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Scottish cities account for 24% of all major association meetings in the UK

Scotland is bucking the trend with the number of major association events held in 2018 up 5% from 2017, despite the UK dropping two places in the latest ICCA Country and City Statistics report for total number of international association meetings.

The report, released early this week, revealed that the number of major association meetings that took place in the UK dropped by 3% in 2018. However, Scotland celebrated an increase in the number of meetings during the same period.

In 2018, the country hosted 137 events, up from 114 in 2017, and contributed 24% towards the UK’s total for the year. Scottish cities moved up the rankings in 2018 with Edinburgh taking position 27 and Glasgow taking position 47 in the world rankings, with only London coming above them in the entire UK.

Last June, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre hosted the European Orthodontics Society Congress, which welcomed more than 2,500 delegates from across mainland Europe. The congress, the society’s largest annual gathering, also utilised the entire Surgeons Quarter campus for its President’s Reception.

Amanda Ferguson, head of business tourism, Convention Edinburgh said: “I’m delighted to see Edinburgh position in the top 30 of the ICCA World Rankings again. The ability to continuously attract international association meetings in a very competitive marketplace is underpinned by our vibrant knowledge economy and sectoral strengths.”

Climbing 25 positions in the ICCA rankings, Glasgow was the host city for a number of major association congresses in 2018 including the World Haemophilia Congress and the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) Congress.

Both held at the SEC, The World Haemophilia Congress attracted more than 5,000 delegates from 137 countries to its four-day event and the ESSKA Congress welcomed more than 4,000 delegates across its three day programme.

Last year, VisitScotland Business Events won the ICCA Best Marketing Award for its first-ever digital campaign “Scotland. Where ideas become legend”. The campaign, which launched in November 2017, highlights the reasons why event organisers should view Scotland as the perfect partner for international conferences – its globally renowned academic credentials, historic pioneering spirit and world changing innovation.

Rory Archibald, association & sectors, VisitScotland said: “We’re thrilled that Glasgow and Edinburgh have made huge leaps in the 2018 ICCA rankings. Over the past two years we have been showcasing Scotland to the world through our award-winning Legends campaign, INNOVATETHENATION ambassador network and most recently our inaugural Association Reception Series in Brussels. Business Events are a crucial tool for economic and social change in Scotland, so we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners, our knowledge centres and the Scottish Government to attract more ground-breaking events across the country.”

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EDGE Venues reports more than 187,000 venues returned in searches in the site’s first four months

At the inaugural EDGE Venues Marketing Masterclass, held at the May Fair Hotel London on 12th April, EDGE Venues shared its first set of marketing analytics with over 160 licensees and non-licensees to demonstrate its early success. 

EDGE Venues was launched on 1 December 2018, providing agencies, corporates and event planners with a platform dedicated to the meetings and events industry. With more than 19,000 venues in 45 countries in 125 international destinations, EDGE Venues has exceeded expectations, and the results were shared at the Marketing Masterclass earlier this month.

The Masterclass, generously hosted by Edwardian London Hotels, saw guest speakers with experts in digital marketing and SEO (search engine optimisation) with Somebody Digital, and social media experts Capella Synergy, providing their expertise in analysis into the data behind EDGE. The event took guests through a deep dive into EDGE Venues Business Intelligence, providing insight into the user-trends behind the technology.

To date, the platform is used by over 190 agents and corporates and at the Marketing Masterclass, it was revealed that £7.7m of event revenue has been tracked in EDGE in its first four months with a further estimate of £7.5m direct bookings from agents and corporates and more than 1000 qualified and prospected enquiries.  

Jacqui Kavanagh, Managing Director for EDGE Venues had this to say on the success of the event: “We’re absolutely delighted by the turnout for our first EDGE Venues Marketing Masterclass. We opened this event up to both licensees and non-licensees of EDGE as an opportunity to showcase our success to date. The digital platform has been really well received by both bookers and the venues that are using it to maximise their exposure. We’ve seen more than 1,000 enquiries that have been directly trackable through EDGE, this doesn’t include those that have booked directly. We’ve taken all feedback on the site back to our developers and will continue to make enhancements – this includes our recent redesign of the homepage.”

Will Smith, Event Manager at the Flowerpot Hoxton and licensee of EDGE Venues said this about the Masterclass: “The EDGE Marketing Masterclass was an excellent afternoon. Being invited to such a prestigious event with industry experts made me feel incredibly valued as a customer. I came away from having learnt some excellent insights into the future of the events industry and having made some wonderful connections with industry peers. 

“I’ve been on the EDGE site for eight weeks and being able to communicate the agencies which utilise it means I’ve already confirmed my first booking. And it comfortably pays for my full year’s marketing package. As a small independent venue, I will never be able to compete with the large hotel chains for SEO or marketing budgets, but EDGE gives me every opportunity to win business when we are suitable for a clients’ needs. Our best clients are small agencies, so a platform built to give smaller agencies access to more information is a vital tool.”

