HEN Aug 2022

Venue booked, speaker on board, food tasting complete.

Now the prickly job of arranging the transport for guests.

At First Travel Solutions we can navigate through our quality tested 400 taxi and 900 coach suppliers to create the bespoke transport solution for your event.

Safe, sustainable and time saving for you.

Find out more on our website or email direct and we can get your guests moving without any stings along the way!

Explore

Making History

H&E North Cover Feature

And the winner is...

Congratulations

Towering Above

New Venues

First Place

The Meetings Show Rewind

Check

A Warm Welcome

AUG / SEPT 2022

With sustainability high on the agenda, we look at what organisers can be doing, whether events can still be profitable and how alternative fuels can play a part. We look at some helpful tech ideas, and as ROI becomes more important each day, tools to measure success make a difference.

The spotlight falls on historic venues, with so many reasons to choose an iconic castle or heritage site for a memorable event. The North offers so much for events, we take a close

up at North Wales, with Adventure Parc Snowdonia featured on our front page, and also at energy capital Aberdeen, and the coastal favourite Blackpool.

Plus, we get the latest from Diversity Alliance’s Gabrielle Austen-Browne, and Heather Stanford talks us through why contracts can be your safety net.

There’s a chance to win a stayover worth £200 at Bolton’s Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa. Please follow us for daily updates on our socials.

OLYMPIA LONDON

BONUS ARENA HULL

UTILITA ARENA NEWCASTLE

Changing Times

Just like individuals, businesses expand and grow throughout the years and often have to rebrand and reimagine in order to keep up with ever-changing circumstances. This is the situation Diversity Ally Founder Gabrielle Austen Browne found herself in as she launched the brand’s new identity, Diversity Alliance:

“When we first started working in this area, it was mid-pandemic when racial diversity protests were happening. It was a lot more about allyship then. How people can listen to each other, learn each other’s stories, support each other, and advocate for each other. That’s what an ally is. Now that we’ve grown and people are more aware and taking more action, it’s become more of a united group effort to drive this mission forwards, particularly in the events industry. The word alliance feels more about being joined or associated under a similar goal. It’s almost like we’re going from childhood to adulthood.”

We catch up with Founder Gabrielle Austen Browne as Diversity Ally, an organisation specialising in helping the global events industry to become diverse and inclusive, rebrands to become Diversity Alliance.

The name isn’t the only new thing happening over at Diversity Alliance:

“We’re also branching into new things. We’ve always focused on workshops and education around the challenges that marginalised people face but are also challenges for the industry as well. Things that people are unaware of but are affecting their organisation. That’s really important, but now there’s space for us to move into other activities to pull the message forward.

“I’m building an online accredited training course for organisations who want to become knowledgeable in this area but can’t afford consultancy or workshops. I’m also writing a report using information and data collected from The Power of Events to study diversity and inclusivity in the events industry. There are also some other key areas that Diversity Alliance is going to be looking at, and these are: educational tools and resources, data and benchmarking, community and social impact, and recognition and celebration.”

Along with a brand-new identity, Gabrielle also moved the business out of London and made its home up in Manchester:

“I felt like there wasn’t as much access to companies in the Midlands and north of England with regards to diversity. I met some companies at industry events down south, but I just felt like there wasn’t really a representative up north. We’re always so southern-centric and London-centric when there’s so much going on up here.”

“I felt like there wasn’t as much access to companies in the Midlands and north of England with regards to diversity.”

Diversity Alliance is also reaching out to the next generation of event professionals through a partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University: “This month my first set of interns from Manchester Metropolitan will be starting in a programme called Rise Interns, which is supported by Santander. It was key for me to make sure that I was practising what I was preaching and supporting more underrepresented students to give them that experience within my organisation. It will be good to have more hands-on deck, as there’s a lot going on and it’s all really important work.”

Business News

Maggie’s Award-Winning Space

Well-known cancer charity Maggie’s is offering up its Yorkshire space to event organisers for the first time. While availability is limited, Maggie’s is willing to offer its space as the setting for an event for select businesses who are willing to benefit the charity through either a donation or partnership. This offers event organisers the opportunity to hold their event in an amazing space, outside of the operating hours of the service, and support a wonderful charity at the same time.

Sitting on the site of St James’ University Hospital, just outside of Leeds city centre, the space offers a modern design with high, arched ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows letting in lots of natural light. Recently winning the RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year Award 2022, the space encompasses 462 sq. metres and offers a truly unique environment to hold an event.

Maggie’s is a cancer support charity offering support and guidance to those living with cancer and their families. The charity has centres across the globe, spreading as far as Tokyo and Hong Kong, and provides emotional support, advice, and an uplifting environment to those it helps.

If you’d like to get in touch about using the Maggie’s Yorkshire space for your event, call 0113 457 8364 or email amy. town@maggies.org.

Easy AV Essentials

AV Department (AVD) tames the technology of meetings to allow you to concentrate on what you do best. With a

growing interest in hybrid conferencing, we provide support to events both faceto-face and online, offering equipment and online services combined to the best effect.

We specialise in hybrid remote interpretation where our interpreters work from our studio while delegates listen in real time to languages delivered via Infrared headsets in your venue. No bulky booths taking up space, phone apps, or interpreters travel and accommodation costs, but a quicker set up and all-round better service for the environment.

For more interactive meetings, we can provide microphone discussion systems integrated with PTZ cameras. Active microphones are tracked by the cameras to ensure online participants are not disadvantaged and can see and hear all that is said in the room.

For all the essentials for your next hybrid meeting, visit Avdept.co.uk or call 0138 382 5709

Fresh Waters

The Waterfront Hotel, Spa & Golf at Wyboston Lakes Resort in Bedfordshire has undergone a £1.5 million makeover adding a modern and stylish design plus many new feature areas.

Three new event spaces have been added, which can be booked either separately or together, for corporate events, private functions, events, and social gatherings. The hotel’s reception, Y Spa Bistro, restaurant, and outdoor terrace have also been refurbished, and a new

co-working space has been added. This renovation follows a £5 million investment in The Willows Training Centre and The Woodlands Event Centre where both centres were transformed into modern high-tech venues offering a wide range of inspiring and flexible event rooms with creative breakout areas and a fantastic restaurant.

The 380-acre resort also comprises an 18-hole golf course, freshwater lakes, and outdoor space for a range of memorable team-building activities, such as wakeboarding, stand-up paddle boarding, jet skiing, and Jetlev flying. Land-based adventures include a 4x4 off-road driving experience and an “It’s a Knockout” - style obstacle course.

Wybostonlakes.co.uk

Millennium Point Unveils Exciting Christmas Plans

Award-winning conference and events venue Millennium Point has unveiled its plans for the festive period which include corporate party packages, public events and more.

Starting in November, the landmark venue in the Eastside of Birmingham city centre will be transformed into a festive wonderland with the return of its giant Christmas tree adorned with 23,000 energy-saving LED lights and accompanied by two large nutcrackers.

Moving on to its venue, Millennium Point has announced its corporate exclusive and shared party packages for 2022. From £40 per person, businesses can get exclusive hire of the level 1 open-air space, the package includes an arrival drink under the Christmas tree, a two-orthree-course traditional Christmas dinner and a DJ and dancefloor until midnight. The package also includes exclusive use of the fully licenced bar and features branded up-lighters and table crackers and novelties.

For further information on all the above please visit Millenniumpoint.org.uk/ christmas-at-millennium-point.

De-Brief

The Meetings Show delivered a successful 10th edition with a range of education sessions and initiatives to champion the rising talent of the events industry.

The Meetings Show delivered a successful 10th edition with a range of education sessions and initiatives to champion the rising talent of the events industry.

Entering through the doors of ExCel London in June, the team at H&E North joined over 4,000 professionals in the events community to celebrate The Meetings Show’s 10th edition packed with industry panel discussions, keynote speeches, dynamic exhibitors, and thought-provoking seminars.

Maximising their time using the show’s hosted buyer programme, delegates could fast track their access across the venue’s show floor to hit seminars, supplier meetings, and networking opportunities seamlessly. For first time visitors such as 2Ten Events Limited Director, Amie Daniels, the intricate planning behind the event elevated the experience even more: “There was a great atmosphere which has rekindled the passion I have for the industry. I’ve had some valuable meetings organised through the hosted buyer programme and the education sessions I’ve been to have been interesting to say the least. I’ve certainly learnt a lot!”

Lord Sebastian Coe’s opening keynote speech launched the show’s series of educational discussions, celebrating the London 2012 Games’ matching 10th anniversary while considering the value of sport in communities and how planning major sporting events have a catalytic effect on improving them.

The latest industry trends and issues were also explored over the show’s 22 hours of education sessions, with insights provided into greenwashing, fostering communities, the metaverse, and purpose-driven events.

Several show initiatives came to fruition to provide a platform for the next generation of talent, including a special programme dedicated to students in partnership with Event First Steps. Helping newcomers learn from industry heavyweights, the young participants had the chance to meet exhibitors, attend panel sessions, and join a special post-show networking event to help forge their own career paths.

The landmark show saw a strong international contingent of over 500 exhibitors taking part to reconnect and help buyers with event enquiries and solutions for the year ahead, representing meetings destinations as far wide as Australia, Canada, Korea, and Singapore.

North-based exhibitors from the likes of Conference Leeds, Marketing Manchester, and Liverpool Convention Bureau caught up with regional bodies from all four corners of the UK during the three-day programme for hosted buyers, which included a pre-show conference and welcome reception on board the iconic Royal Navy warship, HMS Belfast.

Winners from the show’s Tomorrow Talent initiative also attended the event to represent the rising stars of the industry, including Freelance Event Manager, Daniel Wilcock: “It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to meet venues I wanted to learn more about, and the breadth of exhibitors was impressive. I was really impressed meeting the other Tomorrow’s Talent winners too. I’m thrilled to be included among such a talented group of people.”

“It was incredible to celebrate our landmark 10th edition live at ExCeL London and bring so many people from the global events community together in person again,” said Event Director, Jack Marczewski. “Exhibitor feedback has been hugely positive, and a high percentage have already re-booked for next year. We can’t wait to start planning for 2023.”

The Meetings Show 2023 will take place again at ExCeL London on 28th and 29th June. Registration is now available at Themeetingsshow.com/register

Reliving the Past

As the events industry works to meet the needs of the future, we cast our focus back on the timeless qualities of historic venues continuing to impress planners and delegates today.

Holding an event in a historic venue is a wonderful way to wow your delegates with the location’s unique charm.

Variety and versatility

Far removed from the linear feel of spaces often found within modern conference buildings, the vast selection of long lived in halls, chambers, and corridors waiting to be rediscovered makes a historic venue ready made for multipurpose events. Utilising the same function these spaces served once upon a time will bring an authentic quality and dynamic character to the event, whether it falls on incorporating intimate private lounges for breakout discussions or cavernous banquet halls for post-conference dinners. Taking advantage of acres of grounds, lawns, and terraces at your disposal during the warmer summer months will also elevate outdoor events, allowing delegates to experience the venue from all sides.

Moments in time

From high vaulted ceilings, richly decorated interiors, and dazzling architecture, a historic venue boasts a visual impact which many modern

event spaces still strive to replicate and leave a resonating impression on delegates. Opening the floor with ample opportunities for some fantastic event photography and filming, the captured moments taken from professionals and delegates alike will quickly elevate the post-event marketing and promote the event’s success to secure future projects.

Inspiring participation

The importance of delegate engagement with each other is a crucial factor in delivering an event’s success as attendee numbers for in-person events continue to blossom. Since housing a long heritage developed on the exchange of diverse ideas and group participation, historic venues retain a fresh environment to invite free flowing interaction and optimise creativity during workshops, discussions, and team building activities. Pushing delegates out of their comfort zones and the familiar routine of modern conference rooms, the unique environment will inspire fresh thinking.

Continued on page 15

Connections Are Key

Chief Executive of the Meetings Industry Association (mia) Kerrin MacPhie explains why building relationships and transparency is key to success in the events industry.

Booking agents have always played a crucial part in a venue’s success, but with the impact of the pandemic on our supply chains, exponential price rises, and staffing challenges, the strength of those relationships has never been more significant.

Successful long-term relationships begin with a mutual understanding. An understanding that’s built on transparency about what each party can bring to the union and an appreciation of the opportunities and challenges being faced by each side.

With events coming back with a bang, how many agencies or venues can take time away from the busy working environment to pause and ask one

Every year we hold a 120-person lunch at the House of Lords in the centre of London. We invite guests to the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace, which overlooks the River Thames, to announce our Fellows for the year and to hear from each of them after they receive their trophy. There’s a three-course lunch and prosecco on arrival, but the draw for our attendees is always the venue itself.

another about the challenges currently being faced, as well as how we can support each other? We suspect very few, which is why our Connect agency events are proving more crucial than ever.

Designed to provide a unique platform for the UK’s leading venues and agents to connect and build relationships, they also provide invaluable insight on each other’s pain points and how these could be mitigated.

Our action-packed and immersive programme includes a series of panel sessions, peer-to-peer discussions, and team building activities as well as informative agent Q&A sessions which inspires open discussion, debate, and solutions. After all we are one

industry facing similar challenges, so communication and collaboration is key.

