Tag: Monday Insights

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Monday Insights – June 13th

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

Headlines

Bradford has been crowned UK City of Culture 2025, taking on the prestigious title from Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries approved the winner based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by TV writer-producer Sir Phil Redmond. The experts visited each of the four shortlisted places, including County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough, to learn more about the bids before making their final recommendation.

Bradford will now receive £275,000 in initial seed funding to ensure the city can hit the ground running and get the wheels in motion early as it develops its plans for 2025. This grant will help pave the way for a year of unforgettable cultural activities and events.

Bradford is a young and vibrant city with a rich heritage. Its impressive bid drew upon its wide range of local cultural assets, including the Bronte Parsonage, Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site and the National Science and Media Museum.

The city is also investing in its future cultural assets. It secured £20 million from the Levelling Up fund to invest in the Squire Lane Wellbeing and Enterprise Centre. And it is using a £4 million DCMS grant to redevelop the Bradford Odeon into a 4,000-seat live music and entertainment venue: ‘Bradford Live’.

Find out more here.

Jane Longhurst has been awarded for an OBE for her services to the business events sector in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours’ List.

Before her retirement from her role as chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association (mia) in November, Jane was the driving force behind the trade association, committed to championing, collaborating with and uniting the many different parts of the sector while also advocating best practice to raise industry standards.

The honour particularly recognises Jane’s role during the pandemic, working around the clock leading a simultaneous government, media and member relations strategy, where she provided insight, clarity and guidance alongside a comprehensive suite of business support tools that were signposted by government.

“There were so many incredible people working tirelessly throughout the pandemic pulling out every stop in support of the industry, so to have been singled out with an honour is extremely humbling. This recognition alongside the unanimous supportive feedback from members and high retention rates during my time at the mia would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the wider mia team.”  

Jane Longhurst

Read more on M&IT.

How big are the event supply chain’s current challenges? M&IT editor Paul Harvey talks to Andrew Harrison, director of the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) about the current challenges, whether it can be characterised as a crisis, and what the future holds.

Listen here.

The frequency of multilingual meetings and events is increasing, but the use of translation to bridge the language gap remains low.

To better understand how companies are addressing multilingual meeting and event collaboration challenges, Wordly commissioned a comprehensive global study to identify current practices and future industry trends.

The resulting 2022 State of Multilingual Collaboration found that Sales and Marketing professionals responsible for planning and managing multilingual meetings and events want to increase inclusivity and engagement in order to reach more global employees, customers, and partners.

Language barriers are recognized as an obstacle, even when participants speak some English. Human-powered interpretation solutions are still popular, but there is a growing demand for technology powered solutions like AI-powered translation. Some key findings from the research are summarized below:

  • 77% of Corporate Meeting and Event Planners Report an Increase in Multilingual Attendees (English is not their primary language)
  • Over the Past Year – 72% Expect the Trend to Continue Next Year
  • 60% Typically See 6 or More Languages Spoken – 23% See 11 or More Languages
  • 95% of Corporate Meeting and Event Planners Have Some Experience Using Interpretation and Translation at Their Events – 76% Report Their Usage Is Increasing But 42% Have Limited or No Experience
  • Interpretation Is Used at Both In-Person Events (79%) and Virtual Events (61%)
  • Only 33% Report They Regularly Offer Interpretation.

Download the full report, here.

Double Take

TV personality Linda Papadopoulos has been announced for C&IT’s inaugural Festival of Forums. Linda will open the main day of content on Thursday 28 July.

Dr Linda Papadopoulos is one of the best-known and well-respected psychologists in the UK. An author, broadcaster and academic, she combines professional research on human behaviour and trends with the ability to deliver advice and insights in accessible, relevant ways. 

Linda will be talking to event planners about how to apply psychology to the design of event agendas, to maximise engagement and meaningful experiences.

Festival of Forums takes place from 26-29 July at the SEC, Glasgow. For more information, and to secure your place to hear Linda speak, click here.

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Monday Insights – June 6th

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

Headlines

Paul Harvey, Editor of M&IT, has written a fantastic feature about the Platinum Jubilee, with which everyone in the team behind EDGE Venues 100% per cent concurs. Writing about the pride that eventprofs involved with should feel, he covers the scale of the celebrations. From Trooping the Colour, the incredible flypast in London, lighting of the beacons, the Platinum Party at the Palace and an outstanding drone display, to a fun pageant, and of course, that clip with Queen Elizabeth showing Paddington Bear what she keeps in her black handbag.

