We’ve all seen the rise of the #MeToo movement in the last few years, so how do you make sure your event or meeting is not the next news item?
The answer is to have a Code of Conduct. In the USA, a survey has found that 60% of respondents experienced harassment while attending a conference. Most of them did not report the problem to anyone. About one third of meeting planners have had to manage a situation where an attendee reported being sexually harassed.
This is an area that you need to get right, not only to address the behaviour and make sure it doesn’t happen again. But if you don’t, then there are legal implication, reputational harm and loss of staff morale. It’s important to have a Code of Conduct in place to set the tone of the event and behavioural expectations and make sure that everyone operates in an environment of respect. It will also help to avoid complaints.
Here are some pointers of how to write your Code of Conduct:
Incorporate your company’s values, principles and mission
The Code is meaningless unless attendees know about it – think about putting it on your event website or app, or you could make it part of the registration process, put it in the conference materials or it could be mentioned in the introduction to the event.
If you have a meeting code of conduct, then you need to be prepared to enforce it. That means that you need to educate those tasked with receiving complaints and put sound investigation practices in place
Make sure someone has been nominated to receive complaints
Communication – ensure everyone knows who go to and how to report an issue
Appoint a neutral investigator – this could be someone internal or external as long as they are objective and knowledgeable, whilst being able to demonstrate that they want to find out the truth Have a full understanding of the code and the complaint process
Ensure that there is confidentiality and discretion. Other people within the business will need to know about it, but ensure it is as few as possible
Undertake any investigation immediately
Make the investigation thorough, from both sides and talk to any witnesses
Do you still investigate if the complainant changes their mind? Yes – if you want to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and you need to be seen to be taking this seriously.
And remember, this doesn’t just apply to attendees, but also speakers, sponsors, contractors and everyone involved in your event.
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.”
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.”
The idea of throwing yourself into a room of people you don’t know is a daunting prospect for most people, but networking is one of the best things that you can do to learn about what’s happening in the industry and develop your career.
It’s easier to do to do business with people you know or by recommendation and industry events, forums, educationals and exhibitions are a good way to make connections. But it’s not just about face-to-face meetings, there are networking opportunities online and social media sites give everyone access to a global community.
Practice
It can be hard to start a conversation with a stranger, so start in the office, at the gym or when you’re out and about by talking to people you don’t know. Just begin with small talk and see where the conversation goes.
Prepare
Spend a little time thinking about what you want to achieve from the networking event and have a few questions ready to ask new people. Also think about what you want to tell them about yourself, as it’s a two-way process. What news can you give them or place business or share contacts that will help.
Relax
Try not to worry about what to say next or what the other person is thinking. Focus on the person you’re talking to. Smile and look as open and approachable as you can, if you look friendly then someone will come and have a conversation with you.
Focus
Give the person you are talking to your complete attention. It’s off-putting if you’re looking for someone new to talk to. Build a rapport by asking questions and listening carefully. When the conversation has finished then move around the room.
Pick your events
There are so many opportunities but going to everything is time-consuming and exhausting. It’s better to be strategic and plan which events are most likely to be worthwhile.
Find a friend
If you’re going to an event alone, try and make at least one connection as this will make everything much easier. A lot of people in the room will be feeling the same way as you and don’t know anyone else either, so look for other people on their own and see how you can make them feel more comfortable.
Or, if you can, take a colleague this will make you comfortable until you gain confidence and find some new contacts of your own.
Keep in touch
Maintaining a relationship with a new contact is crucial to networking. Follow up with an email, connect on LinkedIn or another social media platform. Share ongoing news from time to time and find out what other events they are going to attend and catch up with them again there
We’ve all walked in to a room where everyone seems to know each other and are in groups, but remember that those confident people were in your shoes once. Even the ones who have been attending networking events for years still may not really enjoy it, but can hide it through years of practice and experience.
The official convention bureau for London and Paris have announced a new partnership which they claim will see the two cities working together for the first time to deliver a “unique two-in-one incentive trip”.
The agreement is aimed at inspiring North American incentive buyers to book a 2-in-1 trip for their clients.
The itineraries have been curated to showcase how easy it is to enjoy both cities in one incentive trip and includes an official partnership with Eurostar.
Joshua Novick, VP Business Tourism at London Convention Bureau said: “London and Paris are two of the world’s top business and leisure travel destinations, making this a really powerful offer for incentive planners. With so many great hotels, cultural attractions, parks, restaurants and experiences, we are excited to be able to bring such a unique incentive offering to the market. London is open to collaboration with other likeminded, global cities and by working together as we are doing in this way, we can offer a once-in-a-lifetime incentive travel experience that allows delegates to experience two amazing cities in one epic trip.”