These events provide the perfect place to ask that burning question and give people the time and space to think in a different environment. There’s always invaluable insight and guidance in abundance, which can really help progress trusted partnerships and future business opportunity.

Take the opportunity, press the pause button, and use these events to take a fresh approach to building relationships across the sector. Our next Connect Day is being held on 24th August.

Further details can be found at Mia-uk.org.

Historic Value

Claire Fennelow, Executive Director of EVCOM, urges the industry to take advantage of the UK’s historic venues.

It piques curiosity, the idea of walking amongst all that history.

The UK is full of historic venues like these, which can offer a unique flavour to any event and elevate it from a dinner to an occasion. In a world where attendees step into a space and take a photo, check-in via social media on arrival to spaces and add locations to their Instagram posts, aesthetic and location matter when it comes to venue choices.

It’s undeniable that attendees love what historic venues have to offer, whether that’s the heritage of somewhere like the House of Lords, the uniqueness of

somewhere like Gwrych Castle or the majesty of Scone Palace in Scotland.

But for all the scale of spaces like these, the key is often in the detail. The House of Lords, for example, offer gold crested place cards and invitations, menus in swirling font bound in red and gold, chocolates that accompany the coffee and have the gold crest delicately painted onto their tops.

So even if you are going for grandeur, don’t forget to pay attention to the small things too. Combine the two, and you’ll have a special event for your attendees. Evcom.org.uk

North in Brief

Live Events on the Incline

Venues in Coventry and Warwickshire have reported an overwhelming return to face-to-face events as enquiries for hybrid events decline, according to Conference Coventry and Warwickshire.

Speaking with venue providers across the West Midlands, the region’s convention bureau revealed that some organisers were not aware of the benefits of hybrid events while some companies with a smaller number of attendees were not able to justify the additional costs.

While one venue reported that 75% of enquiries favour face-to-face over hybrid events, surveyors also emphasised the opportunity for hybrid events to reach global audiences as hybrid capabilities at Coventry Conferences improves.

North East Events Industry at AllTime High

NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau has recorded its most profitable month in six years, promising indications of recovery for the events industry in the North East.

The convention bureau confirmed enquiries for the events sector increased by 73% between April 2019 to April 2022, with figures from May 2022 coming in at 87% of pre-COVID levels.

NGI Business Events Director, Paul Szomoru, said: “The figures we have received are very encouraging and a testament to the resilience and innovation of our team and every venue, ambassador, and supplier across the region.”

mia Partners with MeetingsInn

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has partnered with MeetingsInn to offer its nationally recognised AIM quality standard to pubs and inns featured on its online venue finding tool.

Launched last year, mia’s AIM Small Venue accreditation enables smaller properties to showcase their ability to deliver a first-class meetings experience, with qualifying venues to complete a selfassessment of the property’s provision of facilities, legal compliance, and customer service.

mia Chief Executive, Kerrin MacPhie, said: “Pubs and inns provide fantastic off-site venues to either reunite workforces or hold face-to-face meetings. It is imperative that organisers can choose a venue that knows how to host their meeting professionally and follow the correct protocols for the safety of everyone. Displaying the mia’s AIM Small Venues standard and adopting the practices to support it will go a long way to doing just that.”

ICC Wales Discusses Protect Duty

International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) has hosted a Protect Duty discussion to address the vital role that venues and event organisers hold in safeguarding attendees.

The new Protect Duty legislation, also known as Martyn’s Law, is designed to provide better protection from terrorism for the British public and is expected to come into force in 2023.

The Home Office estimates that 650,000 UK businesses could be affected by Protect Duty with some having to formally assess terrorism risk for the first time. Venue operators will be required to comply with key requirements that form the basis of the legislation:

• To engage with freely available counter-terrorism advice and training.

• To conduct vulnerability assessments of operating places and spaces.

• To mitigate the risks created by these vulnerabilities.

• To put in place a counter-terrorism plan.

• Local authorities to plan accordingly for the threat of terrorism.

Sustainability Consultancy Launched

Event sustainability expert, Christianne Beck, has launched a new consultancy to provide strategic advice on achieving sustainability policies for the events industry.

Containing a range of bespoke sustainability consultation services, PlanIt Better includes guidance on policy writing and planning, tool implementation, training and education, and accountability reviews.

“Considering sustainability in live event delivery is so important, yet it seems to fall down the priority list when we get busy,” said Beck. “I’m very excited to get to focus all my time into helping busy events businesses keep on track with their sustainability goals.”

ICC Birmingham Secures Awards

ICC Birmingham is confirmed to host The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) Excellence Awards this December.

The flagship event will see an increase in categories this year as well as an opportunity for non-members to enter the awards for the first time.

ICC Birmingham Association Director, Heather Lishman, commented: “Birmingham is a fantastic location for our awards, particularly so soon after hosting the Commonwealth Games. We are grateful to the ICC team and the West Midlands Growth Company for their support and sponsorship of the event which will showcase all the city has to offer.”

Halo Solutions Secures Funding

Nottinghamshire-based event safety software developer, Halo Solutions, has secured £750,000 in investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) to support its growth plans.

Co-founded by ex-members of the police force, Halo works to protect event delegates and organisers by bringing both together through one central software system. The new funding will expand Halo's technical teams and enable the company to further develop its product offering, adding more safety features in multiple languages to increase public safety.

Investment Director, Surjit Kooner, said: “The extensive experience of the cofounders provides an ideal background for developing the cloud-based platform. Further legislation changes and pressure on event management companies to prioritise public safety will also drive demand for more help."

Continued from page 8

Smaller spending

Stricter budgeting has become a large part of overcoming the many challenges facing the events industry over the last few years as the pressure to make events profitable is at an all-time high. Often when dressing up a modern meeting space for a themed event, those same costly strains are only tightened.

As the spectacular architecture, intricate interiors, and picturesque outdoor grounds naturally allowing historic venues to speak for themselves, minimal decoration and simple furniture are often the only finer details left to focus on to bring an event to life, saving money and easing the planning process in the long run.

Prestigious values

Expanding beyond a heritage venue’s distinctive style and personality, organising meetings across the nationally cherished iconic buildings can also help boost

recognition to businesses social awareness goals as the events industry places a continued emphasis on CSR policies. By aligning their identity with the same prestige associated with the chosen venue, planners can certify their own values to newly established and existing contacts as participating delegates help preserve the venue with reinvested profits, making historic venues well justified to host charity events and global conferences.

As Peter Thornton of Historic Scotland emphasises: “Holding events in properties such as historic castles ensures your guests can enjoy a one off unique experience in a world famous location. You can be sure to furnish your guests with stories and anecdotes they’ll never tire of repeating for years to come. A truly magical experience surrounded by history at every turn.”

History in the

Making

Château St. Gerlach | The Netherlands

If you’re looking for a historic venue with lots of versality, this gorgeous chateau sitting in the Netherlands is perfect. The chateau contains 15 different events spaces of various sizes, able to accommodate up to 1,000 delegates. Each room has an individual personality that reflects the character of the buildings. Those located in the château are enhanced by 15th century detailing, while the spaces in the former farmhouse are inspired by the close proximity of the countryside.

While your event will be taking place in the heart of history, the spaces certainly won’t feel outdated. Six Manor Farm rooms, with integrated audio-visual facilities, offer intimate meeting areas and a contemporary addition to the estate’s historic landscape, while St. Gerlach Pavilion offers three multifunctional rooms that can be integrated to accommodate several hundred guests.

The venue is also ideal for multi-day meetings and conferences as it boasts 114 luxury guest rooms, suites, and serviced apartments.

Oostwegelcollection.nl/en/chateau-stgerlach

The Paleis op de Meir | Belgium

How about holding your event in an expansive palace? The Paleis op de Meir

has a number of special rooms, such as the Spiegelzaal, a spectacular banquet hall with impressive chandeliers and mirrors.

This venue has an illustrious history and was once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte. Throughout its long and tumultuous past the venue has seen visits from several notable figures, including Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill.

This is a dream location for business parties, dinners, receptions, and presentations. Seated dinners can be held for up to 100 delegates and there are reception options for up to 250. In the summer, the courtyard terrace makes a great location to hold a drinks reception. info@hertia.be

PHOTO: G. LANTING

In honour of our feature on historic venues, we explore a few spaces across Europe with a rich history to wow your delegates with.

Taschenbergpalais | Germany

Built in the 18th century by August the Strong as a pledge of love to his mistress, the five-star hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden is a beautiful expanse of historic charm. Restored in 2005, the venue brings contemporary touches to its elegant 18th century exterior.

Choice is the name of the game at this venue. With a total of nine function rooms across the venue, Taschenbergpalais has the perfect space for any event. In addition to six salons on the Bel Etage, a private chapel and the magnificent staircase, the hotel has a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 people. Space isn’t all that the palace has to offer event organisers, as the hotel also boasts a highly skilled in-house catering team

able to create a bespoke menu perfect for your event. Highlights from the hotel’s suggested menu includes veal vitello, smoked arctic salmon, and crème brûlée. Kempinski.com

Convento de Serta | Portugal

Holding your event in this former convent will certainly give your delegates something to talk about. Conveniently located in the centre of Portugal, the Convento de Serta is easily accessed from several major cities, including Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra.

Originally the Convento de Santo António, the convent was originally founded in 1634, though the building wasn’t finished until some years later. The convent, belonging to the Santo António branch of the Order of the Frades Menores, included a pretty church with a belfry, a cloister, workshops, a water well, and an ample library.

With the dissolution of the religious orders in 1834, the convent was secularized and has served as a police headquarters, local prison, and a primary school. In 2013 the building was restored and transformed into the Convento da Sertã Hotel.

The venue holds two different event spaces: Capel and Ponte Velha. Capel, the former chapel of the convent, can seat up to 120 delegates theatre-style, while Ponte Velha can seat 400 delegates. For multi-day events, the hotel holds three different styles of rooms, as well as a prestigious suite, with 25 rooms available in total.

Conventodasertahotel.pt/en

PHOTO: WASILY

Running an AV company has never been tougher than it has over the last 12 months. We are very grateful to be working again, but the constraints of the new world order are quite debilitating, as ESSA’s Director Andrew Harrison, has highlighted here previously. The theme in AV is a common one that you hear across many industries: we are short of labour, particularly skilled freelance AV technicians who we depend upon.

During the pandemic, many freelancers reinvented themselves as virtual event engineers. They learnt about filming, streaming, and how to use specialist mixing software, so when the economy reopened, they were sucked up by broadcasters. Other technical freelancers

Sound Debate

John Robson, Board Member of the Event Supplier and Services Association and Managing Director of Aztec Event Services, explores the current issues facing AV companies and highlights their impact on the wider events industry.

left events for industries less affected by COVID disruption, reducing our freelancer base by 30%.

Thankfully some skilled labour is returning to events, but it’s slow. Last-minute dropouts are also an issue, due to COVID or the offer of higher rates elsewhere, so resourcing every single event is a challenge.

There are additional cost pressures caused by a 40% increase in freelance rates and a 30% increase in transport costs as well as long lead times for new AV equipment caused by a global chip shortage. We are facing some very significant challenges in AV and therefore this impacts the wider industry. But, as we

In a Flash

Sian Sayward, Governance Director of beam, discussed the rising importance of instant booking to the events industry.

Outside of recruitment and rising costs, the most important industry topic in the simple meetings arena at this moment in time is Instant Book.

This observation emerged at beam’s recent Instant Book Summit at the Doubletree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, where 150 delegates gathered from all over the UK to discuss this hot topic.

But what does Instant Book mean? And is it another industry trend that will come around every few years to be jumped on as a hot topic, or is this one here to stay?

If I was betting on one of those options, it would firmly be the latter. The ability to instantly book a meeting room in the same way we book a bedroom, or flight, is already here. As Michael Begley,

Managing Director of venuedirectory. com, explained: “Instant Book offers so many valuable benefits. There’s so much to gain by bringing together agencies, clients, suppliers, and technology providers to discuss the opportunities and issues, turn them into action and move the solution forward faster.”

It was very clear from the summit that if Instant Book is going to work, it will require absolute collaboration across the whole value chain.

So, what is a simple meeting? Is it as simple as booking an empty room for a small meeting? Or a meeting with tea and coffee, and no lunch? Could you book a large room for 500 people online if you only want to have the room?

know through our work with ESSA, the industry is buoyant and as long as we work together, adapt innovate, and continue to drive standards, we will survive.

AV companies are adapting by supporting the industry’s desire to reduce its carbon footprint. They have supported hybrid technologies and are re-using more, for example, providing LED framework systems, as opposed to wooden sets covered in single-use felt.

The next few months will be tough, but with understanding and support, I believe that the pressures will begin to ease as we enter 2023 and beyond.

Essa.uk.com

Personally, I don’t see why not. The variables could be endless, of course, and maybe there isn’t a definitive answer to that question. Perhaps the simple answer is that it should stay Wentirely up to the venue.

