March 2022 - EDGE Venues

28th March 202228th March 2022

Monday Insights – March 28th

This Monday’s Insights feature brings you the industry headlines you may have missed from the previous week.

Headlines

The US B2B exhibition industry continues improvement in Q4 2021 results. According to Exhibition World, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has reported that the US business-to-business (B2B) exhibitions industry improved significantly in the fourth quarter of 2021 from the previous seven quarters.

Cancellation rates for physical in-person events dropped to 12.5% from 91.3% in the first quarter, 66.2% in the second quarter and 20.6% in the third quarter of 2021. About 98% of exhibitions were cancelled during the second half of 2020.

Read the full feature here.

The Netherlands has ended the requirement for European travellers to take pre-departure tests from Wednesday (23 March).

The country, which has enforced some of the strictest rules in Europe during the pandemic, will no longer require international passengers from across the EU and the UK to provide a negative Covid-19 test on arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.

Travellers will also not have to provide proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus. But they will still have to fill in a health declaration form.
A Dutch government statement read: “Everyone travelling to the Netherlands is advised to do a self-test immediately after arrival and again on day five.”

Business travel is pushing London City airport towards its busiest month since the start of the pandemic. According to BTN Europe, the east London airport said passenger numbers in March had increased by 40 per cent since February, with the share of business traffic rising to 46 per cent – the same level as during 2019 – thanks to “strong” growth for corporate-orientated routes to Edinburgh, Zurich, Amsterdam and Dublin.

London City is being further boosted by the start of new BA CityFlyer routes this month to Milan Malpensa and Luxembourg, plus the restart of services to Rotterdam and Nice.

Read the full feature here on BTN.

Beam urged UK tax authority to show greater flexibility ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement on Wednesday (23 March).

Business events and meetings trade body Beam called for UK chancellor Rishi Sunak to ensure there is “greater flexibility and understanding” about the ability for companies in the sector to make tax payments while cash flow remains low.

Simon Richards, Beam’s treasurer said: “Beam is calling for greater flexibility and understanding from HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) about payments. The government needs to recognise that, although they have bookings for events in the near future, many businesses in the sector still have significant cost liabilities but very little income – and they won’t be paid until those events have taken place.

“On top of this, they are now repaying bounce back loans and about to pay higher national insurance and VAT. The rising costs of fuel and food are also challenging. We need recognition that the cash flow of our industry is unique and, without this recognition from HMRC, recruitment and recovery will not start for many months to come.”

Doubletake

The Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau has launched a Conference Ambassador Network to drive more global events into the region.

The initiative, supported by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme (BATP), will see regional professionals from academia and business champion the West Midlands and their own work to win new conferences and events.

Ambassadors will receive support from the Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau and partners throughout the bidding process, from finding a suitable venue and preparing proposals, to the smooth running of the event itself.

Steve Knight, Senior Business Tourism Manager, WMGC, which operates the Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau, said: “Our Conference Ambassador Network will be a platform for the West Midlands’ greatest minds and industry leaders to come together to attract major new national and international conferences to the area.

“The West Midlands shows time and again what it can achieve when it collaborates, from hosting high-profile events such as the Conservative Party Conference to successfully bidding for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“By unlocking further contacts within our academic and business communities through this new network, we are showing that we are open for business after a challenging couple of years, and aiming to leave a Games legacy as a major global events destination.”

Spring Statement – what impact does it have on our industry?

Jacqui Kavanagh

This week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed his Spring Statement – an update on the current state, and future expectations of the nation’s finances and it confirmed that we should brace ourselves for things getting more expensive at a faster rate later in the year.

Within the Spring Statement he announced some new policies that will affect our personal budgets in the coming months and years. But what impact will there really be and how will it affect our industry as a whole?

Rising fuel costs

Let’s start with fuel costs. We’ve all seen fuel prices soar these last few months, even before the horrific ongoings in Ukraine. As a result, the average price of petrol has risen by more than 40p per litre since last year’s Spring Statement.

But don’t worry, the chancellor announced a 5p a litre reduction in fuel duty for the next year, which apparently takes some of the sting out of rising prices. If you ask me, that’s a drop in the ocean as it would only knock approximately £3.30 off the cost of filling a typical 55-litre family car.

However, when you compare it with the ongoing rise in rail fares, you have to think about what the most cost-effective, and sustainable way to travel moving forwards is.

Taxes and NI

In September, the government announced that employees will pay 1.25p more in the pound from their pay packet in National Insurance contributions. In a significant move, he has now said that the earnings threshold at which people start to pay National Insurance will rise.

As it stands, most workers start paying National Insurance contributions when their income hits £9,568. They pay 12% of earnings between £9,568 and £50,270, then 2% on any earnings above £50,270.

From July, the chancellor has said that National Insurance will be paid on income over £12,570 a year – the same level as income tax starts being paid.

But what does this really mean?

Simply, anyone earning less than £35,000 a year will pay less for National Insurance. That is about 70% of all workers. Those who earn more will see a tax rise, albeit smaller than they would have expected.

