HEN April 2021

At CM Event Recruitment we staff occasions from small private events to large corporate ceremonies. We meet and interview everyone face-to-face and conduct a skills test, ensuring they have the skills required for the job. Matching experience to event, we supply bar staff, waiting-on staff, kitchen porters, cleaners/ clearers and marshalls.

WE WORK WITH:

Caterers • Golf clubs • Hotels

Private celebration organisers

Shopping centers • Event planners

CONTACT US

Chrissie 07980 841 075

Richie 07794 778 158

Events@CMRecruitment.agency

VAST EXPERIENCE IN STAFFING: Racecourses • Weddings

Ferrari Challenge race days

Kosher Catering events

Birthday parties • Awards nights

Shopping centre events • Festivals

Sporting events • Music events

Drive in events

A Warm Welcome

APRIL / MAY 2021

Light at the end of the tunnel, we wait with bated breath to see how the industry will shape up. Exciting times we hope, lots learned, and many changes to how we work, but here we go. We just can’t wait to see you all again in the flesh!

We hope you like our new look, time for a brand refresh as we look to the future with positivity. In this edition we focus on the great suppliers in our area ready and waiting for your bookings.

Lots of help on venue hygiene, as many local venues have committed

Publisher Elliot Landy

to safe events through our AIM Secure recognition, and we take a view on sustainability issues.

Corporate gifts have become so important to acknowledge people we are not seeing and we check out The Events Insight, a great podcast we sponsored recently. Plus you can win a simply amazing virtual booth day.

A nod to all our wonderful contributors and advertisers, helping us do what we do, you can follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news.

Elliot Landy.

/HospitalityNrth

/hospitality-and-events-north-magazine

Contents

Adventure Parc Snowdonia launches its showstopper new hotel, conference and event facilities in May. 44

H&E North front cover feature: Time for a

Stronger Together

The Event Supplier and Services Association urges suppliers to make their voices heard.

The Great Outdoors

Senior Account Manager

Adam Freedman

Contributors

ESSA HBAA

mia EIF

Jonny Ross NOEA Govnet

Copyright JLife Ltd. All contents are copyright, all rights are reserved. No part of the contents can be reproduced without permission from the publisher. No responsibility can be accepted for inaccurate information supplied, & content supplied does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher. Editorial policies & magazine layouts are purely at the publisher’s discretion & no debate will be entered in to.

Published by: JLife Ltd. Unit 7, Gemini Business Park, Sheepscar Way, Leeds, LS7 3JB. T: 0845 052 2911 F: 0113 262 5202 E: info@nutsforprint.co.uk W: hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Features Editor James Wilson Design Stacey Hanson-Rothery Editorial Assistant Emily Stone Printing

Bahson Colour Ltd

The National Outdoor Events Association on how outdoor experiences spell a summer of success for planners.

A Foggy Future

The lowdown on managing hygiene to keep your venue safe as live events return.

The Spirit of Giving

Discover how corporate gifting is bringing brands and clients together in times of disconnect.

Win a virtual booth experience worth £1,850 courtesy of

INN the Studio

As the road out of lockdown is paved with uncertainty, INNSiDE Manchester’s new hybrid studio blends the reach of virtual and the value of live, ensuring your event can go ahead safely no matter what.

In the beating heart of the city, INNSiDE Manchester, part of Meliá Hotels International, offers a truly unique urban experience, seamlessly blending business and leisure. Opposite the former site of the legendary Haçienda, a stone’s throw from the cosmopolitan shopping area, sporting arenas and business districts, delegates won’t have far to travel to catch up on their culture fix as restrictions relax and our flexible lifestyles endure.

208 stylish guest rooms and suites span 10 floors within a striking contemporary structure. With the welcome return of live events, INNSiDE’s selection of flexible spaces are suitable for anything from a conference, away day or meeting, each space benefitting from natural daylight, an LCD projector and screen, along with selfcontrolled air conditioning.

As remote teams come together once again for productive meetings, The Big Ideas space encourages out of the box thinking, with its state-of-the-art smart screen letting you write, erase and share your scribbles in real time with anyone, anywhere in the world. With soft, relaxing seating, it’s designed as a fun and imaginative meeting space, the open plan setting allowing delegates to slip seamlessly from work to play, facilitating the much-missed collaborative element crucial to business success.

The hotel will operate the global Stay Safe With Melia programme, which guarantees the highest COVID-19 health and safety procedures, in collaboration

with Visit Britain’s We’re Good to Go industry standard. Measures put in place to prioritise guest and staff safety include a new signage system to inform customers and indicate how spaces will be used and the need for social distancing, installation of protective screens in reception and other public areas, sanitising stations and digital concierge.

With virtual elements proving indispensable to any event, one of the UK's leading

technical event production and AV hire companies, Sterling Event Group has partnered to launch INNSiDE LiVE. Manchester’s first virtual event production studio in a hotel, and has taken over part of the self-contained event space to provide creative technical studio production that enables businesses to engage, communicate and inspire employees, suppliers, clients and stakeholders.

With the return of live events, the COVID-safe space allows planners to bring together the best of in-person and virtual, streaming professional content in real-time while playing host to a live audience. Content can be streamed to Zoom, YouTube, Facebook and more, engaging and entertaining audiences wherever they are across the globe. Alternatively, it can be pre-recorded ready for broadcast at a later date.

The set features a central rear projection screen with HD laser projection, two 65-inch screens for custom logos and content, brandable backdrop, stage floor, multiple cameras, live stream production suite and a professional audio and lighting system. INNSiDE LiVE comes as a fixed rate package, however Melia Hybrid Solutions has been developed globally meaning that virtual or hybrid events of a larger scale with full video walls or enhanced technology are equally possible.

The live studio experience is supported by the hotel’s experienced in-house events team and the expert production crew at Sterling Event Group, who will be on hand to ensure all studio events run smoothly and safely from start to finish. Commenting on the collaboration, INNSiDE UK North, Cluster Director of Sales Scott Brown, said: “INNSiDE LiVE is a new state-of-the-art hybrid event studio, that allows us to deliver a top-class event production facility, in a safe, dedicated space at INNSiDE Manchester.

“With this facility staying in place for the next six months we have been able to offer a

cost-effective solution that doesn’t require the usual set up and break down costs, meaning this is accessible for everything from an online conference or awards event to company briefing or online training day.”

With a potential third wave a grim possibility, event planners may rightfully feel reticent about financing an exclusively live event. Dan Estcourt, Technical Manager at Sterling Event Group believes INNSiDE’s virtual studio is a failsafe answer, ensuring events can take place no matter what: “This is a great solution for event organisers as it works equally as well with a fully virtual audience as it does with a hybrid audience, allowing them to plan with confidence.”

Combining cutting edge technologies and expertise, INNSiDE LiVE creates a broadcast quality experience designed to facilitate unforgettable live, virtual and hybrid events,

Green Shoots

With environmental issues becoming an increasing concern among event organisers, keeping your venue and supply chains sustainable is a priority. Luckily, the answer might be on your doorstep.

In 2019 UK emissions of CO2 were estimated by the government to be at 351.5 million tonnes. Reducing carbon footprints is, or should be a priority for most venues and suppliers at the moment. One of the most significant ways that this can be achieved is by buying from local suppliers instead of importing products from overseas. With recent changes in the process of importing from countries within the EU, more and more businesses are looking to local suppliers to fill their demand for goods. In a time when many small businesses are struggling financially, this support can only come as a relief, coupled with huge environmental benefits.

Of course, there are other ways for the events industry to achieve carbon neutrality. “The biggest thing is looking at waste management,” says Selina Donald, Founder and Director of The Bulb, an events organising company that focuses on making events sustainable: “So, looking at what you’re chucking away and thinking about how you can divert it from going into a landfill bin. That also impacts on your bottom line as well because usually you’ll realise, having done an assessment of what products and materials you’re wasting, is that you’re wasting a lot of money as well.”

There are two distinct clumps of rubbish known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch floating in the middle of the ocean, and together they span 1.6 million square kilometres. That’s over six times the size of the UK. With environmental issues so much in the public eye and conscience currently, it’s in everyone’s best interests to reduce the use of single use plastics. With the good press that sustainable events organising invites, there is an argument to be made that sustainability is more profitable in the long run, as well as the positive environmental effects.

Indeed, investing in reusable supplies reduces overhead on items that are constantly thrown away only to be replaced. For example, using Velcro instead of disposable cable ties, or metal cutlery instead of plastic, avoids constantly spending on disposable items and replaces it with a one time cost for the reusable item. The need for PPE during the pandemic has led to a rise in the use of single use masks and aprons. Switching to re-usable fabric for these items is not only better for the environment, but also provides branding and advertising opportunities. Buying these supplies locally saves money even further by reducing shipping costs, as well as being more sustainable.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector rose almost 30% between 1990 and 2018. Cutting down these emissions is a key part of tackling the environmental crisis we are facing and reducing the carbon footprint of both events and the country as a whole.

Air pollution levels dipped briefly during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing starkly the impact of our usual logistics. In light of the recent difficulties getting goods imported from the EU, using local suppliers is becoming the easier option, as well as being the more sustainable one: “It’s all about seeing who you can work with and establishing those relationships while you’ve got the time now, before events start again," continues Selena. "It’s a really good use of some resources and people’s time in your team.” In the few weeks before events start back up, now is the time to look into building relationships with local suppliers and making plans of action to be ready for a summer filled with events making up for lost time.

Event Safety from Nuts Digital

Track and trace sign in, temperature, auto sanitiser and kiosks

Air purification units

Our new air purification and digital kiosks are great for a wide range of environments such as:

• Hospitality

• Event Spaces

• Meeting Rooms

• Refreshment Spaces/Receptions

• Low energy usage

• Can be run 24hrs

• Whisper quiet when running

• Mobile on casters, or can be installed as a fixed unit

These units simply keep the air free from viruses and other pathogens, air is drawn into the bottom of the device, passed through a UV chamber to kill bacteria, viruses and microbes; then virus free, clear air is pumped back into the space.

Temperature and sanitiser kiosks

Floor Standing Curved Temperature/ Sanitiser/ Screen Kiosk from £17.50 pw

These units allow venues to know exactly who is on site, where they have been, who they have been in contact with and when. At the push of a button all or some delegates can easily be contacted in the event of infection, to help with infection control and the spread. The units can also be used for visual advertising on screen, as well as marketing direct to delegates’ mobiles, even when off site, via a GDPR opt in.

3 year lease rental includes:

Digital Sanitiser Kiosk from £14.00 pw Floor-mounted Digital Sanitiser Kiosk from £12.25 pw

• Auto-dispense via the built-in IR sensor

• 3.6L internal reservoir

• Cloud digital signage & pump reports

Finance agreement, ask for written details.

• Display, schedule & upload media content instantly,

including the latest WHO & NHS England media content

• View pump usage & set notification when levels are low

• Floor-standing or wall mounted option

North In Brief

APPG on Events Seeks Government Clarification On Roadmap Out of Lockdown.

APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) on events and on business have written a joint letter to Robert Courts MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport. The letter asks for certainty about when international travel will be allowed.

“Business travel is a key part of the events industry supply chain. It is lifeblood to trade shows, conferences and other events,” the letter states. "However, corporate organisations and business travellers are unlikely to book venues or send representatives overseas whilst there is uncertainty about which measures they will need to comply with, or there remains a chance that some of these measures will change abruptly and at the last minute.”

The letter also champions the Job Retention Scheme and other measures set out to aid businesses and urges ministers to open up global travel as soon as possible. Currently, global travel is not set to reopen before 17th May at the earliest.

Paramedic Launches Comparison Website for Events Medical Cover

John Perry, a qualified paramedic specialising in event medical cover, has established a comparison website where events organisers can obtain a free comparison of the best cover to suit their needs.

The service, named The Medical Network aims to save events professionals the time and hassle of having to research and organise these services themselves. Instead, the service will employ experienced paramedics and event medics to check a business’s requirements and will provide quotes from an approved network of event medical suppliers and medical training providers.

The Medical Event Network also provides price comparison for medical training courses and it available to join via their website.

Themedicalnetwork.co.uk.

Vaccine Passports Likely for Reading and Leeds Festival

Reading and Leeds Festival is set to go ahead this year after being unable to take place last year. The massive event will take place between 27th and 29th August, more than two months after government restrictions on public events are set to end on 21st June.

However, while festival boss Melvin Benn announced that he was confident that the festival would be able to go ahead this summer, he also stated that it is “almost certain” that festival goers will need some sort of vaccine passport or be able to prove that they are COVID-19 free in order to attend.

Both Leeds and Reading Festival weekend tickets are currently sold out. Both sites have a total capacity of 162,000, though reports suggest it is unlikely that this many people will actually be able to attend due to logistical constraints.

Events Industry Forum Keen to Kickstart Public Events

The Events Industry Forum is made up of 26 organisations from across the outdoor events industry. Understandably, they are keen to get public events up and running

as soon as is safe and reasonably possible. In order to make this happen it has put out a rough guide detailing how it sees the outdoor events sector emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guide calls for an increase in open air events, the use of public parks to organise activities and entertainment, continued social distancing, temperature checks, and use of PPE, all of which it suggests should be facilitated by gentle marshalling from security staff. In addition, the guide suggests that either catering should be restricted to foods which can be sold by vendors strolling through the crowd wearing appropriate protections, or it should be reduced to solely click and collect or pre-order services.

Site Visits for Events Now Permitted

Duncan Parish, the Head of Tourism at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) has announced that visiting a venue in order to view it for the booking of

a future event has been permitted.