If you’re in the “size does matter” camp, the Venuedirectory.com data showed us that meetings for up to 30 delegates cover 82% of bookings made through them (from May 2021 to May 2022). If you’re hoping to instantly book your next annual residential conference for 1,000 people with content streamed across seven locations, it’s not going to happen online – and nor should we want it to.

Beam-org.uk

Sustainable Profit

Director of Conference Care, Chris Peacock, discusses the relationship between sustainability and commerciality as the events industry strives for greener initiatives.

Sustainability has fast become a prime concern for public and private sectors alike, and the events industry is no exception. It is altogether promising to see that most companies in the sector have moved beyond believing that sustainable business practices are not a priority, and together recognise the importance of environmental protection in leaving the planet a little better than they found it.

At a time when delegates are increasingly demanding more social and environmental responsibility from venues,

planners, and suppliers, sustainability also becomes a vital factor in achieving greater healthy competitiveness across the industry. Sadly, sometimes the reality for many event professionals that they still think it is all about the trade-offs: how do we implement greener policies at the cost of our bottom line?

In my opinion, we thankfully don’t have to. As it turns out, building sustainable supply chains has been a growing trend for years, and the early adopters are actually seeing a related increase in profits. The events industry has been quick to respond to these changes. Recycling, waste prevention, and reduced energy usage are just a few of many measures venues put into place for events to progressively go green, and major players within the hotel sector including Hilton Worldwide, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Marriott regularly publish their own sustainability reports to share the latest initiatives taken.

“Sustainable practices can boost profitability in many ways, and today’s industry leaders have a fantastic opportunity to carve out a new future for their business by bringing green principles into their strategy.”

While launching our Carbon Consultancy service in 2021 seemed a natural extension to Conference Care’s sustainable past, it also had to work commercially. But when factoring in the development, recruitment, and pure time costs, the initiative is certainly not a “get rich quick” scheme. Instead, the greater value is in the conversations we can start with event organisers in understanding the carbon impact of events and encouraging positive contributions to addressing climate change.

Between improved efficiencies, a positive reputation, and futureproofing against

further regulations, sustainable practices can boost profitability in many ways, and today’s industry leaders have a fantastic opportunity to carve out a new future for their business by bringing green principles into their strategy. Taking the time to review your practices regularly will help source the best methods to implement change and determine the right balance between short-term and long-term priorities to create enhanced value for stakeholders.

While there are hundreds of sustainable practices you can implement in your event strategy, it is important to first start with the smaller steps to embrace these initiatives. Doing so will not only help you save money by being more energyefficient, preserving destinations, and bringing people closer together, but also differentiate you from the competition and attract more revenue.

We are now at a crucial and unprecedented moment in the events sector where awareness of the environmental impact of trips for delegates is at an all-time high. But as we slowly start to travel and explore the world again, we all have a unique opportunity to address these concerns by implementing and communicating sustainable practices. Research reveals that more customers are willing to reward the businesses which reveal their green initiatives, proving that sustainability overall equates with profitability and good business sense.

After two immensely difficult years, rebuilding a business to be both profitable and sustainable is undoubtedly a tough challenge. But if we rethink and reimagine the possibilities, we can achieve anything. Get inspired to treat sustainability with an integrated approach across your operations, product choices, delegates, local communities, and even your suppliers. Just as importantly, communicate what you’re doing. People want to hear about it!

Conferencecare.com

Towering Above

A joint venture between the Winter Gardens Blackpool, Visit Blackpool, and Blackpool Council is encouraging event organisers to the seaside resort.

A well-known seaside resort looking over the Irish sea, Blackpool has been a popular tourist hub for centuries, with its iconic tower having been built as far back as 1894. From its expansive events spaces, generous hotel selection, and fabulous entertainment offering, Blackpool has much to draw event professionals to its shore.

A new joint initiative named Meet Blackpool has brought together key stakeholders in Blackpool’s event industry to advertise and expand upon Blackpool’s conference and exhibition offering.

Central to the initiative is the newly launched £30 million Winter Gardens Blackpool Conference & Exhibition Centre, which opened its doors for the first time earlier this year. Its inaugural event, the Conservative Party Spring Conference, was the first major political conference to be held in the town for over 15 years.

Now the largest venue of its kind in the north of England, the Winter Gardens Blackpool Conference & Exhibition Centre provides 2,400 sq. metres of event space to accommodate 2,000 visitors over two floors which, when integrated with the wider Winter Gardens complex, creates an overall delegate capacity of 7,000.

The venue has been designed to offer complete flexibility, available to book as a standalone venue offering a range of

With the addition of the new Conference & Exhibition Centre, the full Winter Gardens complex provides 12 distinct venues, all under one roof, offering a total of 4.9 acres of connected conference, meeting, event, and exhibition space.

Over the last five years, Blackpool has

benefitted from £500 million investment into the resort. It has seen three brand new purpose-built hotels built, with more under construction or in planning, offering over 400 bedrooms of 4-star standard and above.

Just months ago, the start of a massive rejuvenation project kicked off aiming to build a brand new £300 million redevelopment on the seafront. The space, known as Blackpool Central, will be a gargantuan indoor entertainment space containing a new major public square for live events and an innovative flying theatre, new hotels, restaurants, a food market and a multi-storey car park. The new development is expected to bring an estimated 600,000 additional visitors each year.

The seafront tramway has also seen significant investment in new tracks and European commuter-style trams that run alongside the resort’s world-famous heritage trams.

The next phase will see the tramway extended to Blackpool’s central rail station, ensuring a seamless transition from arrival to hotel check-in. The national rail network has also gone through a significant investment programme, meaning there are now direct trains from most major towns and cities.

Visitblackpool.com

THE BERKELEY APARTMENTS

IDEALLY LOCATED FOR ALL CORPORATE EVENTS IN BLACKPOOL & THE FYLDE COAST

14 beautiful, fully equipped and furnished en-suite apartments, each with sea-views, for 2 to 10 guests

Extensively refurbished throughout, The Berkeley is in a prominent position on Queens Promenade, ideal for all amenities, with bus and tram stops outside

Weekly service and refresh of apartments

Maggie and Simon are passionate about providing 4-Star quality accommodation and look forward to welcoming you to The Berkeley info@theberkeleyblackpool.co.uk

Offering corporate guests a selection of services, designed for the freedom to work in an uncomplicated environment.

No need for your PA whilst away on your business trip to Blackpool or the surrounding area.

North in Brief

Agency Delivers Olympic Games Anniversary

Manchester based agency, Make Events, has delivered an event to mark the 10th anniversary London 2012 Olympic Games. The event at London’s Guildhall celebrated the success of the 2012 Olympic Games which hosted over 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries.

The British Olympic Association appointed Make Events to support the event with VIP guest management, event theming, design and content, AV, and production.

“We were absolutely honoured to be chosen as the event partner on such a significant event for Team GB but also for the country,” said Make Events CEO Holly Moore. “We were founded when the London 2012 games took place, so it marked a special month in Make Events and the country’s history.

“We did take a moment as a team to appreciate what an achievement it was to be selected. It's amazing to see what opportunities and life changing moments this wonderful industry brings us.”

Industry Salary Survey Launched

EventHub.Jobs has launched its Annual Event Industry Salary Survey to provide industry insight into salary expectations, benefits, and work life balance. The survey will also collect crucial data to assess how important mental health programmes and other factors are to job seekers in the events sector.

EventHub.Jobs Founder, Robert Kenward, said: “There has always been a lack of credible salary data across our industry, but for us to grow sustainably we need to be able benchmark salaries, benefits, and ways of working.

“The salary survey will ensure that employers and job seekers alike will be able to evolve, knowing how their salaries, benefits, and working arrangements compare with the wider industry.”

The closing date to complete the survey is 2nd September and can be found online at Eventhub.jobs

SEC Hosts World Congress

The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) has welcomed the 22nd World Congress of Soil Science, which attracted 3,000 soil scientists from across the globe.

Organised by the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS), the event offered specialists the chance to discuss critical global issues relating to soil, including preserving its ecosystem and mitigating against climate change. Taking place every four years, the Glasgow event marks the first time it has returned to the UK since 1935.

“Sustainability is one of our core values and working with a venue that shares these values is important to us,” said BSSS Executive Officer, Sarah Garry. “We have worked closely with the SEC to ensure that we mindfully reduced the event’s carbon footprint, conserved resources, and took action towards preserving our natural environment while encouraging delegates, stakeholders, and business partners to do the same.”

Report Predicts Trends

The latest instalment of the Cvent Travel Managers Report: Europe Edition has revealed raised optimism among corporate travel managers as it examines current corporate travel trends and activity.

The report indicates that organisations are keen to source travel across borders, with over 69% of UK travel managers sourcing internationally. 75% of respondents also expect their organisation’s 2022 travel volume to eclipse 2019 levels, citing the need for business international expansion and the need for overseas employees to meet face to face.

“The results in this report illustrate the incredible opportunity that exists for hospitality professionals as organisations look to get their employees back on the road,” said Cvent Europe Vice President Sales, Graham Pope.

“After a difficult couple of years, such a significant resurgence in the market is great news for the hospitality industry and will especially benefit suppliers that are able to adapt their sales and marketing strategies to engage their buyers in a more dynamic way.”

New Business Strategy

CHS Events has announced a focus for both professional and personal growth for its 2023 businesses strategy. The organiser behind both CHS Leeds and CHS Birmingham outlined its growth strategy in an open letter to customers and stakeholders and planned investments to see its two flagship shows continue to develop.

Education on professional growth will also be a focus for future CHS events with sessions aimed at individual delegates and businesses.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise that the most popular sessions at CHS Leeds were focused on personal development and career development,” said CHS Events CEO, Emma Cartmell. “This is an industry that is looking to grow in all its forms, and it’s our responsibility to support these ambitions. We’re investing in the business experience, and our ability to support our visitors and exhibitors professionally and personally.”

CHS Birmingham takes place at ICC Birmingham on 1st November, with CHS Leeds returning once more to the Royal Armouries, Leeds on 25th April 2023

Survey Reveals Distraction levels for Virtual Events

One in four of virtual attendees have admitted to falling asleep during a video call or virtual event, according to a poll by EventsX. The virtual events software provider surveyed over 500 event goers and business decision-makers to understand how event profs have adapted to virtual meetings and events.

25% confessed they had consumed alcohol on a video call when they were not supposed to, while 36% said they play games on their computer during a work call or virtual event that they find boring. Over half of respondents also admitted to answering the door and muting a call to speak to someone in their household or take a phone call.

“While falling asleep and consuming alcohol may have a humorous side, online events do present many benefits in our work from anywhere world,” said EventsX Founder, Shoaib Aslam. “Hosting an online event is not necessarily an easy task but by utilising the correct technology, hosts will be able to capitalise on the benefits that online events offer.

“With these engaging features, attendees can absorb themselves in a fulfilling event that does not send them to sleep!”

Lasting Impression

Located in the heart of the North West countryside, The Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa is a versatile year-round destination for business, pleasure, and leisure. Modern meets old with 17th century architecture and modern design, the hotel’s 135 bedrooms offer a unique location for delegates to base themselves on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, with walking trails and a range of independent shops to be discovered across the hotel’s 20 acres of private land and its very own village.

The expansive grounds are an ideal setting for outdoor team building, indoor meetings are also easily catered for with up to 12 flexible event spaces and 10 break out

rooms. Welcoming 700 delegates for theatre-style conferences or 450 for an awards ceremony dinner. The Pennine Suite is the hotel’s largest event space capable of hosting product launches, training sessions, and private celebrations. Located separately from the main hotel is a self-contained conference centre made up of three separate rooms ideal for smaller training sessions, boardroom meetings, or hybrid team meetings.

Private events can also be booked in the hotel’s pub, The Drop Inn, which greets delegates with a warm welcome and offering a selection of handmade stone baked Italian pizza to choose from. The bar’s pool table, jukebox, darts board, and large screen TV’s guarantee a fun filled evening, while the Courtyard Restaurant and Courtyard Bar offers its own dining experience featuring outdoor terrace seating.

Now accredited by Wellness for Cancer, The Village Spa offers a range of

dedicated treatments and spa days including the aroma grotto, halotherapy, and bio sauna sessions, with an expansive 44 station Technogym, 18-metre swimming pool, and hydrotherapy pool allowing guests to unwind.

With close proximity to North West motorway links and over 450 car parking spaces, making The Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa your next meetings and events destination is a great choice.

Lastdropvillage.co.uk

Looking for a venue

Earlier this year, I wrote a piece that looked at the precarious state that many event related companies found themselves in, as we moved out of the pandemic and into our first full year of trading since 2019.

In it I shared NOEA’s alarm that the debt built up over the pandemic, combined with the need to recoup the deficits between tickets sold in 2019 versus the cost of putting on an event in 2022, would be crippling to many companies. The conclusion being that this could only be reconciled through an increase cost on ticket prices.

As I write, we’re now going deeper and deeper into a cost-of-living crisis that will affect everyone, and every industry, not least events.

There are two issues that we face around ticketing. The increase in the cost of creating an event – from energy to catering, trackways to toilets – will go up. This will again drive up the cost of tickets and reduce the amount of people who can afford, what is for many, a discretionary spend. Clearly not a good outcome for the industry.