Want to know how you can get involved with EDGE Venues? Contact the EDGE Team to find out more:

+44 (0) 1780 484051

enquiries@edgevenues.com

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Paris has regained its position at the top of the ICCA city rankings

Paris has reclaimed the top spot in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) city rankings for 2018, as the number of global meetings recorded hit a record high.

However, the UK has fallen from third to fifth in the country rankings, overtaken by both Spain and France, with London falling one place to seventh in the city rankings.

The US continues to top the country rankings, as ICCA captured a total of 12,937 rotating association meetings taking place in 2018. This was an increase of 379 meetings year-on-year and represents the highest annual figure ICCA has ever recorded in its yearly statistics, signalling that industry growth is continuing on a strong trajectory.

Paris climbed to the top of the city rankings by number of international association meetings with a margin of 40 meetings above second place holder Vienna. In 2017, Paris and Vienna held joint second place, with 190 meetings each. Last year’s number one Barcelona fell to fourth place, with Madrid entering the top five for the first time since 2015 in third place. Among the top five cities for another year, Berlin falls to fifth place from fourth in 2017. London fell from sixth to seventh slot, with 150 meetings.

The top 10 is as follows:

  1. Paris – 212
  2. Vienna – 172
  3. Madrid – 165
  4. Barcelona – 163
  5. Berlin – 162
  6. Lisbon – 152
  7. London – 150
  8. Singapore – 145
  9. Prague – 136
  10. Bangkok – 135

The US remains in the top country spot, unchallenged for more than two decades. Germany remains in second place while the UK dropped from third to fifth place, overtaken by Spain, which rises to third. After exiting the top five last year, France re-entered in 2018 in fourth place. Italy replaces France in sixth place, and Japan and China remain in seventh and eighth place for another year. The Netherlands and Canada swap positions, coming in at ninth and 10th respectively.

The top 10 is as follows:

  1. US – 947
  2. Germany – 642
  3. Spain – 595
  4. France – 579
  5. United Kingdom – 574
  6. Italy – 522
  7. Japan – 492
  8. China – 449
  9. Netherlands – 355
  10. Canada – 315

ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath said: “We have recorded our largest ever annual snapshot of the immediate past year’s meetings data in 2018. These results closely follow the release of our 55-year history of the international association meetings market in October 2018.

“ICCA’s latest figures uphold the mature, robust growth pattern we identified in this report and provide more evidence of our firm belief that the association sector continues to be an unrivalled stimulator of global societal development and force for progress across the globe.”

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London hotels see room rates increase in April

STR’s preliminary April 2019 data for London hotels reported an increase in Average daily rate (ADR) of 1.4% to £143.01.

According to the report, year-over-year, supply is increased by 2.3% during the month, with demand also growing by 0.7%. However, occupancy decreased by 1.6% to 81.1% during the period, and Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also slipped 0.1% to £115.99.

A statement by the group read: “The absolute ADR level is the highest for any April in STR’s London database. STR analysts attribute the decrease in occupancy to supply growth, and to a lesser extent, the Easter calendar shift from early April last year.”

It comes as UK hoteliers saw an “encouraging start” to the year as a result of a “healthy rise” in hotel demand from international travellers.

The findings from Expedia Group, drawn from Q1 2019 data (January, February, March), show that demand for trips made by international travellers increased when compared with the same period last year, with major metropolitan cities and several regions across the country boosted by double digit year-on-year growth.

Outside of London, a number of major cities experienced notable growth, including Manchester (over +10% year on year), Edinburgh (+15% year on year), Glasgow, Leeds and Cardiff (each +10% year on year).

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Birmingham set for £32.1 million boost from Cricket World Cup

Birmingham is set to benefit from a £32.1 million economic boost by hosting five matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (30 May-14 July).

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup takes place in England and Wales for the fifth time this summer, with the hosts joined by nine other nations, including Australia and Pakistan.

The figure comes from analysis by global accountancy firm EY. The report – conducted on behalf of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – considered a number of factors.

These included ticket sales; match day spending on food, drink and merchandise; wider spending from international visitors in the hospitality, retail and transport sectors; and the tourism and business legacy from the tournament’s global exposure.

The global sporting spotlight will be at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium on 30 June, as it hosts the eagerly-awaited clash between cricket’s current top two One Day International sides, England and India.

The fixture will also feature a day of celebration for UNICEF’s #OneDay4Children, helping children to learn, play and be healthy.

Nicola Hewitt, Commercial Director for the West Midlands Growth Company, which operates Visit Birmingham, said: “Sport plays a hugely significant role in drawing record numbers of domestic and international visitors to the West Midlands, boosting the region’s economy.