“I confirm that I have discussed with Cabinet Office and we have agreed that after 29th March – when the stay at home restriction is lifted – visiting a business event venue for the purpose of viewing the venue for a future booking for a work-based event (even if the venue is otherwise closed) is permitted if this cannot be reasonably done from home,” Parish announced. “Safety guidelines for workplaces should be adhered to. Viewings where there is not a permitted exemption for work purposes or otherwise, should not be taking place in closed venues at this time.”

Further guidance from the DCMS on this subject is expected to be released shortly.

Sport and Tourism Minister Calls on Local Authorities to Aid Events Sector

In a debate on golf tourism the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Heritage and Tourism Nigel Huttleston said that it was down to local authorities to use the £1.694 billion discretionary fund allocated to them by the government to aid the struggling events sector. Huttleston stated that he would “encourage and expect local authorities to be sympathetic to applications from those businesses and others that have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions but are ineligible for the other grant schemes.”

90% of businesses in the events sector believe they cannot survive beyond the next two years without further government support, according to a UK Events Survey conducted by the mia. The same survey also found that businesses surveyed had lost an average of over £2,560,000 in revenue to date.

Stronger Together

Andrew Harrison, Director of The Event Supplier and Services Association highlights the importance of making your voice heard in a changing industry.

When thinking about how The Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) has responded to the pandemic, I recollect the months leading up to it, when we were all blithely unaware of the changes to come. At the time, we felt we were making great progress on our campaigns, serving our members well with benefits, and engaging positively with the industry and the press. We had recently launched a flock of new services, spearheaded by the first specific events industry accreditation with a raft of future modules to enable members to show their credentials as 'the best in the sector.'

Then the world as we knew it was shattered, and since that point onward we have been

fighting on all fronts to keep our members informed, advised and supported, to press the government for sector-specific help, and to seek clarity on how and when we can reopen the sector. Our investigation into why our members were struggling to access their targeted support reached a national level, both in the press and in central government. What we have learned doing this for the last 12 months feels like it could fill a book.

As we begin to leave the pandemic behind us, and the event industry tentatively returns, the ESSA Board revisited our 10year strategy in October 2020. The last 12 months, if nothing else, helped bring a level of clarity not afforded to the association in

the previous 13 years. Revisiting our strategy during the middle of the pandemic might have appeared crazy to some, but we believe it has allowed us to take advantage of the unique conditions presented to us and forge ahead with greater investment in key areas for the future.

At the start of the pandemic it quickly became clear that the event industry would simply be one of many business sectors clamouring for support, and while we supported every attempt to raise awareness of our own industry, we were discovering a need to invest significantly more resources into strengthening relationships with stakeholders, including the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and relevant All Party Parliamentary Groups.

The future of member representation by ESSA is going to be wider and stronger, with our firm pledge to spend time, money and resources developing the slew of governmental and non-governmental relationships created during the pandemic. In the last year, we have established our voice in the industry when speaking to the government, even helping to change policy advice to councils holding on to relief money and releasing funds to businesses in need.

We are here to be a clear and consistent voice for the event supply chain, speaking to other sectors, other industries, government and ourselves, and we're calling on all event suppliers and service providers to consider what ESSA membership can offer them. Take an active role in the future of the event industry, which is being reshaped for a postpandemic world now, and join us.

Essa.uk.com

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Virtual Vision

Events industry stalwart Stuart Mitchell, Executive Director at Catch the MICE is giving back to the sector that has given him so much, connecting battling planners with virtual event solutions that offer honest value and dedicated support.

It was March 2020, and along with much of the industry, Stuart Mitchell battened down the hatches. After 20 years spent tirelessly connecting his network of corporate event buyers, most recently under the banner of his consultancy Catch the MICE and working for the benefit of the sector’s mental health fundraising for Eventwell, Stuart wasn’t content to sit and watch his industry crumble: “Halfway up a ladder while decorating my office, I was struck by the thought: I have a huge network of event professionals and know all these amazing boutique hotels and incredible venues. I can't put them together through a Zoom call because no-ones booking, but maybe, I could help the event planners do something online in the shortterm, as a way of being part of that long-term solution.”

After months of research, Stuart made contact with seven of the world’s leading event platforms and was approached by several of them for the role of UK Sales Director. However, once he entered into discussions with the award-winning brands, their plans to automate their platforms with chatbots struck a nerve: “I wanted to be with people that actually understand the events industry and can hold the hand of those event organisers taking their first steps in the virtual world.”

Upon turning down several lucrative offers, he sought out two platforms built by event organisers, for event organisers: “Intelligo is a fantastic platform that is supporting planners new to virtual. It may not have been the most lucrative decision, but it was the right thing for me to help the industry.”

An intuitive non-graphical platform, Stuart found Intelligo to be the perfect entry-point for those looking for a simple to use, stable and effective virtual solution: “if you’ve been on a Zoom call, you can use this platform. Registering is easy, it has fantastic breakout facilities and navigation to multiple main plenary screens is a walk in the park. But it also has some really cool features, such as offering a VIP roundtable event with keynote speakers, which the rest of the audience can

view. Plus, the in-depth analytics give event organisers absolutely everything they need to support their sponsors as well.”

Intelligo caters to around 60% of the clients Stuart works with, but for those seeking a more visually impressive solution, that’s where the VII Events platform comes in: “In a truly immersive experience, you can virtually navigate through a 3D environment, with the only limit being your imagination. Whether you want a meeting with an amazing view at the top of the Alps or a conference on Tower Bridge over the Thames, VII Events can make it happen.”

Stuart’s foray into the virtual world has been incredibly well received, in the first couple of months alone he has raised over £750,000 of enquiries: “I have partners with outstanding technical teams with so much to offer event professionals. Now I can continue to facilitate the introductions I’ve been making for the last two decades in a virtual environment and help the live industry connect with venues in the UK and overseas.”

Despite the imminent return to live events, Stuart is confident virtual will continue to open up huge opportunities: “Live events will return but I'm sure that virtual will be there enhancing them. For example, boutique hotels may have been a management retreat that the team ran away to. The teams could now have their getaway and get their brainstorming done, while also putting a professional message together in a mini studio environment that can be broadcast to the wider staff or global customers.”

While many of the platforms Stuart initially canvassed were predominantly webinar

based, he has always been conscious of engagement posing the biggest challenge to virtual event planners: “Getting viewers involved in ways that ensure the stream is worth paying attention to, rather than having it on in the background is crucial to the success of that event. Yet most platforms don’t offer much interaction or networking opportunities, often leaving senior teams to simply lecture to the minions. The platforms I'm working with have really thought about the virtual experience and how that engagement works – that’s why I'm proud to put my name to them.”

For those who may not realise the full potential these platforms offer, Stuart aims to grow his business to ensure he can give event planners all the direction they need to optimise their usage. This promise is one part of a long-term agreement he has struck with Intelligo and VII Events to offer the industry a much-needed lifeline with realistic investment: “The reason why I didn't work with certain platforms is because they were charging a significant upfront fee to people on their knees, who didn't really know how to use them. The ones which I'm working with reward loyalty, don’t charge an upfront fee and make sure you only pay for what you use.

“I’ve been lucky to have an amazing career in the industry and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. I'm incredibly upset about the way things have turned out and the lack of support. It's been great to see so much internal collaboration within our sector, especially when there's been so little central support. There are a number of platforms capitalising on this misfortune and I wanted to do exactly the opposite, giving those I've worked with for such a long time the opportunity to get on board with the virtual world, because it will be embedded in everything we do as an industry going forward.”

To find a virtual platform to suit your next event, contact Stuart at stuart@catchthemice.com, call 07771 946 614 or visit Catchthemice.com

North In Brief

#wemakeevents Kickstarts Visibility Campaign

The group #wemakeevents has launched a new campaign entitled The Government Can’t See Us, calling for visibility in government, support to survive the current crisis, and a clear pathway to reopening.

#wemakeevents states that 50% of events sector professionals have had to take other work to supplement their income during lockdown and that a third have been forced to leave or are considering leaving the industry. “All too often,” the campaign states, “we have been excluded from their support schemes – leaving us without the help we’ve needed to survive since our industry closed down, and without a pathway to reopening.”

The campaign asks for people to write to their MPs in order to express support for those working in the events sector who feel as though they have been overlooked by the government throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

CREO Set Up to Support Events Organisers

Guild, a business messaging platform, has established the Coronavirus Response for Event Organisers (CREO), a peer support group for event organisers around the world to aid them in dealing with the shift to virtual and hybrid events.

CREO had over 100 members within the first 24 hours of being set up, and currently has over 700 members including events organisers and specialists in marketing, PR, tech, legal, and production,

Any events professional can join CREO via their website free of charge. The CREO community has also crowd-sourced a document over 50 pages long full of insights, advice, and resources shared by members of the group. The document covers official advice and guidance, financial mitigation, technology for virtual conferences and meetings, health and safety, and insurance, among other topics. The document, titled CREO Manual is available on their website and is accessible by anyone, not just members of the group.

Professionals Working Events in EU May Need Work Visa

The government has provided clarification on the matter of whether UK workers attending events in the EU will require work visas. As it stands, a person may enter the UK for a period of less than six months using a standard visitor visa. However, they may not do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person. Attending business meetings or conferences does not fall under this caveat and is therefore permitted.

Similarly, government guidance for UK nationals suggests that if you are visiting a country in the EU for less than 90 days in a 180 day period then a visa will not be required. The exception to this is if you are self-employed and providing a service in another country.

Allseated Launches New Virtual Events Tech exVo

Events tech organisation Allseated has launched a new software which allows virtual and in-person events to be combined. The new software, titled exVo, allows delegates to wander events spaces via a virtual avatar. The draw is that the virtual space can mimic a physical space exactly, allowing events organisers to hold a hybrid event that can be attended by delegates either in person or virtually and still provide the same experience to both.

“The virtual event space feels real and adds a level of excitement for attendees, allowing them to navigate and explore as they like – virtually,” Allseated’s website explains. “Enter meeting rooms for breakout sessions. Meet with colleagues and make new connections too – the natural networking opportunities are endless and easy.”

Poll Finds Consumers Are Eager to Return to Events

The #WeCreateExperiences campaign established by cross-industry organisation One Industry One Voice has commissioned

a poll of 2,010 people to research consumer attitudes towards returning to live in-person events.

The poll, undertaken by Censuswide, found that 72% of British consumers have missed attending live events during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the majority of respondents would be willing to abide by safety measures put in place by events organisers to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The poll found that 84% of delegates would agree to additional biosecurity measures when booking an event, and that 81% would be willing to provide evidence of a vaccination, or negative test result within 72 hours or attending an event. In addition, 41% of respondents indicated that they would be willing to pay more for their event ticket in order to cover the cost of these measures.

One Industry One Voice has released a campaign video on social media showcasing the UK events industry, and encourages people to get involved in the campaign through @1IndustryVoice on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

UNFCCC Aims for Sustainable Events Industry by 2050

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has set the goal of having a carbon neutral events industry by 2050. The UNFCCC has taken on responsibility for the global push to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and has set up the Race to Zero campaign. The campaign is intended to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a zero carbon recovery that unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.

The organisation has posited that a sum of £30,000 will be needed to finance a taskforce to lay out how to achieve sustainability in UK events industry. The goal is to then replicate this with other events industries across the world, making the UK a global leader in events industry sustainability.

“Can somebody tell me if the brownie contains any nuts?”

“I’ve checked with the

definitely does not contain

the

“Thank you - everybody, please be aware that a member of table 5 has a severe nut allergy.”

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chef,

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Look on the Bright Side

PR, trade fair and events specialist Jack Saward discusses how he’s injecting some much-needed positive energy into the industry as founder and co-host of The Events Insight, a breakthrough podcast sharing inspiring stories of event professionals across the globe.

Hi Jack, tell us how you came to the world of events?

I was born into events – my father worked with Waddingtons to host events like the Subbuteo World Cup, before starting his own business. I remember doing my first live event when I was 16, attending with the likes of Bryan Robson, Gary McAllister, and Gordon Strachan. My pocket money was cleaning, packing vehicles and wrapping corporate gifts for giveaways.

Yet I made a conscious decision not to walk straight into the family business. I didn't want to be the son. I studied at university, but there was no such thing as Events Management back then, so I took a sports degree, and ended up developing my communication skills in the public sector, working with young offenders. After 12 years went by, I thought I could finally bring something to the family business.

Four years ago my father was diagnosed with a critical illness, requiring a life-saving transplant. For about two years, I’ve been running the business by myself. With family up here in Northumberland and business down in Yorkshire – plus, you know the events industry, when you're on a project you’re never at home anyway. It came to the point where I could count how many nights I'd slept in my own bed that year. Something had to give.

It wasn't easy, so we put the business up for sale. But the business that offered to buy us out I had no time or respect for and didn't feel comfortable telling our longterm customers, this was the right way forward. There are more important things than money to me, I'd rather have closed the doors and kept my father’s reputation. So that's what we did. I sent a message out and within

an hour I had 10 of our clients on the phone saying: “you can’t do that – we have events coming up and need you there.”

So Saward Marketing & Events evolved into a freelance project management business. I don't see myself as a contractor who builds stands, I see my role as an event project manager who is an addition to someone's team. Many businesses are now suffering from employing more and more people to deliver projects they should never be chasing, becoming recruitment rather than events companies. When you get to that stage, you’re taking on work simply because you have a gap in the diary, and that doesn't do your customers any favours because they just become a number.

I let my clients know, whether I’m providing a pop-up banner or helping them organise an international exhibition, they are just as much of a priority. I pick up more business from word of mouth than by any amount of SEO and the quality of those enquiries are far more worth my while.

Although all our booked events from 2020 have been postponed, we’re being realistic in terms of our focus and we’ve shifted towards freelance project management for other sectors – for instance, I just received a call from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games which was nice!