There is a second consideration, equally as disturbing. That is that only a small sector of society will be able to afford to come to events. Those in poorer income areas will be excluded and with it a sector of society we really need to engage with. At NOEA we are working hard on diversity,

equity, and inclusion. We’re aware that many with diverse backgrounds are sadly found within the poorer parts of society, this will continue their ostracization from the industry.

There is no easy way to manage this issue. What I would say though is that every event, and that includes the supply chain that surround it, need to look at the effects of what they do on the ticket buyer, and who that person is, and could be in the future.

We’re racing to balance our books, but we have to remember that what we do is societally important, and that we also have a responsibility to make what we do more inclusive and open.

Noea.org.uk

Great ceiling height Awards dinners and charity balls

Speak Up

We consult award winning Professional Speaker and former President of the Professional Speaking Association North West, Penny Haslam to find out how event organisers can get the most out of their event’s speakers.

The right keynote speaker can elevate your event from a great experience, to one that your delegates will remember for the rest of their lives. Finding the perfect speaker for the event, however, can present a bit of a roadblock in the planning process: “Speakers come in all flavours, so deciding early on your theme and being clear about you want your audience to do, know, and feel will make your search a lot easier,” says Professional Speaker Penny Haslam. “Then narrow your search by pinning down what vibe you want. Is it ‘rah-rah’ pumped up high energy and motivation in the moment or more considered, calm, and interactive with lasting learning impacts?”

Searching for a speaker for a hybrid or virtual event presents its own set of requirements to be considered: “Another consideration, for the way we are operating these days, is to ensure your shortlist of speakers can engage the audience through the camera lens. The website videos of them speaking on stage

might be awesome, but if they’re rubbish on camera or their home studio set-up is unprofessional looking, you might want to re-think your choice. You can always ask for footage of a recent remote event they’ve spoken at, to check if they’re able to engage you.”

A speaker can only help elevate an event if they’re able to do their best work, and they will need support from event organisers: “The best experiences I’ve had as a speaker are when I’ve been well supported by my clients. Our partnership, albeit temporary, starts long before the day of the event with good communication. Detailed briefing notes and a couple of pre-event conversations will enable me to do my best work, because I truly understand the booker’s objectives and what the audience needs to know about. A pro speaker shouldn’t bring too much in the way of a ‘blue smarties only’ rider and should be easy to work with.”

Engagement is what will keep delegates gripped and keep the event in their mind long after it’s finished: “Your speakers need to be highly entertaining or interactive as gone are the days of a keynote

being delivered like a lecture. My talks include lots of practical take-homes, and interactive moments so I love cabaret style layout to get audience members discussing things and working together. Or if it’s online, I enjoy platforms where interaction is available either verbally or through chat box function.”

Ultimately, the role of a speaker is to add value to an event: “There are many ways a speaker can enhance your event, beyond the stage time you’ve booked them for. In the Professional Speakers Association we talk a lot about adding value for our clients. Such as recording short videos that you can share with your delegates; getting involved with social media and promotion of your event; getting under the skin of the audience challenges and referencing the language or culture of the organisation so that you are super relevant.”

Psst.... Have you seen the view?

An all-new event space has landed at The Waterfront Hotel. The Lakeview Suite, as the name suggests has breathtaking views across the East Lake here at Wyboston Lakes Resort.

Let’s talk facts:

• Three flexible event spaces, featuring moveable walls

•Ample outdoor space

•A self-contained bar

•Maximum capacity of 184

•Great, easy-to-use tech

Take a tour of the entire Suite, simply give the QR code a scan, and explore.

Fancy a chat, or want to see more of what we do? Our team are on hand to answer any questions you might have!

email: sales@wybostonlakes.co.uk

web: www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

phone: 0333 7007 667

Green Thinking

As sustainability becomes a top priority, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the steps we take towards sustainable business practices are the right ones.

From cutting down on single use plastics to using renewable energy sources, there are plenty of small changes that event professionals can make to reduce their impact on the environment. However, sustainability is far from a simple issue, and sadly many of the practices that we think of as being good for the environment, are less effective than we believe.

The prototypical example of this phenomenon is the tote bag. We all know that single use plastics are terrible for the environment, and this makes plastic carrier bags public enemy number one. Fabric-based tote bags are marketed as the sustainable option, and the widespread use of them is certainly a step in the right direction. However, according to a study by the Ministry of Denmark, a tote bag would have to be used a whopping 20,000 times in order to off-set the environmental impact of its production.

policy simply saved the hotels money and had very little environmental impact. Greenwashing is, sadly, still on the rise.

This poses the question; what can we do to ensure the products we’re using aren’t hurting the environment? Steve Johnson, Managing Director of merch supplier Indigo Promotions suggesting that research and understanding is the way forward: “We can each make a significant step in the right direction, learning to understand which products are ‘green and good’ and which are not. Merchandise made from sustainable bamboo, such as branded mobile phone holders, are a great choice and not all plastics are bad. However, moving away from single use plastics is definitely the future! We encourage our ethos of: ‘if you can’t reuse it, refuse it’.”

When looking for a new venues, organiser, or supplier, sustainability is now something that potential clients consider a priority. As such, it has become an increasing popular advertising point when trying to drum up new business. There’s no reason that sustainable practices shouldn’t be shouted about, but it’s important to ensure that these claims are successfully followed through: “Authenticity and integrity is everything and we believe we all have a responsibility not to muddy the water with shallow claims of sustainability, no matter how well-intended. Misguided claims not only provide a disservice to the environment for future generations but are sure to damage a client’s trust and diminish hard earned reputations.”

This is an example of “greenwashing”, a term describing when an organisation or product makes claims of environmental consciousness for marketing purposes but isn’t making any notable effort to reduce its environmental impact. The term came to popularity in 1986 when Environmentalist Jay Westerveld wrote a critical essay denouncing the policy of asking guests in hotels to reuse towels in the name of sustainability – a policy still found in many hotels – stating that the

Among a myriad of sustainability claims, certification is a good way to be sure that your partners are practicing what they preach and achieving one can assure your prospective customers that you are operating sustainably: “We are proud of the certification associated to our responsibly and sustainably sourced, recycled, and organic products,” Steve said. “It shows we are considering the environment every step of the way.”

Team building is back with a bang! Actually, it never really went away.

The virtual team building experiences we created and delivered globally over the last two years kept teams smiling and interacting virtually in ways they’d never experienced before.

The continuous demand for online team building and fun experiences during lockdown proved its importance to teams, leaders, and managers. The problem of a two-year sabbatical from socialisation when returning to in-person events, is many people have lost soft-skills used in daily communication. The ability to act naturally in a social setting has become alien to a new learned norm and two years of the media telling us the outside world is dangerous and scary takes a lot of undoing. Implementing fun experiences that break down those barriers, gently encouraging people to engage with each other and have a positive shared experience has been paramount to the success of teams reconnecting.

Introducing Events has seen a large shift in the type of experience required toward “one-team one-goal” style activities. For example, we’ve been transforming groups of hundreds of talented individuals into large-scale harmonious Samba bands all playing to the same beat. Teaching delegates new skills, getting them listening

Dream Team

Simon Howard, Founder of Introducing Events, shares his thoughts on the current team building trends.

and communicating with each other and then delivering a massively impactful finale to the event where everyone comes together as one.

Another noticeable shift is towards just having fun, clients seem less focused on “we want to see XYZ outcomes” from the day and more, “we just want people to have fun together again.” Positive associations towards work meetings or events are really important to our clients. As working styles have changed we’ve been going to more clients offices and delivering gameshows, table-based competitive challenges or running crazy golf competitions over lunch, to implement a positive association with workplaces. It’s a great way to utilise offices, make events more cost effective, and really reinforce positivity in the workplace. While COVID-19 continues to affect attendance figures, our experience and learnings have meant we’ve been able to successfully deliver fun experiences for hybrid teams and include all remote attendees in all aspects of the event.

Since live events have become unrestricted, there’s been a definite push for in-person over virtual experiences. This is exactly what we expected to happen (hence launching our live-event side of the business to help with demand). People haven’t seen each other for months or years and many new team members have

never actually physically met.

So, is this the end for fun and games online? We think not. Virtual events are here to stay and after the initial postlockdown excitement and things settle down, we believe many companies will take some of their traditional conferences online. We still deliver virtual events and experiences for teams and clients who’d never meet face to face. Global teams or jobs that are 100% remote don’t even consider in-person meetings as an option, so if they do want a different experience online to show recognition to their team, virtual gameshows, race nights or a custom murder mystery are all hugely popular solutions.

Budgets, environmental/sustainability factors, work-life balance, (global pandemics!) and lifestyles will all play the part in the decision making if an event is done in-person, online or, hybrid. Making virtual events fun, engaging, interactive and not just a boring stream of PowerPoints is what we specialise in and is a major challenge facing event organisers of the future. Looking at the number of companies developing technologies and platforms to make future online events more fun, engaging and energising, we’re not alone in believing amazing experiences will continue to have their place on the virtual stage.

Keep it Green

Meet the organisers of Yorkshire’s brand-new sustainable events industry exhibition, the Yorkshire Events Sustainability Showcase.

A new showcase is kicking off in Yorkshire, showing off the best of the region’s sustainable events suppliers. The Yorkshire Events Sustainability Showcase, or YESS for short, will take place on 16th November at The Pavilions in Harrogate. The event is the brainchild of Ben Vollans and Sean Spokes, Event Production Manager and Events Production Coordinator of Ink Events.

This new showcase offers an ideal opportunity for event organisers looking to diversify their suppliers and reduce their own business’s carbon footprint: “The purpose of the show is to connect event professionals in Yorkshire and the North with sustainable event suppliers,” Ben said. “There is a huge push nowadays to be more sustainable in your day-to-day operations. The events industry has been left behind in that, especially up north. Recently, there have been some sustainability shows down in London which have been quite successful. What we’re trying to do with YESS is to bring that same passion for sustainability up north and show people that these suppliers do exist around here.”

reduce the industry’s carbon footprint straight away. If every event around the UK was to do that it would massively reduce the impact on the environment.”

YESS will be hosting up to 50 different exhibitors from various sectors of the events industry and will also feature a number of talks from key speakers, though full details on the talks will be released closer to the time: “At the moment I’m talking to some local leaders,” said Ben. “I’m really wanting to push more into people in the events industry who run sustainable businesses, so they can talk about how they did that and the steps that they took and give that advice to people wanting to do that same thing.”

In a society evermore concerned about its impact on the world, YESS seemed like a timely exhibition: “I came up with the idea last year after the COP26 summit,” Sean explained. “When that was happening, I thought that we need to make more of an effort as an industry to make a difference to our carbon footprint and impact.

“The events industry is such a huge industry. If you just look at delegate transport for large events, for example. There are regular shuttle buses going from the city centre out to the event and they run every 15 minutes on diesel fuel. Working with transport companies to provide hybrid buses or electric buses will

Sustainability is a key focus for the duo in all aspects of their regular business: “This has always been a huge focus for Ink Events. Obviously as a business we do need to break even, but when it comes to the purpose of all of our events, money is never the main focus. With YESS, we’re putting the show on because we really care about sustainability, and we believe that the industry has a lot of room to improve.”

While the industry has made great strides towards becoming more sustainable already, Ben believes there is still a way to go: “People should care more about their impact on the world. You might be putting on a great event that’s going to have an amazing impact on tens of thousands of people for the next two years of their life, but by putting on that event you can also negatively impact our planet. I think we need to focus less on just experiences and focus more on positive experiences for both people and the planet.”

Yess-inkevents.co.uk

SEAN SPOKES

BEN VOLLANS

Latest Places

The Renaissance at Kelham Hall

Newark’s landmark Grade I listed building has re-opened to host a range of new business events within the Trent Valley, with 42 acres of landscaped gardens and beautiful state rooms providing ample team building opportunities. Up to 200 delegates can gather in the hall’s Music Room overlooking the grounds, while the cavernous Great Hall can accommodate up to 1,000 delegates for large conferences and presentations. Renaissance-kelham.com

Eastwood Hall

A brand new lounge, bar, and refurbished bedrooms are all part of Eastwood Hall’s revamp this year to expand its offering as a contemporary conference and events venue. 36 flexible meeting spaces can cater for up to 400 delegates with all catering and equipment provided, while a leisure club lets guests unwind after a long day. 26 acres of flat landscaped grounds also gives planners the chance to take events outdoors during the later summer months, with the option to arrange a marquee hire for up to 500 delegates.

Eastwood-hall.co.uk

All Work and Social

All Work and Social’s growing number of venues and co-working spaces continues to elevate the event experience within Manchester’s Spinningfields and Enterprise City. Situated within the Department Bonded Warehouse, the Department Store benefits from an adjacent content studio and professional kitchen to fit 75 seated or 150 standing delegates for private dining and networking events. Showcases, panel talks, and award ceremonies can also be held in The Street space nestled deeper within the same building, where speakers can use wireless headsets, media screens, and live streaming facilities to present in front of 150 standing delegates.