All shone a light on 70 years of the Queen’s reign while simultaneously lighting up the UK events sector.

Read Paul’s feature here.

Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business, together with representatives from ExCeL London and London & Partners, used the opening of IMEX Frankfurt to champion the capital as a world-class event destination.

ExCeL – home to London’s International Convention Centre – also confirmed that construction works for its 25,000sqm expansion programme are well underway and set to enhance its status as the home of world-leading events. 

Developed to exceed industry standards in sustainability, the project will create additional state-of-the-art ICC convention facilities, exhibition halls and conference rooms, together with stunning outdoor spaces – all designed to put London at the forefront of the global events industry.

Speaking during the press conference at IMEX, Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal said: “After two years of insecurity, it’s very clear the events industry in London is roaring back to life. I’m delighted to be here today to showcase the exciting opportunities the city boasts. London is a world-class and sustainably focused destination for events, and there has never been a better time to host your meeting, congress or event here.”

“… it’s very clear the events industry in London is roaring back to life.”

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) board has unanimously appointed Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester and Co-Founder of Parklife and The Warehouse Project, as Chair of its Board of Directors.

Sacha has worked hand-in-hand with the NTIA and stakeholders across the UK over the last two years, and has established himself as one of the stand out voices within the sector. 

He says: “The Night Time Industries Association is a critical player in the sector, and has been a key voice in representing operators, not just in London but nationally across the UK.”

“I am honoured to be joining as Chair at this pivotal time in the sector’s recovery. There is still so much work to be done to help operators through these difficult times, and I wholly support the NTIA in their efforts to create better working practices for those in the industry, achieve greater funding for businesses nationwide, and develop vital initiatives to ensure everyone working within, or using the night time economy, gets home safely.”

Sacha Lord

Double Take

The Fast Forward 15 (FF15) Class of 2022 had their graduation at Tobacco Dock on May 20. The 2023 cohort was also revealed for the first time during a day packed full of shared experiences courtesy of the outgoing cohort.

Read more about the event on Conference News, with thoughts of some of the new cohort on what it means to be a FF15 mentee.

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Monday Insights – May 30th

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

Headlines

The winners of the 15th annual Stadium Events and Hospitality Awards 2022 were announced on Friday 26 May, at Anfield Stadium.

The Stadium Events and Hospitality Awards celebrate the best UK football and rugby stadia venues and raise the profile of fantastic matchday hospitality and specialist events teams. The 2022 awards took place in the 20th Anniversary year of the organisers, Stadium Experience – a not-for-profit marketing collaboration of around 40 football, rugby and cricket club venues across the UK.

You can view the full list of deserving winners and runners-up in each category on Conference News.

The team behind EDGE Venues would like to congratulate all of the winners.

The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) has pledged to plant a tree for every meeting the company hosts at IMEX this week. The venue, which recently announced its ambition to achieve net-zero by 2030, hosted the COP26 conference last year.

The OVO Hydro, one of the three main venues on the SEC campus, is the world’s first arena to achieve the ‘A Greener Arena Certification. Additionally, the company has introduced sustainable ‘stack cups’ for live events, which will reduce the venue’s carbon emissions by 1,500 tonnes over ten years.

The SEC has made further significant moves to reduce its carbon footprint in recent years. 100% of the venue’s electricity comes from renewable sources. And the business continues to work towards activities that encourage sustainable behaviour across every facet of its operations.

As part of this, the SEC will plant a tree in the Caledonian Forest on behalf of everyone the team meets at IMEX. The business already has an existing relationship with the local charity, Trees for Life, which it has worked with for the last 15 years, contributing to the growth of 170,000. Through the meetings next week, the venue is looking to continue to build on that figure.

“We’ve set our ambition for net zero by 2030 and its something both ourselves and our clients want to talk about,” commented Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales, Scottish Event Campus.

“The Trees for Life initiative at IMEX underlines that we’re threading sustainability into everything we do, from our operations to our sales and marketing. It’s also a way to do something positive for the people we meet at the event.”

Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales, Scottish Event Campus.

The SEC is exhibiting at IMEX on stand F420 alongside Glasgow Convention Bureau & VisitScotland.

Check out M&IT editor Paul Harvey’s report from the opening day of the Elizabeth line – and find out why it’s going to be a game-changer for the event industry.

The need to recognise the economic impact of business events is as strong as ever, Chief executive officer of the Association of Events Organisers (AEO) Chris Skeith OBE has told Exhibition News.

Chris says that while the impact of Covid-19 and the restrictions it carried was a bitter pill to swallow for the events industry, it accelerated action on important areas that had historically been slow to progress.

Read more on how AEO positioned public affairs, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability at the top of the agenda together with AEV and ESSA.

https://exhibitionnews.uk/chris-skeith-the-only-way-is-through/

European hotel prices are exceeding pre-pandemic levels. According to a feature on BTN Europe, industry specialist STR says average daily rates (ADR) are six per cent higher than pre-Covid. 

Ireland is reportedly leading the recovery, with rates 21 per cent higher than comparable 2019 levels in May. Portugal follows Ireland (18 per cent higher) and Spain (14 per cent higher). 

STR’s managing director expects Europe to follow a similar recovery trajectory to that seen in the US. The US has seen ADR surpass 2019 rates and group demand has reached 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. 

Read more about the rate changes, destinations, and occupancy rates that are trending towards a full recovery, on BTN Europe. 

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Monday Insights – May 23rd

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

Headlines

Shortlist announced for the EVCOM Clarion Awards 2022. This year’s awards entries were overseen by a panel of judges who have shortlisted entries from corporate filmmakers and event organisers across a variety of categories, including environmental, social welfare and diversity and inclusion. 

The winners will be announced at the EVCOM Clarion Awards ceremony at Mary Ward House on the 23rd June.

For the full shortlist, visit the EVCOM website, here.

Glasgow Convention Bureau to host international conference, BRAIN and BRAIN PET 2022, an international conference focusing on brain health and function. 

Although the conference is taking place from 28 May-1 June, the venue has been working with the conference organisers to help take the subject matter beyond the conference and into the local community.

Glasgow Convention Bureau connected the organisers with Brain Health Scotland; Glasgow City Council’s Education team; Network Rail and Buchanan Galleries to arrange a variety of events aimed at helping people to better understand how making healthy choices affects our brain.

Lime Venue Portfolio is reporting on another record-breaking period of event enquiries and conversions across its 80+ strong portfolio.

We’re seeing over 50% quarter-on-quarter increases across all our business sectors, and our prediction that Summer Parties would drive performance has been proven right. Fourteen per cent of all our enquiries are in the evening, reception, or social sectors. We think this could also be a good indication for a healthy Christmas Party market, which we are also seeing enquiries for as well. It shows a confidence in celebration events, and a growing value of what they can achieve for business.

We’re also seeing 33% of non-converted enquiries lost due to a lack of capacity in our venues. While this absolutely chokes me, it must be great news for the industry. It shows there are quality events being run, and that businesses have confidence in what we do, and the desire to get these programmes in place.

Jo Austin, sales director, Lime Venue Portfolio

Doubletake

London City makes net zero pledge

London City Airport has published a new sustainability roadmap in a bid to become the first net zero airport in London by the end of the decade.

Steps being taken include phasing out gas for heating its buildings and ensuring all airport vehicles become electric.

It also aspires to be the most sustainably connected airport in the UK, with 80% of all journeys to and from the airport to be made by sustainable transport modes by 2030.   

eter King, Chief Executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre said: 

“Given our size, location and the nature of our route network and operation, we are ideally placed to help shape the next phase of aviation innovation in London, establishing it as a global leader of the net zero economy, supporting innovation, research and development and creating jobs for the amazing young people of this city.

Robert Sinclair, London City Airport Chief Executive Officer
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Monday Insights – May 16th

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

Headlines

The counter-terror Protect Duty bill – otherwise known as Martyn’s Law – moved ahead another step in the legislative process on the 10th May as it was confirmed in the Queen’s Speech, which sets out the Government’s plans for the year ahead. 

