Author: Katharine Jordan

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The Trinity and EDGEvenues.com Triple Challenge

Trinity Event Solutions has joined up with our sister company EDGEvenues.com to take the Triple Challenge to a new high level. The company is back in action already supporting our corporate planners as they prepare for the return to live events from Q4 this year and for next few years. We are very aware that the events industry is changing and as a result we are now out and about building up our expert knowledge of venues and hotels. We are meeting them to understand the changes they have made and, of course, to keep on top of new properties and renovations that have taken place during Covid. Our target is to visit 400 venues before the 1st of October when our online Charity Auction goes live!

We cannot think of a better way to support our corporate buyers with all the challenges that are being thrown at them as they navigate a new world of live and hybrid than with a fun challenge that supports our industry, our buyers and our charities.

The Triple Challenge has raised over £200,000 in recent years to support many local charities chosen by our team and of course our meetings industry charities. This year’s charities have not been chosen as yet but they will be chosen by the Team here at Trinity and EDGE.

Trinity Triple Challenge

  • To challenge venues to deliver a creative and memorable site visit which we will report on and share with our corporate buyers and donate a great prize for the Auction. The prizes raise funds for the charities through an online auction which will be launched on the 1st of October. 100% of money received will be donated to the Charities net of credit card costs. All prizes will be added to showcase the venue profile on EDGEvenues.com, the go-to online directory featuring over 19,000 MICE venues globally.
  • To challenge the Trinity and EDGE teams who normally visit over 100 venues each per year to ensure their expert knowledge is up to date. They will allocate 20 of these visits this summer to grow their knowledge and generate prizes. Trinity is now actively back out supporting our industry and kickstarting our Industry.
  • To challenge the charities and corporate planners to share the great news and opportunity to gain fantastic prizes to support the charities and our industry at a time when we really need it.

The Trinity EDGE Team are planning their trips now and have already visited some of our major cities. They are giving up their time to undertake the challenge and all travel costs and expenses are being met by the company, so that 100% of all money raised will go to the charities.

Jacqui Kavanagh, founder and owner of Trinity and EDGEvenues said: “This is a wonderful initiative which will not only increase our knowledge of venues across the country and benefit our clients, but also supports our CSR policy by raising money for our nominated charities. I would like to thank all the hotels and venues involved for their support and also the team who are so keen to have first-hand experience of the venues that we propose to clients.”

The auction will be launched on the 1st of October and there will be a variety of lots, such as overnight stays, afternoon teas, tickets to sporting engagements and much more.

Its open to all venues to get involved! Interested in taking part, they should contact Jacqui and the team on jacqui@trinityeventsolutions.co.uk or businesssupport@trinityeventsolutions.co.uk

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Paul Swain joins Trinity Event Solutions and EDGEvenues.com

Trinity Event Solutions and EDGEvenues.com are delighted to welcome Paul Swain to the team in the role of Director of Business Development.

Jacqui Kavanagh, founder and owner of Trinity Event Solutions is very pleased with the appointment. “Paul is the perfect fit for Trinity,” comments Jacqui. “He brings a wealth of industry experience, contacts and knowledge to the role as well as a fresh eye. Trinity has gone from strength to strength since we started in 2006 and our venue finding platform www.EDGEvenues.com is growing rapidly as we see event organisers returning to their jobs as the Covid pandemic recedes. This is the perfect time to seek out new opportunities and grow further and we look forward to the impact that Paul’s creativity and skills will bring to company.”

Paul is happy to be joining the team at Trinity Event Solutions and to help play a role in building the growing community of event professionals on the EDGE Venues platform. Paul’s previous roles spanned a wide spectrum of the UK events industry. Most recently he headed up the UK business events market for Rotterdam Partners and The Hague Convention Bureau, building the brand and profile of both destinations and winning new events into each city. However, he has also held business development roles with national convention bureau, hotels and venues, DMC’s and the events media, giving him extensive industry-wide experience.