How has it been for you during the pandemic?

I’m passionate about north-east England, but the nature of the industry takes you all over the world. When COVID hit in March I was seeing the lights turn off in Las Vegas as I was taking down an event. On the flight home, I made a conscious decision to soak up as

much information about the impact of the virus as possible, because I knew that all my customers were going to be asking: “Jack, what do we do?”

I've since attended dozens of industry training sessions and virtual platforms, and I’m now able approach customers and say what type of events work well under the circumstances. Some disagree, but I think certain things can work well online like networking, but I’ve yet to see a good virtual exhibition. You don’t get the immersive experience and engagement and importantly attendees won’t purchase huge chunks of equipment when they can’t physically see the product.

I don't like the term the ‘new normal’ – I believe the industry has just fast-forwarded. You can see that in terms of virtual platforms evolving as they go. The two statements I live by are user experience and user journey. Live or online, get those two things right and attendees will engage, but make them too complicated and you'll lose them. You need to make your platform as welcoming and easy to engage with as possible.

My personal view is that we’ll come out of this recession far better than we did in 2008. This time people still want to build, exhibit, and in most cases, spend money – it's just a matter of when they can go out and spend it.

And the word from your industry colleagues?

Our industry is built on mutual support. We never leave site at an exhibition if we see our fellow events staff struggling. We spare an hour before we hit the road, because that's what our sector is all about. If one of us is hurting, it's going to hurt us all in the long term. That hasn't changed just because we're stuck indoors – we're still upholding that support network.

Colleagues have taken time and actually stopped and thought about their journey and businesses. We move so fast, we don't stop to reflect and give ourselves a pat on the back for what we do. We’re doing our industry no favours if we let our fellow colleagues leave the sector. People don't understand, we're not just talking about project managers and technicians, but the whole raft of people who help deliver a successful event. There are so many welltrained professionals involved in incredibly niche roles behind the scenes that we can’t afford to lose.

So how did the idea for The Events Insight podcast come about?

I've appeared as a guest speaker in a few industry discussions, but I've got a voice for copy and a face for radio – so it was never my intention to start a podcast. But people were telling me: “why don't you do a podcast and share your experience?”

I was always getting asked why I was so positive when the world was falling down around us. If we’re talking negatively about our industry, customers are going to see that. I believe we can control the message and have a responsibility to keep things moving in a positive direction. Eventually I succumbed and agreed to do the podcast on the condition we weren't going to focus on the current negativity – there are enough people doing that. I wanted people to be able to tune in for a reminder of why we love what we do.

I'm a strong believer in people doing what they do because they're good at it. So why try to reinvent the wheel when there are many experts out there whose experience you can draw on? So our main focus has always been around getting guests to share why they are involved in events and what they learned along the way. We’ve stuck by a very simple Q&A format and we have a little bit of fun on the way. Our aim was if we could help one person, it was worth doing – but we've been downloaded across six different continents, which we never expected. We've had some really good feedback and we're now working with universities to try and share some of what we've learned.

This isn't about making money, it’s more a labour of love. I’ve personally had to invest a little in the infrastructure of the platform, but it’s been a real collective project involving all these fantastic professionals we know,

from musicians, photographers and web designers. I have a great co-host in Ellan Cambell-Swann, a true Yorkshirewoman, who I met by chance at a networking event six years ago. Together we bring a nice balance of PR and events experience.

Who can we expect to hear on your show?

The beauty of the podcast is we welcome people from all walks of life. This afternoon I was recording with Emma Holling, a maths teacher turned music festival director. She said: “I really don't want to talk about how things are going.” I said: “good, we don't want to hear about that, tell us about the experiences that have made you smile.” Listeners can hear the enthusiasm in our guests’ voices – it’s infectious.

Pioneering environmental events director Judith Patten MBE was our very first guest – I didn’t tell her she’s been involved in events longer than I’ve been alive! Then we had Brazilian architect and urban planner Ariel Fertonani. I worked with him on the 2014 Commonwealth Games and could have joined him for the Abu Dhabi 2019 Special Olympics, which I was gutted I had to turn down. I'm all for immersing in as many cultures and environments as you can, because they will all contribute to you being a better event professional. You find out something new about everyone you speak to and that's all credit to our guests being willing to open up.

We're exploring how to get more listeners involved in the podcast, and it’s their encouragement that will help us evolve and direct us towards the people we should be speaking to. We've also toyed around with doing it as a vlog, but we've purposely kept it in the podcast format because people like to listen when they’re on the treadmill or taking the dog for a walk.

We’re just trying to provide a half-hour energy boost that people in the industry can tune into if they want to learn something new or are just feeling a bit low. We're getting as much out of the conversation as the listeners, and if we're enjoying it, I think that comes across.

To get in touch with Jack and to listen to The Events Insight podcast, visit Saward-me.com.

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new outdoor courtyard

Going Al Fresco

As outdoor dining kicks off a summer of corporate hospitality, hotels have been forced to reassess their menus and service to cater for the new normal.

The phased reopening of the hospitality sector, starting with outdoor dining, has inevitably shaken up the way venues are set to entertain their corporate guests. But with these changes, comes opportunity. Dave Ashton, Executive Head Chef at The Lowry Hotel, went from catering sold-out Sunday lunch and afternoon tea services to virtually nothing at the start of lockdown: “The past 12 months have completely changed our catering levels. While the hotel has been able to open for business-related travel, it is rare that these services are anything more elaborate than a continental breakfast and a simple room service dinner.”

In response, he has adapted the hotel’s corporate food and drink offering to enable clients to enjoy cuisine from its River Restaurant in the comfort of their own homes. From Sunday Lunch to afternoon teas, the deliveries offer corporate customers the chance to bring teams and clients together for a five-star dining experience, packaged with an environmentally aware spin: “As is always the case with ingredients used in The River Restaurant, The Lowry Hotel has made every effort to support local by purchasing ingredients from local North West suppliers. In keeping with the hotel’s eco-conscious ethos, the @HOME delivery boxes are made out of biodegradable and recyclable packaging.”

Although the hotel boasts the longest outdoor bar terrace in Manchester, the limits on group sizes have meant its home delivery service has been able to open up the possibility of hybrid dining events: “We have a number of events already confirmed for our terrace, and with the assistance of a Zoom link, extended group members will be able to join in the fun online and tuck in to one of our afternoon tea packages which will be delivered to each guest to enjoy at home.”

style of service, evening snack-style food with single-use containers and portioned dishes will prove even more popular. We have put a lot of thought into the small plates concept at Formby Hall as we are confident it is what our guests will enjoy. We haven’t tried this before, which is why we have launched a new outdoor patio area and menu to deliver a whole new feel.”

For Alex Fretwell, Head Chef of Mosborough Hall Hotel, the downtime over lockdown has given him the chance to revisit the hotel’s dining experience and introduce new ideas: “Firstly, I wanted to work with the idea of outdoor dining and offer a casual menu that suited the setting. Given the reduced capacity and added service challenges, a menu that really made the most of simple, tasty ingredients was going to be essential. The hotel already had an outdoor pizza oven, so this was the starting place and we have made this a real focal point. Myself and the hotel’s general manager, developed summer-style BBQ dishes to work alongside a range of wood-fired pizza options, cooked right in front of you.”

With a new versatile courtyard area, Mosborough Hall is one of many venues rushing to invest in outdoor dining space so they can hit the ground running: “We’ve kept it flexible – setting it out to accommodate groups of six but with tables that are easy to adapt to larger groups once restrictions are eased. Shelter is another key consideration, so our undercover canopy area should mean we can continue to operate, with heaters to keep guests comfortable, whatever the weather.

“We have made the most of the hotel’s gardens too, with a private pavilion for groups of up to six people looking for a more exclusive dining experience. Of course, as things progress and open-up, we can use this space for informal outdoor corporate occasions and private celebrations, so the investment now has a long-term benefit.”

At Liverpool’s Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa resort, Head Chef Nathan Noon believes viral contamination fears will drive an overarching shift in menu trends: “Events will be totally different this year until everyone feels more relaxed and gets used to socialising in numbers again. Outdoor dining is here to stay and will have a massive influence on this – it will carry this on well beyond the summer and is something that should be carefully considered in event catering as it returns.”

With the hotel launching a relaxed, yet sociable Mediterranean style of food and service, Nathan tips street food-style small plates to be on the rise: “Instead of a buffet

In terms of the venue’s restaurant, its doors have been closed for several months, but the team has spent this time planning to ensure the guest experience remains attractive as ever: “We have had to embrace a smaller capacity on re-opening, online reservations, contactless payment and other logistical changes, both in the restaurant and kitchen. But I know the hospitality sector is resilient, and we have found a way to incorporate all the new regulations without ruining the experience.”

Alex Fretwell, Head Chef of Mosborough Hall Hotel.

Nathan Noon, Head Chef of Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa resort.

Dave Ashton, Executive Head Chef at The Lowry Hotel.

Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa resort.

The Lowry Hotel’s outdoor bar terrace.

The

dining space at Mosborough Hall Hotel

Elan

Cover Blown

As the spectre of future COVID cancellation spooks planners, insurers’ refusal to underwrite the risk moves a summer of events towards a knife edge.

Though the government leads us to believe we’re almost out of the woods, you don’t have to be a ‘gloomster’ to take the 21st June go-date with a pinch of salt. Many event planners appear to be doing exactly that, as worst-case scenarios from mutant strains to low vaccine take-up risk torpedoing the return of large-scale events after months of planning.

Jim Winship, Secretary of The Events Industry Forum and Managing Director of event management company Food Events & Things, has been at the forefront of lobbying the government to underwrite an insurance scheme to bolster industry confidence in the face of lingering uncertainty: “When we were allowed to host outdoor events last summer, local authorities were getting cold feet all over the place.” One event Jim was dealing with whose cancellation made national headlines was Southampton Boat Show, the city council deciding to pull the plug the night before it was due to open: “Event organisers are worried if they don't have insurance, they could find themselves in the same situation without the means to cover the costs.”

Jim is witnessing cancellations on a daily basis, both among colleagues and his own

clients, as a direct consequence of insurers being unwilling to underwrite the risk of COVID-related cancellation: “It’s affecting everyone – I've had two cancellations just today and was on a conference call earlier where a number of major festival organisers were talking about pulling the plug because they can't get insurance.”

The only type of insurance currently on the market is directed at attendees, and while it offers much-needed assurance, it offers no reprieve for the organiser: “If someone was booking a ticket for a corporate hospitality event, they can purchase cancellation insurance alongside it. But under the CMA rules, organisers who cancel are supposed to honour the ticket for a future date or refund the money anyway. It's probably a wise investment for bookers, as there’s always a chance the event company could go bust, but it's really not the sort of insurance the industry needs.”

Although planners are by their nature used to an element of risk, they could be forgiven for refusing to roll the dice on their businesses, having had their fingers burnt once before. “Large-scale events like exhibitions and concerts where crowds make distancing unviable are most at

risk, and many don’t understand the costs involved. Organising an event on the scale of The Manchester Arena, 90% of the revenue goes towards the costs of venue hire, staging, staff – there aren’t massive profits and cancellation is a phenomenal cost.”

As the summer season is at risk of collapse, collective action may be the only answer: “We're lobbying the government hard and I’ve urged organisers to notify the Treasury of their cancellations. The blockage comes from within the Treasury, rather than the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in particular one MP, whose email address I’ve passed onto colleagues. He will duly be inundated.”

The type of scheme Jim suggests is not alien to the government and similar iterations have been extended to other sectors. For instance, in July 2020 the Culture Secretary announced the Film & TV Production Restart Scheme, a £500 million government-backed fund to cover losses incurred as a result of pandemic-related delays or disruptions: “There’s nothing exceptional about it. They could probably end up making money out of it, because if they don't get a lot of claims, they will still charge a premium via the insurance companies as they shoulder a share of the risk.”

A dozen pilot events with spectators in attendance are set to take place in April, as part of the Events Research Programme, where scientists will determine how the industry can operate, yet Jim believes the results will come too late: “If they reveal you don’t need to social distance once you've had a vaccine, that opens the door for pretty much every type of event to take place again. But if we're not getting that information until June, that rules out much of the summer as companies aren’t getting the lead time they need to plan. We can only plan on the basis of what we know now.”

As planners look to get on the road to recovery, a government-backed scheme would offer that element of certainty, particularly to the smaller events brands which make up the lifeblood of the industry: “The amount of planning time and cost involved in organising events is a huge investment which major companies can afford to underwrite at their own risk, whereas smaller firms don’t have the resources. This has repercussions the whole way back down the supply chain, because if these thousands of events don’t take place across our communities, it hits everyone involved.”

Down to Business

Qube Events Director and Event

Designer Debbie Marks explains how she has helped the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic with the launch of her Luxury Event Business Hub.

Hi Debbie! Tell us about your background in events?

I’ve been in the events world for 24 years now. With a first-class degree in Event Management from Leeds Metropolitan University, I’ve worked in various roles from in-house for corporate agencies to hotels to team building companies. 13 years ago I went into the creative side and set up my own business, Qube Events & Productions.

What services does Qube offer?

Qube Events specialises in creative events. From full event design through to all elements of decor hire, we aim to make an event planners life easier by having everything under one roof. Table centrepieces, linens, furniture, bars, dancefloors, floral installations, chandeliers, custom entranceways and feature decor.

How did the Luxury Event Business Hub come about?

The Luxury Event Business Hub was launched during lockdown, and it was mainly to create a friendly support place that business owners could go to and could ask all of those burning questions without having to spend thousands of pounds on having a business coach. Also, I found that, especially during the lockdown, it was doom and gloom in every Facebook group so I created my own positive events group that didn’t allow any negative COVID chat. You can look at it in two ways, let everything go to pot or turn your business around and come back from this fighting. I thought: ‘well, if I can try to do that, why can’t everyone else?' Many businesses were at the point of giving up when they joined and the transformation has been incredible to see.