Allworkandsocial.com

Casa Hotel

Chesterfield’s Casa Hotel has renovated its popular ground floor dining space with a foliage-draped interior, creating a relaxing setting for intimate and informal meetings. Up to 60 delegates can take advantage of Barca Bar’s small tables and booths dotted around the space to sample the casual tapas-style lunches and dinners in a secluded setting, while the hotel’s 11 flexible suites also suit larger groups of up to 280 delegates.

Casahotels.co.uk

KELHAM HALL

Novotel Paddington Village

A billion-pound investment into Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter has spawned the new Novotel Paddington Village. Now the city’s highest hotel, the venue’s 16 floors feature events spaces named after some of Liverpool’s famous female science pioneers, including the Kitty Wilkinson room for 20 delegates and the Letitia Obeng suite for 50 delegates. Food and drink locally supplied by the likes of Love Lane Brewery, Bean Coffee, and Liverpool Lost Dock Rum also provide visitors with an authentic Liverpool experience. Novotel.com

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Luxury events can now be organised with The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) for corporate entertaining, networking, or team away days. Originally built in 1948, the Great Western Saloon locomotive

transports up to 18 delegates on an exclusive return journey from Grosmont to Pickering, maintaining a post-war era charm with fine furnishings and observation windows looking out across the North York Moors.

Nymr.co.uk

The Printworks

Multi-million-pound renovations of the flagship Vue cinema within Manchester’s entertainment complex will be revealed for planners this September. The 20 screened venue, which includes Europe’s second largest IMAX, can hold between 63 and 345 delegates where several modular events including HD presentations, conferences, and private screenings can run concurrently. Luxury recliner seating paired with individual tables alongside refreshed carpets and paintwork throughout the multiplex also feature in the venue’s redesign

for delegates to relax in a comfortable environment, with a selection of listed caterers available.

Conferencing.myvue.com

Radisson RED Liverpool

Radisson RED’s £30 million takeover of Liverpool’s iconic North Western Hall is set to open for event professionals this September, with six event spaces featuring the high ceilings, exposed brickwork, and free flowing layout retained from the Grade II listed building’s Renaissance interior. Up to 100 delegates can use the flexible spaces with a full range of hightech AV and 100% carbon neutral facilities available. Renovations also feature a new modern steak restaurant and bar on the hotels ground floor with a replicated traditional doorway leading directly onto Lime Street station’s concourse for easy delegate access.

Radissonhotels.com

NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY

CASA HOTEL

NOVOTEL PADDINGTON VILLAGE

Ones to Watch

With Generation Z set to be the most populous generation ever globally, we bring together a group of Gen Z event professionals to find out what drew them to the industry and their hopes for its future.

CAMERON TOWNSLEY

Creative & Events Manager

The Digital Voice

As an undergraduate, I completed a BA in Philosophy, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it was during my extracurricular activities that I found my passion for events and decided to study MSc Events Management which I have recently completed.

Fast forward two years and I am now Creative & Events Manager for the same fantastic PR agency The Digital Voice, and I get to lead an incredible team on numerous corporate events for 15 clients!

For the future of events, I would like to see two things. Firstly, and everyone should think this, the events industry needs to act harder to improve its environmental impact. Secondly, and this relates to my experience, I would like to see the corporate event sector think a bit less seriously about themselves – be bold, be colourful and draw in the attention of the attendees.

What is the user experience from start to finish? No more boring expos please!

“I would like to see the corporate event sector think a bit less seriously about themselves.”

Event Producer Global Grooves

I feel like every single day I learn something new, and that could be from a colleague I talk with daily or it could be from someone I’ve just met who specialises in a certain element of the industry. I’ve found a real joy in the buildup and working really hard to make (what you hope to be) a really great event, and it’s the cherry on top when it’s enjoyed by audiences and participants. But there could have always been more, and that’s what you take forward to the next one!

Although my job is behind the scenes, I love the anticipation and dreaming about what could be. It’s also a real privilege to have the opportunity to connect with so many different people who work in different pockets of the industry to bring your specialisms together to produce a really great outcome.

“I’d like to see further opportunities to feel valued and empowered at every level of experience and background.”

I think there’s a huge amount of learning in the industry that can only be drawn from experience and opportunities to get hands on and push to develop your skill set further. How is that possible to access, or even consider, if those with the experience and opportunities are not generous?

The Digital Voice

As a newcomer to the events industry, my experience can be described only as positive, eye-opening, and engaging. Within this industry, not only are the events themselves so exciting and varied, but there is a huge scope for learning opportunities from both the content, as well as the people you meet.

Having completed my degree in Law, I had the opportunity to work in events at The Digital Voice and decided to move into this industry for two reasons. Firstly, the events industry is so unique in how it allows you to make professional face-to-face connections, discussing your careers and industries in a fun and engaging atmosphere. Secondly, my decision to move into event planning stemmed from the fact it allowed me to combine precision, organisation, and an analytical eye, with creative freedom, a combination of artistic disciplines, and a working day that is never the same twice.

“Moving forwards, I would like to see events advance in their focus on sustainability and green impact.”

As an industry that attracts so many different other trades and disciplines, it has the ability to have a hugely positive impact and create ripples that encourage others to follow suit.

events@aberdeenperformingarts.com

With state-of-theart venues and a reputation for implementing worldleading sustainability initiatives, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to host business events whatever the scale.

Combining buzzing city vibes with cutting-edge industry, it’s easy to see why Aberdeen is recognised by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as a UK top city for hosting international conferences.

With cobbled streets and modern architecture blending the old and new, majestic scenery is abundant in the compact city of Scotland’s North East corner. Centrally located bus and train stations and daily flights to Aberdeen International Airport make it readily accessible from all over the UK, with VisitAberdeenshire’s volunteers guaranteeing a positive first impression at events as they give planners and delegates a welcome to remember.

While its iconic stone architecture famously earns Aberdeen’s nickname as the Granite City, the destination’s oil heritage and pioneering expertise in hydrogen-based transport also cements its long-standing reputation as the Energy Capital of Europe. Double decker hydrogen-powered buses represent the

Set in Stone

latest initiatives in renewable energy generation, which save one kilogram of CO2 per kilometre as they transport visitors across the city.

Launching in 2019, the 48,000 sq. metre P&J Live is a leading example of how a sustainable multipurpose conference space can also be powered by local, renewable energy sources. Housing the latest in integrated audio-visual equipment and flexible spaces, this highly adaptable venue can host events from a broad spectrum of markets, including energy, medical, hospitality, lifestyle, and live entertainment.

Continued investment in Aberdeen’s venues demonstrates its local confidence and civic pride. A recent refurbishment to Provost Skene’s House now allows delegates to experience 16th century architecture in the oldest building in the city, while panoramic views across the city skyline and artwork spanning 700 years can be enjoyed in Aberdeen Art Gallery. Unique private dining experiences can also be devoured in the gilded surroundings of the Gordon Highlander’s Museum or the many castles dotted around the region only a short distance from the city.

For post-conference itineraries, Aberdeen has a wide range of accessible experiences to offer delegates. A world-

renowned food and drink larder can suit all palettes, with whisky, gin, and even absinthe distilleries offering bespoke visits, alongside farm tours to get up close and personal with the iconic Highland Cattle or Aberdeen Angus breeds.

“Continued investment in Aberdeen’s venues demonstrates its local confidence and civic pride.”

Easy access to the stunning mountains and unspoiled beaches of Cairngorms National Park suit more active visitors, with high adrenaline mountain biking trails and hiking routes leading through some breathtaking scenery. The Braemar Highland Games Centre in the national park’s centre shares a true Scottish tradition with team building opportunities for groups to experience their own highland games together.

Coupled with a range of competitively priced hotels, exciting incentive opportunities, and unique social event venues from ballrooms to castles, there are a myriad of reasons to bring your next conference or event to Aberdeen.

Visitabdn.com

Fuel for Thought

As traditional fuels become increasingly sparse and expensive and event organisers look towards a greener approach, we chat with renewable energy experts to find out how viable using alternative fuel sources at events is.

With decades of experience in the renewable energy sector between them, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone more knowledgeable than Paul Schurink and Tim Benson of ZAP Concepts, a sustainability and energy consultancy business for events. As the Power Expert for Events and Technical Director and Environmental Consultant respectively, we asked the pair about the future of renewable energy at events.

The question of renewable fuel is far from a new one, and the industry has made significant improvements in the last few decades, according to Tim: “There’s been a sort of evolution of biofuel. 20 years ago, we were working with something called B100, which was a biodiesel. No one uses biodiesel anymore, but you will come across it in your daily life at the petrol station when you fill your car up with diesel. It will generally be a blend which is 93% conventional diesel and 7% biodiesel. Biodiesel is part of the FAME family of fuels. This kind of biodiesel is produced by taking cooking oil and refining it. However, it’s a very thick, gloopy fuel and it isn’t compatible with all generators and parts, so HVO started being used instead.”

HVO offers a cleaner fuel source than regular diesel and recent changes in legislation are causing a rise in its popularity: “HVO is a much cleaner fuel overall. It’s often referred to as renewable diesel and it’s very hard to distinguish from

regular diesel. There’s an abundance of HVO available now, all the main fuel suppliers in the UK who supply diesel to the events industry can also supply HVO. You do burn slightly more of it that you would do with regular diesel, but the CO2 reductions are considerable. There’s really no reason to say you can’t find a supplier to provide it, but it is slightly more expensive and recent changes in legislation which mean that events can’t use red fuels have pushed the price artificially high.”

“The priority isn’t about fuels or batteries. Organisers need to aim to use less energy in the first place and to use it more efficiently.”

While HVO does have fewer CO2 emissions, it isn’t the cleanest energy source out there: “Another important factor is that HVO is reducing CO2 drastically, but there are still other emissions such as soot to consider,” Paul states. “HVO is a good improvement but it’s not the final goal.”

Thankfully, there are entirely renewable energy options available to event organisers, with a little pre-planning: “If you have access to a grid connection then you can buy renewable energy, which is either produced by wind or by solar

power, the only real renewable sources of energy. But to do that for an outdoor event can be quite difficult and it’s almost impossible to do it on a temporary basis. That’s where the batteries come into play. They can be pre-charged with renewable energy and can power a whole event.”

Looking for cleaner fuel sources isn’t the be-all and end-all of sustainability, as Tim explains: “The priority isn’t about fuels or batteries. Organisers need to aim to use less energy in the first place and to use it more efficiently. They have to reduce their demand by using more energy efficient equipment, or it might be as simple as having the generator on a switch on/ switch off schedule rather than leaving things running. The real Holy Grail is to look at your power management and see how you can reduce demand in the first place.”

Running on sustainable fuel requires more thought and organising, but it is doable, as shown by Paul and Ben’s success helping Coldplay run their world tour entirely on sustainable energy sources: “We’ve developed a battery system to power a complete show. It’s also durable so it can be transported in a truck, but also in planes transport used on world tours. When we come to a stadium, we see if there is a grid connection powered by renewable energy, and where this is not available then we use a diesel generator running on HVO.”

We chat to Manchester Central CEO Shaun Hinds about his recent win at the Northern Leadership Awards and his involvement in organisations across the events industry.

Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central, one of the UK’s largest event venues, has been named the Top 50 City Region Leader for Greater Manchester, in recognition of his commitment to the Greater Manchester business community and the impact the venue has had in boosting the recovery of the region. Shaun was surprised to have won the award: “It was an incredible surprise, but all of a sudden there was a great sense of pride as well. I run a very important venue here in Manchester, but in the big scheme of the business community we’re only a relatively small cog. For a long time, I’ve felt that we’re a bigger cog than people realise.”

First Place

With so many events-based businesses crumbling because of the pandemic, Shaun had his work cut out keeping Manchester Central afloat: “It involved great skill on my part,” he joked. “In all seriousness though, it was a number of factors that helped us get through. First and foremost, we had a strong business anyway. Pre-COVID we had record year after record year, so we did have cash reserves. Secondly, we’re actually owned by the local authority, so we’ve got very supportive shareholders. Thirdly, when events were allowed to be put on again, we jumped into that straight away, while still adhering to the laws and restrictions in place.”

The venue is now seeing demand return to pre-COVID levels and even surpassing that number: “Right now for this year, I would actually say we are ahead of pre-pandemic demand levels. March to July 2022 have been the busiest months we’ve ever had in our history. While there’s certainly a few challenges ahead, I’m very encouraged by what we’re seeing. And I think in the next few years the events we’re holding will be bigger, better, and more appealing to a wider audience.

Shaun is also involved in various industry bodies, as the Vice-Chair of AEV and also a board member of the EIA: “The AEV is the Association of Event Venues, which contains some of the leading business and events venues in the UK. All of the ones you’d expect: Olympia, ExCel, ACC Liverpool, and the SEC up in Glasgow, to name a few. We act as

a body to coordinate our message to the authorities and government. I’m the Vice-Chair and part of my input into that is really crafting the messages that we feed up into government about the support that we need. I was quite vocal early on in the pandemic about the work that we needed to do to ensure that we could recover properly. We went through a period of realising that voice with government was nowhere near where it needs to be.