Paul now brings his talent and experience to work with the Trinity team, striving to make EDGE Venues the most effective ‘go-to’ venue-finding platform for all event organisers, and to help planners maximize the value they can gain from this next-generation business tool. Paul adds that: “This is an exciting time to be expanding our EDGEvenues.com platform, as the industry slowly but surely finds its feet again and regains its focus to enhancing the power of live and hybrid events within secure environments. I look forward to working with the team to deliver on the growing potential EDGEvenues.com offers users as a valuable free-to-use tech tool for their venue-finding, whilst always having a human personality just a helpline call away!”

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Brightspace’s Guide to Planning COVID Secure Events

By Sarah Threlfall, Director, Brightspace Events

As we all look anxiously towards the vaccine rollout delivering a much needed recovery for our industry, Risk Assessments will take on a new importance as a non-negotiable process required to operate live events, safely, legally and – most importantly – to ensure that the guest experience is as seamless and enjoyable as ever.

Here are your key considerations for every event that is organised by a business, organisation or charity in the future.

What is a risk assessment and why do we do them?

Your usual legal requirements to provide a Risk Assessment from The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 remain – and now there is additional stipulations from The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021.

Principally, organisers have a legal requirement to complete a Risk Assessment – plus it also allows you to keep your staff, visitors and members of the public safe.

What happens if I don’t do one or it’s not good enough?

Under the Coronavirus Legislation, Local Authorities now have increased powers for enforcement around COVID-19 risk assessments and events. Many authorities as well as the HSE are operating spot inspections at premises and events – plus ‘tip offs’ from the public could trigger an investigation.

In a worst case scenarios, this could result in your event being immediately shut down.

What are the other benefits of doing a COVID Secure Risk Assessment?

  • Make sure you are operating legally and safely
  • Build confidence with clients who will be asking to see them earlier and in more detail than before
  • Attract and reassure your audience by showing the delegates that everything is safe
  • The process provides a structure and confidence to a brand new way of working for Event Planners. No one has experience to rely on when it comes to COVID secure events so a regimented document & system will ensure everything is covered.

Key Points for a positive COVID Secure Risk Assessment process

  • Start at the beginning of the event design process – aim to have the measures identified well in advance so they can be woven into the event rather than stamped on top of an already laid out event.
  • Include Risk Assessment as an item on the agenda of any and all planning meetings to ensure it gets buy in from all stakeholders
  • Stress the importance of leading by example to event staff and clients – if PPE / masks are required then EVERYONE needs to wear it, no exceptions (unless medical).
  • Consultation with all involved including suppliers and ‘on the ground’ staff to ensure all measures are practical and sufficient.
  • Prioritise – focus on the higher risk areas and not every trivial point

What to include

A COVID Secure Risk Assessment focusses on the Risk of Transmission of COVID-19 and nothing else. We advise starting with an opening section to ‘set the scene’ and detail the general risks.

  • What do we know about the hazard; about COVID-19 and who is at risk
  • What’s the current risk regionally and nationally (infection rates, vaccination situation)
  • Set out which areas you can control and therefore are included in the assessment
  • What is definitely NOT included eg. areas that you cannot control

Then, use a Risk Assessment table. A numbered risk matrix is NOT a necessity but include if preferred.

  • Break down every ‘action’ at the event and include a line for each specific risk of transmission eg. arrival, registration, cloakroom, using toilets, breaks, catering, using equipment, departure etc.
  • Include a column for the TYPE of transmission at each point – Direct (droplets from person to person eg. speaking / coughing), Surface (via contact with an infected surface( or Airbone (smaller droplets from breathing / speaking / coughing which remain in the air for some time)
  • Another column for Who could be affected – particularly any vulnerable people
  • A column for the control measures that are REASONABLY PRACTICABLE to minimise risk
  • A final column for other information, to designate responsibility and detail deadlines if applicable