For those who wanted further support I launched the Level up 2 Luxury Membership. Each month we invite different specialists, who would generally cost hundreds of pounds to consult, to answer our members’ questions. As part of that I do a weekly event dropin clinic. So, if they have issues or need help with sales or any other aspects of their business, I can help. We also have great networking opportunities. Our members support each other and want everyone to do well, which is really nice. And I have a VIP option where I mentor small groups, looking at the strategy of their business and where they’re going and keeping them accountable on a monthly basis. We will set our goals for that month and then we’ll

check in the following month and set a plan for the next month, so that they’re continually growing.

It’s really about helping business owners identify where they want to go with their business, helping them find how they can grow, move into the luxury market, get bigger bookings, and make their companies more profitable. We do that by really getting to understand their ideal clients and break down all the steps to get to where they need to be. But alongside that, we help business owners with mindset and motivation.

How has the pandemic changed the way your business operates?

During the past year, we have rebranded as the Qube Decor Group. We had to put the word 'decor' in our name as that's what we do best. We have added new divisions to the business. We continue with our event design and decor hire side of the business which is now stronger than ever.

We have bought an e-commerce side to our business to help people celebrate at home. QubeLuxe.com is our new decor store alongside our Decor Qube brand providing luxury tablescapes in a box.

How important is having that support network for businesses?

This is so important and I actually think it is key now to running a successful business. Having someone you can go to or that you can vent your problems at is vital. It’s not just about me; it’s about the support of everyone together. On a weekly basis we’re sharing our wins, we’re sharing any issues that we’re having and ways we need support. There are no silly questions. Within the Luxury Event Business Hub I wanted to create a safe space where people can ask, get the support that they need, and keep them motivated to keep on going.

I work with new businesses who are in their infancy, but also I’m working with a lot of established businesses now,who want to go to the next level and need support with their strategy.

Last year I launched my 12-week Business Blueprint course, 12 weeks where we help people gear up to either launch a new business or to revamp their existing business. It went really well; I will launch that again this year.

To get involved, join Debbie's free Luxury Event Business Hub group at Facebook.com/eventbusinesshub

IndustryOpinion

A New Age

Jonny Ross, founder of Fleek Marketing and host, organiser and producer of online events, wonders if we shouldn’t be so quick to ditch virtual.

With summer on its way, the vaccine rollout making swift progress and Boris telling us we can meet together again, you would think all is going back to normal pretty quickly. There is a good chance things will settle down over the coming months, but I do wonder what the autumn and winter will bring. I am no pessimist, I but I like to be prepared.

What this pandemic has taught us is that people and businesses that are a step ahead are the ones that come out of a crisis even stronger. Whether that is doing a launch or business event online and being prepared to embrace tech to make it as engaging as possible, lest your plans are dropped in the deep end. Or perhaps

it is another kind of event, that has fully embraced digital transformation, that has fully connected its customers and clients to its internal cloud systems, giving the customer power to interact in an engaging way whatever happens. It could be to enable seamless online ordering or maybe it is to be able to have productive and outstanding networking meetings.

Whatever the future holds, normal has changed and the virtual elements we have grown accustomed to over the past 12 months are going to be around for a long time. Why wouldn’t you immerse your potential clients from across the world to your amazing venue if they are not able to fly over and be there in person? Why

wouldn’t you make it abundantly easy to engage with your business online? Well the answer is, if you don’t, your potential clients will be going elsewhere!

If you would like some help to transform your events to give them that digital punch, or are looking to embed digital transformation in your business, get in touch. For now, keep embracing and investing in technology, because if you don't, others will.

Fleek.marketing

Future Fit

As the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) continues to campaign for sector visibility, its Membership Director and Managing Director of Hotel and Travel Solutions Julie Shorrock shares the alarming results of its latest industry survey.

Our sector has an identity problem. Over the past 12 months, the UK meetings, events and accommodation industry has been overlooked and remains largely unrecognised by government. A new HBAA survey shines a light on the impact of this and makes important reading.

The Q1 study reveals that agency staff numbers have fallen by 39% in the last year. This figure has increased by 9% since June 2020 when a previous HBAA study revealed that 30% of employees working in the sector at the time were at risk of redundancy. The research, which surveyed close to 100 HBAA members, also revealed that 20% of venues and agencies have not received any grants or business rates relief, despite applying.

Some 74% of agencies also said their business needed an extension to the government’s furlough scheme and 44%

need the relief on business rates to move forwards. HBAA anticipates it will be more difficult for agency members to continue to benefit from business rates relief which is now confirmed for 2021-22. Agencies will be left in the precarious position of relying on grants from local authorities.

The survey also shared members’ insights into the concerns of their clients. For example, 78% felt the number one concern for clients is safety and security at events, followed by international travel restrictions, and then a lack of desire from employees to travel or attend. For accommodation booking policies, 25% said flexible terms are the top priority for clients.

Overall, this research shows the grave effect the pandemic has had on our beloved industry. Keeping in mind that this survey has been conducted during the furlough period, it is likely there will be more redundancies when the furlough scheme ends unless there is a dramatic upturn in business. It is of great concern that the scheme is hiding the true

impact of COVID-19 on our industry.

Throughout the pandemic, HBAA has continued to support members by shining a light on our industry and championing a voice into government directly and via the Business Visits and Events Partnership, and by providing timely advice and education on pertinent issues. It has also been important for us to bring together our community to share ideas, experiences and best practices around our four pillars of resilience, innovation, ethics and quality.

And this great work must and will continue. Our immediate priorities going forward are to continue campaigning for recognition and sector specific support, to provide our members with the toolkits they need to revive their businesses, and to build client confidence to spend again. While there is still much uncertainty ahead, our creative and resilient sector will rebuild and recover and remain future fit.

Hbaa.org.uk

The Virtual Reality

James Tucker, CEO of public sector events and exhibition organiser GovNet, explores the value of virtual events in measuring success.

While we are all understandably excited for the return of live events later this year, the phenomenal growth in sophisticated and highquality virtual events has demonstrated just how innovative our sector can be. However, measuring the success of these events can prove challenging, especially from the perspective of an exhibitor.

Traditionally, exhibitors would judge success by the number of leads they secure, but data-rich virtual platforms now ensure organisers can deliver greater levels of insight. For example, at a busy live event, it would prove difficult and somewhat tedious to count the number of people walking past your stand, but at a virtual event, you can inform every exhibitor of how many delegates viewed their stand and for how long.

Nonetheless, this can pose its own questions. If a particular exhibitor has recorded a significant number of views but not necessarily secured a large number of leads, is that a result of their product offering, and how they’ve engaged with people across the day, or is it down to the platform itself?

Once we had delivered our first wave of virtual events following the initial UK lockdown, it was important for us to carefully analyse our data to understand the behaviour of delegates and process how they engaged with exhibitors. Many industry commentators have discussed at length that the majority of exhibitors find it more difficult to engage and close deals at virtual events – and we have seen similar too. This was a key reason behind our decision to evolve the packages we now recommend to our customers, which can incorporate additional exposure such as speaking opportunities and branding.

I don’t think it is particularly healthy for exhibitors to walk away from an event, count the business cards they have collected, and determine whether the event has been a success. This ignores the fact that your branding may have been exposed to several thousand people, or, if you’ve had a speaking slot, you have been able to influence thoughts or opinions, and be part of the conversation that has many positive spillover effects down the line.

Human perception is also incredibly important when it comes to monitoring the success of exhibiting at virtual events against live events. Consider the differences between chatting to 20 people on an online platform, compared to getting up early, jumping on a train, arriving at a large venue, setting up a stand, speaking to human beings throughout the day (while on your feet for 12 hours), and then travelling home! You could complete each of those scenarios with ten business cards – and they could be the same people (because the audiences are very much identical) – but I guarantee you’d feel like you would have made more effort by going to the live event. In fact, the virtual event presents an opportunity to interact with a larger percentage of your key target audience, as it would accommodate those people unable to travel to the live event, due to time constraints or distance.

Once we emerge from the pandemic, I believe we will see virtual events being commonly used to complement a live event experience. These will be flexible, available on demand, and more targeted. Content creators will be able to drill down deeper to explore key topics relevant for different audiences, delivering even greater insight and value.

PhilOldershaw

Although there is still some confusion over dates and what’s allowed when, the event industry is getting ready for a comeback this summer – at long last. But the return is not without issues.

There are increasing concerns across all sectors of the industry about how robust the return will be with many in the supply chain severely damaged by the pandemic and, in some cases, refocused to other markets. A number of temporary structures, normally used at outdoor events, are now providing cover for vaccination and testing centres. Similarly, many who generally work in the event security sector have found other work and some are saying the new contracts are more rewarding and less risky than events.

IndustryOpinion Road to Return

Back to Business

As

our industry rouses from a winter of hibernation, Jim Winship, secretary of The Events Industry Forum, cautions all

may not be where we left it.

In the scrabble for suppliers, particularly with so many events crowding into the last six months of the year, there is a worry that it will open the door to less welcome elements with the risks and potential damage that they can cause to the good name and reputation of the industry. So, checking the experience and credentials of suppliers will be more important than ever.

Another issue worrying many is the inability to get insurance cover from the commercial market. While industry bodies are continuing to press the government to underwrite the risks and put proposals forward to the Treasury, there is little sign yet of this happening. For organisers, some of whom have seen no revenue for over a year, the risks of going ahead without insurance are too great – hence a number

With the publication of the government’s timeline for reopening, the Meetings Industry Association’s (mia) Chief Executive, Jane Longhurst, is encouraging event professionals to remain optimistically cautious.

As we’ve been continually calling for greater recognition of the sector and a clear pathway in which business meetings and events can return, it was, of course, welcome news to see the publication of the government’s roadmap in February.

However, while we’ve been avidly championing and demonstrating the importance of the sector in aiding the UK’s economic recovery, here at the mia we’re keen to stress the need for event professionals to remain pragmatic because the dates may not offer the grand return to normality that we’ve all been craving for.

After all, the initial 17th May and subsequent 21st June dates are by no means cast in stone. Realistically, there’s every chance they could slip as they’re reliant, of course, on the UK meeting the government’s four tests alongside the successful completion of the forthcoming pilots that we’re currently collaborating with the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) on.

While we’re doing everything we possibly can to demonstrate how business meetings and events can take place safely and securely, it’s essential that once we’re given

the green light, the sector remains open once and for all. It would be simply disastrous for us to undergo another period of closure.

There’s also a very real chance that upon reopening, mitigations such as social distancing and the wearing of face covering masks could remain a necessity. So, we all need to play our part being prepared and flexible with our plans to embrace those potential challenges. And a key part within that relies on event professionals making wise venue choices for their future events.

Our members have, on average, invested £41,000 in stringent safety and infection protocols to ensure their venues are COVID-secure. These protocols form the foundations of our new enhanced AIM Secure accreditation to help keep everyone safe and restore confidence. Its therefore imperative that event professionals include the quality standard as a key part of their venue decision-making process.

With the relaunch of our new highly developed miaTouchstone, we’re making it even easier for AIM Secure venues to swiftly manage RFPs. Developed as one of the mia’s business recovery aids for

are cancelling their plans for this year. There is, however, some evidence of insurers being willing to offer the public insurance as a supplementary charge on tickets for events.

The other factor we don’t know about yet is the outcome of pilots that the government is undertaking in the late spring. These will look at issues such as ventilation and will, inevitably, shape much of what events look like in the months and, possibly, years ahead.

The good news, however, is that we can now plan with some confidence as the word in government and among the science community, is that they are committed to avoiding the stop-starts we have experienced over the last year.

the sector, the new platform offers event bookers easy and secure access to essential legal documentation such as COVID risk assessments and policies as well as insurance, fire, health and safety certificates that they should be seeking.

Launching in early April, the critical tool also allows venues to gather meaningful feedback and data to benchmark their performance against their competitor set on a regional and national level. It really is a fantastic tool that ultimately will play a crucial role providing insight that the mia can share with the government to demonstrate the ongoing economic significance of our sector.

Whatever challenges come our way over the coming months, our sector will no doubt overcome them if we remain optimistically cautious.

To keep to date with all the latest mia developments and news, follow @MIAuk on Twitter.

Outdoor events in the UK will return, and it is our vision at the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) that they return stronger and better than before. This isn’t a self-delusional ambition either, although it is easy to lose hope off the back of what has been an excruciatingly hard year for event professionals.

What gives us hope? First and foremost is the ticket sales already coming in this summer. We work in partnership with our colleagues at See Tickets, and both through them, and from the feedback we have seen from our members, the response to many outdoor events, from sporting to music and cultural festivals, has been phenomenal. From the small to the large, those events taking place this summer are seeing an amazing response from the public.

This is especially reassuring given that some of these events have had 18 months out of business already and may have lost connection with their audiences. Equally, there was a justifiable concern that spectators would be reticent in returning to live events, with the prospect of either social distancing or reduced capacities affecting the experience, not to mention concerns over their health. What the data proves is that the appetite for face-to-face, outdoor experience has never been higher, nor as robust; in truth, you don’t miss some things until they are gone.

The Great Outdoors

Susan Tanner, CEO of the National Outdoor Events Association believes the UK’s appetite for outdoor event experiences spells a summer of success for event planners.

This should give us hope, as a community of event professionals, that there is still a market for what we do. For brands and businesses, that this still remains a highly productive way of influencing audiences and reaching customers. The data we’re seeing isn’t just that people want to go and see bands, watch entertainment, or enjoy the great outdoors, they want to be part of a community; meeting with likeminded people under the brand of the events they love.

