When I joined Global Cement in 2010, most people wore ties at conferences. When I say ‘people’ I mean ‘men,’ who made up around 95% of delegates. Some would say that they still do, but there has been a slow and steady increase in female delegates since then, perhaps to as much as 20-25% at some of our events.
In any case, I was always told that staff should always be ‘suited and booted’ when ‘on duty,’ with a tie absolutely essential. The first time I didn’t wear a tie at a ‘conference’ was at the Hillhead Quarrying and Recycling Show in the UK in 2012. For those who haven’t been, Hillhead is held in a limestone quarry in June. It is either a superheated dust-bowl or muddy quagmire, where sturdy boots and a pair of ‘emergency trousers’ are more important than what’s around your neck.
In 2025, however, ties are a rarity - a relic of the 20th Century, slipping from ubiquity to obscurity. At the recent Global CemFuels Conference in Milan, there were ~180 men, wearing fewer than 10 ties between them. Four of these were worn by our staff, still ‘suited and booted’ after all these years. I even described one delegate to another as ‘the man with the tie that isn’t an organiser.’
With the warning that what follows is entirely personal conjecture... the death of the tie seems to have begun in the US. Always more informal than companies in Europe, American firms were early to ditch them. This seemed to be particularly the case at large trade shows, where branded polo shirts came into vogue. Slowly but surely, the tie-free trend crossed the Atlantic, leading to an ‘open collar’ style for many Europeans. ‘Business casual,’ including jeans, well-kept trainers and a smart shirt - possibly embroidered with a company logo - is now a common look.
By the end of the 2010s, we’d entered a clear transitionary phase, but what really killed off business ties was the Covid-19 pandemic. This jettisoned ties along with other outdated practices like compulsory five-days-a-week, 9-to-5 office attendance and going to far-flung meetings in person.
There is no longer an implied correlation between dressing smartly and being ‘smart’ and a lack of tie does not mean ‘unprofessional.’ This does not mean that delegates are ‘scruffy.’ We’ve actually seen an increase in delegates injecting their personality into their clothing, with brightly-coloured lanyards, red suits, memorable facial hair and even elaborately decorated patent gentlemen’s shoes. The greater proportion of female delegates has also greatly disrupted the bland ‘business man uniform.’
More widely, this relaxation of business attire seems to have gone hand-in-hand with a relaxation in business dealings themselves. No longer trussed up round the neck, delegates seem to be able to deal in a more natural, less stilted way. Whether these trends have simply appeared at the same time or are related, is up for debate.
We have always tried to inject an air of friendliness and good humour into our events - and to those we attend. I’ll often use humour on the registration desk to show that we are helpful humans. ‘Here’s the latest issue of Global Cement Magazine. Please take a copy. I’ll be too tired to carry them all back to England!’ We find that this attitude generates an openness that facilitates greater collaboration and a better experience (and return on investment) for all parties. Relaxed delegates are more forgiving when technology provides challenges to organisers, or if - having met them several times previously - someone forgets their name. It’s as if the ‘after work’ mentality - previously reserved for the bar or golf course - has expanded to fill more time. Events may even have become more inclusive as a result. It is interesting that there has been a marked decrease in the attendance at and duration of after-hours hotel bar ‘sessions’ since the Covid-19 pandemic, at our events at least.
Away from the conference itself, social media allows delegates to identify each other before the event, forming something of a connection before they’ve even met. At the same time, marketing campaigns have made CEOs - with their smart-casual tie-free look - seem more approachable than in the past. There’s also been the rise of email signatures along the lines of ‘I sent this at a time convenient for me. Do not respond now if it is not convenient for you.’ In other words, ‘no rush... go to your kid’s piano recital / hospital appointment / half day off... enjoy your work/life balance.’ It seems that the ties are well and truly off... for delegates at least!
