Venues collaborate to promote Medical City

Venues colloborate

Three leading venues in the Euston area of London are joining forces to promote the area as a prime location for events linked to healthcare.  BMA House, RCP and Wellcome Collection all use their profits to help larger medical organisations achieve their mission.  During this challenging time, they wanted to demonstrate their unity through a common goal.

Often described as the Medical Mile, the area around Euston is a hub of leading venues with strong links to local hospitals, practitioners and research institutes.  It is an ideal place for any form of meeting or event linked to not just medicine but also the wider healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.  Specifically, the three venues will be collaborating, referring opportunities, supporting each other’s events and providing multi-site spaces for meetings as necessary.  Together they offer a wide range of delegate packages, hourly rates, digital and hybrid solutions, ensuring all client needs are met.

After an extremely challenging year with lots of industry changes, all 3 venues have successfully received the MIA AIM Secure Accreditation and Visit Britain Good to Go Accreditation making them COVID safe venues for the future.

Kat Winfield, Venue Manager, BMA House comments: “Medical and healthcare workers have continually showed their strength, resolve and professionalism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we are all extremely grateful for their dedication and commitment.  At the moment the greatest support we can offer is to stay at home and refrain from hosting events.  However, in time that will change and we are exploring all opportunities to support our clients.”

Fairouz Grzyb, Business Development Manager, Royal College of Physicians “When appropriate, we intend to come back stronger than ever, working as a collective to deliver the best possible experience for delegates and organisers alike.  In the meantime, we all offer extensive digital and hybrid packages to ensure that events continue and vital education, knowledge transfer and networking take place.”

Diana West, Sales Manager, Wellcome Collection concludes: “As a group, we offer a wide variety of event options.  We can work individually or across multiple sites and want above all to demonstrate our unity in challenging times.  We have extensive links into all areas of medicine, pharmaceuticals and the wider healthcare market, making us the ideal first call for any event across these sectors.”

About the venues:

BMA House 

BMA House is located in the heart of London, just a short walk from Kings Cross, Euston and St Pancras stations as well as a variety of underground lines and key bus routes.  With sustainability and wellbeing at the heart of its offering, delegates can also benefit from the use of a clean air walking route – taking them off the major roads onto quieter, picturesque, less polluted local streets.  Their clean air walking route from Kings Cross for example, is 57% less polluted than a trip down Euston Road and has the benefit of being 1,000 steps – 10% of the recommended 10,000 a day.

BMA recognises the growing and vital need for digital and hybrid event solutions.  With this in mind they were one of the first venues to launch such an offering, as far back as June.  Including options for webcasting, breakouts, speaker only conferences and exhibitor/sponsor packages, the offering reflects both the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the future needs of event organisers.

Wellcome Collection is the free museum and library exploring health and human experience. Located in central London just steps away from Euston and King’s Cross/St Pancras station. Their venue hire offers thought-provoking event spaces in both the conference centre and the unique exhibition galleries.  Whatever the client’s needs, they can offer flexible and inspiring backdrops for all types of events, from seminars and training sessions, to film screenings and AGMs, their capacities range from two people to 300 people.

Wellcome Collection 

The venue hire team at Wellcome Collection is dedicated to helping clients adapt to the current realities of meetings and conferencing. Whether they require video conferencing, live streaming or a more bespoke offering, the team is ready to deliver streamlined hybrid events.

All profits made from events held in Wellcome Collection are gift aided to Wellcome, a charitable organisation who support researchers, take on big health challenges, campaign for better science, and help everyone get involved with science and health research.

The Royal of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians was founded in 1518 by Royal Charter from King Henry VIII.  It is the oldest medical college in England. The venue offers highly versatile facilities, with 12 meeting spaces, including tiered auditoriums, conference, meeting, exhibition and dining spaces, with contrasting old and new styles to suit all tastes, giving clients a range of possibilities to create an unforgettable event.

They have a dedicated in-house audio visual and media services team. In addition to supporting physical events, they have a range of hybrid and virtual meeting solutions to enhance events including, filming, editing, streaming, live Q&A polling, webinars, virtual break out rooms and much more.

VisitBritain flagship event MeetGB to be held at ICC Wales in 2020

VisitBritain’s flagship annual business event MeetGB is set to be held at the Celtic Manor Resort and the recently opened International Convention Centre (ICC) in Wales in April 2020.

Registration for the event is also now open for international buyers and UK business event suppliers.

MeetGB, being held from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 April 2020, is set to host up to 90 international buyers from Europe and North America who will meet and do business with 80 industry suppliers from venues, hotels, destinations and incentive experiences across the UK.

Tourism minister Helen Whately said: “We have a thriving events industry and I’m delighted that next year’s MeetGB conference will be hosted by ICC Wales. This will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the best of the UK and help us develop new global relationships, boost trade and investment across the country.”