This is incredibly important to our corporate members, who buy into this connection between brand, event and audience. They use these moments to create memorable experiences that create connections and loyalty with existing and potential new customers. These brands have missed live experiences as much as the audiences they market to. Event sponsorship and marketing works, whether it’s activating a new product launch, building an experiential area, or just providing an added value experience to the guests.

The second reason for our confidence looking forward, is the changes that have happened within the industry itself, however it is fair to say that these are by no means set in stone. At the beginning of this pandemic, NOEA committed itself to not only protecting and fighting for the industry now, but setting the foundations for it to #BuildBackBetter in the future.

There are parts of this strategy that still concern us. We have, inevitably, lost talent out of the industry and we need help to get those people back. Organising events takes experience; from security to car parking, from health and safety to staging and lighting, these are not transferable skills and

the biggest concern to those invested in these events is that the right people are still around.

We’ve been working hard with the government to ensure that the building blocks are in place to protect events and event suppliers now. This means that they then have the resources to return this summer and, more importantly, subsequent summers. In a post pandemic world, this is especially important as we look to provide the right level of safety for audiences, reduce the levels of risk for sponsors, and protect the liabilities of the businesses involved in creating and running these events.

As we move out of the pandemic into finally creating events again, we need to be mindful that everyone learns the lessons of the past, so that we can rebuild a robust industry for the many thousands of people who are relying on us to create amazing experiences this summer. This means tighter understanding of liabilities, insurance, risk and safety, and that we have grown up conversations about each one. If we do, there will be a greater level of protection for everyone.

For NOEA, this is a major challenge, but we are spurred on by the incredible response to events already this year. Our industry is rightly the envy of the world, probably because we have a population that sees so much value in outdoor, live experiences. We owe it to those people to continue to be the very best industry in the world, and to be one that continues to help great experiences happen.

Noea.org.uk

A Foggy Future

As live events return, venue hygiene is going to be more of a priority than ever for events co-ordinators.

In the midst of a pandemic, keeping venues in line with hygiene guidelines has never been more crucial. This highlight on hygiene has seen new technologies develop and companies exploring solutions for the industry.

While much of the focus in media has been on how COVID-19 spreads through droplets in the air, the virus can also be spread on surfaces by touch.

The bedrock of venue hygiene currently is sanitising as quickly and effectively as possible. Many see the fogging machine as the solution to this need. During the process of fogging, an area is filled with mist made of a sanitising liquid. The aim of this is to offer complete cover of an entire venue, without risking any areas being missed.

“The only way to ensure a complete sanitation is with fogging, and our Electrosan Fogging System eradicates up to 99.9999% of viruses and bacteria with no impact or interruption to your daily work routine,” says Ian Hill, Sales and Marketing Manager for chemical producer Qualkem. While fogging machines seem to be extremely effective as a method of sanitising large spaces, the drawback of using them has previously been that the chemicals used require vacating the venue, so can’t be used as a sanitising method mid-event. However, this may no longer be the case. The use of an alcohol free hypochlorous solution which is harmless to humans allows fogging to be done without any interruption to the event. This solution is reportedly 100 times stronger than household bleach and lethal to all known pathogens, thus rendering it as effective as the more toxic chemicals that have been used previously.

Fogging does have its limitations in certain areas, for example underneath horizontal areas and while effective it doesn’t protect the area going forward. Another solution that is being offered for sanitising venues effectively is electrostatic spray technology. This ground-breaking technology charges the droplets of sanitiser as they exit the machine's nozzle. The charges cause them to repel each other and spread out evenly over the surface, removing human error from the process of sanitising. “There’s a lot

of fancy words that get used,” says facility management company MFB's Managing Director Paul Ulett. “All this electrostatic process really means is it provides each molecule with a positive and a negative charge which then makes the particles go off and find something to cling to. That’s not new technology. It’s relatively straightforward. You can do that by just applying pressure.”

An effective electrostatic sprayer can put you £1,220 out of pocket, not including the sanitising solution, while a good fogging machine can cost upwards of £1,500, an outlay which can be tempered by renting from established venue hygiene firms. However, many are of the opinion technology comes second to good sanitising technique informed by expert knowledge of how the virus spreads – something specialists will readily offer.

Not taking proper precautions could cost more than money. According to commercial laundry and catering equipment distributer JLA: “Venue hygiene isn’t just about walking the walk – businesses must also talk the talk and continually show their customers how they are making hygiene and infection control a priority. Four in five customers report that proof of businesses prioritising hygiene and customer safety would be reassuring.”

By cutting corners you risk your event brand’s reputation, losing consumer confidence, and most importantly: you risk people’s lives. Investing in experts to oversee events sanitisation is the best way to ensure your reputation doesn't get taken to the cleaners.

AIM SECURE VENUES

a recognition

ACC Liverpool

You’re only as good as your team – and we’ve got a pretty amazing one.

At ACC Liverpool we have the in-house talent to keep your delegates hooked from start to finish. Whether it’s dazzling production, awardwinning event management, world-class food, or dedicated city support –we’ll support you every step of the way.

Hinsley Hall

A warm welcome awaits people to this Grade ll listed building set in 4 acres of peaceful landscaped grounds.

Hinsley Hall provides a perfect venue for retreats and events with facilities for up to 90 guests and residential accommodation for up 69 guests, including use of the chapel, library, bookshop, dining room and lounge bar.

Located within 2 miles of the city centre and 6 miles of Leeds and Bradford airport with excellent public transport links, Hinsley Hall also offers ample free secure on-site parking, along with complimentary Wi-Fi.

0113 261 8000 | hinsley-hall.co.uk conference@hinsley-hall.co.uk

Richmond Hill Hotel

Adjacent to the wide-open spaces of London’s greenest gem are 13 event spaces with natural daylight and fresh air in this AIM secure accredited Georgian hotel.

020 8940 2247 | meetingsandevents@richmondhill.co.uk 144-150 Richmond Hill,Surrey, TW10 6RW

The Grand Brighton

Brighton’s landmark venue is AIM Gold accredited, and located on the gorgeous seafront, with sea-facing rooms and plenty of fresh air in stunning Victorian surroundings.

01273 224 300 | conference@grandbrighton.co.uk 97-99 King's Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FW

Wetherby Racecourse

A unique elite sporting venue set amidst 300 acres of farm and parkland in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside, just minutes from the A1(M). We offer flexible meeting, exhibition and teambuilding space both indoors and outside, first-class catering and a friendly, professional management team dedicated to ensuring every event is a success!

anks to our comprehensive Covid-19 Policy, our robust mitigation and our ethical practice, Safe Events are a thing of the norm at Wyboston Lakes Resort. Trust us, we’ve got this!

We o er outstanding meeting and event facilities with two dedicated venues. With 403 bedrooms and 56 meeting rooms, the Resort o ers a huge range of spaces for showcases, product launches, events, training and Expo’s. Proudly independent, fiercely creative and driven by a conscience. Perfectly placed too with excellent road and rail links.

A Clean Break

Cito Facilities Director Matt Bond talks us through the preparation and ongoing safety of venues ahead of the return of live events.

Hi Matt! What would you say is essential for venues starting to think about reopening?

A cleaning schedule is crucial. You should have a plan in place for regular touch point cleaning. It’s also essential to make sure your staff are competent and well trained in the sanitising process. You absolutely have to use the correct chemicals and make sure you adhere to the associated Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations and carry out the necessary risk assessments for them. Is the product appropriate for the surface and germ to be cleaned? For example, using some chemicals on stainless steel can bind proteins to surfaces and not remove them. Your cleaning supplier should have a support team in place to offer the correct product for each respective scenario. Above all, don’t be afraid to ask.

What can be done to minimise the spread of of the virus?

Learn about how the virus is spread. It’s a virus that is transmitted through the air, so airflow and space are key. COVID-19 can also be spread by touch if a surface is infected so minimising consumer contact with surfaces is important. If a door can be left open, leave it open to minimise the amount of time it’s touched. Look at one way systems, ensure any PPE is disposed of by the user and double bag waste and treat it as hazardous biological waste.

What does Cito Facilities do to support venues?

Each site is different and would be treated on merit, but the basics will remain the same. We use the acronym PUMP to ensure each venue is as safe as possible.

• P – PPE: Is it right, does it fit, do you have enough, does it do the job? We wear two pairs of gloves and change between surfaces. We also change masks frequently.

• U – Uniforms: Where possible we change clothing between traveling and working or at least we wear disposable aprons.

• M – Movement: We think about where people will be and what they will be doing and plan accordingly.

• P – Persistent Cleaning: We ensure that cleaning is both thorough and ongoing.

Why is using a professional company a better idea than the venues doing it themselves?

It guarantees efficiency and value for money, and you want to ensure that once you're open, you stay open. When you’re searching for cleaning professionals, look for accreditation. We are members of British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) and proudly display that on our business portfolio. It shows a degree of knowledge and experience in the field. We all know the stories about mobile phone sellers becoming so-called ‘foggers’ or PPE experts. Don’t be fooled.

What makes you stand out as a business partner for our venues?

We listen, plan and pride ourselves on doing the right thing. We don’t believe in: 'it’s always been that way'. We are not afraid to embrace change and technology and we won’t do things for the sake of it. We live by our strapline which is that we take care of your premises so you can concentrate on taking care of your core business.

Will testing and vaccine passports unlock large-scale events or will the logistical and ethical implications test attendees’ patience? We consult one of the UK’s leading providers…

Prenetics UK has carried out over 1.5 million private COVID tests and is behind the programmes for much of the UK’s entertainment and travel sector including Premier League and Heathrow Airport. “It’s been a privilege to help restart different parts of the economy.” says Avi Lasarow, the company’s Chief Executive. “Speaking alongside Melvin Benn and Andrew Lloyd Webber to a Commons select committee last year, I was able to talk about how mass testing can restart events and it’s great to see government now pushing in that direction to help us return to a sense of normality.”

With many indoor events relying on the relaxation of social distancing to remain viable, will event planners be forced to bear the financial cost of ensuring attendees are COVID-free, or will the responsibility fall on government to subsidise testing?: “There are different views on this. We were in discussions with the Racecourse Association and in their case, they were looking at adding testing costs onto their ticket prices. However, in terms of the pilot events set to take place, government are giving their free lateral flow devices to private companies such as ourselves who would administer them at the event.”

The Events Research Programme (ERP) will be used to provide key scientific data and research into how small and large-scale events could be permitted to safely reopen in line with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. Venues participating in the programme will test specific settings to collect evidence and best practice with

Putting Events to the Test

events ranging from the Good Business Festival event on 28th April at ACC Liverpool, with 1,000 delegates mixing in an indoor setting, while on 15th May, Wembley Stadium will host 21,000 supporters for the FA Cup Final.

Asked how such large-scale events will face the challenge of mass on-site testing, Avi believes only when used in conjunction with a securely accessible digital framework in the form of an NHS or private company app, will events be able to handle the logistical pressures on the day: “Every single attendee needs to be tested, so a company such as ourselves would have a facility available in and around the venue. But I don't think that we would be able to, for example, get 60,000 people tested in the Wembley Stadium car park. I think it's going to be points of intersection, providers around the country testing and putting the results into a central database in the days leading up to that event.

“if you look at the recent government policy decision, Boris Johnson announced that everyone gets a free lateral flow test twice a week. In theory, you could then bring that result with you, by virtue of your NHS health passport and event planners could securely access that information, allowing them to ensure all the right boxes are ticked in terms of valid COVID tests and health questionnaires being completed prior to granting access. Though whether that will be ready for the test events is highly doubtful.”

Avi advises that on-site testing will inevitably take the form of rapid lateral flow tests, using similar technology to a pregnancy test, which can produce a result within around 30 minutes: “Of course, it's not the length of time it takes to actually get the result back, the bottleneck will be in the swabbing and the challenge lies within the infrastructure set up to be able to safely test potentially thousands of attendees.”

That poses the question of who will carry out this testing – will events planners need to hire specialist personnel to administer them safely?: “If you look at when government gave out lateral flow tests to workplaces,

many of them weren't comfortable with the health and safety implications of administering them, not to mention the efficacy.

“When they supplied the Liverpool region with devices as part of a mass COVID testing trial, efficacy rates dropped from 99% to 70% depending on who administered the test. They can supply as many tests as needed, but there's still going to be the need to make sure that they are handled correctly. There's definitely been some significant push towards stronger regulatory approach in terms of who's allowed to test, what tools are used and to what standards.”

Mired in ethical and privacy concerns, the proposed system essentially relies on the public’s willingness to share health data with private firms: “It’s a huge debate right now, but if you ask people whether they would rather sit at home for another year, or consider a different perspective on civil liberties until such time as things get back to normality – I think that many would probably choose the latter. Ultimately, testing will become as common as putting a seatbelt on.”

Most importantly for event planners, will a mass testing programme rollout come soon enough to save a summer of events?: “I’m an optimist – there's been great progress here in the UK and we’re in a great position compared to where we were historically on the global stage. We've been pretty good with our vaccination strategy and I think testing has always played a very important part in that. But now, integrating health passports into testing is definitely going to be a natural progression to coming out of lockdown and making events happen.

“The key learnings coming out of the test events will determine much insight into what happens in the future. The ERP will then inform policy decisions moving forward, so it ultimately comes down to how well these events are run and what we do with those findings that is going to determine whether or not we have a great summer of events ahead.”

Feast of Festivals

Festivals are set to go ahead this summer with all new logistical problems for outdoor events organisers.

Tickets are already sold out for the weekend days of Leeds Festival. Delegates certainly aren’t shying away from attending. In 2019 Reading and Leeds Festival attracted 105,000 attendees and this year seems like it’s going to be packed to capacity as well.

