Month: August 2021

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Networking at events – skills refresher

The idea of throwing yourself into a room of people you don’t know is a daunting prospect for most people, especially as most of us have been out of face-to-face contact for the last 18 months. However, networking is one of the best things that you can do to learn about what’s happening in the industry and develop your career.

It’s easier to do to do business with people you know or by recommendation and industry events, forums, educationals and exhibitions are a good way to make connections. But it’s not just about face-to-face meetings, there are networking opportunities online and social media sites give everyone access to a global community.

Practice

It can be hard to start a conversation with a stranger, so start in the office, at the gym or when you’re out and about by talking to people you don’t know. Just begin with small talk and see where the conversation goes.

Prepare

Spend a little time thinking about what you want to achieve from the networking event and have a few questions ready to ask new people. Also think about what you want to tell them about yourself, as it’s a two-way process. What news can you give them or place business or share contacts that will help.

Relax

Try not to worry about what to say next or what the other person is thinking. Focus on the person you’re talking to. Smile and look as open and approachable as you can, if you look friendly then someone will come and have a conversation with you.

Focus

Give the person you are talking to your complete attention. It’s off-putting if you’re looking for someone new to talk to. Build a rapport by asking questions and listening carefully. When the conversation has finished then move around the room.

Pick your events

There are so many opportunities but going to everything is time-consuming and exhausting. It’s better to be strategic and plan which events are most likely to be worthwhile.

Find a friend

If you’re going to an event alone, try and make at least one connection as this will make everything much easier. A lot of people in the room will be feeling the same way as you and don’t know anyone else either, so look for other people on their own and see how you can make them feel more comfortable.

Or, if you can, take a colleague this will make you comfortable until you gain confidence and find some new contacts of your own.

Keep in touch

Maintaining a relationship with a new contact is crucial to networking. Follow up with an email, connect on LinkedIn or another social media platform. Share ongoing news from time to time and find out what other events they are going to attend and catch up with them again there

We’ve all walked in to a room where everyone seems to know each other and are in groups, but remember that those confident people were in your shoes once. Even the ones who have been attending networking events for years still may not really enjoy it, but can hide it through years of practice and experience.

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How sustainable is your event destination?

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, is due to take place in Glasgow from 31 October – 12 November 2021 and with the recent extremes of weather around the world, sustainability is very much on everyone’s minds. Gradually, sustainability is becoming mainstream in the events industry, but now it has to be more than supplying reusable bags and getting rid of plastic straws.

There are huge problems to solve and these can impact the event’s budget. To be successful all the stakeholders need to address the larger issues of food waste, transport, energy, use of plastic and water consumption.

IMEX has published the Global Destination Sustainability Index which aims to promote the sustainable growth of international meeting destinations, highlighting best practices and responsible business tourism. It assesses the sustainability performance of cities and conference bureaux in four categories:

  • City environmental strategy and infrastructure
  • City social sustainability performance
  • Industry supplier support (restaurants, hotels and convention centres)
  • Convention Bureau strategy and initiatives

At the moment, 25 Scandinavian cities take part and these have been joined by destinations in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia as well as Australia. It is hoped that more destinations will participate in future. Not only will this make the tourism industry more sustainable, but improve the local region’s economy and adopt, responsible practices.

The results of the 2020 survey are as follows:

1Gothenburg, Sweden89.60%
2Copenhagen, Denmark88.00%
3Zurich, Switzerland84.60%
4Glasgow, Scotland78.50%
5Aalborg, Denmark76.20%
6Reykjavik, Iceland75.80%
7Malmö, Sweden75.60%
8Sydney, Australia74.90%
9Uppsala, Sweden74.30%
10Melbourne, Australia74.20%
11Dublin, Ireland70.90%
12Stockholm, Sweden68.50%
13Aarhus, Denmark68.00%
13Brussels, Belgium68.00%
14Lausanne-Montreux, Switzerland67.50%
15Galway, Ireland65.40%
16Barcelona, Spain64.80%
17Helsinki, Finland64.70%
18Ljubljana, Slovenia63.70%
19Oslo, Norway63.00%
20Kerry, Ireland62.70%

For more information about the sustainability of your destination, the Convention Bureau will be able to provide information.

For help or advice to book your event in a sustainable destination and venue call 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com, we’d be delighted to help.

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Destination cost comparison – which are the most expensive cities?

The cost-of-living report from ECA International has, again, put Hong Kong in first place of the most expensive cities in the world for a business trip. Since we last looked at this, five of the top ten most expensive cities are now in Asia. Geneva still tops the list of most expensive European destinations, followed by London and Zurich. The difference in costs will have a huge impact on your event budget and also attendee spend whilst there.