The Protect Duty will be a new piece of anti-terrorism legislation designed to ensure the public is better protected from a “multifaceted, diverse and continually evolving” terror threat. Its purpose is to “keep people safe by introducing new security requirements for certain public locations and venues to ensure preparedness for and protection from terrorist attacks”. 

It follows a campaign from Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, who lost his life in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in May 2017.

Read more, including comments from Figen, on Conference News, here.

ICC Belfast will host the first All-Ireland Sustainability Summit, on 09 June 2022. Business leaders and officials from across the Island of Ireland will be gathering at ICC Belfast, where attendees will have an opportunity to put sustainability firmly on their radar for 2022 and beyond.

The aim of the event is to raise the profile of the wider sustainability agenda and help companies create positive change within their own organisations.

Danielle McCormick, Owner and Lead Consultant at sustainability consultancy, Triterra, comments “There has been a huge shift in businesses adopting more sustainable practices over the past couple of years and feel that this has really come in to play across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in more recent months.”

She continued “Research from HSBC has revealed that 78% of UK businesses expect sales to grow over the next year as a result of an increased focus on sustainability, with the main reasons cited including improving operational efficiency (26%), meet regulatory requirements (26%) and to gain a reputational advantage (24%).”

Read more on iccbelfast.com, here.

The 2022 UFI European Conference, which took place over three days, put the spotlight on important industry topics and challenges faced by exhibition and event industry professionals. UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, identified key themes of discussion, including post-pandemic recovery, new business models, the talent crisis, net zero and other sustainable questions. 

The event, which took place in Poznan, Poland, was hosted by Grupa MTP and offered a blend of keynote sessions, interactive workshops, networking and social activities.

The format of the conference continues to evolve to better serve delegates, this time including a speed networking session, organised in collaboration with London-based industry recruitment agency Expocast, and the first live Exhibition Think Tank workshop.

Read more here. 

Doubletake

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, has been confirmed as the operator for the new Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCEC) that will open in 2026. 

As the existing Government operator of convention and exhibition services in the state of Victoria, the Trust already manages the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and will manage both GCEC and MCEC to leverage expertise and opportunities to collaborate.  

GCEC will be developed on the Geelong Waterfront precinct as part of the Geelong City Deal – a partnership between the Australian and Victorian Governments, together with the City of Greater Geelong.  

The $294 million project includes the construction of a purpose-built Convention and Exhibition Centre, incorporating a 1000 seat plenary venue and at least 3700 square metres of flexible event space to allow large and small events to run concurrently.  

The centre will be a major driver of jobs and economic growth for the City of Greater Geelong and surrounding areas, supporting 600 jobs during construction and an additional 270 ongoing jobs through operations.  

Every event at GCEC will benefit a local ecosystem of hoteliers, event organisers, food providores, chefs and casual wait staff, cleaners, technicians, logistics and transport operators and more.  

Peter King, Chief Executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre said: 

“We have more than 25 years’ experience hosting and delivering world class business events and we’re excited to start operating in Geelong and the Bellarine. We look forward to engaging the local community, businesses, and event organisers as the Centre is developed. 

Read more on Event Industry News.

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Monday Insights – May 9th

London

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

Headlines

The Buyers Networking Club’s (BNC) salary survey results are in! It provides an insightful perspective and overview of salaries, roles, employment perks and packages. The survey ran for five weeks, from February 9th to March 17th 2022, and 123 BNC members took part. You can access this conference and event managers association’s report by signing up to the BNC’s mailing list atthebnc.co.uk.

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that the Elizabeth line will open on Tuesday, 24 May 2022, subject to final safety approvals.

The Elizabeth line will transform travel across London and the South East by dramatically improving transport links, cutting journey times, providing additional capacity, and transforming accessibility with spacious new stations and walk-through trains. 

The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways, with services from Reading, Heathrow and Shenfield connecting with the central tunnels from autumn this year. 

Great news for London events! Read more at tfl.gov.uk 

“Sponsors are keen to return to live events,” says etc.venues. According to Conference News, Adam Simpson, director of marketing, etc.venues, says the return of live events is good news for sponsors of conferences, awards and associations.

“Live events provide an opportunity to gain the full return on their investment in partnerships after two years of restrictions,” Adam explains.

Read the feature in full, here on Conference News.  