With so many festival goers set to make up for lost time this summer, social distancing as per government guidelines is going to be near impossible to enforce. Even with vaccines rolled out, it may be necessary for event organisers to rely on other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

These measures all require more staff than events have had in previous years. “We’ve had a whole year where staffing agencies have been closed and people have found work elsewhere. So there is going to be a real issue with staffing moving forward,” says Gareth Palmer, Founder and Executive Chef of Vanilla Bean, a corporate catering and event organisation company.

With the current roadmap out of lockdown, most major festivals will take place this year, including Leeds and Reading Festival, Edinburgh Summer Session, Isle of Wight Festival, and Manchester Pride to name but a few. However, organisers this year are facing a whole new realm of challenges as they face the prospect of thousands of young people coming together into one space.

“Events are just going to have to be a lot smaller,” says Founder and Director of events organising company The Bulb, Selina Donald: “so you can take into account social distancing, staggered entrances and exits, thinking about enough room around key touchpoint areas. You’re not going to be able to have anything that people can just pick up…. I’ve used a really brilliant software called OnePlan, which allows you to load up your event site map and be able to map out how many people you can get in any space with a two metre distance between them. Just being able to plan for social distancing and make sure that you’re not inviting too many or too few and giving quality and value for money from your event is crucial.”

The frequent use of hand sanitiser helps ensure the safety of both festival goers and staff. Frequent hand-washing is preferred, but hand sanitiser dispensers are more easily situated throughout a large space. This is something that is expected to continue after 21st June when legal restrictions on social contact are set to be removed.

Similarly, frequent cleaning and sanitisation of surfaces is another safety measure that won’t disappear after restrictions are eased. The Bulb will recommend to their clients that toilets be cleaned after each person at their events. This standard practice during the pandemic seems set to stick around afterwards as well.

Also recommended is deep cleaning the entire event premises beforehand. With festivals this can present a unique challenge. While the large open spaces that festivals require have the advantage of being open air, and therefore mitigating disease spread, it also requires a lot of portable equipment that needs to be sanitised after set up.

All of these safety measures are all well and good, but they’re all dependent on whether delegates will be willing to follow such strict safety measures when they’re not legally required. “To say all restrictions are lifted and it’s all back to the way events were in 2019 - with everyone rubbing shoulders - is going to be really difficult,” Selina Donald commented. “There’s going to be a lot of anxiety with attendees. I think it would be really remiss of event organisers not to think through how you manage that… There are so many festivals happening this summer now, and it does make me wonder how that’s going to pan out.”

Solutions such as vaccine passports, staggered entrances, and reduced capacities are all expected for 2021, and could be here for a good while yet.

The Spirit of Giving

Corporate gifting is rapidly becoming more popular as a way to connect with employees and clients and build relationships from a distance.

With industry professionals everywhere increasingly isolated from each other, gifting is a time-honoured way to fill the void left by the removal of our ability to meet in person. Sending a considered gift offers a positive and thoughtful touch to professional dealings.

Now a market worth an estimated $125 billion globally, corporate gift giving is definitively on the rise. Creating a favourable connection is an ideal way to build relationships with current and prospective clients and incentivise staff you are not seeing face-to-face. Going forward, corporate gifting is predicted to increase investment returns by 10%, as clients feel that their patronage is appreciated, instilling a sense of brand loyalty.

As so many events are now taking place virtually, corporate gifting is an ingenious method of adding flavour to those events. Not only does a well-considered gift provide something more to your event experience than simply staring at a screen, when done right it also offers unique branding opportunities. Whether it’s a T-shirt or something edible, embossing gifts with a logo is not only a unique line of advertising, but it also keeps your business forefront of the recipient’s mind.

Kits have become popular for their variety and flexibility. Bake Box sells boxes of baked goods that are brandable and can easily fit through a letterbox. “Staying connected with customers, colleagues, family and friends has never been more valuable,” says Bake Box owner Jennifer Walker: “Personal and branded gifting helps to celebrate successes, introduce others to what you do, and most of all brighten someone's day.”

The presentation of the gift is crucial; unboxing a gift is an experience in itself. Making your gift look appealing and fun to open having researched your recipient and sending something that has clearly been thought about is the best way to maximise your impact.

But above all, quality is key. A poorquality gift reflects badly on your business. Using corporate gifting experts will ensure you get it right. There are some wonderfully creative companies specialising in bespoke ideas born out of the pandemic, so do your research and see what’s around.

In the current virtual landscape, devoid of the face-to-face connection we once relied upon, a physical gesture couldn’t be more crucial to ensuring you secure business both loyal and new. So whether it’s for a personal event such as a birthday, or a professional milestone, or just to say thanks for the business, sending a gift is an advantageous way to ensure that clients and employees know that they are appreciated in these challenging times.

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Taking the ‘I’ Out of Team

With social restrictions soon to be eased, are in-person team building events set to make a comeback, or will virtual continue to rule?

Given that social contact is set to become much less restricted in the coming months and outdoor venues begin to open back up ready for some good weather, it might be that after a year of being stuck inside doing Zoom quizzes the popularity of outdoor team building activities will boom with the decreased risk of virus transmission that comes with being in the great outdoors.

“Outdoor activities will of course become more popular as the weather gets warmer, and this aligns with the importance of physical activity and wellness becoming a big focus,” commented Jonny Edser, Managing Drector at team building events company Wildgoose. “It is more crucial than ever that employers support their employees’ wellbeing by ensuring their teams are staying active and engaged.”

On the other hand, it seems that virtual and hybrid events will remain popular even after the pandemic is over. EventMB found that 71% of event planners will continue to employ a digital strategy to maintain their virtual audience once they return to physical events and that 66.5% of event professionals plan to use hybrid as their go-to format once in-person events resume.

“As we move into the spring and summer months with restrictions easing, we have received a number of enquiries from companies whose workforces are now fully remote, suggesting that virtual is here to stay,” Edser explained. “However, with social contact gradually being introduced in many workplaces we also expect a gradual return to face-to-face events as the weather picks up. This will include a demand for events

that accommodate a hybrid working world, facilitating both remote and in-person employees.” It seems that hybrid team building activities may be the way forward, allowing employees a choice of whether to attend in-person or virtually.

Virtual team building certainly can have its advantages, but arguments are prevalent for both sides. They can cost a fair bit less than in-person, though this can come at the cost of engagement, and accessibility is much better. While logistical and health and safety concerns are much less of a minefield, Zoom fatigue is a real and prevalent consequence of an influx of virtual activities, and employees are feeling more isolated than ever.

Interestingly, Soundofcollegues.com, a website which streams background office sounds such as phones ringing and people chattering, has had 75,000 visitors from the

UK ¬¬¬– showing just how much employees miss being in an office environment surrounded by other people. Employee mental health has certainly suffered from the isolation of working from home, and a recent survey by Aetna International indicated that a third of employees are concerned about this issue. In-person team building events are perhaps the best way to tackle this feeling of isolation and bring out the best in employees.

“Everyone’s ready to do face-to-face team building,” says What An Event Owner and Director Michael Hanson. “It’s not going to completely replace virtual, but just after the year we’ve all had, we’ve seen several enquiries in the last four weeks from people wanting to bring their team face-to-face and outdoors. Certainly, outdoor team building is very much in people’s minds at the moment.”

Time for a New Adventure

After the prolonged COVID separation, get delegates or your team back together somewhere extra special this year. Adventure Parc Snowdonia launches its showstopper new hotel, conference and event facilities in May.

On 18th May 2021, Adventure Parc Snowdonia will open the doors to what it reckons is going to be the UK’s most exciting new hotel, conference and events venue –the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia. It’s a bold claim, so we thought we’d take a closer look at what you can expect from the flagship North Wales resort this year.

A

spectacular setting

You’ll find Adventure Parc Snowdonia at the gateway to the Snowdonia National Park. It’s a straight-up stunning part of the world, and consistently voted as one of the top regions in the world to explore. It’s around 90 minutes by car from the north west.

The parc is around seven miles south of the medieval walled town of Conwy. The grassy whaleback hills of the Carneddau mountains and the dense Gwydir forest provide a lush green backdrop, and the Snowdonia Massif – home to Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales – lies just a few miles to the south west.

Five showstopper event spaces

The Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia launches with five showstopper meeting and event spaces, ideal for intimate functions through to large scale conferences for 300+ delegates. Each space has been finished to the highest specifications, with Wi-Fi, high-

definition projectors, digital signage and built-in AV.

At 180 sqm, the largest function suite, The Snowdon, comes with wow-factor views from floor-to-ceiling windows across rolling waves to the stunning landscapes beyond. There is an additional 70 sqm seminar room, the Crib Goch, two smart boardrooms, and a large breakout space. Zephyr’s Bar & Grill offers smart contemporary dining with 100+ covers, and additional outdoor seating on an attractive sunny terrace.#

Dedicated events team:

Get in touch to discuss agency and commissionable rates

Lead in rate for hotel: From £89, room only

Hilton Honors

If you’re a member, you can use your points to book.

COVID guidelines: Hotel follows the industry-leading Hilton Clean Stay guidelines

Rooms with a view

With unparalleled views across the parc’s magnificent inland surf lagoon to the mountains-and-forests beyond, there’s no denying that the rooms at the 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn are a little bit special.

Guest facilities include a 24-hour welcome desk, room service, a guest-exclusive fitness centre and free Wi-Fi throughout the property. Bedrooms come with far-reaching views from floor-to-ceiling windows, a desk, flat-screen TV, and ensuite bathrooms with rainfall showers. There are a number of types available, including suites, twin and wheelchair-accessible.

Adventures and teambuilding on the doorstep

If you’re looking for a new teambuilding venue, you can take advantage of worldclass indoor and outdoor adventures on the doorstep. On-site activities include open water swimming, stand up paddle boarding, an indoor ninja assault course and mountain bike hire. Plus, surrounded by the fresh air and big open spaces of North Wales, there are countless miles of trails and landscapes to explore offsite.

The focal point of the parc is, of course, its rather magnificent 300-metre inland surf lagoon. This impressive feat of engineering delivers consistent surfable waves every 90 seconds, offering surfing for all abilities from beginners through to pros. Suitable for group taster lessons, or individual sessions or lessons, it is ideal for rewards, incentives and team building.

Relax at the Wave Garden Spa

The hotel launches in tandem with the brand-new Wave Garden Spa, which offers

indulgent rituals and treatments, as well as an indoor/ outdoor thermal journey, hydrotherapy pools, Himalayan salt sauna, steam room, foot spa and relaxation spaces.

The contemporary design makes the most of its natural setting, with a focus on natural wellbeing, fresh air, and relaxation. There will be regular yoga classes and mindfulness sessions, and a landscaped herb garden is made cosy with cocoon seating and firepits. After the stresses and strains of the last year, we can see the appeal of adding a day spa to your next away-day itinerary.

Hybrid Theory

Hybrid is the word on everyone’s lips, as major event brands gear up to seamlessly mix live and virtual. But will the true logistical implications force us to rethink our strategies and turn the traditional format on its head?

With all that we’ve learned from taking our events online over the past 12 months, the industry shares an optimistic consensus that hybrid will be the future. Seamlessly blending the face-to-face advantages of live with the increased reach of virtual appears a no-brainer. Yet, as restrictions capped live attendance during the brief window of event opportunity in 2020, hybrid theory proves yet untested.

Are we perhaps underestimating the challenge of hosting large-scale multi-day events with more procedural rigmarole (thanks COVID) than ever before, all while taking care of our virtual attendee experience? Event Tech Live Founder Adam Parry seems to think so. Due to translate his fully face-to-face November 2020 event to a hybrid model, sudden lockdown restrictions meant he was reprieved of the ambitious task of delivering Europe’s largest event technology expo both in person and online: “Upon reflection, I'm glad that we had the opportunity to focus purely on an online event, as to do them both simultaneously over the five days would have been a mammoth task. As we move forward, I think we'll see a much more condensed versions of events, as organisers take the strain of hosting virtual and physical elements at the same time.”

So will event organisers will be able to handle the logistical strain on a budget that delivers return on investment? Virtual delegates will equally be tested, as their attention spans can’t hope to compete with those attending in-person, complicating the task of engagement far beyond simply placing a camera at the back of the room. As Adam would have us believe, maybe it’s time to reassess the traditional event format.

Chris Ayre, Managing Director of Ayre Event Solutions which specialises in virtual events believes first and foremost, event agendas need to be drastically rethought: “A typical event that lasted for a full eight-hour day, with the traditional comfort breaks in the morning and afternoon won’t be sufficient now. The attention span of delegates accessing a virtual event rapidly depletes as the day progresses. Life gets in the way and distractions are a many – all of which are competing against the event. Having shorter keynote presentations with regular breaks

Chris Ayre, Managing Director of Ayre Event Solutions.

will benefit the virtual attendees no end, in turn, keeping them engaged.”

While a physical event might last three days, with delegates often around for the full duration, a digital version might last only three hours, a factor Lindie Kramers, CMO of creative event agency Ignition feels limits the scope of networking opportunities which often provide just as much value to delegates than the content itself: “Virtual events are impersonal by their very nature. The personal chemistry so often the key driver to new business partnerships cannot possibly be replicated in this format, thereby lessening the creation of memorable new working relationships.

“Sustaining interest over time is much harder virtually, with attendees more mission-based, predisposing them to limited interest. Secondary social events at a physical show will always have the attraction of more informal interaction.”

Virtual and in-person elements clearly need to align to offer just the right amount to each group without exhausting the other. It’s going to be tough, but Chris asserts that a well thought out agenda will help: “Instead of having an hour keynote, have 30 minutes with a panel discussion and Q&A at the end that virtual and in-person attendees can participate in. There’s also an argument that many presentations contain a lot of information that can be translated into printed documentation rather than having a presenter covering it all in their session.”

