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10/2021

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The Meetings Show sets dates for 2022 following 2021 success

Friday, 29 October, 2021 - 14:35

The Meetings Show, the UK’s leading platform for the meetings and events community, will return to ExCeL London on 29 and 30 June 2022 on the back of this year’s hugely successful event...

 

Thousands of people attended the two-day hybrid show on 30 September and 1 October, which was held as a live event at ExCeL London and virtually via Swapcard.

The opportunity to finally meet face-to-face again after 27 months apart and build back the industry was firmly grasped by large numbers of the meetings and events community.

Exhibitors, including UK and international destinations; hotels and venues such as QHotels, Marriott and The Celtic Collection; suppliers including Shocklogic and Nexus and industry associations and consortiums, each had an average of 25 meetings over the two days.

Post-show feedback was hugely positive after a successful two days reconnecting with clients and seeing business plans take shape for the year ahead and beyond.

Juliet Price, HBAA - consultant executive director, said: “The Meetings Show was the industry kickstart we were all hoping for. Everyone I spoke to was delighted to see so many attendees and to make those all-important human connections.”

Johnny D. Martinez, head of marketing and business development at Shocklogic, who hosted education sessions as well as exhibiting, said: “The Meetings Show exceeded our expectations. We went along thinking that we’d meet a few new faces, but actually we met a lot of new people and have made 70-80 leads. We are very happy.”

Alongside the chance to talk business with suppliers, buyers were invited to attend more than 40 hours of educational sessions delivered live from the show floor and virtually.

Sessions on topics such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion, professional development and hybrid left attendees inspired and enlightened while interviews played out on TMS TV, broadcast live from the show, gave viewers a chance to hear more from speakers and show associates.

Highlights of the show were a visit by Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston, who officially opened the show before taking a tour of stands and meeting exhibitors and a keynote delivered by Ric Salmon, producer of the first virtual Glastonbury Festival and CEO of Driift.

There were multiple chances to network, with Delegate Wranglers’ cocktail bar proving a popular place to spark up new contacts while anyone wanting some time out was welcomed to visit the EventWell Hub and quiet room.

It was the first time the trade show had hosted a quiet room – a safe and quiet space for anyone involved with, or attending the show, to go if they were feeling overwhelmed – on the show floor. EventWell, the ‘mental health and wellbeing voice of the event industry’ also had qualified mental health first aiders on hand to give support if needed.

The event also gave visitors the chance to find out about The Meetings Show’s Complete Sustainable Event Course. The course, which is curated and delivered by isla’s co-founder Anna Abdelnoor and supported by Andy King, was launched at the show with large numbers signing up in advance of its start on 8 November.

Hosted buyer Karyn Dickie, event consultant at Clarity Travel, said: “It was great to be back amongst people talking about all things events! There were lots of interesting suppliers to catch up with but the highlight for sure was the speakers who were outstanding with some really awesome topics covered.  I left buzzing after at least three of the live talks.”

Jack Marczewski, event director The Meetings Show, said: “It was incredible to be back and experience the buzz of a live event again at our new home ExCeL London. We ensured that those unable to join us in person were also able to be part of the show by using the Swapcard platform once again and it was encouraging to see so much engagement and attendance across the whole show. Exhibitor feedback has been hugely positive and a high percentage have already re-booked for next year.

“We are very excited to be working on plans for our tenth show for 2022 and are looking forward to bringing the meetings and events community back together again for what is expected to be our best show yet.”  

Ellenborough Park - Winners of SoGlos Wedding Venue of the Year

Friday, 29 October, 2021 - 11:48

Ellenborough Park are thrilled to be the winner of the SoGlos Award for Wedding Venue of the Year!

 

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Announced at a ceremonial dinner held at Cheltenham Ladies College, the SoGlos Gloucestershire Lifestyle Awards annually recognises and celebrates the very best lifestyle sector businesses in and around the county.

 Marwan Hemchaoui, our General Manager summarised: "Hospitality has had a horrid time over the last 18 months. It’s wonderful to see these awards and even better to win one knowing it has been voted for by the public. We are delighted!"