“The Events Industry Alliance (the EIA) is a group of similar organisations: the venues, the organisers, and the supply chain of the events industry. That all feeds up into the EIA. We act as a single voice for the entirety of the events industry. What has become really clear is that the industry is a very broad church. Overall, it’s worth 70 billion to the UK economy, but it comes from a variety of different sources. During the pandemic it became clear that a business conference involved very different delivery to an awards banquet or a concert. While we were talking about the events industry as a whole actually there was a nuance between how different bodies and sorts of events could recover. It was too complicated for the media and government to get their heads around. We had to work hard to explain the different categories of events and explain how the industry effects the economy, jobs, and livelihoods. We spent a lot of time trying to get that message across, and there’s still work to do.”

Manchestercentral.co.uk

The Real Deal

As a business owner dealing with clients or customers, operating without proper contracts in place is a risky move. It is of benefit to both you and your client to adequately protect yourself and set out clear expectations and conditions, ensuring there is less room for any grey areas should a problem arise. However, putting together a contract with no legal knowledge can feel overwhelming, and it is a task easily put to the bottom of the to-do list. Below, we lay out the five things your client contracts should cover, breaking down the legal stuff into simple steps.

Managing expectations

First and foremost, contracts (or terms and conditions) exist for the primary purpose of managing expectations and behaviours. It records the agreed responsibilities and obligations between you and your client. Your client contract should cover what you are expecting to do as your part of the deal, and what your client is expected to do too. When thinking about managing expectations, be clear about:

• What are you going to deliver for your client?

• When you will deliver it and how.

• What information you need from them to be able to complete your side of the bargain?

• What are their payment obligations?

Clearly defining these parameters in your T&Cs reduces any confusion or ability for either party to claim they “didn’t know”, and you can proceed feeling more protected and confident in your upcoming delivery of products or services.

Defining goods or services

Speaking of delivering products or services, it’s important that your client contracts clearly cover exactly what is and isn’t included. Some examples of things to think about here include:

• Are there any extras not included in your basic price?

• Do you charge for travel, mileage, and food/drink expenses?

• Is VAT applicable? (You may need to check in with your accountant to clarify what you can claim back or pass on here).

Heather Stanford, Managing Director of Stanford Gould, talks us through all the importance of a thorough contract.

To some extent you’ll want to mention how the goods or services will be provided too, without getting too caught up in the details.

Deposits and cancellations

This is arguably one of the thorniest issues to deal with if you haven’t covered this in your client contract. Wherever money is concerned, having a written agreement will help to keep things clear and unemotional should any problems arise.

Deposits need to be defined and, if they are non-refundable, you need to set out why. You also need to cover what happens if you cancel or if your client changes their mind; these are distinct and different eventualities, and each should have different consequences attached to them.

Limiting liability

This is almost always the clause missing from a homespun contract, or wrongly drafted if done without good legal advice. When we talk about liability, we are talking about the degree to which you can be held legally responsible if something goes wrong. It’s important to remember that you cannot remove all liability for everything, as there are statutory provisions and case law that deem this to be unfair. Here are a few things to remember about this:

• You cannot limit your liability for causing death or serious injury.

• You may be able to limit your liability where you are negligent, but always take advice.

• You can also exclude your responsibility for some specific types of loss such as loss of profits.

It’s important you understand what you can and cannot be liable for and have

proper insurance cover to protect you. Your contract can only do so much in this area.

Getting paid

For most of us this is probably the most important section of the contract – clearly laying out the terms of payment for your client. Your T&Cs need to be clear on:

• When you will send your invoice and when it is due to be paid.

• How you will be paid.

• What happens if you are paid late, paid in part, or not paid at all.

Take back control over your legal and operational issues and get a robust contract in place before you need it, and ensure your businesses is protected.

North in Brief

NOEA Announces Line-Up

The National Outdoor Event Association (NOEA) has announced details of its annual convention, returning to a live format for the first time in three years. The convention will take place on the same day as NOEA’s Annual Awards.

The keynote speaker for this year’s convention will be David Akosim, who will be sharing his knowledge of working with brands on major sporting events including the NFL and Champions League Final. David works for Fuse, a global sports and entertainment agency whose clients include Pepsi, Vodaphone, Just Eat, Nissan and many, many more. He brings with him experience in brand activation at major events through the prism of marketing and will share his thoughts on how brands see events in 2023 and beyond.

“The NOEA Convention is put together through feedback from our members, and overwhelmingly they are interested in how brands and businesses, that help finance major events, are looking at the industry in the future,” commented Susan Tanner, CEO, NOEA. “We have a number of sessions that will give them this insight whilst addressing some of the key trends that will affect events in 2023. It’s a brilliant line up and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone live and in person again.”

The Business of Events Returns

After a two year long enforced break, The Business of Events will return with the UK Policy Forum, held in partnership with the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and VisitBritain.

The Business of Events is a cross sector not-for-profit series of events and reports, designed to raise the importance and profile of business events in the UK, as an economic, policy and societal driver.

“We achieve this through bringing together leaders from across the business events sector to connect with government, policy makers and influencers, public sector organisations, and politicians,” the organisation states.

“[The UK Policy Forum] will facilitate discussions with representatives from government departments, public sector organisations and Members of Parliament, to discuss how to move the UK business events sector from a purely visitor economy model, to a more policy led model that has a focus on using business events to achieve national, regional, and local policy objectives.”

England’s DMOs Receive Reshuffle

England’s DMOs are set to receive a dramatic reshuffle, the government recently announced. The aim of the new structure is to help planners and visitors to access and

understand the information the DMOs offer more easily. Under the new plan, DMOs will also be renamed as Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs).

The reshuffle comes in light of an independent review carried out by Chair of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board Nick de Bois, which found that the sector is over-crowded and fragmented. Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said: “We have long recognised that there needs to be better connection between national policy and local delivery, and we hope that this initiative will be the start of creating an effective tourism structure required to make England competitive globally and put tourism at the centre of local policy making.”

DW Stadium Refurbishes

Sodexo Live! has invested £1 million in DW Stadium, home to Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors, resulting in new hospitality, conference, and event spaces.

The upgrades reflect Sodexo Live!’s commitment to the DW Stadium and the wider Wigan community, which was cemented in an 11-year catering and hospitality agreement with the stadium in September 2021.

The stadium now includes a new sports bar renamed in honour of Wigan Athletic’s former owner, Dave Whelan. The DW Sports fitness lounge has also been transformed into a space equipped with AV, projectors, and a sound system. Hosting up to 500 people, it benefits from its own private entrance on the ground floor. The Chairman’s Lounge now offers a premium experience for up to 100 people on match-days.

Rebecca Kane Burton, CEO, Sodexo Live! UK and Ireland, said: “We are glad to be partnering with the DW Stadium and believe that together we can help drive the use of the venue on non-matchdays, creating a true destination venue for conferences, events and celebrations while nurturing local food and hospitality talent in the Wigan area.”

ABPCO Awards heads to Birmingham

The 2022 ABPCO Excellence Awards will take place on 9th December at Birmingham ICC, supported by the West Midlands Growth Company.

After a summer hosting sporting excellence at the Commonwealth Games, ABPCO believe that Birmingham will be the perfect location to celebrate excellence among its members.

This year’s awards will see an increase in categories as well as an opportunity for non-members to enter the awards for the first time.

Donna Cunningham, Conventions Sales Director, NEC Group, said: “This is a fantastic year for Birmingham and the perfect moment to welcome ABPCO members, clients, and industry colleagues to our city. As the events sector bounces back, we look forward to coming together to celebrate excellence at the awards. We are proud to highlight Birmingham as a vibrant, exciting, and connected city ready to host association conferences and events.”

Full details of the new awards line-up and event itinerary will be published soon along with entry details.

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A large factor of the successful planning of any event is organisation. From sales pitches, to suppliers’ contracts, to delegate information, there’s a lot to keep track of. Event management software is rising in popularity among event organisers to help keep track of the chaos.

According to Nils Olav Risla, Chief Operating Officer of Qondor.com, the traditional method of keeping track of

information costs event organisers a lot of time: “From a traditional perspective, when you keep track of things using a shared Excel spreadsheet, and then copy and paste some of the information over to Word, then maybe you create a PDF file to send it to a client via email, and then something comes up and you have to make changes to all of these documents, it’s a very time consuming process. Any event professionals can end up doing this 40 to 60 events a year. It’s almost impossible to keep track of everything.”

An event management software such as Qondor allows event profs to keep all of the information they need all in one place: “The main reason that this kind of software is useful is that it allows you to be more efficient, which in turn allows you to be more competitive,” Nils explained. “And because everything is all in one place, everyone involved in the project can have access. So if, for example, one person is away, the information is there for someone else to take over easily.”

Covering every area of the event planning process, the software also offers analytics to allow you to maximise the value you’re getting from your suppliers: “It can also be profitable in terms of seeing which suppliers you use the most and can help you negotiate better rates using insights from the platform.”

A good planning software can also help event professionals connect and inform their delegates: “It’s really important at any event that delegates understand

All In One

H&E North looks at event management software to help event professionals make the most of their time and provide delegates with the optimal event experience.

and have access to all the information they need, which this software can help get across through creation of a website and registration form specifically for each event,” Nils said. “It’s also able to show delegates how their information is being used, in terms of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It also offers clear communication about payments and refund rules. It really helps event organisers show delegates exactly what they’re signing up for. You can also provide delegates with a personalised programme for the event which they can access on their phone.”

The software allows you to create a sales process within the software, replacing physical sales meetings: “You can use video with 360° views to show off a venue, for example. You’re a lot closer to showing a customer what they are buying without having to schedule a meeting. It’s also more environmentally friendly, as there’s less nedd for on-site inspection. Event professionals can create a customised website with their sales proposal, with pricing, and can even make a contact and sign it within the software. Combined with total delegate management, Qondor really handles everything all in one place.”

Qondor.com

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Delve into Data

Jess Pomfet, Account Director of Meshh, discusses why collecting and analysing data at events is key to maximising return on investment.

The one true measure of the success of an exhibition stand or campaign is its return on investment (ROI). Measuring marketing ROI across media channels can be frustrating – simple circulation figures for a magazine don’t tell you much of a story, and neither do unique impressions or clickthroughs. If the ROI of an exhibition stand isn't meeting expectations, the common tendency is to cut the budget to bring it in line.

But live events are different to passive media channels: you’re literally surrounded by your audience in-person. Measuring how they are engaging with your brand, and driving up your ROI, when they're right there in front of you – rather than reading a magazine or browsing the internet at some other time and place – is now a realistic proposition.

You can use tested techniques like sampling and demos to get a better idea of how people are engaging with your presence, and capture leads with a badge scanner or RFID reader. But you don’t really know how everyone else is responding to your stand or promotion.

Combining and analysing the number of visitors, samples distributed, and demos conducted gives you a better basis for calculating your ROI, but there are still a lot of assumptions and variables rolled into any final figure, and it's difficult to control for differences between one exhibition and another, or the same event in two different locations.

A comprehensive 2022 ROI report by Nielsen asserts that most media spending is about half what it needs to be to break through into a positive ROI (by spending 1%-9% of revenue on marketing). Broadly, Nielsen concluded that the typical overspend of 32% (in a quarter of media plans surveyed) could be corrected downward, but it would increase ROI by just 4%. Conversely, correcting an underspend of 50% results in a median 50% jump in ROI.

Reliably boosting exhibition ROI means measuring it consistently, and then allocating marketing budgets wisely and avoiding underspending. Combined with traditional techniques, spatial analysis unlocks the fine-grained detail of how people interact with your exhibition presence and brand. It can be deployed around just a single stand, a feature, or a whole event complex, and with the

right analysis, will yield vital insights into the movement of people over time. Spatial analysis can reliably tell you how many people stopped to view your video presentation and how long they watched for, or what proportion of visitors even reached your end of the exhibition hall.

Capturing detailed data at a live event has been made easier by this technology, but as a result, the datasets can be extremely large, so a robust methodology, informed by experience and rigorous science, is needed to extract meaningful and reliable information and insight. In some ways, the larger a raw dataset you have, the easier it becomes to inadvertently cherry-pick the data and fall foul of confirmation bias.

At Meshh we collect and analyse data at exhibitions and live events and use it to give our clients the insight they need to make their marketing and promotion budgets cost-effective. We also give them the tools to continuously improve and refine their campaigns by helping them develop benchmarks using our anonymized datasets comprising thousands of events by type, duration, and client sector.

Spatial analysis is the piece in the puzzle you've been waiting for. If you want to build a complete picture of engagement at an exhibition, one that will let you improve what works and discard what doesn't, remember to measure what really matters – the people around you.

The Heat Is On

In

light of temperatures in the UK having hit a record high this year, H&E North explores how to keep delegates cool at outdoor events.

If the recent history-making heatwave has taught us anything, it’s that keeping cool at outdoor events is going to be a priority in future. On 19th July, temperatures in England exceeded 40°C and, predictably, a slew of outdoor events were cancelled. The progression of climate change means that extreme changes in temperature are going to be ever more likely in the future, something that event organisers will need to consider, so what options are there to keep delegates cool in unexpectedly warm weather?