Corinne Menegaux, general manager of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau added: “Paris & London are an ideal 2-in-1 destination to hold a conference or an incentive. These cities are internationally renowned for numerous reasons such as the quality of their infrastructures, their trendy hotels and innovative activities. Both cities combine leisure & business attractions that are the keys to successful events and they have a constantly evolving offer to make the ‘Old World’ very attractive! If you’re looking for an unusual place to organize a meeting or a dinner, the two capitals are available for private hire, with a wide range of venues ranging from iconic museums to cutting-edge galleries and revolutionary conference centres.”
Inge Bauwens, lead sales manager, Eurostar concluded: “It’s easy to fit the best of London and Paris in to a single trip, with a seamless Eurostar journey between the two cities in just over two hours. For those looking to make the journey even more enjoyable, groups that have booked an entire coach can add an exclusive experience on board, with themes ranging from food and drink to arts and culture available to entertain guests whilst they travel.”
Reducing our use of plastic, particularly single use plastic, is a hot topic at the moment and we all know that there is a lot of waste created by events and exhibitions. Recycling has increased, but it’s probably best to stop the problem at the source. So, we’ve taken a look at a few things that can be changed to reduce our use of plastic at our events.
Plan from Day One
Talk to all the stakeholders and clients to see what is important to them. Do they have a sustainability policy? If so this should be shared at the earliest possible stage of planning.
Think about what will be thrown away at the end of the event and try to find an alternative from the start.
Venue finding
Ask the prospective venues questions about their use of plastic items and recycling policy and find solutions that are easy to implement. If you want a plastic-free event, then the best way to start is to find a venue and destination that matches your requirements. That’s far easier than introducing a new way of working to a venue that’s not set up for it.
Name badges
There are lots of alternatives to the plastic badge holder. The simple solution is just to clip the badge straight on to the lanyard and it’s easier to reuse the lanyards at another event afterwards.
Ban plastic water bottles and single use coffee cups
Ask your venue to provide alternatives. If there’s a goodie bag, how about putting a keep cup or reusable bottle in there for the event attendees to use. Lots of people have their own already and are happy to use them. They also carry water bottles, so water dispensers can be used, with ice and fruit, instead of bottles of water.
Straws
Ir’s now quite unusual to be given a drink with a plastic straw. Lots of venues are now using paper straws, but consider if you need straws at all.
Signage
Can the signage be re-used, or if not can it be recycled? Try not to laminate any paper, as this can’t be recycled.
Conference bags and incentive items
Make sure they are environmentally friendly and of value or they will be discarded during the event.
Recycling
The recycling bins need to be obvious and have clear labels of what can be recycled in which bin.
This week Excel has announced a ‘No Plastic’ campaign and all plastic straws have been removed by retailers in the central boulevard. They also offer a discount to customers who have a reusable cup. Permanent water fountains have been installed to provide free chilled water to visitors, exhibitors and organisers who bring a reusable container. They’ve also introduced new waste bins to enable visitors to sort their rubbish more easily.
Scandic Hotels decided to stop using plastic straws and cocktail sticks in all of its hotels and are working to remove all single-use disposable items made of plastic. They were using approximately 1.3 million straws and 120 000 cocktail sticks every year. The plastic lids for take away coffee mugs have been replaced with biodegradable ones. This group has provided toiletries in large dispensers for many years.
IHG has already removed plastic straws from around 1,000 hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa and they’ve announced that plastic straws will be removed from all hotels by the end of 2019, which is more than 5,400 hotels in nearly 100 countries. They are also are introducing bulk-size bathroom amenities to several hotel brands in the Americas, as part of broader efforts to reduce waste.
Conference and meeting venues are being urged to take part in the 2019 UK Conference and Meeting Survey (UKCAMS), now in its 26th year.
Sponsored by VisitBritain, the UKCAMS 2019 report is scheduled for publication in June and has a specific focus on the value and volume of the market and the performance of meeting venues. It also highlights key market trends identified by venues.
The 2018 research found that the conference and meetings sector was worth an estimated £18.1 billion to the UK economy, with some 1.29 million meetings taking place in 2017.
Kerrin MacPhie, head of business events at VisitBritain, said: “We are pleased to be supporting the Conference and Meeting Survey to enhance our understanding of the work and activity undertaken by UK venues in the international business events market. We are also keen on using the survey to discover how UK venues and destinations are performing in securing international events.