Additional Requirements for COVID Secure Events

  • Information on screening guests to stop entry for anyone with symptoms or should be isolating
  • A written procedure for dealing with guest or staff member who shows symptoms during the event
  • On site considerations
    • Nominated COVID officer & additional staff to reinforce safety messages
    • Sign in / sign out procedures to aid test and trace including all delivery drivers / suppliers
    • Monitoring – how will you review / improve the measures?
  • Supplier Risk assessments and other H&S policies should all reflect COVID Secure measures eg. have hotels amended fire policies to aid social distancing?
  • Impact assessment of self-isolation / quarantine. As test and trace would require people to immediately self isolate, you need to minimse the impact on your team by eg. keeping your event team apart so that they don’t all have to isolate.
  • Communication – how will you ensure crew, delegates, clients and staff are aware of all measures and comply?

Don’t forget the other risks

A COVID assessment is as well as a normal and full risk assessment. In fact, COVID measures could introduce additional risks – e.g. queues that extend into car parks that could be targets for terrorism.

A Final Word on Staff

Arguably, Event Staff are the ones most at risk in running an event.

Your Risk Assessment should pay particular attention to the way the staff work including the office, briefings, the build and crew catering. Consult with the team on deciding what measures are required so that you can improve compliance when on site and make sure you include systems and information for monitoring and enforcement so that what’s on paper translates into the event itself.

Please note: This guide is aimed at corporate meetings, hybrid or studio filmed events, training courses and conferences. It is not designed with large scale, public events or exhibitions in mind. It is also written for those who do not have a background or much experience in Health and Safety.

Covid Secure Events Training

Sign up at www.brightspaceevents.co.uk/covid-secure-events for updates on guidance and information on their training course. Interactive, online and with a H&S trained Events Expert, this course will ensure you and your team are fully prepared to deliver COVID Secure Events.

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Using gamification – education, fun or both?

One of the biggest challenges for event organisers at the moment is how to improve engagement at their conferences, meetings and events. Gamification is increasing being used, but what are the benefits, particularly in this hybrid world that we now find ourselves in?

As always, objectives need to be set and the programme designed accordingly, but why not make learning fun and different. The goals need to connect with the content and collect relevant data, as well as improving the user experience.

One organiser who tested their audience’s knowledge before the event and then afterwards, found that 97% of people who started the gamification session finished it, and 30 days later 90%+ of the knowledge was retained. This was far higher than when gamification hadn’t been used.

Particularly successful examples of the use of gamification are for sales training and product launches.

The gamification element can be played individually or in teams, so attendees connect and network with other people. It could be used to encourage attendance at future or recurring events as an ongoing competition or ‘re-match’ if scoring is used.

Planners who have introduced gamification say that there are many advantages to using a game format that is designed specifically for the audience:

  • Improved learning experience
  • Higher attendance
  • Different learning environment
  • Measurement of impact
  • Interaction, either face-to-face or via online comments and discussions
  • Instant feedback of data
  • It can be used as an incentive or booking discount tool

Measurements can be in place to assess the success of introducing gamification:

  • Any increase in participation
  • Knowledge on a specific topic
  • Response rates
  • Improved post-event assessments
  • To identify new opportunities

The data that gamification can provide:

  • Who participated
  • How they participated
  • Educational gaps
  • What they liked and disliked

And this can be used for:

  • Future programme design
  • Using profiles to target the right people appropriate marketing
  • Encouraging post-event feedback

Considerations

  • The presenter or moderator needs to be happy and confident to use gamification, which can be done by using a previous example, showing audience participation, their response and the data gained.
  • Different cultures may prefer individual or team exercises
  • Some groups will be happy with a competition, but others will not be comfortable with a public scoring system or leader board
  • Think about whether the results should be published at the time or afterwards, or whether individuals should just receive their own results

Introducing gaming strategies and techniques to conferences, meetings and events does have advantages, particularly data collection and insights in to delegate behaviour, but the key is that it has a well defined strategy behind it and it improves the user experience.