The twenty most costly location for business travellers, as well as to live and work are as follows:

Location 2021 ranking 2020 ranking
Hong Kong 1 1
Tokyo, Japan 2 3
Geneva, Switzerland 3 4
New York, USA 4 2
London, UK 5 6
Zurich, Switzerland 6 7
Tel Aviv, Israel 7 5
Seoul, South Korea 8 9
Shanghai, China 9 10
Guangzhou, China 10 13
Yokohama, Japan 11 11
Shenzhen, China 12 15
Singapore 13 12
Copenhagen, Denmark 14 19
San Francisco, USA 15 8
Beijing, China 16 18
Bern, Switzerland 17 17
Jerusalem, Israel 18 14
Oslo, Norway 19 33
Brazzaville, Congo 20 28

The research found that destinations which had high levels of tourism and international travellers before Covid-19 have fallen in the rankings, due to travel restrictions.

Currency fluctuations have also had a part to play, with weaker currencies causing those destinations to fall in the rankings. European locations have mostly gone up, due to the strength of the Pound and the Euro, but US locations dropped. Chinese cities remain some of the most pricey in the world.

ECA International’s cost of living rankings combine their Cost of Living research and Accommodation research in 208 cities in 121 countries and regions. Many criteria are compared, including daily essentials, food, leisure services, restaurant meals, alcohol, public transport as well as general living costs.

What about UK Destinations?

Looking at the UK, London has the highest cost-of-living and is, therefore, the most expensive city for business travellers. The cost for transport, food, drink and accommodation is higher in London than other UK cities. This table shows how much lower the costs are outside London:

Ranking City Cost % lower than London
  1. London  
  2. Edinburgh 14%
  3. Manchester 15%
  4. Bristol 16%
  5. Birmingham 20%
  6. Glasgow 19%
  7. Belfast 24%
  8. Newcastle 25%
  9. Liverpool 25%
  10. Cardiff 26%

If you would like us to find a venue for your next conference, meeting or event in the UK or abroad, please call 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com.

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Update on the North American events industry

We’ve recently taken a look at new hotel openings in the UK and Europe, so now we’re focussing on what’s happening in North America.

New York is expanding rapidly

There are almost 70 hotels being planned and built in the city at the moment, with around 35 due to open this year and 10 in 2022. Most of these are 4* and 5* properties.

Six hotels will belong to the Marriott International group. Three will be branded Marriott Hotels & Resorts and three will be part of Aloft Hotels. IHG is opening three Indigo brand hotels.

The Virgin Hotel New York is due to open in Autumn 2021 and is located in the NoMad neighbourhood on Broadway. There will be 463 bedrooms, meeting rooms, outside terraces, bars and restaurants, two floors of luxury retailers, and the mini-golf operator Swingers will open its first US operation in the basement.

The Ritz-Carlton Manhattan Nomad is also due to open at the end of this year. It will have about 250 bedrooms, meeting space, gym, restaurants and rooftop bar.

The Rockaway Hotel opened in 2020 and is located on Rockaway Beach with views of New York. It has 53 bedrooms, two meeting rooms, plus a sundeck, terrace and rooftop area which can be used for events.

New Orleans

Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans has an opening date of mid-2021, but hasn’t opened yet. It’s a 34-storey tower, built in 1968 and was originally the World Trade Center and International Trade Mart and is located on the river. There will be 342 bedrooms and suites, spa, observation deck and outdoor pool on the fifth floor. The larger ballroom has capacity for 324 people and there are 9 additional meeting rooms of various sizes.

Los Angeles

The Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles is due to open in September 2021 and will have 400 bedrooms and suites, rooftop pool with a bar on the 17th floor and a spa. There are 14 event spaces, including two ballrooms. The original hotel was opened in 1961 and was the first hotel to have colour televisions in all of its rooms!

Canada

Destination Canada has announced that from 7th September, the country will open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from any country who meet specific entry requirements, heralding a return for the conference, meetings and events industry.

The 1 Hotel Toronto is due to open on 4th August 2021. It was previously the Thompson Hotel and will have 112 bedrooms, rooftop swimming pool and four restaurants. There are two meeting rooms with capacity for 200 and 90 people seated and in addition there’s a private dining room, rooftop space, garden pavilion, lounge and 3rd floor terrace that can be used for events. The hotel is described as eco-friendly; the restaurants using ingredients from a 50km radius of Toronto and buying carbon offsets to reduce the carbon footprint.

The Humaniti Hotel Montréal is the first Marriott Autograph Collection property in Quebec. It opened in June 2021 and has three meeting rooms, which are flexible space, and 193 bedrooms. There’s a spa as well as residential, office and retail development in the same building.

For creative venue ideas for your events throughout the world, call 01780 484050 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com.