Category: Blog

This Monday’s Insights (19 December) feature brings you LEEDS 2023, a call for inclusive approach to hospitality recruitment, and more.

Headlines

LEEDS 2023 – the year-long event of creative experiences – is nearly here!

Leeds 2023 will deliver a transformational year of creative experiences that visitors can enjoy to immerse themselves in local life. The planned programme will celebrate and transform the city’s identity locally, nationally, and internationally – creating a lasting legacy of economic and social impact.

The delegate experience offering in Leeds will see a huge boost because of the year-long event. From dance to design, art to architecture, poetry to pop, sculpture to sport, grassroots community theatre to performance in the city’s varied venues, Leeds is set to be centre stage in the UK’s cultural scene.

Conference organisers can ensure that delegates don’t just visit the city of Leeds, but experience it too with an exciting line-up of events throughout the year starting with The Awakening on January 7th, an unmissable opening ceremony which will see Headingley Stadium graced by the likes of Corinne Bailey-Rae, Simon Armitage, Kadeena Cox OBE, Inder Goldfinger and Graft for an evening of variety and entertainment. Hosted by Gabby Logan and former Leeds United player and broadcaster Sanchez Payne, the event aims to celebrate Leeds’ past, present and future, and will kickstart the whole year of culture with a bang.

Events that follow The Awakening include ‘1001 stories’ in April, which has been developed by Leeds Playhouse and The Performance Ensemble and puts the voices of older people centre-stage telling stories of love, life, youth, and joy. A programme inspired by Leeds-born, world-renowned engineer and astronomer John Smeaton, ‘Smeaton 300’ tours the city from June to December, and allows people to explore the art of engineering, while ‘All That Lives’, a reimagined celebration of Day of the Dead, masterminded by Leeds artist Ellie Harrison and Mexican artists Zion Art Studio, will take place in November at Leeds Playhouse and Leeds City College.

The delegate experiences on offer in Leeds’ have already helped the city secure its place as one of the most popular conference destinations in the UK, and the vast series of events next year are sure to cement its position as a leading global conference destination. Conference organisers are encouraged to explore the range of events and celebrations being delivered as part of LEEDS 2023 to enhance their conference offerings and ensure their delegates are left with a lasting impression of their time in the city.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “LEEDS 2023 is an exciting year of culture that will show the world everything this fantastic city has to offer. We know that our creative talent rivals anywhere in the country, and LEEDS 2023 will give people a fantastic opportunity to express themselves, all while boosting our local economy.”

Claire Heap, Head of Conference Leeds, commented: “We are thrilled with the number of experiences on offer as part of LEEDS 2023. The cultural experiences that are on offer in Leeds already attract a huge number of conference and business events, but the line-up announced for LEEDS 2023 is a fantastic display of what this year-long celebration of culture will bring.”

“The timetable of events will give delegates even more of an opportunity to apply their learnings and expand their thinking through creative and thought-provoking events and activities, and we would encourage conference organisers to contact the Conference Leeds team to align their conferences to ensure their delegates experience exceptional.”

Find out more about LEEDS 2023, here.

Skift says Global Business Events matter more than ever for driving regional economies

In a recent Skift Meetings feature, Miguel Neves, writes: ‘Global business events are critical drivers of financial gain for destinations. They impact regional development in the short and long term, and their influence has profound political impacts. In addition, they generate predictable revenue and attract desirable business tourism. However, despite all the benefits, not all destinations can develop successful global event strategies.’

Read the full feature for views full report following Skift’s Global Forum East event in Dubai.

Conference News has spoken to events venue, Athena, about how the working from home culture has impacted the way we run events. It says event organisers must now consider three things, following its qualitative research with corporate event planners.

Check it out in Conference News, here.

Raising Edinburgh’s global profile

The EICC has launched an academic advisory board, named the Exchange Initiative, to help raise Edinburgh’s global profile, drive international association conference business and innovative research coming out of Scottish universities.  The initiative aims to promote and encourage the vital role that senior academics play in attracting international association conferences, which translate to tens of millions in economic impact for the city and region every year, while the collaboration is also set to increase the international standing of the university sector and leading academics.