This could be of benefit the majority of workers in our industry. For example, an employee who earns around £20,000 a year, will see an annual National Insurance cut of £180 in 2022-23, instead of an £89 rise expected before the announcement.

In addition to this, the Employment Allowance, which gives relief to smaller businesses’ National Insurance payments, will increase from £4,000 to £5,000 from April.

Unemployment rate dropped

The unemployment rate is now predicted to be lower over the next few years than in the OBR’s previous forecast in October. But I ask this? Where are all the workers? Our industry is crying out for people. My LinkedIn feed is full of people recruiting. Our industry is coming back, and it’s coming back stronger, and we need workers to fill the demand.

With all the refugees coming over from Ukraine, now is the time to fast track visas and make these people employable. The jobs are out there, we just need the people to fill them.

Looking to the future

In reflection, we look at what has been announced, and many are questioning if this is enough. Is the government holding back for an election year to then swoop in with amazing cuts? Possibly so, but that doesn’t help us now as there is a continued cry for help from individuals and businesses for the support needed for survival.

We will remain positive about the future of our industry – because that’s just what we do. But it’s a time when we must remain supportive of one another as we continue to fight the challenges we all face ahead as our industry continues to fight back.

21st March 202222nd March 2022

Monday Insights – March 21st

This Monday’s Insights feature brings you the industry headlines you may have missed from the last week.

Headlines

IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, has confirmed that “The world is largely open for travel.”

In a news release on www.iata.org, Walsh continued: “As population immunity grows, more governments are managing COVID-19 through surveillance, as they do for other endemic viruses.

“That is great news for a growing number of destinations that will receive a much-needed economic boost from the upcoming Easter and Northern Summer travel seasons.

“Asia is the outlier. Hopefully, recent relaxations including Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the Philippines are paving the way towards restoring the freedom to travel that is more broadly enjoyed in other parts of the world.”

View the published IATA survey of travel restrictions for the world’s top 50 air travel markets here.

Contracts have been signed for Derby’s new £45.8m events venue. The 3,500 capacity entertainment and events venue will be built on the site of the former Pennine Hotel, Laurie House offices, multi-storey car park and Pink Coconut nightclub in Colyear Street and Padley House in Becket Street.

The new venue will be owned by Derby City Council. It will be leased to and operated by ASM Global. AMS’s portfolio includes OVO Arena Wembley, AO Arena, Utilita Arena, Bonus Arena, first direct Arena, Olympia London and OVO Hydro.

The venue will be a scalable space capable of staging a range of concerts, family shows, exhibitions, and business events. Construction work on the venue is due to start in January 2023.

A collective of hospitality industry representatives has launched Lunch4Ukraine in order to raise £100,000 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine appeal.

JW Marriott Grosvenor House will host the event , London, on 5 April. Read more on Conference News. And don’t forget to bid on EDGE Venues silent auction, live now to raise funds for the same charity appeal.

A new Chair of ACC Liverpool Group will help drive the venue’s post-pandemic recovery.

Kate Nicholls OBE takes over from previous chair, Max Steinberg CBE, who’s reached the end of his three-year fixed-term contract.

Nicholls says: “I am passionate about driving the events and hospitality sectors forward and my ambitions are very much aligned to those of the organisation and city-wide.

“Through my networks and industry insight, I am ready to provide the team with the best possible support and guidance as the business moves forward through recovery and on to the next phase of its development.”

Doubletake

The latest Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee report has revealed a lack of overall vision or direction to the Government’s events policy.

According to mitmagazine.co.uk (M&IT), the report says: “The Government is spending a lot of money on this year’s major events. Yet while individual occasions may well deliver memorable moments, we see no golden thread linking the events or tying them to a vision for the future of this country.

The committee has also criticised the funding for DCMS’s flagship UK City of Culture programme.

Read M&IT’s coverage of the report here…

https://mitmagazine.co.uk/meetings/government-events-policy-lacks-vision-and-direction-mps-find/

14th March 202222nd March 2022

Monday Insights – March 14th

This Monday’s Insights feature brings you the industry headlines you may have missed from the previous week.

Headlines

Conference News has shared the winners of the 2022 London Tourism Awards, which were announced at the Old Library, Guildhall on March 10.

Hosted by London & Partners, the live awards event hosted 10 categories, including ‘Unsung Hero’ and ‘Resilience and Innovation’.

You can read the full list of winners here, and see the wonderful story behind Hilton London Metropole’s Neeshal Jeewon’s ‘Unsung Hero’ award.

Manchester Central has opened submissions for its Incubator programme, aimed at nurturing the next generation of event experiences.

Designed to discover and develop the cutting-edge event concepts of the future, the programme is open to organisations and businesses, of all sizes and sectors, who have a unique event concept and need help in bringing it to life.

Successful applicants will be offered the opportunity to embark on an exciting collaborative partnership with Team Manchester Central, to transform their big idea into a reality at the iconic venue.

Find out more here.