“Industry initiatives such as this are great for encouraging as many UK venues to get involved in contributing to the research, which helps to ensure Britain remains a competitive destination in the global business events marketplace.”
The 2019 survey asks UK venues to provide data on their conference and meeting business during the calendar year 2018. It includes questions on the number of events hosted, rates achieved, event duration and size, client type, levels of residential and non-residential business, origins of business, and investment plans. UKCAMS 2019 also includes a section on the targeting and securing of international events by UK venues.
Participating venues will receive a complimentary, personalised summary report enabling them to benchmark their performance against other comparable venues. The research is being carried out by Tony Rogers of Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services and Richard Smith of RJS Associates via an online survey.
Tony Rogers said: “The UKCAMS research has a proven track record as a source of reliable and robust information and market intelligence. It helps venues and destinations, as well as other industry stakeholders, to understand the latest and emerging trends in order to target their marketing and investment decisions to greatest effect. UKCAMS also plays a key role in highlighting the significance and value of the conference and meetings sector to the national economy.”
VisitBritain has announced its flagship business event MeetGB will return this year to show 120 international buyers why the UK is the destination of choice for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
MeetGB will welcome 80 suppliers from venues, hotels and local attractions across the UK to do business with global buyers from France, Germany and North America at the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor from Thursday 11 to Friday 12 April 2019.
The programme will see the buyers and suppliers engage in one-to-one business meetings, networking events and workshops.
VisitBritain chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “We are proud to bring MeetGB to Windsor in 2019 after the success of our inaugural event in 2018.
“MeetGB has been designed with global buyers in mind to demonstrate the breadth and quality of the UK’s meetings and events industry, highlighting VisitBritain’s commitment to growing the business events sector.
“MeetGB gives UK suppliers a platform to promote their products on an international scale, creating valuable business connections that will ultimately drive more international MICE events across the country.”
Ahead of the business programme, buyers will be introduced to some of the best of the UK’s conference and events offering as they take part in three days of educational visits across the country.
MeetGB is hosted by VisitBritain in partnership with VisitEngland, Visit Wales, VisitScotland and Tourism Northern Ireland.
VisitBritain promotes business events worldwide under the Events are GREAT brand, part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign.
The brand drives awareness of Britain’s destinations and products, highlighting its history of research, innovation and high-quality infrastructure, positioning it as a leading destination for business events.
by Paul Kennedy MBE, Director and Owner, Kennedy Integrated Solutions
When I was asked to write about this subject with its long title it initially felt like that old school task of writing about the history of the world in one short essay. Well, now like then, I have decided the topic is too vast, too diverse and too subjective to try to cover a large range of topics so I am just going to focus on a small number. I am NOT going to talk about Brexit because like everyone else I don’t have the answers; I am NOT going to talk about Trump despite having a keen sense of humour and I am not going to claim that what I say identifies the challenges and achievements which are the most important as the criteria to judge which are, are simply too complex.
As I look back and peer forward …
… the industry I joined almost thirty years ago feels very different indeed. The first achievement I think worthy of note might be viewed as an academic one and this is how the meetings and events industry in all its guises and definitions has gained much wider political and policy making recognition.
At a macro perspective there is now a methodology which can measure the gross economic impact of our industry at a national level and this can indicate the contribution to GDP, employment levels and the generation of taxation revenues. Who would have thought that in the UK there would ever be a cross party all parliamentary group which acts as a voice for the work that our industry colleagues contribute to the wider economy? This economic value is currently being explored and championed further by the discussions around the subject of the knowledge economy and how the world of meetings and events can and arguably should be aligned in the quest to attract events to a destination.
Such strategic thought of say trying to attract meetings in subjects and industry sectors which are relevant to local economies, their talent pool and academic and research agendas is now to many an obvious thing to do. The Iceberg initiative founded and championed by that clever man James Latham is an example of real joined up thinking about how the destination supply side of our industry can think more strategically about the type of business it could and arguably should try to acquire.
The second area of my ramblings …
… once again focuses on the supply side and its explosion at a global level. Almost every day I read about a new meetings hotel being opened or planned; there are as I write something in the region of 40 new convention and event centres being planned, expanded or opened in Europe alone (Blackpool, Aberdeen, Gateshead, Newport in the UK to name just four) and the opening up of the myriad of new air routes many relatively low cost, presents the meeting, event or incentive planner with an incredibly increase in choice.