Elaine Miller, Association Account Business Development Manager at the EICC, said: “Associations conferences help position our universities, the EICC, and Edinburgh on a global stage, whilst showcasing the leading research coming out of our universities. 

“There are also significant long-term benefits in attracting these large-scale events, as the collaboration, knowledge exchange, and relationship building that takes place at conferences helps to inform change and creates lasting impact.  The EICC and Exchange Initiative group recognise these benefits and want to ensure there is more engagement with policymakers, industry bodies, Scottish Government agencies, and other academic research institutions.”

Read the full story, here

How has the meetings industry evolved in 2022?

In another great article from Skift Meetings, you can read the key themes that came from industry events and report this year, including ICCA Congress and IMEX. Here’s a hint – the industry is changing!

Read it here!

Double Take

Richi Sunak has confirmed that Martyn’s Law will include small venues

The Government has confirmed that draft legislation to enforce stronger protection against terrorism in public places such as venues will be published in early spring.

Venues with a capacity of over 100 and fewer than 800 will fall into a ‘standard tier’ of those required to create action plans outlining measures to mitigate the threat from terrorist attacks.

Read the full story on Exhibition News.

This Monday’s Insights (12 December) feature brings you the 2022 Hotel Cateys, a call for inclusive approach to hospitality recruitment, and more.

Headlines

Hospitality businesses need to adopt an inclusive approach to their recruitment to try and solve the industry’s vacancy crisis, according to Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Destination Coventry and Coventry City Council, recently brought together a panel of hospitality and event experts at a Recruitment and Skills Summit. The panel, which included UKHospitality’s Skills Director Sandra Kelly, discussed staffing, recruitment and skills challenges.

The summit comes at a time when staff shortages are causing one in three UK-based hospitality businesses to close on one or more days a week, according to a recent UKHospitality survey. Meanwhile the latest Office for National Statistics data shows there are around 152,000 hospitality vacancies in the UK. 

Read more.

The Caterer has revealed the winners of its 2022 Hotel Cateys.

The winners were announced at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Lancaster London.

View the full list of winners here, including Northcote managing director Craig Bancroft who scooped the Outstanding Contribution Award.

AEV demonstrated The Power of People at its 2022 Conference.

At the UK industry association AEV’s conference, delegates gathered at the Harrogate Convention Centre for the day’s keynote from motivational speaker Marcus Child. ‘The Power of People’, explained motivation, the science behind thoughts of success and achievement, and the importance of inspiration.

AEV director, Rachel Parker, said, “The power of people was evident in the room today, and I hope that every delegate and member venue will have found something to inspire them, to take back to their workplace and in their own personal development.”

Read more about the event, and delegate feedback on exhibitionworld.co.uk.

This Monday’s Insights (05 December) feature brings you IBTM World 100k connections, isla’s venue net zero guide, Skift Meetings State of Business Events report, and more.

Headlines

IBTM World 2022 made 100,000 connections

IBTM World, which this year explored the connection between events and culture, closed on 1 December 2022 with over 100,000 business meetings having taken place and over 10,000 attendees gathering in Barcelona for the three days of the event.

IBTM World 2022 investigated how the technology we use, the experiences we create, and the destinations we visit create limitless cultures for businesses and incredible potential for events.

Over 2,200 exhibiting companies from 150 countries around the world were in attendance, including the CVBs of Spain, Ireland, Brussels, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Canada, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain, Canada, Miami, Las Vegas and Boston, as well as Meliá Hotels and Barceló Hotels.

During the event, IBTM announced that it has signed a new three-year contract with Barcelona Convention Bureau and Fira de Barcelona that will see IBTM World take place in the city up to and including the 2025 edition. The new contract builds on the existing 18-year relationship between the three organisations, with the next edition confirmed at Fira Gran Via for 28 – 30 November 2023.

Commenting on the close of the event, David Thompson, IBTM World Event Director, said: “IBTM World 2022 has been a fantastic success, surpassing all our expectations with more quality one-to-one business meetings taking place per attendee than in 2019. It was brilliant to receive feedback on the show floor that there is so much appetite for doing business that many exhibitors and buyers have already scheduled additional meetings to take place in the coming weeks. There has been a real sense of excitement and we look forward to returning to Barcelona in 2023.”

isla has launched a guide to support meetings and event venues in the transition to Net Zero.