For more information about planning your conference, please call 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com

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Venue concessions: negotiating what’s best for your event

venue concessions

In this blog, we look at some venue concessions you can request to make a contract more attractive and possibly save you money, too.

An event planner knows exactly what they need to make it happen, but on low budgets, not everything is possible. Negotiating with your venue can help make the most out of your event while achieving a few discounts. 

Of course, the more attractive your business is to the venue, the more likely they will negotiate with you. And it can be reassuring to know that the attractiveness of your business is not necessarily because of its value, or the size of your group. It might be because it fits well with other bookings, is on a less popular day of the week, or time of the year. Or it’s an event type that can support the venue in attracting similar business.

A good venue procurement specialist such as Trinity Event Solutions will negotiate on your behalf. So let them know what’s important to you and they will help. The results can often be better by using an agent that negotiates directly.

It’s always worth asking for the important things and being brave, the venue can only say no, meet you halfway or agree! So, what venue concessions can you consider negotiating?

Venue concessions: The hotel or venue

  • Extend the bedroom rate three days before and three days after the meeting dates, in case attendees are travelling from afar and need to arrive early or stay late.
  • Hotels often offer a complimentary bedroom for a certain quantity of bedroom nights. Try to negotiate an additional free room.
  • Enquire about a complimentary or reduced rate accommodation for the event organisers and any individuals needed for set up.
  • Ask if there are any suite upgrades available last-minute free of charge.
  • Request complimentary room nights or dinner for a site visit and planning visits.
  • Ask for a proportion of early check-ins or late check-outs.
  • Request a private luggage storage or cloakroom for attendees to leave bags if the meeting doesn’t match the hotel’s check-out time.
  • Ensure your group has complimentary use of the health club, spa, pool, and any other leisure facilities.
  • Ask the venue if they can offer any free or discounted transfers from the airport or train station.
  • Ask the venue if they have any discounts on leisure facilities, spa treatments or golf for attendees. It is also worth asking whether they can offer discounts for local attractions.
  • If there is a resort fee, ask for it to be waived or discounted.
  • If there is a parking charge? The hotel should be willing to discount it or allocate several complimentary spaces.

Contracting and invoicing

  • Agree with the hotel well in advance on which charges they will post to the master account and which charges attendees will pay. Communicate this to attendees too, so they are fully aware of any charges they may face.
  • Check the minimum delegate numbers with the venue and negotiate, if applicable to your event.
  • Check whether there is a food and beverage minimum spend. If there is, and you are wary your event might not reach it, ask if the venue can lower it.
  • Negotiate a percentage of guest room attrition on the original contracted block.
  • Negotiate on the rates and confirm whether they include service and tax.

The event/ meeting

  • Check the Wi-Fi will support the quantity of attendees. If it is unsuitable, ask the venue to upgrade it free of charge. It needs to cover all meeting rooms, registration areas and catering areas. The capacity of the Wi-Fi is important as many people have multiple devices.
  • If you need to use the venue’s AV equipment, ask if they can make a deal to incorporate it into your event package.
  • Find out what equipment is included and ask for anything else you need. If the venue has it in stock, it may be complimentary.
  • Consider if you need early access, late breakdown, or overnight hold of the meeting rooms. If so, check the venue can do this free of charge for you.
  • Check if the venue provides paper, pens, stationery, water and sweets in the meeting rooms. If not, ask for a discounted rate or complimentary stationery for your event.
  • One of the most popular requests is morning breakfast rolls on arrival. The venue may be willing to add these free of charge as they are not expensive to produce but are great for delegates, especially at early morning events.
  • Ask the venue to include a re-booking clause in the contract. The clause can mitigate the cost if you need to cancel and re-book.
  • Enquire if the venue will offer a multi-year deal at a set rate and/or hold dates for future years. If the event works at the venue and you want to re-book then the negotiation has already been done.