Misting fan | £814.80

Though air conditioning is the classic cooling solution, misting fans have recently seen a rise in popularity. The fan sprays out minute droplets of cool water into the air – enough to cool the space, but not enough to cause any dampness in the area or on your delegates – efficiently providing some much-needed relief from the heat. The Cyclone MFS-26 from Puravent is completely portable, with water storage contained within the fan itself, as well as having an adjustable misting level to provide the perfect level of cooling.

Puravent.co.uk

Hydration stations | £3.84 per day

Sun shade | From £44.71

Sometimes the simplest techniques are the most effective, and if all else fails, providing plenty of shade for your delegates to shelter in will avoid dreaded complications such as sunburn or even sunstroke. If your event does require access to uncovered areas, consider providing some cover with portable sun shades such as this one from Covers & All. The covering is made from UV resistant material and each one is custom made so you can order the exact size needed to suit your event’s needs.

Coversandall.co.uk

Evaporative cooler | £1,799.95

Evaporative cooling is a process by which hot air is drawn in by a fan, cooled through use of cold water, and released back out into the environment. It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective way of cooling an environment, and also has the benefit of acting as a humidifier in dry environments as well. The Broughton Evaporative Cooler from Aircon Centre has a 90-litre tank or can be hooked up to a continuous water supply and can cool 150 sq. metres of space.

Airconcentre.co.uk

Overwarm delegates want cold drinks, so one great way to keep delegates cool at your event is to have stations providing plenty of cold beverages and water throughout your event space. The H2O Hydration Station offers cool, triple filtered water as well as two other juice options, and is available to rent for just £3.84 per day.

Filtered-watercoolers.co.uk

Personal

cooling

From £2.21 per unit

If you know in advance that it’s going to be hot, consider handing out personal cooling devices such as mini paper fans or battery/phone powered electric fans to your delegates upon arrival. Not only will it help keep everyone cool, it’s also a great branding opportunity for your event or sponsor and shows your delegates that you care about their comfort. This battery powered fan from Total Merchandise makes a great little gift for your delegates and can be embossed with any logo or brand name.

Totalmerchandise.co.uk

Provision

Extensive

Alternative ways to enhance event security are becoming the centre of demand for suppliers as further legislation changes continue to ramp up pressure on venue holders to prioritise delegate safety. Since 2017, the team at Halo Solutions have taken a cloud-based approach keep delegates and organisers safely together, combining the latest technology with extensive police experience to develop a cloud-based security platform.

Safety First

With event security a growing issue at live events, CEO of safety expert Halo Solutions, Lloyd Major, demonstrates how the latest technology can streamline information for both planners and delegates.

Serving as an app-based risk incident management platform, the Halo system can be used for experienced safety professionals to keep delegates safe at outdoor events, multipurpose venues, or sports stadiums: “Instead of battling for space on the radio channel to report an incident, officers can now use the app to communicate with the control room in real time an overview of staff locations, incidents, and estate management demands during events.

Having previously worked as a police officer for the National Counter Terrorism Police unit, CEO and Co-Founder, Lloyd Major, explained how the 2017 Manchester Arena attack was the catalyst for the idea: “After being hit with the same shock and upset felt nationwide, I was also struck with questions regarding the smaller incidents which immediately followed during the emergency response.

“How could the displaced staff get home, and how many were witnesses? What messages were passed to the control room which clogged up the radio channels, and what information was retained in writing? The complex information broadcasted from the vast range of radio channels and emergency call handlers towards control room inputs can be very overwhelming for security officers to process. Halo Solutions is all about providing a lighter solution which can curate this more efficiently.”

“Control room monitors can also use a web-based dashboard to streamline the handling of all information which comes in. By responding to the right person quickly, event staff can report incident updates and keep the security team better connected.”

Having now worked with over 10,000 events worldwide, Halo Solution’s frontline direction into software-based event security has grown widespread interest across the industry since launching. A recent funding secured from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) will also allow the Nottinghamshirebased company to expand globally, with technical, sales, and operational teams able to develop extra safety features for the platform in multiple languages.

Closer to home in the UK, the long discussed Protect Duty legislation seeking to introduce new venue security requirements to protect delegates from terrorist attacks is a constant reminder of Halo Solution’s origins. While expressing the legislation’s necessity, Lloyd is sure the venue holders and delegates alike can adapt to the new measures seamlessly: “A sense of unease can be caused if delegates are not properly searched or engaged with during an event, but we’ve also seen that security directors want the entire event safety envelope at its best yet kept invisible to delegates to avoid a heightened sense of fear.

“With this in mind, the measures put forward once Protect Duty comes into place will most likely be discreet and proportionate to each individual event or venue rather than inappropriately over the top, with simple risk assessment exercises and common-sense discussions of preparedness.

“While Protect Duty is forcing venue holders and planners to take on more responsibility for their delegates, putting event safety at the forefront of our minds doesn’t mean we can’t still have a great event experience.”

Halosolutions.com

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Uncertain Times

Jim Winship, Secretary of The Events Industry Forum, discusses the lack of surety in the industry and what the government can do to relieve it.

With consumers facing substantial cost of living pressures this autumn, many hospitality and event businesses are facing uncertainties over what the next year will bring.

Few predicted that we would emerge from the lockdowns of the pandemic to a world full of such uncertainties. From supply chain issues and workforce shortages to surging energy costs and hybrid working, it has not been easy to steer a path back to profitability and there remain big question marks about what might be over the horizon.

While it is difficult to see how we can now avoid the worsening cost of living crisis this

autumn, there are things the government could do to reign back on some of the pressures on businesses. One measure that would help would be to establish an energy price cap for businesses to prevent energy costs being loaded onto the industry, which would add to the inflationary pressures as they inevitably have to be passed on to clients.

But there are other ways the government could help ease the pressure without necessarily costing much for the economy. These include deferring new and costly legislative requirements on business, such as environmental taxes; relaxing immigration restrictions by making it easier to come into the UK for work and obtain

International, during the world famous air show and trade exhibition.

The Chairs’ Lunch was also a chance to meet with friends and peers across the sector and an opportunity to enjoy the venue's hospitality during a major international exhibition, where billions of pounds worth of business were being

a short-term work permit; and reducing business rates, particularly for those hospitality businesses in locations where footfall has suffered because of changing work hours.

Under the Johnson government it has been a struggle for businesses to be heard. All one can hope is that the new leadership will recognise the importance the events industry plays in supporting our economy and will be prepared to work more closely with us.

Eventsindustryforum.co.uk

An Air of Optimism

Rachel Parker, AEV Director, recaps the recent AEV Chairs’ Lunch at Farnborough International and looks forward to the association’s upcoming annual conference.

conducted around us. A timely reminder of just how integral events and venues are to industry and the economy in Britain.

For the first time this year, we also invited the chairs and vice-chairs of the association's many working groups to thank them for their unstinting effort during the pandemic in 2021. Members from all 15 AEV working groups dedicated thousands of hours online, to help prepare the industry for the post-pandemic restart through the All Secure Standard, helping members access business and personal support, evaluating supply chains, and much more.

The lunch was a great success, with Max Bull, AEV Chair, welcoming all the guests and leading the celebrations. With

colleagues arriving from almost every part of the UK for the event, our Chairs’ Lunch really emphasised the national reach of our organisation. Speaking to our guests, it was clear that there's a new sense of purpose fostered during the pandemic, and that optimism, energy, and new ideas are abundant in our member venues.

Our thanks go to Farnborough International Exhibition for hosting and their generous support. For our next event, in addition to our working groups, we look forward to returning to the North, with the AEV annual conference at The Harrogate Convention Centre on 30th November.

Aev.org.uk

Dinner Served & Bar Open?

Does fast, efficient service of elegant restaurant worthy honest Yorkshire food seems

If so, you need to speak with us.

We plan, design and serve menus to your precise timings, for any size of event, so you can relax and take more at the bar.

Collaboration Not Competition

The events industry sustainability body isla explains how the events industry is coming together to tackle climate change.

From boardroom meetings for 10 to a 100,000 PAX exhibition, a festival brand activation to televised awards shows, the work the events industry undertakes is as diverse as the people in it. But whether we work with clients or are the client, we all experience the same challenges.

As one challenge is overcome, another arises, not to mention how Brexit, COVID, supply-chain issues, and now climate change are impacting the way we deliver events across the globe.

Problem-solving is what we do best

The events industry is a network of problem-solvers with different strands tackling challenges with unique knowledge, expertise, and skills. Within the print space, there is a slew of new

materials and solutions being released almost monthly to the market to tackle event-based environmental waste.

With the temperature of the industry is changing toward sustainability, there are huge opportunities within the value chain to become part of the solution.

Times are changing people are talking

Whole sectors of the industry are coming together to work towards the common goal of a sustainable industry. Venue Forums, Catering, and Technical Production roundtables and Print Working Groups are aligning activities to find collaborative advantages to win business and create transformation.

Together they are better anticipating clients' needs, sharing resources and knowledge to improve practices, and developing a unified voice on sustainability messages to stakeholders.

It's not about giving away your secret sauce but working together for mutual benefit has the potential to drive efficiencies, save money and ultimately deliver better events for people and the planet.

Want to be part of it?

Your business can have a seat at the table at any of these industry discussions and be part of the event industry transformation in line with our global net zero future.

Aiming High

We speak to The Good Food Story’s Senior Chef, Danny Blacklock, as he makes catering preparations for this year’s grouse shooting season.

After numerous setbacks from pest outbreaks and harsh weather conditions damaging North Yorkshire’s heather moorland, expectations have doubled for this year’s grouse shooting season as hunting teams flock to the Bolton Abbey Estate in September.

Growing up in the nearby town of Richmond surrounded by working farms, Daniel Blacklock’s young interest in agriculture and love for the outdoors has made him the ideal chef for the muchanticipated shoot: “Everything about working with the land interests me, and it was great speaking with the hunting teams to learn that the sport is ecologically balanced and done in harmony with the land.

“Widespread heather beetle damange in recent years decimated the heather across the estate, and it’s taken four years to build back the grouse stock to a reasonable level. It’s a labour of love, and the anticipation to get the shoot started again has made it a high stakes event.”

Preparing lunch for shooting groups in a semi-circular stone hut sheltered by a thatched roof, the grouse shooting event will host around 15 delegates each day across 20 dates in September and October. The rustic moorland setting is a short distance away from a remote kitchen used by Daniel as he prepares

SAMPLE MENU

Day one

Hunter's paella

Bolton Abbey venison, grouse and pheasant, smoked applewood bacon, black pudding

Served with rosemary focaccia bread and a simple autumnal leaf salad

Dessert – Lemon posset, freshly baked shortbread

Day two

Spiced butternut / yellow split pea and ham soup

Yorkshire Dales sharing table (Brie, Wensleydale/Coverdale, Harrogate Blue, Yellison's Goats Cheese, smoked Bolton Abbey venison, cured meats from Town End Farm, sundried tomato focaccia, beetroot flatbreads, olives, sundried tomatoes, Pimento peppers, artichokes, local chutneys)

Dessert – Autumn fruit pavlova (plums, figs, blackberries)

and delivers the menu alongside long time colleagues colleagues Rachel Gray, Andrew Wilkinson, and Damian Payne Payne:

delegates is Daniel’s Hunter’s paella, bringing fresh Bolton Abbey venison, pheasant, and of course grouse together to create an intense game feast, all served with a selection of fresh breads.

“It’s all about providing quality and freshness where everything is homemade,” said Daniel. “The rustic meal matches the rural setting, but the saffron and other herbs coming through the fresh tender meat brings the dish to a new level.”

Despite planning the main menu down to the last detail, there’s still room for flexibility and some alterations: “I’ve yet to figure out which dessert to prepare, but I’d love to make a traditional warm pudding if it’s a cooler day. Sticky toffee pudding is always a classic which will never fall off the menu, but cold desserts like trifles, prosecco jelly terrines, and lemon tarts also stay popular. Classic dishes in general, including roasts and prawn cocktails, are also making a comeback. When cooked properly, these always goes down a treat.”

“This is a nice number of delegates to work with. Depending where the grouse is, the shooters will move on quite quickly across the estate. We’ll go live an hour before lunch service to take the food over, but it takes nearly half an hour to travel over all the dirt tracks and puddles. Timing everything right presents a logistical challenge, but it’s all good fun!”

Cooked live on a large gas burner in front of the

Keeping a close liaison with organisers and the rest of the team to ensure all catering needs are met is also a perfected practice for Daniel. As a chef living with celiac disease, responding well to delegates food allergies and intolerances has only boosted his work ethic to ensure the food he delivers can be healthily enjoyed by all: “Dietary requirements are not a hindrance to this job, and no one should feel like they’re missing out if there’s an ingredient on the menu they can’t eat.

“Always giving delegates a positive ‘yes’ rather than ‘no’ to their requests is something we strive to achieve and, of course, ensuring the food is something to remember and celebrate is essential.”

Goodfoodstory.co.uk

Call of the Wild

North Wales offers event organisers the opportunity to wow their delegates with events in beautiful surroundings.

Already an established holiday destination, North Wales is also an ideal location for events, with premium accommodation and conference venues, and team building and incentive experiences under one roof, or in the great outdoors.