According to Conference News, the events industry sustainability body’s guide, Sustainability in Practice: A Pathway for Venues, encourages venues to review their sustainability progress, develop short to mid-term sustainability goals and set a “realistic but ambitious” aspiration to reach Net Zero by 2050 at the latest. 

The guide, created in partnership with VisitBritain Business Events and supported by the Association of Event Venues (AEV), the Meetings Industry Association (mia) and beam, looks at how venues can develop a sustainability strategy covering five areas: company operations; commitments and communications;  event deliveries;  measurement and reporting; and value chain engagement.

Read more and download the guide via Conference News.

Skift Meetings State of Business Events report examines the current state of the industry, with an eye on what lies ahead in 2023. Some results may seem surprising!

According to Skift Meetings, the report’s top trends include event teams being being stretched thin, and location sourcing more focused on no-flight or direct-flight destinations, and sustainability is ‘not a top priority’.

Check out the full report via Skift Meetings and let us know what you think!

IACC Announces Strategic Alliance with MPI

IACC has agreed terms for a strategic partnership with MPI, the largest global meetings and events industry association. The alliance will see the two organisations working to advance the global events community using shared knowledge and connected intelligence.

The partnership engages on multiple platforms with MPI’s diverse and substantial network of more than 90,000 meeting and event professionals across 70 chapters to promote the world’s best meeting venues and bring together the brightest industry minds. 

The MPI partnership reinforces IACC’s commitment to supporting every one of its 400 member venues with advanced research and resources as well as prime networking opportunities.

IACC and MPI will collaborate on a number of initiatives including thought leadership discussions as well as the creation of content and campaigns that reinforce equity, diversity, inclusion, and wellness as key components to a successful sector. Together, the organisations will share education at their live events and develop online learning platforms to deliver rich resources in the form of blogs, webinars, and best practice briefings.

Parlez vous…English?

The multifaceted case for multilingualism is the subject of a recent feature on amimagazine.global.

According to Martin Sirk who authored the piece, ‘the reality facing conference organisers is that the provision at international events of languages other than English has been slipping away for decades, reserved for a few formal set-piece occasions and the least number of languages that protocol demands.’  

Double Take

Union of International Associations releases report on International Meetings Issues

During 2022 the Union of International Associations had undertaken its tenth large-scale survey on issues encountered by international organisations and associations when holding meetings.

This year the questions were again adjusted to focus on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on association meetings activity. The closing section of the report features additional comments offered by the associations on issues related to organizing international conferences under pandemic conditions.

The COVID 19 pandemic has a tremendous impact on the global travel and meetings industry and on the meetings behaviour of international associations. This special UIA Survey 2022 ­­– COVID 19 Impact on International Association Meetings focuses on the changed approach of associations, when planning and organising their international events.

Access the report here.

This Monday’s Insights (28 November) feature brings you IBTM’s new gender equality report, the mia conference reigniting the sector, the IACC’s latest Meeting Room of the Future report, and more.

Headlines

IBTM’s new gender equality report is out now.

The report is focused on event managers in MICE and demonstrates that the industry is still “dominated by women but run by men”, according to IBTM.

IBTM states that the report was carried out with the aim of starting conversations on the topic and helping to make a change.

According to the study, men within the industry are more likely to occupy directorial positions than women. Taking a sample of 2,000 global LinkedIn profiles, only 16% of the women included were at this seniority level compared to 32% of men.

Read more about IBTM’s new gender equality on Conference News.

The mia has reignited sector with engaging annual conference.

That’s according to a report this week on eventindustrynews.com.

According to the report, ‘creativity, collaboration, innovation and sustainability were the key watchwords’ of the conference, as it ‘united, inspired and energised the sector to navigate the next normal.’

Read the full feature about the full-day REIGNITE conference, including input from representatives of ABPCO, beam, and more, here.

The IACC has released the latest in its series of ‘Meeting Room of the Future’ barometer reports.

With the meetings industry continuing its path to recovery, the Meeting
Room of the Future (MRoTF) initiative, conducted by IACC since 2016,
provides first hand insight from global venue operators into their recovery
trajectories, their investment priorities, and their responses to emerging
trends.