Venue concessions rules for negotiation

  • Only ask for items that are important to you. It’s better to focus on these than a long list.
  • Be fair and realistic. If the venue team understands why you are asking for something, it will be more likely to try and make it work.
  • Remember that the venue has costs too. Don’t negotiate on anything that will negatively affect your meeting, the service, or quality.
  • Think about where the venue makes its profit – that’s where they will most likely be able to reduce costs.
  • Negotiations will be much quicker if you can deal directly with the decision-maker.
  • Be kind. The venue staff will do their best to make your event perfect. But if they can’t offer exactly what you want, be kind and thank them for what they can do.
  • Make sure everything is put in the contract. Ask a colleague or legal adviser to check it before you sign. Trinity Event Solutions Your event specialists should be able to do this for you – you just need to ask!

Remember, you want to be on good terms with everyone to ensure they deliver a successful event. So all parties need to be happy with the venue concessions agreement.

If you would like any help with venue concessions, or more information or advice about booking a venue please call us on 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com

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Conference Content: How to engage an audience

Event organisers have lots to consider when they are planning events, and conference content is a big one! 

Planners must get across their clients’ messaging through captivating meeting or conference content. That point is true whether it the event is live, a webinar, hybrid/virtual, workshops, training, exhibitions and so on. 

Engaging and exciting content will entice delegates to pay attention, understand, and retain the message.

So, how do you get your message across and keep your audience engaged? And if it’s a non-compulsory event, how do you make it attractive enough to ensure bookings?

Here, we look at things you should consider in the planning of your conference content to ensure event success:

  • Who is the audience?
  • What are your objectives?
  • What are the attendee’s objectives?
  • Your messages – that do you need to convey?
  • The key is to offer a solution to their problems or fill gaps in their knowledge.

Choosing the right speaker is essential! Whether it is someone external from inside your business they must have the right skills to deliver the message. 

Ensure they have experience presenting using your chosen medium; they need different skills for face-to-face, virtual or hybrid events. 

Your speaker must be someone people look up to and can learn from. This clout will encourage people to book and turn up.

If it’s a live event, consider the room set-up. Do you need theatre-style, cabaret-style, or classroom-style? Consider whether the attendees need to engage with each other and whether the seating arrangement will achieve the desired outcome. 

Still unsure? Our handy room layout guide can help you decide what will work best for your event.

Whether it’s a hybrid, virtual or live event, think creatively and use production experts who can bring the best skills. Consider the following elements:

Branding. 

Know your brand and follow through with the signage, graphics and colours. Make sure it is easily recognisable throughout the event.

Culture.

Understanding the attendees and their social behaviour can allow you to predict what they will like and not. This understanding and consideration limits the chance of errors and unpopular choices.

Scripts. 

Manage the introductions, cues and prompts, and check in with your speakers about what they intend to discuss. Ensure all of these align with each other, alongside the event goals.

Design. 

Consider using frames, graphics, videos, growing text, animations, images, and filters. How should the session look and feel? Do you want a pre-recorded slide deck, or would it be better without? 

Remember, sometimes a virtual audience has a better or closer view than a live audience. So, if you use video, it might be better at full screen rather than behind the speaker.

Speakers. 

Do they understand the software? Give them coaching to prepare and rehearse. The production company will have ideas about camera angles, roving cameras, microphones, lighting and audio.

Interaction. 

Do you want to include networking, quizzes, demos, competitions, and entertainment? Consider what elements delegates will respond to.

Targeted sessions. 

Think about who you are targeting, their culture, and whether there should be different sessions for live and virtual audiences.

Social media. 

Integrate activity with the content, encourage and remind attendees to join in. Use content from the event to continue to promote the sessions even after the event ends.

Sponsors. 

Do you want to include branded promotions? If these are screened at a live coffee break or networking, how can you successfully deliver them virtually? Ad packages must be captivating, so you might need different media for live and hybrid.