COVID-19 Travel Update - 28 October 2021 + Tourism Alliance Updates

Friday, 29 October, 2021 - 11:20

Please see below link to today’s TIER and Tourism Alliance updates .....

 

2021CSR and Autumn Budget – Key Tourism Points

Thursday, 28 October, 2021 - 13:23

This summary of the Spending Review and Budget has kindly being shared by the Tourism Alliance.

Click here to view....

Wyboston Lakes Resort wins important award at major international festival

Thursday, 28 October, 2021 - 11:45

Wyboston Lakes Resort wins important award at major international festival ....

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Wyboston Lakes Resort has won an important award at the IACC’s annual Europe Festival of Knowledge, a major international event for the meetings and events industry across the continent.

The Bedfordshire resort won the IACC Better Tomorrow Service Week Award of Achievement.

Mark Cooper, CEO, IACC said: "Wyboston Lakes staff fully embraced the spirit of IACC Service Week and were so creative and varied in their support of people, community and the environment and have strong social credentials at the heart of their culture". 

Steve Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes Resort commented; “To gain this high recognition from IACC, a prestigious international organisation, in the company of events professionals and venues across Europe is a wonderful honour and a superb testament to the skills and commitment of our team.”

IACC staged this year’s Europe Knowledge Festival both online and in-person at two locations in Europe, at Skogshem and Wijk in Sweden and at Warwick in the UK. The event was attended by delegates from across Europe and the US.

 www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

www.iacconline.org/

“Business rates discount and UK Air Passenger Duty are good news, but hard-pressed events businesses need more support”

Thursday, 28 October, 2021 - 11:35

“Business rates discount and UK Air Passenger Duty are good news, but hard-pressed events businesses need more support”  says Simon Richards, treasurer of HBAA beam, commenting on Chancellor’s Autumn Budget Statement ....

“The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget Statement includes many initiatives that are good news for hospitality and travel, but hard-pressed events businesses need more support” says Simon Richards, treasurer of HBAA beam.

“The 12 month discount (up to £110,000) on business rates for hotels, pubs and leisure venues, the reduction in Air Passenger Duty on flights within the UK and the investment in transport infrastructure are valuable to the sector while the growth in the economy is encouraging. The news about expanding T Levels and apprenticeships is a potentially important contribution to help develop skills and encourage young people into the industry.

“But there was nothing that would directly help agencies and event service providers who don’t own properties and who are struggling to recover from the extensive impact of the pandemic.

“We called for Plan B4E to support businesses to cope with the impact of potential Plan B Covid restrictions. We also called for the reduced level of VAT paid by the sector to continue beyond April 2022 and are very disappointed that this was not in the Budget. We asked for the extension of the Kick Start scheme in terms of both application dates and end dates to encourage and help employers to retain new staff aged 18 to 24.

“If Plan B is implemented, then PlanB4E, the VAT reduction and extension of Kick Start would have been crucial to maintaining the survival of businesses and keeping many jobs.”

www.hbaa.org.uk

Paul Harvey presents M&IT talks with Sian Sayward, HBAA governance director

Wednesday, 27 October, 2021 - 13:07

HBAA, the trade association for the meetings, events and accommodation industry, has introduced its new identity – beam....

 

M&IT editor Paul Harvey caught up with Sian Sayward, governance director at the association, to find out more about the change, why HBAA was no longer fit for purpose as a name and what beam will be doing for the business events, accommodation and meetings sector moving forward.

To listen to the interview click >>> https://mitmagazine.co.uk/news/mit-talks-the-next-normal-we-want-to-lead-on-industry-issues/

The Eastside Rooms Take Off in Birmingham

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 - 15:39

The Great Big Take Off: Come Fly with me … 

26th October 21, UK: The Eastside Rooms hosted its official cross-industry launch party earlier this week under the theme; The Great Big Take Off. Over 450 event professionals attended the event, which saw international food stations, a full gala reception, and even a plane in the main halls of the venue.

The Eastside Rooms invited guests ‘aboard’ Eastside Airways, giving them the chance to win £1,500 of travel vouchers as they explored the new venue while tasting the very best of Brummie hospitality. The event was also a celebration of the industry, as delegates and organisers can now once again book and attend meetings, and with the event also doubling as the opening reception to the CHS Birmingham exhibition.