“It also brings us firmly to the attention of worldwide investors and our global target markets, helping new and existing businesses across our patch to grow. 

Neil Snowball, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium, added: “With five games in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the opening Test of the Specsavers Ashes Series both coming to Edgbaston, 2019 will be the biggest summer of cricket that we have experienced in Birmingham. 

“Edgbaston undertook a substantial stadium redevelopment project in recent years to ensure that we continue to bring the biggest matches in the global game to Birmingham.

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Hilton is opening new hotels in London and Birmingham

The LXR Biltmore Mayfair is due to open in June 2019. It is the first in Europe from Hilton’s new brand LXR, the first hotel in this group was the Habtoor Palace in Dubai. The hotel is located on Grosvenor Square and will have 257 bedrooms and 51 suites. It was previously the Millennium Mayfair Hotel, but following the multi-million-pound refurbishment, it was decided to re-brand as the luxury LXR. For events, the hotel has a 500 sqm ballroom and various smaller meeting rooms for up to 100 attendees.

The Doubletree by Hilton Birmingham has an opening date of October 2019. This property was previously the Royal Angus Hotel in the Snow Hill area of the city. It will have 186 bedrooms and the size of the meeting space is yet to be confirmed. However, two extra floors and a rooftop terrace will be added.

Hilton is introducing another new brand to London, with the Motto by Hilton London Marlebone, which is due to open in the summer of 2020. This property will have about 100 bedrooms and is located in the Old Marlebone Road. Motto Hotels will have ‘an urban vibe in prime global locations’ and will be small. The ‘micro-hotels’ will have multi-functional, rooms that can be customised (pictured above). The concept is aimed at friends and family groups wanting more than a hostel and guests can book multiple connecting rooms with wall beds, lofted beds and multi-functional furniture that can be put away when not required.

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Inside the Dubai Exhibition Centre, host venue of Expo 2020

The team behind the in-construction Dubai Exhibition Centre has released a ‘fly-through’ video of the venue, ahead of its opening on 20 October 2020.

The venue will be home to Expo 2020, the six-month world expo taking place in Dubai next year.

DEC will comprise 45,000sqm of space spread across two campuses, a theatre, auditorium, several multi-purpose halls, four suites and 24 meeting rooms.

The DEC aims to create a legacy of business and tourism in the region, encouraging a sustainable and diversified economy in line with UAE Vision 2021 – a set of national priorities to mark the country’s Golden Jubilee.

Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Delivery Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “By any standard, the Dubai Exhibition Centre will be a cutting-edge venue that will play a pivotal role during Expo 2020.

“But the impact of such a unique space will stretch well beyond the six months of the Expo, boosting the region’s meetings and events industry, furthering the UAE’s reputation as a destination for major conferences, and fuelling growth in Dubai’s knowledge-based economy for many years to come.”

Shaun Vorster, Vice President, Strategy and Business Integration – Programming at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “There will be no place on the planet offering more exceptional business networking opportunities than Expo 2020 Dubai, and the DEC will be right at its heart.

“Bookings are already going well and this latest 3D animated fly-through, which gives a taster of the high-tech facilities on offer, has already sparked keen interest among the 190 countries participating in Expo 2020.”

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Conference and Hospitality Show 2019 welcomes 1,350 attendees

The 2019 Conference & Hospitality Show welcomed 1,350 attendees to the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 30 April.

Attendance was up by 10% from last year, as were pre-registration numbers. The event had a 74% conversion rate from pre-reg to attending the show.

Emma Cartmell, CEO of CHS Group, said: “We’re delighted with the response we’ve had to the Conference & Hospitality Show (CHS19) this year. 

“We’re blessed with a really loyal following who come to CHS every year and the 10th anniversary status has also attracted a high percentage of new exhibitors and visitors this year who will get to experience Leeds hospitality for the first time.”

“The city has been very good to us and Leeds BID, who have described CHS as the conferencing ‘jewel in the crown’ has been a great support, particularly when we upscaled to First Direct Arena. 

“An economic impact survey estimated the show attracted £0.5m to the city in 2017, our estimates predict we are on target to substantially beat that figure this year.”

CHS group communications manager Julie Phillips said: “CHS is the premier meetings, incentive, conference and events (MICE) shows outside of London and its reputation, and indeed, numbers have grown YoY to become one of the best events, venue and hospitality showcases in the industry calendar for event professionals.”

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We take a look at Hilton’s newest hotels in Europe and further afield

Doubletree by Hilton La Torre Golf and Spa Resort

This hotel opened recently and is 20 minutes from Murcia Airport and an hour from Alicante. The ballroom is the largest meeting room, with capacity for 800 people for a dinner and there are four smaller meeting rooms which can be divided. The hotel has 133 bedrooms. It is situated beside a lake and golf course, with a spa, swimming pools and fitness facilities.