When it comes to achieving return on investment, taking the time to cleverly plan out your content can in turn bear a healthy mix of marketing materials and revenue-generating collateral following the event: “Typically most events that are hybrid or virtual will have the facilities to be recorded. Sessions can be spliced into individual video segments and made available on a platform or website at a later date – possibly part of a delegate package where all attendees are able to access the content post-event, or offered as a video ondemand feature where participants are required to pay for access. Of course, for the latter, you’ll need to get permission from the speakers involved.”

However, when it comes to event sponsorship, Lindie encapsulates the widely held belief that virtual events are notoriously difficult to monetise: “If you plan to take out sponsorship within virtual events, you really have to scrutinise event organisers – and with much less surety of outcome. What are they doing to help promote sponsors before and during the event, for example, to justify your investment? Forming a connection with attendees at virtual events is far more difficult than making your brand and message visible than within physical exhibition halls. Visual information is much easier to ignore online.”

In response to this challenge, Chris suggests organisers may simply be approaching sponsors with the wrong tack: “Event organisers seem to be very reluctant to approach companies to provide sponsorship for virtual events. Either because they don’t understand the value of their offering or they haven’t engaged correctly. There is still value for a company to provide sponsorship to an event, even if it’s virtual or hybrid. Unlike in a person-to-person event, there isn’t the networking possibility, but there is still the possibility to offer up airtime, a wellproduced advert in between sections, logo placement on screens and event collateral. These all still provide value to the sponsor and need to be sold in an attractive way to entice them into the offering – just as you would with a fully live event.”

When it comes down to delivering hybrid on the day, with the right amount of forethought and the correct tools, the virtual elements can look after themselves, taking the pressure off event planners as they are left to do what they do best: “After facilitating events throughout the pandemic, many platforms have accelerated to become incredibly self-sufficient when it comes to virtual delegate

management, registration and many other logistical tasks. It is the inperson delegates who will require the attention. The true professionals that they are, event organisers will undoubtedly be very experienced with delegate management – even after such a long time away. As always, the key to not being overwhelmed is planning.”

Virtual event solutions certainly have their place in the overall marketing mix and will be a growing part of hybrid strategies used to complement live event schedules. Yet Linda undoubtedly speaks for many event professionals when she maintains that physical events remain unrivalled in their ability to bring audiences together, evoke emotional responses and drive action: “Face-to-face events leverage the five senses and immerse attendees in a purpose-built event setting, where products and services can be seen more clearly, touched and quality-tested, impacting on attendees on a deeper, more significant level. While computer software leads people through ultra-logical steps in a machine-led process, true-life business engagements can become meaningful through serendipity and coincidence, as well as humour, coincidence or chance.

“Clear decisions on the advantages of each means a wiser spend with a realistic view of what can be gained and at what price.”

Lindie Kramers, CMO of Ignition.

13-inch MacBook Pro

The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro is a more compact version of its popular predecessor. With quad-core Intel Core processors, this super-fast laptop is up to 2.8 times quicker than previous editions so lag during meetings won’t be an issue. This model comes with 16GB memory as standard with upgrades available up to 32GB. Apple.com

£1299

Top Tech

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Slim and lightweight, this versatile two-inone tablet/laptop is perfect for an event professional on the go. With both a touch screen and detachable keyboard, you can choose to use it in a way that suits you. In addition, the HD camera and 10.5-hour battery life can keep up with any virtual event. Microsoft.com

£739

With

the recent rise of online meetings, having the right tech is

more important than ever to keep

Now that so many of us are spending more time on our devices than ever before, it’s crucial your tech is up to the job. With so many tech-rich products on offer it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the

your events brand connected.

choices. So here are some of our top tech picks for video-calling and working from home, with bags of processing power, high quality graphics cards and no sign of a frustrating lag.

Google Pixelbook Go

At just 13mm thick this laptop can go with you anywhere. Designed to start up in seconds as well as being ultra-sleek and portable; this is a laptop that won’t slow you down. With a high-resolution 1080p webcam and dual front-firing speakers the Pixelbook Go is perfect for client meetings and virtual events. Store.google.com

£629

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

This powerful tablet lasts for 15 hours of video playback, so there’s no need to worry about it cutting out in the middle of a meeting. Available with a USB charger or a charging dock, you can choose what’s convenient for you. Designed specifically to stream with less buffering, this tablet can keep up with video calls, screen-sharing, and note taking all at once.

Samsung.com

£619

A VENUE FOR EVERY EVENT

Maverick Venue Management is an independent Midlands-based hospitality company with a passion for providing high quality cuisine and venue management at a stunning selection of stately homes and now a newly renovated 19th century barn.

Situated in the heart of Leicestershire, Prestwold Hall is a Grade I listed private residence available for exclusive hire for corporate meetings and events, proudly playing host to world-leading brands including Bentley, easyJet and HSBC.

Nestled amid 2,500 acres of sprawling parkland, The Prestwold Estate now boasts a sympathetically restored barn. Perfect for a quirky, fun away day, Hall Barns offers a rustic alternative to the grandeur of the hall itself.

While situated in 800 acres of countryside on the border of South Yorkshire, the visually stunning Hodsock Priory features amazing views of the Nottinghamshire countryside, the restored family home proving itself a

luxury, award-winning venue for gala balls, AGMs, staff reward away days and more.

Maverick Venue Management offers a wide range of exciting team building and incentive experiences, from motorsports and clay pigeon shooting, to helicopter flying and beyond. If you’re seeking a venue to hold a corporate conference, team building experience, or Christmas party, its hospitality team can help you find the perfect space.

The service doesn’t stop there, as its busy outside catering and events division, Maverick Outside can cater for any event, in any location. Whether it’s within a marquee or a hired venue, the team are equipped to cater for events hosting anywhere from 10 to 1,000 guests.

Covering Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Maverick Venue Management is the ideal choice for your next event.

For more information, visit Maverickvenues.com

VIRTUAL TOUR

Win a Virtual Booth Experience Worth £1,850!

Imprint Interactive is giving away a fully loaded virtual booth experience to one lucky company to use at their next online event.

Imprint Interactive’s virtual booth experience is more than just a booth – it can add streaming walls, mosaics, surveys, quizzes, special effects, competitions and much more. The platform is perfect for fully branded consumer experiences with photos, GIFs and boomerangs – all of which can be themed for your client and have the obligatory filters and stickers applied.

Who doesn’t love a photobooth? Guests can download their images or share them directly to social media, using their fab content to promote your brand. Why not

use all their photos to build a digital mosaic of a significant image from your event or heritage? This can be slowly built throughout the day or saved for a big reveal at the end.

If you use the virtual booth experience to promote a product or brand, the Leicestershire-based event supplier can add data collection to the workflow to allow you to remarket to your potential customers. It can also embed your Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel into the platform. Perhaps you represent a brand that is looking to get your clients back into retail stores? Promote

Why not scan the QR code to try the virtual booth experience for yourself?

your virtual booth on social media and offer a discount code to encourage customers back in.

Since May 2020, Imprint Interactive has entertained thousands of guests and created many memorable mosaics. Now you have the chance to have its array of virtual experiences be part of your event –for free!

Imprintinteractive.com 0800 112 6070 hello@imprintinteractive.com

You can win a fully branded virtual booth experience, provided by Imprint Interactive, consisting of a virtual booth, livestreaming wall and digital mosaic for your next event? Simply answer the following question…

Where is Imprint Interactive based?

Enter online at Hospitalityandeventsnorth.com/competitions/or by post to JLife Ltd, Unit 7, Gemini Business Park, Sheepscar Way, Leeds, LS7 3JB. Please ensure your entry includes your name,

address, daytime telephone number and email address. The winners will be randomly selected on the closing date: 30th June 2021.

Terms and conditions apply: One entry per person. When entering the competition online you have the option to not be entered in H&E North Magazine and Imprint Interactive’s databases in order to be contacted about news, promotions and special offers. Postal entry data will not be saved. Publisher’s decision is final.

PROMOTIONS

Luxury Venue Strategist Takes Clients to New Heights

Laura Hillman is a London-based Venue Consultant and Strategist, empowering luxury event businesses to consistently achieve their goals.

Having worked at some of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the world, it is her mission to empower and inspire venue owners, to take their business to the next level, strive for excellence and deliver a luxury experience.

“Whether you’re a new venue who’s seeking direction and strategy, or you’re an established business looking to shake things up, rebrand or open doors to new opportunities, allow me to step in as your personal consultant, partner and strategist,” says Laura. “Using proven methods and 17 years of event experience, I can help you to increase revenues and profits, improve efficiency, increase customer engagement, reduce staff turnover, and increase conversion!”

Gain full access to her tried and tested strategies to do all the above across all types of events including weddings, social, corporate, and residential groups with exceptional results.

To find your perfect consultancy package, email laura@laurahillmanconsulting.co.uk or visit Laurahillman.co.uk

Wireless Communication Solution Keeps Events Teams Connected

VoCoVo headset communication systems are used and trusted by retail, hospitality and leisure users everywhere – from Tesco and B&Q, to your local fish and chip shop. Its plug-and-play packages are perfect for teams who need to have crystal-clear conversations on-the-go without complex installation and come with all the hardware you need, making them great for teams who need to stay flexible and connected over wider areas.

VoCoVo’s smart simplicity connects team members and customers far better than before, enabling you to deliver a totally improved customer experience. By using smart, ergonomic headsets, team members can communicate discreetly so that their operations run smoother than ever. And as a modular solution, your team can wear it however they want so that they can focus on what is really important – the customer.

For a free no-obligation quote or demonstration, call 0800 043 2688 or email sales@dcrs.co.uk

Event Management Company Prepares to Meet Unprecedented Demand for Outdoor Events

“Well, the cork seems to have definitely come out of the bottle over the last five weeks!” says Mike Hanson, owner of Yorkshire-based full-service event management company, What An Event. “Clients old and new are desperate to get their teams back together face-to-face after the ‘year of the Zoom.”

With its diverse event portfolio and range of skills, What An Event is ideally equipped to deal with any requirements: “Our strong offering of outdoor events

Leading Industry Voice Believes Opportunity Awaits the Brave as Events Set to Soar

It has been a precarious time for the events industry during COVID restrictions, however Presenter and Host, Phil Oldershaw, explains why opportunity now awaits the brave in an industry that is set to boom and confidently launches his brand new events company, Pose Events.

As an experienced Event Host, Presenter, Hospitality Trainer and Operator (please see page 28) Phil has spent 30 years experiencing the best, and worst, of businesses displaying their brand presence: “COVID has had huge impact on our industry and resulted in closures and cancellations across the globe. However, for those businesses that have survived the wrath, wedding parties that have rescheduled, and an endless list of other reasons to host an event, it is now time for resurgence. An opportunity to rise like a phoenix, get stuck in and spread those wings while plumping those feathers. We must not fear what has been, but look forward with optimism, act with passion, plan, invest for success and stand out from the crowd.”

Therefore, Phil Oldershaw’s confidence has created his company partnership, Pose Events, that will see experience and exceptionality intwine to exceed customer expectations.

Check it out at Poseevents.co.uk

Gift Business Offers Novel Incentive Idea to Connect Brands with Clients

When Kaye Gunner opened her family-run business back in October 2020, little did she know that the shop would only be able to remain open for a single day before the country would go into lockdown. Despite the setback it has experience throughout the pandemic Lavender Hampers and Gifts is now open for business.

Lavender Hampers & Gifts offers a plethora of unique lavenderbased products, made using locally sourced Cotswold lavender. Hampers are made up of individual products all of which are handpicked by you and combined to make a truly memorable gift which stands out from the crowd. Current and prospective clients are sure to be impressed by this unique and thoughtful gift.

Order online now for your next incentive package or event, at Lavenderhampers.co.uk

is proving very popular, as companies rightly have the safety of their staff as their main consideration when formulating their plans,” maintains Mike. “Being outdoors is the safest place to be from a COVID perspective, and as such our clients are looking for more diverse and unique venues to accommodate their event.”

Mike is privileged to work with numerous unique, outdoor-based venues, and can advise his clients on the best option for them: “The diversity of enquiries is noticeable,” Mike continues. “We currently have events confirmed and enquiries for private client post-lockdown parties; Christmas parties; team building events; private outdoor screenings of Eurovision; supercar treasure hunts, virtual horse racing; and a festival wedding, to name but a few. If you’re planning an event of any type, we’re ready to help.”

To discover how Mike can help your next event, email mike@what-an-event.co.uk

Caring is Key

CM Event Recruitment Founder Chrissie McLaren discusses the importance of reputation when it comes to hiring for your next event.

No one could accuse events recruitment professional Chrissie McLaren and her husband Richie of not caring enough about their work. “Every time we do a job for someone, they can’t believe how personal we are.”

“I originally set the businesses up because I didn’t like how recruitment agencies treated people,” explains Chrissie. “There was just a lot of dishonesty and ticking boxes, so I thought ‘right, I’m doing this.'" Chrissie established CM Recruitment in 2010 for office recruitment, and later expanded into the events industry as well. “It’s not just about ticking a box. It’s about the business side of it as well. If you get one bad team

member, that can ruin the reputation of the brand. Although they’re representing CM Event Recruitment, on the night they’re also representing that event planner, company or venue.”

CM Event Recruitment provides staff for a range of different types and sizes of events. Clients include BMW and Coca Cola, and the team was recognised as 'top rated' in the Add to Events hub. “We work with intimate private weddings to major events at racecourses and Ferrari Challenge days. Every client gets the same great service and passion”

In truth, there is little it doesn't do. CM Event Recruitment is able to provide bar staff, waiting staff, and kitchen porters too. “We do all hospitality of course, but we also have our cleaning teams who have been working diligently keeping major shopping centres safe.”

