wasn’t just the tutors who offered advice. Many of our long-time Accessit users were able to pitch in themselves, offering advice, and answering questions. Librarian at Ashburton College, Delia Achten, recalled, “It is also wonderful to share with other users who contributed their own knowledge to each session.”

Sarah Jordan, one of our Roadshow Trainers, agreed. “The highlight for me was hearing that buzz of conversation and listening to some of the incredibly creative ways in which our librarians are pushing forward to meet the future.”

Roadshow Trainer Janette Taumoli added, “I actually learned so much from the customers. It’s a two-way process. I really enjoy hearing the innovative ways they are using the functions we’ve designed. I’d pass these great tips on in the next roadshow – it was win-win!”

For new users, it was just as rewarding. Pip Honore from Wadestown School commented, “This was the first roadshow I have been to as a first year user of the programme. I went with my list of queries, never expecting an opportunity to find answers, and every query, plus a whole lot more were addressed.”

Nicci Smith from St James’ Catholic School agreed, “Listening to the ‘Superheroes of Accessit’ was awesome, they are great approachable facilitators with a wealth of knowledge. Easy step by step training. Well worth it!”

One of the most heart-warming things is hearing how much of a different Accessit Library makes in our customers’ lives and within their schools. The results of our 2019 survey show that 99% of the attendees say they would recommend the Roadshow to others.

We’re currently touring the United Kingdom and United States, and look forward to catching up with our Accessit customers across both continents.

Check out our blog on the Australia Roadshow 2019.