In the context of talent shortages, inflation, and the push towards net-zero
sustainability goals, this research illustrates the ways in which venue opera
tors are positioning themselves for the challenges and opportunities facing
the meetings and events industry.

For the November report, 98 global venue operators took part, with 59% of respondents from the Americas (US and Canada), 37% from Europe (Sweden, the UK, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands), and the
balance from Australia.

The report shows that two-thirds of respondents reported recovery to above half of 2019 volume and one-third reported having surpassed a recovery to 80% of 2019 volume.

Read the full November report, here.

According to Conference News magazine, the Elevate mentoring programme had recently launched its seventh annual registration.

Elevate is a free mentorship programme that has been designed with a specific goal in mind – to support, inspire and elevate ambitious people within the events, hospitality and creative industries. It’s a five-month programme connecting mentors and mentees and as a result, making the industry even better.

Find out more, including how to apply, here.

This Monday’s Insights (21 November) feature brings you a new Dallas convention centre, beam’s priorities, UFI General Assembly, and ExCeL London’s floor marking robot Lionel.

Headlines

A new $2 billion, 2.5-million-square-foot convention centre will be built in Dallas.

According to Skift Meetings, the new Dallas convention centre with elevate the city to compete with other major meeting and convention destinations. 

Craig Davis, president and CEO of Visit Dallas, told Skift, “This is such a big deal for us. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center opened in 1957. It is 65 years old and looks every bit of it. Customers have been telling us for years it’s not cutting it. This new convention center will make a seismic shift for us and what our future is going to be.”

Get the full story here. 

M&IT editor Paul Harvey catches up with Sian Sayward, newly-installed chair of beam in the latest episode of M&IT Talks.

Listen now to find out what Sayward’s priorities will be and how she sees the sector’s fortunes over the next 12 months as the UK faces a perfect storm of inflation, recession and rising costs. 

UFI General Assembly wraps up a transitional year for the industry, highlights progress on key issues.

Representatives from UFI (global association of the exhibition industry) member companies from around the world met in Muscat (Sultanate of Oman) to review 2022 activities and confirm 2023.

The 2022 UFI General Assembly took place before the UFI Global Congress. At the end of a year defined by both the post-pandemic industry recovery and new global challenges, the Congress is welcoming hundreds of participants from around 50 countries and regions.

Chaired by UFI’s 2022 President, Monica Lee Müller, the General Assembly reviewed and previewed the association’s initiatives to support UFI’s members – more than 800 strong, and across 86 countries. Many new members are joining the Global Congress for the first time, as 70 companies from around the world have signed up as UFI members in the past twelve months.

Monica Lee-Müller, UFI’s 2022 President, began summarising the year as follows: “Throughout the last 12 months, so much has happened that deserves a mention.”

“As a global association, we need full participation by talented, committed women, and men, from different cultures and backgrounds, to drive our industry forward. Personally, I think there is work to be done. But I can see changes coming: If you look at the demographics of participants in this year’s Exhibition Management School, more than half of the participants were women. Among the six winners of this year’s Next Generation Leadership Grant, four are women, and the six come from a diverse geographical mix: Asia, Africa, Central America, Europe and the US. These talented young people with high potential will one day lead our industry upward and forward.”

Read the full round-up and plans at UFI.org

ExCeL London has undertaken the UK’s first use of the world’s most advanced floor marking robots as part of its long-term strategy to help make the industry more sustainable. 

Lionel (so called because he marks out lines), was recently used on the mark-out of Event Tech Live 2022 – which the venue hosts – to showcase both the business and the sustainability benefits available, as well as ExCeL’s commitment to operational excellence. 

The Lionel robots can drastically reduce environmental impact by eliminating the need for single-use carpets and other consumable materials used for manual marking. Indeed, according to a recent report by SASIE, it is estimated that as much as six million tonnes of carpet are thrown away each year by the UK event industry.

Furthermore, as the robots are completely autonomous, event organisers no longer need to hire specialist international marking contractors, saving tens of thousands of hours per year of travel time and transport emissions.

The robots were supplied to the venue by August Robots, the world leader in autonomous commercial robotic applications. The organisation supports dozens of exhibition centres worldwide and has marked more than one million square metres of exhibition space for large-scale events predominately in Germany and the USA. ExCeL will also be on the of the first venues globally to lease and operate their own Lionel robots, as previously they were only offered as part of a floor marking service.