It’s a good idea to have a different person or teams to look after the live and virtual attendees. They can each focus on the best delivery and outcome for their audience. 

Decide in advance whether to use the same or separate content and delivery method in each session. A planner and production team for each segment will be able to meet the goals for their audience.

Overall, understanding the delegates and considering every aspect of the event will allow you to create a captivating event. If you’re still stuck, ask delegates for feedback after the event to identify aspects to improve on.

For help with your conference, meeting or any event, just call EDGE Venues on 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com

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Edwardian Hotels vision for a sustainable future

Edwardian Hotels have let us know how they promote and achieve sustainability at their hotels in London and their vision for the future.

It’s not an easy task, but they continuously review and evolve their practices, partnerships and behaviour with the aim of creating a better future. It’s also in the best interest of guests, conference delegates and staff. As a result, in 2018, all Edwardian Hotels London properties were certified Gold Standard by Green Tourism Award.

Their four key initiatives look at:

  • Reduction in the use of energy
  • Minimise the carbon footprint
  • Decrease the use of water
  • Lessen food wastage

Carbon Emissions

Edwardian Hotels’ targets in this area are:

  • Between 2009 and 2016 the group reduced carbon emissions by 26.7%, against a target of 20%
  • Between 2016 and 2018 that figure increased to 30.7%, an increase of 4%
  • The company has a partnership with Tesla, promoting electric cars. Electric charging points have been installed at the Heathrow and New Providence Wharf properties, offering complimentary charging to guests

Reducing Single-Use

  • Edwardian Hotels London was one of the first hotel groups to introduce refillable shampoo, conditioner and soap in bedrooms, public and staff areas to reduce single use plastic
  • They are looking at alternative products and packaging to reduce plastic further
  • Most items in the event areas are re-usable and any items which can be recycled are done so automatically
  • Any polystyrene is sent to recycling and used to create insulation

In the wake of COVID-19, products are being reviewed to ensure they are hygienic as well as environmentally friendly wherever possible.

Reducing Waste

  • General waste has been reduced by 20% compared with 2016 and each property is aiming to reduce water use by 4% against 2018 consumption
  • The target set by the Mayor of London is to recycle 75% by 2025 and card, paper, cans, plastic bottles, glass and mixed plastics are recycled. Food waste is collected separately
  • Edwardian Hotels use Globechain, a marketplace for unneeded items.
  • The group uses GSC certified paper

Food and Beverage

  • Produce and food waste is constantly reviewed
  • Local products are used where possible
  • Coffee beans are collected and Nespresso machine pods are recycled
  • Meetings, conferences and events
  • Delegates are encouraged to use public transport
  • Items in the meeting rooms are re-usable or recyclable
  • Menus use locally sourced ingredients where possible

Charities

Cancer Research UK is the group’s corporate charity. In addition, the bars and restaurants support Springboard and each hotel has local charity partnerships.

The Londoner

  • When this hotel opens in Leicester Square, it will have achieved:
  • 30% less carbon usage that the regulations demand
  • CHP and LED lighting
  • A £175m Green Loan from HSBC. This is the first loan in this sector to encourage and facilitate environmentally friendly activity
  • ‘Excellent’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating, to sent high standards for the procurement, design, construction and operation of new developments
  • And it will have a liquid film that reduces evaporation and energy loss from the swimming pool

For more information about the individual Edwardian Hotels, search on www.edgevenues.com.

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BMA House continues to develop hybrid and digital offering

As part of ongoing investment in the services most needed by clients, BMA House’s expert technicians have created a range of hybrid and digital event packages that reflect ongoing changes in the corporate and association meeting industry. These upgrades will ensure BMA House’s place as a leading London hybrid venue.

BMA’s flagship space, the Great Hall, is currently undergoing refurbishment that includes a fully equipped Hybrid Virtual Studio. A bespoke, custom-build to fit the Great Hall, the Studio is one of a kind and includes a prominent 20×10 green screen, 4 x PTZ HD camera set-up, streaming PC, VMix 4k Pro Software, relay monitors and professional lighting.