Doubletake

The UK’s most inclusive venues have been celebrated at the Blue Badge Access Awards at Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester. The awards promote exceptional venues comprising thoughtful, design-led accessibility and recognise those who have gone above and beyond in their mission to achieve inclusivity for all.

Fiona Jarvis, chair of judges, said: “The Blue Badge Access Awards give recognition to businesses and establishments that have addressed accessibility imaginatively and thoughtfully, which is what every hotel and hospitality venue should be striving to achieve.

For a full overview of the awards and their deserving winners, check out mitmagazine.co.uk.

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Monday Insights – April 25th

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

Headlines

European flights recover to 80 per cent of 2019 levels as reported by Business Travel News Europe according to the latest data from air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol.

Growth is primarily being driven by low-cost carriers Ryan Air at 10 per cent increase from 2019, and Wizz Air showing 17 per cent increase on 2019 services.

The rest of the European carriers are still below 2019 figures, with major operators, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France and KLM all operating at least 20 per cent of fewer services than in April 2019.

UK continues to be busiest European market with an average of 4771 flights per day, 82 per cent of 2019’s daily services.

Read more at Business Travel News Europe.

‘Meaningful meetings’ is the focus for ICCA Community Forum

Meeting design, regeneration and legacy impact will be the key topics explored at the newly launched ICCA Global Association Community Forum.

Taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland on 5-7 September 2022, at the Beaulieu Convention Center, the forum will take a collaborative and interactive approach, delivering educational content through group activities.

Read more on M&IT Magazine.

The Jurys Inn name is to be retired after almost 30 years with all its hotels due to relaunch under its sister Leonardo brand this autumn.

All 35 Jurys Inn properties will make the transition at the end of the year as part of a wider expansion plan for the business.

Leonardo Hotels currently has 16 properties in the UK and Ireland and is aiming to increase its number of bedrooms by 10% per year.

Read full announcement via The Caterer.

Hotel development across Europe falls during last year. The development pipeline for European hotel rooms has fallen by just under eight per cent over the past 12 months.

Figures from hotel industry data analyst STR found there were around 550,000 rooms in the development pipeline across Europe in March, down by 7.7 per cent on the same month in 2021.

Doubletake

EDGE Venues Silent Auction Smashes £5K Target for Ukraine

It’s been nearly two months since the war started in Ukraine, and we continue to see suffering from people fleeing their homes for safety. To support those individuals and families who need it most, EDGE Venues launched its silent auction last month to raise money for the Humanitarian Relief Fund through the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

The auction launched on 10 March, with 68 lots kindly donated by hotels and venues across the UK. There was tremendous interest from the industry, and EDGE Venues was inundated with some fantastic bids and some additional donated lots that extended the length of the auction.

From the original lot list, EDGE Venues set an initial target of £5,000. Thanks to fantastic generosity and incredible support, the target was smashed, raising just shy of £10,000.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGE Venues, is not surprised by the level of support shown and thanks those who got involved and supported in any way they could.

https://www.thecaterer.com/news/jurys-inn-rebrand-leonardo-hotels
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Monday Insights – April 11th

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

Headlines

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) has received enquiries tallying more than 16,860 delegate days’ worth of face-to-face events.

The data has been collected over the last three months from ABPCO’s web-based enquiry system, which links associations with ABPCO accredited professional conference organiser members.

ABPCO association director, Heather Lishman said, “I am delighted to see that our messaging is getting out there and associations are recognising the vital need to use an accredited PCO, whether they are providing in-person, virtual or hybrid solutions. There are many conference organisers out there – but to ensure the success of an event, associations really do need to be working with a professional who truly understands the unique needs of associations and their events.”

Read more at M&IT Magazine.

IMEX Group extends partnership with Messe Frankfurt until 2025. Messe Frankfurt, the host venue for IMEX in Frankfurt, has worked with the IMEX Group since the launch of the first show in 2003.

“We have worked with Messe Frankfurt since the very first IMEX in Frankfurt show, moving into the venue’s largest hall in 2005 as the show grew. Messe Frankfurt has been a very supportive and flexible partner along the way, working with us to regularly evolve the show to meet the needs of our global industry. This year’s IMEX in Frankfurt is set to be very special – we’re returning to Frankfurt for the first time in two years and also celebrating 20 years of the show. ”

Mark Mulligan, director of operations at the IMEX Group

Read more here.