Natalie Sykes, Sustainability Manager, said: “As a carbon neutral venue, sustainability is at the forefront of our agenda, and we are always looking for innovative new ways to help reduce our emissions and waste. As such, we’re delighted to be working with August Robotics to automate future floor marking operations and we’re delighted to have already undertaken the first UK application. From an operational perspective, this technology yields considerable cost savings, rapid build times for our clients and the elimination of costly mistakes and rework time. 

Alex Wyatt, CEO of August Robotics, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have ExCeL London as one of Lionel’s first lease clients. ExCeL are leaders in innovation and we’re proud to partner with them to advance a sustainable exhibition future with our technology. Our team has made tremendous strides to make the robots simple to use; we’re excited for ExCeL to enjoy all the advantages of autonomous floor marking.”

Located in the Royal Docks, ExCeL hosts around 400 events annually and welcomes some four million visitors. Earlier this year it became the first UK venue to be certified carbon neutral to the internationally recognised PAS 2060 status and has as an interim target for their journey to Net Zero.

This Monday’s Insights (14 November) feature brings you Belfast sustainability, Liverpool’s River of Light, non-stop flights between Dublin and Tel Aviv, ICCA Congress, and more.

Headlines

Belfast has climbed 11 places into the top 10 official list of sustainable destinations in the world.

According to Conference News, the 2022 results of the annual GDS Index sees Belfast move into eighth place.

The GDS-Index (Global Destination Sustainability Index) is a sustainability benchmarking and performance improvement programme for destinations and visitor economies. This year, Gothenburg took the top spot for sixth time. It was followed by Bergen in Norway and Copenhagen in Denmark. 

Read more about GDS-Index and Belfast’s achievement here.

According to Access All Areas, Culture Liverpool’s River of light has proven to be a major boost for local footfall.

In the feature, Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool said its outdoor light trail River of Light has hosted 250,000 people across 17 days.

EDGE Venues featured the River of Light in its recent blog on 3 reasons event profs love the city on the Mersey. Read it here.

What’s the main message from this week’s Congress of the ICCA?

It’s that the association meetings industry is facing tough economic headwinds with a renewed sense of purpose. Held in Krakow, Poland this week, the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) congress focused on legacy, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Read the full overview on amimagazine.global, here.

C&IT has featured six event locations inspired by The Crown.

As the much anticipated final season of The Crown dropped into Netflix, C&IT has shared ‘six gorgeous location shots fit for royal functions.’

Check it out here.

El Al Israel Airlines will start non-stop flights between Dublin and Tel Aviv from the start of its summer 2023 schedule.

According to BTN, the route will operate three times per week from 26 March 2023, with a flight time of around six hours.

Read more here.

Double Take

Are Your Meetings Neuro-Inclusive?

In a new SKIFT Meetings feature, Google’s Megan Henshall explains how she is building a community focused on a neuro-inclusive future.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) remain a focus in the business events industry. Yet one group has been overlooked according to Skift – the neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent is a term used to describe people whose brains are neurologically divergent from what is considered typical. Common neurodivergence includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy, and Tourette Syndrome.

Read the full feature with Henshall’s insights here.

This Monday’s Insights (07 November) feature brings you BVEP’s rebrand, another new Tourism Minister, Elevate’s new training programme, and more.

Headlines

Bereaved families and survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing are reportedly “frustrated” that a security law for venues has still not been introduced.

Martyn’s Law (known as Protect Duty) campaigner Figen Murray, whose son Martyn was killed in the bombing, has called on the live events industry to support her.

Figan is calling on the industry to write an open letter and publish it in the newspapers, pushing for increased anti-terrorism measures at publicly accessible facilities such as venues.

Here’s what Figan told Conference News this week. 

A new UK Tourism Minister has been announced. 

Just weeks after Lord Kamall took up the post, Stuart Andrew has been appointed.

VisitBritain has welcomed Andrew to the post: “We are delighted to welcome The Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP as the new Minister for Sport, Tourism, and Civil Society, and Minister for Equalities, appointed by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).”

Rishi Sunak has told COP27 that investing in green infrastructure is morally the right thing to do. 