The city itself was also a celebrated theme, with the new venue part of Birmingham’s ‘Eastside’ development and the continued emergence of what is known as the ‘Knowledge Quarter’. The Eastside Rooms itself is a 10-minute walk from Birmingham City Centre, adjacent to HS2, easily accessible by major road and air routes, and on the side of the city’s beautiful canal network; the venue’s owners are already calling it ‘the most connected conference centre in the UK’.

“We’ve been open for a while now and have already hosted some stunning events,” commented Leanne Bladen, Sales & Marketing Director, The Eastside Rooms. “But we also owed it to everyone that’s been involved to give them an amazing launch and a chance to celebrate the welcome return of this industry. It was an all-in-one celebration of the venue, the city and the industry.”

As well as the on-the-night prize of £1,500 travel vouchers, the venue will also be running a competition for a further £500, throughout the week, with the winner announced on LinkedIn. “It was one hell of a party, we were really keen to show just how much The Eastside Rooms can do; it was a fun and a wonderful showcase for us and our team.”

@eastsiderooms | www.facebook.com/Eastsiderooms | www.instagram.com/eastsiderooms

The latest news from Church House Westminster

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 - 13:26

Church House Westminster has won ‘Best UK Unusual Venue’ at the prestigious M&IT Awards 2021 on Friday 8 October at Battersea Evolution, London.

The M&IT Awards, organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, brings together all sectors of the industry to reward excellence of service.  Widely acknowledged as the largest event industry awards programme, it attracts more than 1,300 professionals and is the only independently audited events industry awards programme.

The evening shone a light on the stars of the event industry across 14 categories, celebrating the many success stories after a challenging year, and paid tribute to the best, most dedicated, and innovative members of the ever-evolving and truly tenacious meetings and events industry.

Church House Westminster was shortlisted for two categories in this year’s M&IT Awards: Best Tech Forward Venue and Best UK Unusual Venue.

The category ‘Best UK Unusual Venue’ saw Church House Westminster win Gold, whilst the Natural History Museum London was awarded Silver, and Tobacco Dock took home Bronze.

Well done to Church House Westminster for winning the M&IT Award for Best UK Unusual Venue. It’s certainly a spectacular venue for meetings and events.

ICE to Represent Corporate Organisers at COP ‘26

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 - 12:57

25th October 2021, UK: ICE (in-house Corporate Events) will join representatives from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), JMIC (Joint Industry Meetings Council) and the Scottish Event Campus at a special meeting, taking place at COP 26, aimed at establishing a sustainability framework for the events industry. 

ICE will be representing the voice of the corporate event organiser at the meeting, with founder and CEO Anita Howard, being joined by Stephanie DuBois, Operations Director, SAP, as well as five other representatives from the organisations’ community. 

The aim of the meeting is to set in place a framework for the events industry to better measure, manage and set goals for more sustainable events; its inclusion as part of the official COP 26 programme adding weight to its importance. The inclusion of the session also underlines the crucial role the events industry can play in supporting the UNFCCC’s commitments around climate change. 

“We’re delighted to have been asked to represent the corporate market, and our community have really risen to the challenge to make themselves available for the meeting,” commented Anita Howard, ICE. “For us, the voice of businesses and brands really needs to be heard and we’re really pleased to have Stephanie (DuBois) on stage at this session, with our other colleagues in the corporate world supporting.”

“There are so many good initiatives taking place across the industry right now, but we’re really calling on everyone to support what we’re doing at COP ’26,” concluded Anita. “We’re working directly with the UNFCCC, we have great representation across the industry and we have a real chance to make a difference and fly a positive flag for our industry. This could be a real game changer.”

The meeting itself will be taking place at COP ’26 at the Scottish Event Campus, on 10 November 2021. To virtually attend the meeting, register here https://ice-hub.biz/sustainability/unfcc-jmic/; ICE is also encouraging #eventproffs to share their little sustainable ideas here to help change the C02 emissions from events.

 

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