Events Industry Council launches data collection for its Economic Significance Study.

The Events Industry Council (EIC), the global voice of the business events industry, has launched the data collection phase of its landmark Economic Significance Study, in collaboration with Oxford Economics.

The ambitious Economic Significance Study comprises four insight streams to examine the global events industry’s economic impact and, for the first time, quantify the cumulative losses experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By analysing this data and understanding it, the EIC can establish the full value of meetings and prospects for 2022 and beyond, including the tactics/strategies being employed by the meetings and events industry to accelerate its recovery.

As part of the Study, the EIC released its latest Global Business Events Barometer, 2021 Q4. The Barometer monitors the changes within the market relative to pre-pandemic (2019) levels, points to continued positive growth across each of the seven global regions tracked by the Barometer, with 2021 Q4 gains in both RFP activity (up 14% from 2021 Q3) and hotel group room nights (up 15% from 2021 Q3).

For more insight and to take part of the survey, click here.

Doubletake

9 Travel Trends Impacting Events Right Now

Skift Forum Europe 2022 brought together Europe’s top minds in travel and set the scene for what recovery from the Covid pandemic will look like in the event industry.

Here are the headline key trends identified…

  1. Business Travel May Never Recover to 2019 Levels
  2. The Desire for Travel Has Not Gone Away
  3. The Hybrid Workforce Brings New Opportunities
  4. More Cooperative and Sustainable Destinations
  5. Bleisure May Entice Extended Business Travel
  6. Digital Innovation Complements Hospitality Well
  7. Labor Shortages Are a Big Challenge
  8. Opportunity in Uncertainty
  9. We Are Passing the Buck on Sustainability

Read the full analysis and the detail behind the trends.

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Monday Insights – April 4th

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

Headlines

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) has re-elected the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP as its chair. The news ensures that work to promote the sector to the Government thus far will carry on uninterrupted.

Speaking about her re-election, Theresa Villiers commented; “It is great that the APPG for Events will continue its efforts to support this crucially important sector of the economy. I am delighted to take on the chairmanship for another year.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues on a cross-party basis on our new programme of activity, including generating ideas on how this country can bring further major international events here.” 

Read more about the reappointment and APPG’s 2022 plans on Conference News, here. 

Newcastle and Gateshead venues have united in a Covid bounce-back campaign to recapture the £150m annual events and meetings market.

35 venues from major hotel chains to historic buildings have joined forces to help build back event organisers’ confidence. They will stage everything from international conferences to team building sessions in Newcastle and Gateshead.

The ‘Tyne To Get Back To Business’ campaign has seen all of the venues gain AIM Secure accreditation. The AIM accreditation is the only one for business meetings and events recognised by Government, and has been 

enhanced over the last two years to help venues adapt to Covid.

The campaign aims to take take the message of NewcastleGateshead’s post-pandemic confidence across the country. It includes a marketing and publicity campaign extolling the many virtues of staging business meetings and events in the area.

“This fantastic initiative is typical of the determination and tenacity of the sector, its people and venues who operate within it.”

Kerrin MacPhie, Chief Executive of the MIA

Read more here.

75 football and rugby clubs across the UK have received nominations for The Stadium Events & Hospitality Awards 2022. 

The awards will take place at Anfield Stadium, home to Liverpool Football Club on Thursday 26th May 2022. 2022 will be the 15th annual awards event and marks the 20th Anniversary of Stadium Experience.

The event aims to recognise the efforts of the catering, conference and events teams at UK football and rugby stadiums. 

There are a potential 39 awards up for grabs. The full list of categories and 2022 nominees can be found here, on stadiumexperience.com.

https://stadiumexperience.com/2022/04/awards-nominations-2022/

Doubletake

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has had a “very positive year” and is “financially stable” despite the pandemic. The trade body’s board of directors informed members attending its recent AGM.

At the association’s 32nd annual general meeting, Chair Steve Jones listed its successes of the last year. Points to note included strong member retention, despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the meetings and events industry.

Read more about the mia’s AGM on Boutique Hotelier, here.

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Monday Insights – March 28th

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

Headlines

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

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

Read the full feature here.

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full feature here on BTN.

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

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

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

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

Doubletake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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