According to the BBC, Mr Sunak said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a critical moment, and should prompt developing countries to deliver green growth.

Read more on BBC News.

Should conference organisers pay their speakers?

That’s the questions asked by Holly Patrick at Meetings and Incentive Travel recently.

“There’s always a budget for caterers, AV, and carpet, yet speakers are often compensated in ‘exposure’ or travel expenses,” Holly writes.

“With event planners looking to save the pennies wherever possible, it might make sense to cut costs in places where people don’t always expect to be paid. But for some the ‘empty kitty’ defence is wearing thin.”

Read the full feature here.

The Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) has unveiled its new brand identity, UK Events.

The BVEP says the move represents its commitment to strengthening its position as the collective single voice for the UK events industry. It also says it aims to continue growing its influence and collaboration with other aligned organisations and sectors.

The change follows a successful consultation period with the organisation’s member partners.

Chris Skeith OBE, Chair, UK Events said: “We are delighted to reveal the UK Events identity to our peers, members, and the wider industry, and truly believe the changes better reflect the diverse nature of the events sector our partners represent which has grown to not only include meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows, but also incentive travel, event hospitality, ceremonies, sporting, cultural, outdoor and festivals.

“Many positive things have been mused, actioned, and executed under the BVEP name, and BTP (British Tourism Partnership) before it, and I know I speak for many of our members and executives when I say we’re proud of all that we have achieved, and how we’ve evolved since the partnership was formed in 1999. 

“But progression is about moving forward and adopting alternative approaches, and I look forward to continuing our work with a fresh and exciting new look. The UK Events name incorporates how our members are adapting and growing in line with the UK’s ever-changing events industry, and demonstrates that as a collective, our sector is a serious contender for international trade, exports and inward investment.”

Elevate has launched a training programme called ‘ElevatingPeople’.

Elevate is a unique, free mentoring programme and consultancy for the creative and events industries. According to Conference News, its new programme is based on the three pillars of: sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion and mental health. It also forms part of a long-term ESG strategy – ‘Elevating Purpose’.

Read more on Conference News.

This Monday’s Insights (31 October) feature brings you beam’s new Chair, DCMS Committee Report criticising the Government, Glasgow benefitting from COP26, and more.

Headlines

beam’s new Chair has been revealed. The UK trade association for the business events, accommodation and seetings industry, has appointed Sian Sayward.

With the appointment of beam’s new Chair, along with the board’s reassigned roles and objectives, Juliet Price will have a new role as Development Consultant, working with the board to focus on a growth and expansion strategy, supporting the directors leading the association.

Sian Sayward, a long-serving beam board member who continues to be Governance Director, said: “This is a tremendous honour. With our revitalised sense of purpose, our expanded board, action groups and broader membership, we are well set to grow and to drive the industry and the association forward. I’m greatly looking forward to leading beam with so many supportive colleagues. It’s an exciting challenge.”

The appointments were announced at beam’s 25th-anniversary gala dinner at Radisson RED London Heathrow.

Read more about beam’s new Chair and other changes, at beam-org.uk.

Martin Fullard has analysed a DCMS Committee Report, which criticises the Government for failing to implement the de Bois Review’s recommendations and delayed VisitBritain marketing funding.

The de Bois Review: an independent review of Destination Management Organisations in England was published in August 2021 and made 12 recommendations to streamline funding and tackle confusing and unsustainable overlapping. Currently, there is no consistent funding for DMOs, with some receiving money from local authorities and others through private means.

Read Martin’s analysis here. 

Glasgow Convention Bureau has considered how Scotland’s largest city has benefitted from hosting COP26.

The UK Government prepares to hand the COP Presidency over to Egypt at COP27 in November. And Glasgow Convention Bureau has been looking at how Scotland’s largest city has benefited from hosting the prestigious UN Conference 12 months ago.

While governments around the world focus on delivering the four goals outlined in the Glasgow Climate Pact – turning the momentum from the globally significant conference into action – the city’s conventions team has been working to identify the lasting legacy from COP26.

Feedback from Glasgow’s tourism and conventions sector, as evidenced in the Bureau’s 2022 Business Survey, found that more than half (60%) of city tourism businesses improved their sustainability credentials as a result of COP26. This was with a particular focus on reducing food waste and lowering energy consumption.