VisitBritain chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “MeetGB has been created with global buyers in mind to highlight the breadth and quality of the UK’s business events industry. We are delighted to be bringing our flagship event to the new ICC Wales, a shining example of the high-calibre, world-class conventions, events and meetings venues the UK has to offer.

“MeetGB also gives UK suppliers and destinations the opportunity to promote their products on an international scale, forging valuable business relationships that will drive more international MICE events right across the country, boosting local economies.”

ICC Wales and Celtic Manor Resort chief executive Officer Ian Edwards said: “We are honoured to be hosting VisitBritain’s flagship event for the business events industry. With the doors opening to ICC Wales, our £83 million venue, just last month, we have already seen thousands of visitors enjoy our industry-leading facilities and nature-friendly footprint.

“Wellbeing and sustainability are key drivers for both ICC Wales and the Celtic Manor Resort, Wales – from our “Mind, Body, Soul” food philosophy to our recent report on how nature can be used to provide an amazing event experience. We are truly thrilled to be able to present our venues, our natural setting and our warm Welsh welcome to this hugely important international audience in 2020.”

Thousands of one-to-one business meetings are set to take place during MeetGB with delegates also attending networking events and forging business relationships. Delegates will have the opportunity to learn about the future of the events industry, exploring sustainability and wellness, driving innovation and expertise.

Taking inspiration from the venue’s woodland surroundings, MeetGB 2020 incorporates wellness and nature, with a programme to encourage attendees’ wellbeing alongside networking and social events. Ahead of the business programme at MeetGB, international buyers will attend educational visits to 11 different UK destinations as they experience first-hand the country’s best conference, events and incentive products.

International buyers and UK suppliers interested in finding out more and registering to attend should visit: www.visitbritain.com/meetgb.

VisitBritain boosts business events team to grow international market

As part of its strategy to grow international business events in the UK VisitBritain has added two key roles to the team.

Jamie Ades, who will continue working closely with UK destinations to grow international events, has been promoted to the role of senior destination manager. Ades will be responsible for managing strategic partnerships with North American membership organisations, working collaboratively on events and engaging with the membership to win more events for the UK. With over 10 years’ selling experience in the meetings and events industry, Ades will use his expertise to deliver results. Previous roles include working for some of London’s leading venues; The Barbican, ExCeL London and the QEII Centre.

Marian Tabera has been appointed to the role of bid researcher & event pipeline executive, having spent three years in VisitBritain’s Commercial Division as E-Commerce Executive. In her new role, working with destination partners, Tabera will be responsible for developing a pipeline of international events, with a key focus on targeting international association events that have a good sector fit with the UK and have not been held here for 10 years or more. Before joining VisitBritain Tabera worked for Marriott International in London and Yourtour.com Belgium.

Conference and meeting venues urged to take part in UKCAMS 2019

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.”

UK’s convention bureaux to return for second mia Destinations Summit

Teams from destination marketing organisations and convention bureaux around the UK will reunite next month for the second Meetings Industry Association’s (mia) Destinations Summit.

Sponsored by VisitBritain, the two-day event will take place from 11-12 February at the Hilton Liverpool City Centre and is open to anyone responsible for attracting conferences and events at a destination or convention bureau.

Following the success of the inaugural summit last year, convention bureaux professionals from across the UK have come together to create a thought-provoking two-day programme designed to upskill the knowledge, skills and confidence of those working in key roles to attract business events to their destination. 

Highlights will include a key note address by one of the leading figures of the international meetings and events industry, Christian Mutschlechner, the director of the Vienna Convention Bureau.

Airbnb’s head of EMEA partnerships Hadi Moussa, will also be giving a talk about new and innovative ways for destinations to utilise their system for events and Julian Stubbs, founder and CEO of Up There, Everywhere will be delivering a session on branding and place marketing.

Paul Szomoru, director of business at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau and Destinations Chair for the mia, said: “We are really excited about holding our second mia Destinations Summit in Liverpool. With a fantastic mix of international speakers and colleagues from VisitBritain and UK destinations, we are pulling leading experts and practitioners from near and far to share best practice on a range of subjects.

A lot of the content is being delivered by convention bureaux for convention bureaux on some very important subjects such as accommodation booking service excellence and destination strategic alignment.

“VisitBritain is a key delivery partner and it’s fantastic to have its support and involvement in the programme. The VisitBritain business events team will be delivering some great sessions, sharing the latest insights and engaging with destinations about the expertise the team can bring.”

Kerrin MacPhie, head of business events at VisitBritain, said: “We’re very pleased to be working with the Meeting Industry Association, supporting the Destinations Summit to boost the UK’s appeal as a leading destination for business events and promoting our role as a key partner to increase our share of the global marketplace.

 “It is an exciting time for business events in the UK with new venue openings and product launches in 2019. VisitBritain is also working on new initiatives to win more international business and the quality and strength of the convention bureaux is vital to making this happen, as well as the strong relationships we have with destination teams across the UK.”

VisitBritain’s flagship business event MeetGB returns in 2019

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.