This destination competitive landscape will I believe continue to grow rapidly-there are it is reported 5000 towns and cities in Europe alone and the thirst for something new and different among meeting planners from all sectors would suggest that venues and hotels and the cities and region in which they are based will need to keep spending their marketing budgets as competition increase well above current levels.
My personal view is that digital marketing and face to face business development activity will become ever more dominate and that traditional trade press will become increasingly marginalised in the battle to acquire inbound meetings business .
But how have meetings changed?
This alone is one of those topics which spurn many books and much commentary. The transition for meeting planners from a more traditional focus on meeting logistics to meeting content is now well established across all sectors.
The discussions around meeting design, meetings architecture (pioneered by Maarten Van Este) and the ROI of meetings (championed in Europe by Elling Hamso) for example have really aided the debate around the value which meetings and events bring to organisation, and continue to drive the evolution of content and ideally the increase in delegate satisfaction and experience. If any organiser is failing to embrace issues such as these then perhaps as planners they will personally become less valuable in time.
Technological development
I guess there would be howls of derision, not least from Jacqui Kavanagh, if I did not mention technological development. Well although technological developments impact on all elements of our business and many elements of consumer life the old arguments that technology would lead to a dramatic reduction in meetings now surely has been consigned to the waste basket (it seems modern offices no longer have a waste bin for each desk!)
There is little doubt that technology has massively widened how we can plan and deliver meetings and research suggests that despite virtual conferencing increasing still further and replacing some small scale business and other meetings, the underlying trend for meetings continues to rise as economies grow and national boundaries open up.
There is strong evidence that in some sectors the number of delegates at mid to large events has and will continue to decline; in the world of international associations the challenge about how to attract younger generations into membership and then to attend meetings is of growing concern; intuitively it seems to me that this challenge must be associated with how today we all acquire, access and process information and for some will greatly influence how they choose to be part of a community or association.
I have selected just a small number of topics which have and will continue impact my career as a meeting and event planner and supplier. There are many more subjects I could of course have selected but none of the above or those issues not discussed, have been more impactful or important that the network of friends and professional colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure and privilege of working meeting and conversing with.
I can only ponder that the interaction with other professionals or like- minded and inquisitive individuals is why the world of meetings and events exists and continues to build, continues to enthrall and motivate and why I believe will for the long term continue to play a pivotal role in the lives of the many tens and tens of millions who attend meetings every year.
Kennedy Integrated Solutions advises destinations at a city, regional or national level, venues and venue groups, event companies and individual business executives about how to make their businesses grow and their organisations to become more effective and successful.
There’s been a lot of publicity about sexual harassment and the #metoo movement in the last year, but how would you handle a complaint of this sort if it happened at your event? What about a conference attendee smoking, vaping, carrying a gun or taking marijuana? In some places, this behaviour is permitted and it is important that we all know how to deal with these situations if they arise.
Sexual harassment is not unique to the meetings industry, but meetings do offer opportunities for abusive behaviour. You could get a complaint about any activity that an individual or group considers inappropriate and at meetings people often present themselves differently, as they are away from home, family and in unusual circumstances outside the office environment. Other issues which could offend are social media postings, suitable clothing and verbal comments, such as racist, anti-lgbt etc
Marijuana is now legal in Canada, as well as in 10 states in the US: California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. If you are holding an event here, you need to anticipate that attendees may want to use and what can be done to make sure that it is done safely. As this is a relatively recent development the liability laws have not been developed, as has been the case with alcohol.
EDGE Venues has looked at some items that you might want to consider when planning your event. If you’re organising an internal conference, then your company standards may cover some of these items, but if it is an external event then there are additional things to consider.
Checklist:
Outline what behaviour is unacceptable at meetings and events
Do attendees have a clear understanding of what is permitted and not permitted eg harassment, excessive drinking and other conduct
Issue instructions for an attendee to report improper conduct
Set up procedures for how you will investigate and respond if a complaint or allegation is made
If misconduct is found, plan what corrective action will be taken
Document all reported incidents, investigations and results
Check your insurance cover and any policy issues
Check your suppliers’ insurance cover and make sure these are adequate
Check national and state laws and regulations, make sure they are enforced
Have adequate security
Minimize opportunities for attendees to cause harassment, injuries or damage.
Accusations may be as harmful as proved bad conduct, as the perception of a badly managed event or one with a reputation for inappropriate behaviour will deter delegates from attending and will have a long term detrimental effect.