Additionally, the majority of respondents (more than 70%) said that hosting COP26 raised their awareness of climate change.

Janice Fisher, co-chair of the Greater Glasgow Hoteliers Association (GGHA), said: “The city’s hotel community understood the need to clearly communicate our green credentials and sustainable practices to the COP26 delegates, and we have taken these learnings forward to support future conferences meeting in our city.

“Over the last year, Glasgow’s hotels have increased their number of electric vehicle charging points, worked on removing single-use plastic, and we have been encouraging all GGHA members to apply for Green Tourism accreditation as best practice.”

Gordon Hodge, Head of Conferencing and Events at the University of Strathclyde, added: “The University is committed to reducing emissions by 70% by 2025. We’ve developed a sustainability webpage to help organisers and delegates make more sustainable choices, and our conference apps reduce the need for printed materials. Standardised buffet options have streamlined our kitchen operations, reducing waste and energy consumption while maintaining quality and value.

“We’ve completely removed red meat from our menus, and any single-use items are now compostable. We’re delighted that our efforts have been recognised, just this month, with a Green Meetings Gold Award to add to our Green Tourism Gold status.”

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at the Scottish Event Campus, said: “COP26 has had a transformative effect on our business and has accelerated our sustainability ambitions. It was the catalyst for our commitment to being net zero by 2030, and importantly, it has been the driver for the creation of the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative that is shaping the events industry for a more sustainable future worldwide.

“It has also impacted the perception of our business and Glasgow on a global stage, cementing our rightful reputation as a truly global city capable of staging the largest and most complex of events, and it has elevated Scotland’s profile as a country that is committed to a greener future.

“As the host venue we’re forever part of the COP story, and the SEC and Glasgow’s legacy will always be remembered. It’s been a privilege to be part of the city’s COP26 journey and the SEC is thrilled to continue to contribute to and lead the industry to a more sustainable future.”

Has ‘entrepreneur’ become a dirty word for eventprofs?

Jack Jacob, CEO and founder of PNE, has explored this question following his recent experiences on social media. 

Writing for in M&IT, he says: “The events industry is full of entrepreneurs; the creativity, passion and can-do attitude a person needs to run events also lends itself very well to creating and leading a company. But I have recently seen a worrying trend of people on social media speaking negatively about entrepreneurship… well hard work in general.”

Read Jack’s full feature here.

Industry trade associations have been reacting to Rishi Sunak’s appointment as Prime Minister.

The overarching view is he must do more to recognise our sector and act fast on energy costs.

beam has called on Sunak to continue the energy price cap. And the Meetings Industry Association asks him to act now on energy costs.

Read Holly Patrick’s feature in full, here, on M&IT.

DOUBLE TAKE

Trainers (or sneakers) could be taking over as the footwear of choice at exhibitions.

This is according to a recent feature in Skift Meetings.

Anna Huddleston and Andrea Doyle have addressed the question. So, are they are part of the new dress code for business events?

“If our team is comfortable in their shoes, they will be comfortable talking to our clients and customers and representing our city the best way we can,” Joshua Albrecht, vice president of marketing and communications at Visit Milwaukee, told Skift.

Read the full insights here.

This Monday’s Insights (24 October) feature brings you Events Industry Alliance new manifesto, London’s 2030 Tourism Vision, IBTM World keynote speaker, and more.

Headlines

The Events Industry Alliance has launched its news manifesto at a parliamentary reception.

Guests from a cross-party group of MPs in addition to Government and Shadow Ministers and many association members heard how the manifesto works to ensure the interests of UK business events are effectively represented, understood and communicated to Government across the five pillars of maintaining recovery, growth, becoming the world’s meeting place, sustainability and developing skills and talent.

Working on behalf of the events industry associations, (AEO, AEV, ESSA, EIA) provides a secretariat and platform to work together to achieve common objectives for the good of the events industry. Its manifesto provides a strategic, national approach to business events spreading growth to all parts of the UK and driving international trade key to delivering a global Britain.

The manifesto works to ensure the interests of UK business events are effectively represented, understood and communicated to Government across the five pillars of maintaining recovery, growth, becoming the world’s meeting place, sustainability and developing skills and talent.