With the pandemic causing many in the events sector to struggle, Chrissie and Richie set their focus on tackling the issues facing the industry head-on. They created the Events United Facebook page to keep people who work in events connected. They have been vocal about demanding more support from the government for the events sector; taking part in petitions, writing emails to MPs, and being featured in various news pieces, including radio segments and being featured on BBC News. “Don't get me wrong, we are great at being invisible at events as we are the ones in the background making

the magic happen. But to be invisible to the government has been heart-wrenching.”

At the heart of it all is Chrissie and Richie’s commitment to their business and care for their employees and clients.

"One night when we had checked the staff in at an event, we had decided to go to the cinema. But instead of switching the phone off we were on hand to deal with any issues. We did receive a call from our client just as the film was about to start and it turned out that they had forgotten to hire extra kitchen porters, so instead of thinking our job was done, we dropped everything, found the staff and took them to the venue. It is little things like that. We have meetings and they say: ‘we know that if we’re in trouble you’ll get us out of it.’”

For more information about CM Event Recruitment’s services, visit Cmrecruitment.agency.

Opening Up

As restrictions on social gatherings are set to gradually loosen over the coming weeks, new venues prepare to welcome guests for the first time.

Newhall Mains

Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, this family run former working estate has been transformed into a quaint set of cottages and private suites, complete with an events space capable of holding up to 150 people. Loving restored from its previously near derelict condition using traditional materials, this luxury hotel is the perfect space for a team get together or a large corporate event. It is currently taking bookings. Newhall-mains.com

Springwell

Based in a former tannery, this 21,000 sq ft space in Leeds has been converted into a brewery and taproom by North Brewing Co. Established in 2015 by John Gyngell and Christian Townsend, the brewery grew as an offshoot from what has been described as the first craft beer bar in Britain. Springwell will have a brewery onsite, brewing 16,000 hectolitres of beer per year. This venue is perfect for large events, with its 500 person capacity and is taking bookings from 16th

April 2021. Northbrewing.com

Impossible Wonder Bar and Tearooms

Tucked into the centre of York, this bar and tearoom is set for a huge expansion. A ground floor speakeasy, second floor terrace, whisky lounge and a new hotel are all set to be built this year. With a luxurious, decadent vibe this is the perfect venue for an event with a touch of class. Impossibleyork.com

Ready Set Bake It

Ready to open in Leeds in May 2021, this venue offers an event experience like no other. Pit your baking skills against others in a Great British Bake Off style competition, complete with ten separate workstations. This venue provides a novel team building opportunity that lasts 90 minutes and is supervised by a qualified patisserie chef. Readysteadybakeit.com

Callow Hall

INNSIDE Newcastle

Ready Set Bake It

INNSiDE Newcastle

Dubbed Newcastle’s most exciting hotel, INNSiDE Newcastle boasts five different event rooms, including its Big Ideas space. With a capacity of 220 delegates this venue is great for large corporate events. The Keelmen Suite has an integrated LCD projector and screen, adjustable lights and digital signage. Melia.com

DogHouse Manchester

The hotel chain owned by famed craft beer company BrewDog is coming to Manchester after successfully opening hotels in Ohio and Aberdeen. DogHouse Manchester has 18 separate guest rooms. With each one containing a mini-bar, beer tap, games consoles, record players, a guitar, and DogHouse’s famed shower beer fridge, this venue is perfect for more casual events. The hotel will have a taproom stocked with a variety of BrewDog’s beers and will open this year.

Brewdog.com

Callow Hall

Owned by boutique hospitality brand Wildhive, this vast hotel is nestled in the middle of the Peak District. With 15 individually designed bedrooms and 35 acres of open space bordered by woodland, this venue features such amenities as a contemporary glass restaurant known as the Garden Room serving seasonal dishes all day made with local produce, some of which is from its on-site beehives and vegetable garden. The venue also includes a bar, wellness centre, and a range of bikes for hire. Callow Hall will open in summer 2021. Wildhive.uk

The Alice Hawthorn

A picturesque pub in Nun Monkton, North Yorkshire, The Alice Hawthorn has added 12 rooms over lockdown, making it perfect for intimate events. The exterior is that of a quaint country pub, but inside the rooms are crisp and modern. The venue has both inside and outside space for events and will open as soon as government restrictions allow.

Thealicehawthorn.com

The Grand Hotel Birmingham

Lovingly restored last year, The Grand Hotel Birmingham boasts a spectacular 310 sqm ballroom. The stunning Louis XIV style room is able to fit 350 delegates and features a VIP balcony and towering double story windows. The venue also contains nine other meeting rooms and events spaces of various sizes.

Thegrandhotelbirmingham.co.uk

The Grand Hotel Birmingham

DogHouse Manchester Springwell

The Alice Hawthorn

As The Queens Hotel undergoes a once-in-ageneration transformation, H&E North discovers how the pandemic has shaped the eight-figure investment in the Leeds city centre corporate events icon.

It has been a challenging 12 months for The Queens Hotel, in which time its crown has slipped. After closing its doors in March 2020, the city centre venue had a four-month window between July and early November when it was operating for essential workers, yet has remained closed ever since: “Many of our valued team members have been on furlough and the light at the end of the tunnel has been a continually moving target,” admits Alistair Campbell, the hotel’s General Manager.

During this period of uncertainty, the team have been working hard in the background “crossing the Ts and dotting the Is” on what has proved a remarkable £16 million refurbishment on the iconic 80 year-old property, due for completion this summer: “No room will be left untouched,” Alistair proudly asserts, “as all 232 bedrooms and public areas are getting a complete transformation.”

The original hotel was built in 1863 by The London Midland and Scottish Railway company as a flagship hotel for the Leeds Railway Station. However, the building as it stands today, clad in white Portland stone, was rebuilt in 1937 and has retained much of the grandeur of its French period architecture. Although the building has been restored over the years, great care has been taken to maintain many of its character features, which include the original lifts and windows.

“With any project of this scope, we have carefully considered how we can retain the historic art deco features throughout the property,” says Alistair. “Bringing a hotel like this into the 21st century is definitely not for the faint hearted! The team and I feel

The Royal Treatment

very fortunate to be playing some part in this historic journey and placing the crown firmly back on The Queens Hotel for the next decade.”

With hybrid working and flexible hours, work and leisure have merged. Playing to this “new way people are now using citycentre hotel spaces” the plans will create a social hub with a multitude of communal areas, a wine bar, outdoor terrace and central restaurant, helping visitors make the most of this blended lifestyle. However, will guests be ready to hurtle on this pandemicaccelerated trajectory towards social working, or remain cautious about the prospect of returning to crowded indoor settings?

Alistair believes no matter which industry you are in, the need for face-to-face contact with colleagues and customers will endure: “Hotels will become the hub of business activity following the move towards remote working. While virtual meetings have played their part, they are no substitute for human contact.

“I am sure that those who worked from home will eventually feel safe enough to step back into the community, continue with face-to-face meetings, and even just go out for a coffee and a catch-up. We are creating a number of welcoming open spaces throughout the hotel where we will continue to respect social distancing, ensuring our customers feel confident when visiting.”

Sarah Harvey is Head of Event Sales and Business Development at Almarose Group, owner of The Queens Hotel since its acquisition of the QHotels portfolio in 2017. With major UK firms unloading office space in their droves, she maintains hospitality venues will be waiting to fill the void for those who require face-to-face time with colleagues to

do their job effectively: “If the trend towards remote working continues, office space could become an expensive commodity that is underutilised. This means that hotels will have the opportunity to host meetings that would traditionally take place in-house. With free high-speed Wi-Fi and all-day dining options, hotels should not be seen as a poor alternative to the office, but a cost-effective upgrade.

“In a world where everyone is connected to the information superhighway 24/7, the lines between work and private life can easily become blurred. For many, traditional nine-to-five working hours no longer exist and so our social space has to become a multipurpose environment that can be utilised for work, relaxation and of course socialising. This relaxed space provides a more comfortable environment to share ideas, engage with people and get the creative juices flowing rather than a stuffy office boardroom.”

As workers untethered from the commute migrate from urban centres, will our cities remain relevant in a post-COVID world, and what does this mean for those venues with urban identity in their DNA?: “City centre hotels will forever remain a hub of business and social activity because of their unrivalled accessibility and transport links,”

Sarah insists. “With sustainability becoming a growing concern, location will play a huge part in determining where events are held in the future. The benefit of city centre hotels is that there are accessible and carbonefficient ways to support the travel to these locations.

“Leeds will most certainly continue to draw travellers, and with the city centre development currently taking place, it will become a more desirable location than many other city destinations.”

Whole New World

Buoyed by the success of its recent virtual incarnation, Event Tech Live is set to make its digital debut in the States and Canada in June. We consult its founder Adam Parry on his strategy behind shipping the UK event brand across the pond.

How has virtual opened the door to expanding the global reach of live events?

We’ve long had the opportunity to replicate what we do here in the UK for the European market in the US. However, the risk factor has always been great for us, because first and foremost, when you host a physical event in such a huge market like North America, where are you going to base it and where are those attendees going to come from? In the UK, the obvious choice is London, whereas America is a totally different landscape. With the event demographic more spread out, there's going to be logistical challenges for speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to participate in physical events, adding significant cost implications.

There's always that hesitation as doors open on a brand-new event –I can remember when we first established Event Tech Live (ETL), even though we had plenty of registration data, I was at the gates on the opening morning thinking: ‘right, let's see if anybody actually turns up.’ If it all goes wrong, it can affect the more established product back home and leave you with a negative industry reputation, as people feel you may not have researched your event enough, got the location wrong, or made the jump too soon.

As an extension of an existing brand, virtual events are a great way to test the waters in a safe way for everybody involved, not only for you as the organiser from a financial point of view, but for your sponsors, exhibitors and stakeholders involved in supporting the event. I genuinely believe this is the way that people will take those first steps in geo-cloning their events. It's a great way to take a gut feeling you might have as an organiser that there is a market for your event and replicate that ecosystem at speed.

To what extent do you tweak your offering to resonate with a global audience, while retaining your brand identity?

If we look at the architecture of the event, the way we plan sessions, our event design and communication strategy, we've directly transposed the majority of those elements. However, everything that we fill that event with, from speakers to content are all from that target market. The approach we've taken equates to the way a car manufacturer takes a model overseas, putting the steering wheel on the opposite side, changing the speedometer units, etc. It’s the same chassis, but built for US roads.

Over the last eight years of delivering ETL, we've gained close relationships with industry influencers in that market who we now class as trusted advisors. They’ve flagged along the way where we might need to tweak certain things. One of the hardest things to wrap your head around is the business language. Working with the US mindset, from sales terminology to the way they position dates, places you outside of your comfort zone.

Tell us how you’ve adapted your marketing strategy to reach new audiences.

Over the last decade, our web publication Events Industry News has been lucky enough to have 30-40% of monthly traffic coming from the US, so we've built a healthy database from that readership we can market to. We also have a media partnership strategy in place, teaming up with Exhibit City News, Corporate Event News and Tradeshow News Network.

On top of that, we invest heavily in digital marketing – we work with a company called Tiger Digital on our digital retargeting, Google Ads and PPC campaigns, and that's worked extremely well for us. We then layer that with social marketing. A useful community marketing platform we use called Glean In, allows those registering for the event to share their attendance with their network. Every year that has accounted for anywhere between 8-10% of our registrations.

A great free tool available is the LinkedIn event page feature, giving options for planners to promote and market their event. It was something we introduced for last November’s event, but this year we’ve really put some effort behind it. It gives you quite a lot of visibility on LinkedIn Marketplace, which is great, as B2B is ultimately who we're marketing to. As of this morning, we've had 838 people pre-register. Getting people to pre-register on LinkedIn is great for visibility but it also gives you some key information you can then use to help with sales. It gives organisers analytics on job title, seniority, location, engagement and more, all of which you can sell into sponsors and exhibitors quite far out from the event, when you normally wouldn’t get any of those indications until registration opens, which usually isn't until about six to eight weeks prior.

Will you use the event as a springboard to establish a physical launch?

As much as ETL is about all things digital, we were born out of a physical event, so I think it would be a massive missed opportunity for us not to build the event to that point where it requires a live event.

We’re currently about 70% of our way towards our financial target on the show and we've got some great speakers involved who I genuinely believe wouldn’t have committed to an event like ours because of the difference in time zones.

When it comes to our exhibitors, this year’s digital event will be balanced across both homegrown US and Canadian event technology brands, and UK and European companies hoping to establish business in that market. We hope it will offer a bridge for them to connect with overseas buyers in the sector and ultimately help them expand into global markets.

Events have been given the provisional go-live date of 21 June and International Confex, taking place on 22 - 23 June at ExCeL London could not be better timed to offer the first domino in the return to live events.

• Attend our supercharged conference programme and discover the latest insights

• Be there as the industry rises from the ashes!

• Streamline your event planning process and meet industry-leading suppliers

• Find practical solutions that you

can implement in your own events

See, feel and experience the latest products face-to-face

• Join the industry afterparty and catch up with your industry friends!

• International Confex will be THE place for the industry to meet, learn and discover.

Immerse yourself in the heart of the community and join your peers as they embark on the next chapter for events. Clearer waters ahead… all aboard for Confex!

All Occasions Marquee Hire

From

The Gift Girl

Do

The Conference People

The Occasion Bar

We Clean Offices

Creative Meetings & Events

Three INNSiDE Hotels in the UK to tickle your senses and inspire the unconventional, we’ve created a

All of our hotels feature the “Big Ideas” space and breakout events space to get your brainwaves buzzing.