Grand Tirolia Hotel Kitzbuhel, Austria

The Grand Tirolia Hotel opened in December 2018 and is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The nearest airport is Saltzburg, which is a 90-minute transfer. The hotel has 81 bedrooms and 5 meeting rooms, the largest has capacity for 300 people in theatre-style. Located on a golf course, there are two terraces with views of the Tyrolean Alps and in winter, the lifts for Kitzbuhel ski area are about 4½ km away.

Conrad Washington DC

The Conrad Washington DC opened in February 2019 and is located downtown. There are 380 bedrooms and 8 meeting rooms. The largest event space is the Ballroom which has capacity for 850 people in theatre-style. There is also a rooftop bar which can be used as event space for a drinks reception of 200 people.

Waldorf Astoria – Dubai International Financial Centre

This hotel is due to open in August 2019. It is on the 18th – 55th floor of the Burj Daman, which also contains offices and apartments. The largest event space will be the ballroom which has capacity for 270 people for a banquet and there is a library with open kitchen which can be used for meetings.

New hotels due in 2020

Two more properties to look out for in Europe, both currently scheduled to open in September 2020 – the Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower and the Parliament Hotel Reykjavik, Curio Collection.

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Networking highlight valued by millennials, but do not expect them to go it alone

A survey of meeting and event planners carried out by The Meetings Show has found that millennials value networking more highly than any other generation, but are reluctant to attend events on their own.

Overall, 59% of participants in the survey regarded networking events as an important part of their job, but this figure rose to 85% among 18-30-year-olds, who cited making new contacts (80%) and raising their profile in the industry (71%) as the key reasons for attending.

While the younger generation clearly see the value in networking, the majority – 85% – were averse to attending on their own, preferring to go with a colleague or group of colleagues.

More experienced event planners were happier to go it alone, with over a third (36.4%) of 31-45-year-olds preferring to attend by themselves.

Motivations for attending differed among the older generations too, with generating new business leads and meeting with existing industry contacts and friends being cited as key drivers by more than 50% of respondents over 30.

The survey also looked at the logistics which make the ‘perfect’ networking event and found that midweek events were most popular, with 69% preferring events held on Wednesdays, while more than half (52.2%) said they would be willing to travel no more than an hour to attend an event.

When it comes to the format of events, paired or group activities was the most popular option, chosen by 53% of respondents, although for the 31-45 age group appointment-based networking was preferred, while for planners aged 46 and over, seat rotation at a dinner was chosen by 70%.

David Chapple, group event director of The Meetings Show, said: “Networking is one of the core pillars of The Meetings Show, and so we are always reviewing the way we facilitate networking to make sure it’s of the most benefit to our exhibitors and visitors. The findings of the survey have reinforced just how important it is, especially for younger event professionals looking to grow their networks and raise their profile within the industry.

“Walking into a room full of people you don’t know can be daunting, which is why this year we have introduced a new initiative specifically aimed at helping junior event planners. If they have a senior colleague who is attending the show as a hosted buyer, then on the second day of the show the junior colleague will be able to join them for all of their appointments, as well as having access to the hosted buyer lounge, for a less intimidating introduction to the industry.

“With networking at The Meetings Show being provided in a number of different formats, all either on the show floor or within easy reach of Olympia, we hope that all of our attendees will benefit from the opportunity to come together at the show.”

The Meetings Show takes place on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June at Olympia London. To register, visit www.themeetingsshow.com/register.

Watch and share the official 2019 Show Preview video here – https://youtu.be/vC-VkAP9Qgk.

Taking place on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June 2019, The Meetings Show is the premier event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry, organised by Centaur Live (a division of Centaur Media Plc). Organised by meeting professionals for meeting professionals, it is focused around a large exhibition, networking opportunities and professional education. The hosted buyer programme – the largest in the UK – attracts buyers from the corporate, association, agency and public sectors. The show features destinations from over 50 countries across 6 continents, venues, hotels and key providers of meetings products and services.

The Show includes:

  • The Exhibition: Featuring destinations, venues, hotels and suppliers, the exhibition sits at the heart of The Meetings Show.  
  • Education Programme: Planned by education experts from across the industry, the conference sessions work in harmony with the exhibition and more than 10,000 meetings taking place on the floor.
  • Networking: The Meetings Show offers an unrivalled networking opportunity for event venues, event buyers and suppliers.  For those looking to see more before and after the show, there will also be fam trips visiting key destinations around the UK and internationally.

The Meetings Show has an Advisory Board that meets several times a year both in person and virtually, bringing together their wealth of experience, ideas and strategic understanding of the meetings industry.