Shaun Hinds, CEO Manchester Central, and newly appointed AEV chair and EIA chair, commented: “The EIA serves as the quintessential industry forum and working group representing the cornerstones critical to all events; the organiser, the venue and the supply chain providing goods and services to the sector.” Hinds added “Whilst it’s always been a valuable alliance for the industry, in these times of post-pandemic economic uncertainty and geo-political challenges, the ability for the industry to convene, confer and communicate as a unified sector is imperative as we seek to grow and have an even greater impact on the UK’s social and economic landscape.”

For further information on the Events Industry Alliance and the manifesto, follow this link.

M&IT Magazine has revealed IBTM World 2022’s first keynote speaker

Salesforce event lead, Gareth Kelly, will discuss how to bring better business results and create meaningful cultural experiences during his keynote session.

Kelly will explore how Salesforce uses its events to bring better business results and create meaningful cultural experiences for businesses.

“This is an exciting time for our industry as we take the opportunity to rebuild, post-pandemic, in imaginative and innovative ways. Events don’t exist in isolation, they have the power to create far-reaching and positive change in business, culture, and society.

“It will be invigorating to share the knowledge and experience Salesforce has gained, particularly through our Dreamforce event, with so many interesting and like-minded people at IBTM World, and inspire them to continue building a legacy of visionary events which enhance and bring great benefit to today’s modern business landscape.”

Gareth Kelly, Salesforce event lead

Read more at mitmagazine.co.uk.

Advocacy, government relations and business events for growth will be the focus of the upcoming Business of Events Policy Forum.

Taking place on 2 November at the QEII Centre in London, the Policy Forum will see leading destinations, venues and event organisers from across the UK come together to discuss how to achieve growth in the business events sector and how business events can support the delivery of national policy objectives.

Further sessions will include Business Events for Policy and Society, with inputs from Paul Black, Neil Brownlee, and Heledd Williams, Head of Events for VisitBritain, VisitScotland Business Events and Visit Wales respectively, and the Venue Pathway to Net Zero, with Anna Abdelnoor, CEO of isla.

The final session of the day will see Chris Skeith OBE, Chair of the Business Visits & Events Partnership, discuss the Future of UK Events and reveal a new development, which organisers say will be ‘transformational’ for the UK events sector.

Following the Forum, a Senior Leadership Reception & Dinner will also take place, at Carlton House Terrace, home to the British Academy, in partnership with Searcys.

Find the full event programme here.

EDGE Venues CEO Jacqui Kavanagh has spoken to Skift Meetings about hotels rates rises.

As meetings and events planners are faced with potentially higher costs, Jacqui’s main takeaway is that planners will return to brands that communicate and collaborate with them and come up with mutually suitable solutions.

Read the full feature here.

London has launched a new 2030 Tourism Vision.

The Visions is backed by London & Partners data that shows more people would prefer to holiday in London versus other European city breaks.

Research commissioned by London & Partners, which runs Visit London, coincides with the launch of a new Tourism Vision covering the city’s plans to transform its tourism and hospitality industry by 2030.

“So much has changed since our last Tourism Vision back in 2017 – we knew it was absolutely essential to create a new framework to support one of London’s most vital industries. It has been so rewarding to lead such a collective effort along with organisations across the tourism industry in London, creating a vision that we know will benefit both Londoners and tourists alike. Sustainability, inclusivity and resilience, all of which are increasingly important to visitors and the industry, are all at the heart of our shared vision as we work to make London a brilliant experience for all.”

Rose Wangen-Jones, managing director, marketing, destination & commercial at London & Partners

Sustainability will also be a top consumer priority, with green issues becoming a top consideration for travellers.

Find out more at London Partners.

Double Take

Conference News’ Louisa Daley has shared an insightful feature on the rise of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Louise spoke with The Vegetarian Society, ACC Liverpool and Manchester Central. Her aim is to understand the role of accreditation and how venues are meeting events industry delegate preferences.

She writes: Vegetarian and vegan food is becoming increasingly popular with delegates. So much so in fact, that it’s no longer an add on or a tick-box exercise – it’s now the norm. Delegates either expect these options to be front and centre, just like meat options, or to see a completely plant-based menu.’

Read Louise’s insights here.