EDGE Venues’ CEO, Jacqui Kavanagh, has joined other inspiring industry leaders as part of micebook.com’s first Power 50 publication. The Power 50 is dedicated to shining the spotlight on 50 inspiring female agency leaders in the UK events industry. Its launch was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day 2022 on 8 March and was held at ME London.

Over 100 female event profs gathered, including most of micebook’s Power 50 along with aspiring leaders from within their businesses, for an afternoon of thought-provoking content sessions, including a panel exploring the key pathways to leadership, workshops, and a keynote session with Tara Ruttley, NASA chief scientist and keynote speaker.

Read more about the event and download the publication, below.

https://micebook.com/news/micebook-launches-power-50-of-inspiring-female-agency-leaders/

Double take

EDGE Venues has launched a silent auction to support the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The auction has an initial target of £5,000 and all money raised will go to support Ukrainians in urgent need of financial aid. Read the full story on M&IT magazine.

You can access the auction page on this site via this link. Place your bids now…

7th March 20227th March 2022

Monday Insights – March 7th

This Monday’s Insights feature brings you the industry headlines you may have missed from the previous week.

Headlines

Culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, has called for Russian participation to be stopped at all UK events. She says Russia will be banned from attending or competing in sporting events and called for event organisers to block Russian involvement and cancel performances. Speaking in the House of Commons Dorries commented:

“Culture is the third front in the Ukrainian war. Across sport, the arts and entertainment, we’re ostracising Putin on the global stage. Putin is now suffering a sporting and cultural Siberia of his own making, and it will be causing the Russian leader real pain. Putin needs the kudos of these global events to conceal his illegitimacy and the hideous acts he is perpetrating in Ukraine.

She continued: “The Russian despot is desperately trying to hide the grim extent of his invasion from his own people. It’s why I strongly support, and continue to encourage, the kind of emotional displays of solidarity we’ve seen across sporting events in the last week, including the Carabao Cup Final and the Six Nations.”

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has appointed a dedicated diversity equity and inclusion director. VisitBritain/VisitEngland’s Debra Lang joins its voluntary board of directors to lead on diversity, equity and inclusion work.

Lang, who is the Director of HR & Professional Services of the national tourism agency, will be using her extensive experience to develop a strategy and best practice framework for the business meetings and events sector to ensure it is recognised as being fair, impartial and without biases.

Kerrin MacPhie, mia chief executive, said: “While working at the national tourism agency she’s [Debra] transformed the employee experience launching a people strategy during lockdown and creating numerous diversity and inclusion networks, which will provide great insight to our work championing best practice in this area.”

Read the full story on Conference News, here…

IMEX in Frankfurt has banned Russia from exhibiting at the show in May in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Group CEO shared the news on Linkedin while showing support for the Ukrainian people.

IMEX Frankfurt takes place at Messe Frankfurt on 31 May to 2 June, and Messe Frankfurt has also put out a statement in response to the situation.

IMEX Group’s announcement from Carina Bauer (CEO) and Ray Bloom (Chairman) included: “Sadly, today we have taken the decision to suspend Russian state enterprises from participating at IMEX in Frankfurt 2022, as a direct result of the current political situation. We do this with a heavy heart, understanding that the world is in an unprecedented situation. Our hearts go out to everyone who is affected and especially the people of Ukraine. All of us wish for a speedy and peaceful resolution to this conflict.”

Read the full story on M&IT!

Double take

The NEC Birmingham and the International Convention Centre (ICC) have donated over 13,200 portions of food to their local community in the past 18 months using food-sharing app Olio.

The initiative also averted over 11,400kg of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 38,700 car miles off the road, and has saved 2m litres of water.

Marc Frankl, food and beverage director for the NEC Group’s in-house caterers Amadeus, said: “It has been a tough, yet rewarding journey for us to transform our operations in this way. Our staff have really embraced the partnership and it’s moving from strength to strength. OLIO is fantastic as it allows us to reduce any food waste from events, while giving back in the areas in which we operate.”

4th March 202220th April 2022

EDGE Venues Silent Auction in aid of Ukraine Relief Efforts

The people in Ukraine are facing unimaginable suffering. The violence is escalating, with the devastating loss of life.

EDGE Venues, along with the generosity of venues and groups have gathered together over 60 amazing experiences which we’ve made available in our silent auction.

Simply click “Place my bid” under the Lot on which you’d like to bid, fill in your bid amount and phone number and send the email. When the auction ends, the highest bid wins. All bids are secret so place your highest bid. We’ll contact winners to take payment via credit card.

100% of the proceeds go towards the Ukrainian relief effort, specifically, the Disasters Emergency Committee.

If you have something you’d like to donate to the auction, have any questions or for any other reason, please get in touch.

The auction has now closed.
We’ve posted a YouTube video summary here.

Terms and Conditions:

All usual rules apply, including: no alternative prizes or cash value, we make contact with winners within 7 days of auction end and obtain payment by credit card only, dates and times are GMT, the editor’s decision is final and the venue has the right to offer an alternative prize of the same value if circumstances deem it necessary. In the event of a lot ending with multiple bids for the same amount, the first bidder will win. Please note that images are of the venues and are not necessarily of the item in the auction.