Including options for webcasting, breakouts, speaker only conferences and exhibitor/sponsor packages, the offering reflects both the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the future needs of event organisers.

Highlights from the packages include:

  • Webcasting – fully branded live streaming platform with up to 2,000 viewing hours of content. Created using professional cameras and sound suite managed by two technicians.
  • Fully Equipped TV Studio Layout including – Interview/chat style set up, sales or product launches, conferences/meetings, AGM’s etc. All with the ability to bring in remote guests to feature in the event.
  • Fully Virtual – Including a fully brandable Teams/Teams live solution and GotoWebinar platform
  • Dedicated technical support – taking the pressure off event organisers to ensure a smooth-running hybrid event from start to finish.
  • Breakout sessions – available direct from main sessions or via bespoke joining links. Full presentation setup with Q&A and interaction for up to 250 delegates.
  • Exhibitor and Sponsor spotlights – interactive demonstrations, virtual pitches and scheduled Q&A sessions. Run live or created in advance by professional film and edit teams.
  • Fully digital meetings – facilitated by BMA’s technical experts and capable of hosting virtual events for up to 2,000, this option takes away the hassle and challenges of running a digital event, allowing organisers to focus on the content.

Home to the British Medical Association since 1925, the sustainable venue boasts 22 unique and versatile spaces for up to 320 (without social distancing), including 11 purpose-built meeting rooms, all fitted with cutting edge AV technology.

Sustainability is a way of life for the team at BMA House, adopting green initiatives is essential, not only for the venue but also for clients, suppliers and events. As part of an ongoing drive to ensure event spaces provide top of the range technology, BMA House will also guarantee this is carried out in the most sustainable way, keeping a delegate’s carbon footprint as low as possible. In essence, BMA House is delivering the perfect balance between sustainability and technology.

Digital and hybrid solutions offer a new take on the concept of sustainable events. Digital only events have a far lower impact on the world as travel decreases. In addition, hybrid events allow event planners to market to a wider audience, bringing in more people both domestically and internationally for (relatively) little cost, helping to increase attendee numbers on the day and create an overall more engaging event.

For more information about BMA House, its meeting rooms and what it can offer for your your events click here.

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Vienna – New venue openings and funding packages to encourage organisers to return

Vienna is ready and waiting to welcome conference, meeting and events visitors again.  There’s lots going on in the city with new hotels and venues opening during this year and beyond.

Austria has recently introduced a €300 million protective shield, which means that the Austrian government will cover financial damage resulting from events being cancelled or restricted due to Covid-19.  An event is considered restricted if more than 30% of the participants cannot take part in the event due to COVID-19.  Applications can be made for events until December 2021.  The scheme applies to event organisers from outside Austria as long as the event is held in Austria.

In addition, Vienna also has a fund of €4m for domestic and international organisers who are planning meetings to be held in Vienna between 1 May 2021 and 31 December 2023.  Its aim is to encourage organisers to host congresses and corporate events in Vienna in the current circumstances.  Funding is provided for costs incurred when organizing meetings and is not intended as compensation for any financial losses.

This is particularly aimed at association congresses and meetings, as well as corporate events and meetings.  The event must be attended by at least 50 on-site participants and it lasts a minimum of four hours.  There is also funding for overnight stays and hybrid meetings.

Centrally located in Europe, Vienna is under 2 hours by plan from most other European capital cities.  It has a quick rail link from the airport to the city centre, which is compact, green and regarded as a safe city.

New Hotels

  • Almanac – opening in the summer of 2021, with 111 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms
  • Hotel Motto – has 91 bedrooms and two meeting rooms is due to open in September 2021
  • Radisson Red Vienna – with 179 bedrooms and 480m² of meeting space will open during 2021
  • Hampton by Hilton – just opened in February 2021 and located next to the Messe.  This hotel has 192 bedrooms and one meeting room
  • Moons – a contemporary property with 170 bedrooms will open this summer.
  • Jaz in the city – opening in August will have 163 bedrooms and 150m² of meeting space
  • Zoku – 131 loft spaces with the option of a balcony, these are combined living and working space and there’s communal workspace and private meeting rooms.
  • Superbude – a combined hostel and hotel will open in June and has 75m² of meeting space

New Venues

  • Palais Wertheim – a contemporary venue which opened in 2019.  There are three meeting spaces and the largest has capacity for 300 in theatre style.
  • MQ Libelle – a rooftop venue with indoor and outdoor space.  The multi-functional room has capacity for 160 in theatre style.
  • Ariana – opening in 2021 with capacity for up to 500 people in theatre style and five meeting rooms in total
  • Austria Center Vienna ‘Danube Sail’ – has been refurbished, extended and is due to open in 2022.

Opening in 2022

At the luxury end of the market, The Rosewood is due to open in 2022.  It is located in the old town and will have 99 bedrooms, a rooftop bar, spa and meeting space.  This is Rosewood’s 5th property in Europe.

Opening in 2023

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is being built in Vienna’s old law court building.  There will be 151 bedrooms and the amount of meeting space will be confirmed nearer to completion of the build.

Vienna has three conference centres and is a well-established conference destination, particularly popular with associations as there are numerous international organisations located in the city.  There is a city-wide Coronavirus policy, called Stay Safe, which has set safety and hygiene standards for hotels, including testing for guests.

If you’re interesting in holding your event in Vienna, search for your venue on www.edgevenues.com or call us on 01780 484051 for more information.

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Rate Check – How much can you expect to pay?

It’s great news that events are starting again, so we thought it would be interesting to look at the rates that are being quoted by venues in different parts of the country.

There is demand, but event bookers are reluctant to confirm the booking until the government guidelines are clear about social distancing and the pilot events have been completed.

As usual rates are higher in months where there is less availability and they are lower outside London.

For example, we’ve looking at a 3-day event for 350 people in February 2021 and comparing various locations around the country. The rates vary, as follows:

Location Catering B&B
Liverpool £32.00-£39.00 £75.00-£105.00
Manchester £27.50-£36.00 £125.00-£146.00
Birmingham £32.00-£38.00 £96.00-£121.00
East Midlands £37.00-£44.00 £87.00
South Wales £53.00-£60.00 £120.00

However, the rates are higher for 2021. This is for a mid-week one day event for 30 people, where we’ve been quoted daily delegate rates of:

Location Date DDR
Hertfordshire June £55.00
Leeds July £36.00-£40.00
Milton Keynes July £35.00
London September £55.00-60.00
London November £65.00-£85.00

Some venues are sticking to previous rates, some venues are increasing rates to take account of fewer people in the same space. Pricing isn’t consistent at the moment, with some venues requesting supplements or additional room hire costs.

Social distancing is a big problem for venues and both they and the event bookers need to know what they can do in terms of capacity. It’s not just for the meeting rooms, but moving around the venue, catering and restrooms. Venues with outside space definitely have an advantage. After a turbulent year, the venues will need to be confident that they can operate at a profit when they open.

The Meetings Industry Association carried out a survey into social distancing in May 2020 and found that:

  • The majority (82%) of venues confirmed they can operate with social distancing measures in place.
  • Nearly half (46%) of respondents identified that their venue’s capacity would have to be more than halved, with 27% highlighting a reduction of between 41-50% would be required.
  • As a result of these reduced capacities, 59% of venues would not break even.
  • Over 80% expect to lose more than half of their turnover per month.
  • 17.5% of venue operators say it would be ‘impossible’ to open their venue while adhering to social distancing measures, both on commercial and operations grounds.

It will take some time for things to settle down. We will continue to review rates and report on trends as the bookings increase and report.

For more information and advice on booking venues for conferences, meetings and events, call us on 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com