With an excellent selection of venues, accommodation and experiences, the area will truly inspire your delegates. North Wales is a renowned area of outstanding natural beauty, with mountainous backdrops and sweeping bays, this rich natural landscape provides the most tranquil yet exceptional setting for our venues and activities. These natural features stand alongside ancient world heritage sites that are truly inspirational. The myths and legends that enrich the local culture can be seen everywhere

from the service to the food and even the greetings at the hotel. The area is enriched by these legends, thus making it a destination like no other.

Boasting a purpose-built conference and events centre; a university world-renowned for research in environmental sciences, engineering, and human sciences; incentive experiences ranging from the sedate to adrenaline-pumping; plus event spaces and accommodation in beautiful natural surroundings and innovative food and drink suppliers, the area has everything for event planners.

A rapidly growing popular destination for conferences, business events, and incentive travel experiences, North Wales holds venues of all sizes. If you are looking

for that perfect venue where you can hold anything from a small board meeting to a large conference, or even a quirky venue, North Wales can offer those unparalleled views, unique atmospheres, and the opportunity for a conference followed by an unforgettable incentive experience at the same location!

The breath-taking scenery of the area provides any event with a truly unforgettable backdrop. Our venues offer first class dedicated staff that will ensure conferences, events, meetings, and incentive days run smoothly and that all your delegates are provided with the full North Wales experience.

Team building and incentive days are a great way to motivate, engage, and reward your team which will truly inspire and leave your delegates with an unforgettable experience; the area boasts a number of castles and UNESCO world heritage sites. These, along with some of the UK’s leading attractions, can provide the down time or the adrenaline for your delegates. North Wales is fast becoming the adventure capital, so if it’s zip lining or surfing, water sports or mountain walks, your team have a choice of world class activities to try. For a more leisurely team building, walking the mountains and beaches or an historic Italian village set within the Snowdonia landscape are just some of the amazing incentives on offer.

Smaller groups can enjoy one of the many quaint towns surrounding the area. Enjoy a locally brewed beer within a medieval walled town or a walk along one of the many beautiful promenades or piers. Later, check out the locally sourced food at several the region’s top-quality restaurants.

The area offers incredible value for money and is easily accessible from the north of England, by rail in under two hours from Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham and under three hours from London.

The team at Meet North Wales provides expert knowledge of the area and all it has to offer. It will work closely with you to understand your requirements and source the ideal location, accommodation, and experience for your next business event, providing a timely response to enquiries. North Wales is a destination like no other and your delegates will be sure to receive a truly memorable experience.

For more information, email info@ meetnorthwales.co.uk or visit Meetnorthwales.co.uk

The world of corporate tourism just got greener – and upped the adrenaline ante – with the entrance of an eco-friendly North Wales adventure centre which recently received a £5 million upgrade.

Adventure Parc Snowdonia is spectacularly situated in the scenic Conwy Valley on the edge of Snowdonia and not only offers team bonding outdoor experiences but also the comfort and sophistication of an on-site 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Hotel.

An ambitious regeneration of the historic site has created a modern facility sensitive to its age-old environment – the six million gallons of water in the surf lagoon fell as rain on the surrounding mountains, were gathered into reservoirs and cleaned by ultra-violet light, and now provide high octane experiences to adrenaline junkies of all kinds.

The UK’s largest man-made water sports lagoon and its surrounds were built using 25,000 cubic metres of crushed, recycled concrete and stone while every roof collects rainwater for use across the park.

The hotel brings indoor style and sophistication to the state-of-the-art adventure facilities offered by what was once an aluminium producing plant in the village of Dolgarrog in the shadow of 3,491 ft Carnedd Llywelyn.

Iwan Phillips, Head of Marketing for Adventure Parc Snowdonia, said: “What we are launching here is a sophisticated new eco-friendly conference centre within a high-quality hotel and alongside challenging and up to date activities.

“It is a product which is sensitive to modern day corporate demands for employee wellbeing and development through challenging and exciting activities while providing the space and opportunity for hybrid working conditions and high-tech facilities fit for a post-COVID world of work.

“We have hospitality areas with high quality catering, function rooms for events and dinners and having the adventure park with its amazing facilities alongside

Surf’s

Adventure Parc Snowdonia offers a team building experience like no other among stunning North Wales scenery.

gives us the scope for traditional team building activities and for wellbeing focused courses to support the mental health of employees. It’s all about what’s beyond the boardroom so that rather than just listing our facilities we are loading it more towards how what we provide can bring added value to your business.”

The Adventure Parc Snowdonia complex offers high quality accommodation in the hotel – or there are glamping pods and Native American-style tipis that create a quality rustic feel in the remarkable outdoor setting.

“Adventure Parc Snowdonia is one of the jewels in our tourism crown and has played a key role in establishing North Wales as the Adventure Capital of Europe.”

Back indoors, the hotel décor reflects the magnificent scenery outside and has sophisticated business-friendly facilities with four conference rooms, named after famous Snowdonia peaks such as Yr Wyddfa, Crib Goch, Tryfan, and Moel Siabod. The rooms are flexible and can cater for groups from 175 people down to a dozen and are kitted out with sophisticated meeting technology systems which enable a mix of in-person and remote attendees.

The park takes pride in sourcing delicious produce from the coast and countryside of North Wales at its formal and informal restaurants, while the Wave Garden Spa offers heated vitality pools and saunas indoors and out.

Outdoors there is the impressive wave lagoon for a host of water-based activities from surfing – the facility has just hosted the Welsh Adaptive Surfing Championships for disabled surfers – to outdoor swimming, canoeing, and paddle-boarding.

There are also 12-metre outdoor and indoor climbing walls, a zip line, and a bike pump track while the adventure playground that is North Wales offers a variety of off-site activities from gorge walking and trekking through Snowdonia, mountain biking on some of the finest trails in the UK, and the wet and wild world of coasteering along the North Wales shoreline.

The centre is also weather-proof – there’s no need to stare wistfully out of the windows as rain teems down when the nature-inspired indoor facilities are as exhilarating as those outdoors, boasting a ninja assault course, virtual reality rides, and extreme slides as well as some challenging climbing walls.

The park has been praised by rugby league legend Kris Radlinski, Chief Executive Officer of Wigan Warriors,

Up

who said: “Wellbeing was a tick the box exercise, it’s now something we take a lot more seriously. Our residential at Adventure Parc Snowdonia was a huge amount of fun for the lads, a great way for them to learn more about each other and a vital part of our pre-season warm-up.”

The attractions have tempted the likes of Premier League giants Liverpool FC, rugby league’s Warriors and Huddersfield Giants, and from rugby union the Scarlets of Llanelli as well as TV companies and commercial giants Coca-Cola, AstraZeneca, and Sky Media.

They have been able to enjoy the centre’s different experience packages or to have

bespoke combinations created for them from an extensive menu of indoor and outdoor activities, all expertly tailored to address their requirements.

Jim Jones, the Chief Executive of North Wales Tourism, said: “Adventure Parc Snowdonia is one of the jewels in our tourism crown and has played a key role in establishing North Wales as the Adventure Capital of Europe. Now it is adding another string to its bow as a first-class location for a range of corporate events and team building exercises.

“I am really pleased with the support Adventure Parc Snowdonia has given towards the collaboration between

some of the best conference, events, and corporate marketing venues across North Wales, under the Meet North Wales branding.

“I recall in the early days the owner, Martin Ainscough, and his son, Andy, the Managing Director of Adventure Parc Snowdonia, saying that they wanted to create a destination that caters for all ages, and they have certainly done that.”

Dylan Evans, Groups and Events Sales Manager, said: “We’ve got all the facilities and the technology you need as a conference or meeting venue and an incredible variety of high adrenaline activities which are perfect for team building and leadership exercises.

“We’ve got the whole package with everything right on the doorstep in a stunning location. It means we can be operational 52 weeks of the year and we’re close to the large conurbations of the North West and the Midlands.

“The potential is huge. The business tourism market in the UK is worth £25 billion a year and we want to support businesses with modern solutions to further their success and increase productivity in an everchanging corporate landscape.”

For more information email info@ adventureparcsnowdonia.com or contact Adventure Parc Snowdonia on 0149 235 3123

Canolfan Mentrau Creadigol yng Nghaernarfon sy’n cynnwys: Creative Enterprise Centre in Caernarfon including:

Theatr (hyd at 250 person) | Theatre (up to 250 delegates)

Stiwdios (hyd at 100 person) | Studios (up to 100 delegates)

Ystafelloedd Cyfarfod | Meeting Rooms

Gwasanaeth technegol ac arlwyo | Catering and technical services

A TRULY UNIQUE VENUE & LOCATION FOR YOUR EVENT Overlooking the Menai Straits with the mountains of Eryri as a backdrop and Caernarfon Castle a stone’s throw away.

Galeri | Doc Victoria | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | LL55 1SQ 01286 685 218 | post@galericaernarfon.com galericaernarfon.com

North in Brief

Free Data Service for Industry

Meetings and events benchmarking platform Venue Performance has released a free version of its service for hotels and venues.

The platform will provide access to 28 charts, analysis combinations, plus industry and market data.

Peter Heath, MD of Venue Performance, said: “We’ve invested heavily in our platform over the last 18 months, and it’s always been our intention to play a supporting role in helping hotels, venues in the wider meetings and events community grow as quickly as possible post-pandemic.

“We also support our industry by providing the government and industry bodies with the data and evidence needed for that growth. That’s why we’ve opened up our platform so all hotels and venues can see the data, and benefit from using it in their decision-making.”

Wyboston Reports Optimistic for 2023

Wyboston Lakes Resorts has delivered a record six months of meetings and events business for the first half of 2022, despite restrictions around events in January and February following the Omicron outbreak. Business on the books at the six-month point is up by 47% on 2019 with a solid base already in place for 2023.

Bookings remain relatively short lead but there is a welcome uplift in demand for long-term bookings and a commitment to securing multi-event deals across a diverse range of sectors.

The resort’s sales strategy has been focused on specific sectors for many years and the sales team has reported a 75% increase in demand for events when compared with 2019.

Christine Gomez, Director of Revenue, commented: “This year, we have seen meeting agendas evolve and, while the meeting content itself is the priority, the social aspect is also very important. The

fact we had products in place to cater for this has really paid off.”

The resort’s management took the decision not to furlough the Business Development team during the pandemic and the team believes this has been a key benefit in keeping relationships with agents and clients strong, open, and based on trust.

Steve Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes Resort, concluded: “We are delighted with the business performance so far in 2022 and the future looks extremely bright for us. We will continue to invest in our team and are extremely proud to be a Real Living Wage Employer. We will also be investing in further capital projects in the coming months. Our culture is at the heart of what we do and ensuring we have a robust and stable business for our team members and shareholders is fundamental.”

Report Shows Industry Concerns

According to a report by the newly restarted The Business of Events, venue cost and quality are among top concerns for UK event planners.

Respondents were asked which of 12 specific areas they considered to be important when selecting a destination or major venue in a post pandemic environment.

Value for money and venue quality scored nine out of 10 among UK planners, with sustainability and accessibility both also ranked as major concerns.

The least important area among the UK cohort was sectoral strengths, with just four out of 10 respondents considering it an important factor.

The report highlights differing priorities among planners across the different regions. Sustainability ranked eight out of 10 in importance among UK and Europe planners, but just six out of 10 for US-based planners. Equity and diversity were ranked seven out of 10 in importance by UK respondents, compared to the USA’s five out of 10.

North Wales Appoints Advisor

North Wales Tourism has appointed Yvonne Jackson as an advisor to aid the hospitality and events industry postpandemic. This aims to build and maintain a prosperous and sustainable tourism industry in North Wales.

Talking about her appointment, Yvonne said: “I am honoured to have been asked to take on the role of Advisor. Having worked in senior hospitality sector roles across the country, I now get the opportunity to use all of my experience and knowledge of the hospitality business in North Wales, which has also been my home for over 15 years.”

“We have seen some real challenges in North Wales during the past couple of years, but I can already see that we are on the upward trajectory. With the right direction and experience, there is no stopping us from making continuous improvements for tourism, which has already seen a boom under the current economy – we just need to keep that momentum moving.”

IACC Releases Recovery Report

IACC, a global association representing conference and meeting venues, released its latest Meeting Room of the Future report.

The report collates industry insights and data on the recovery of the global business events sector with IACC members’ experiences, opinions, and concerns related to the industry.

Recruitment continues to be a problem, the report shows, but the industry is moving towards recovery.

Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, commented: “The start of 2022 has shown some excellent progress in recovery however, there are still some key areas where venues need support, particularly in staffing. IACC will provide important personal and professional development to its community as the industry continues to repair the skills and knowledge shortfall.”

DUTY-FREE

Cassiopea|

£186

Dawning with warm top notes of ginseng and tea, this unisex fragrance also infuses powdered iris to leave the wearer in a state of summer bliss. Sweet base notes of white musk add a feeling of youth to the immersive scent leaving a lasting caress on the skin. Tizianaterenzi.com

Italian Love| £70

Subtle and sophisticated, Dolce & Gabbana’s radiant perfume captures Italian lemon and granny smith apple with fresh notes of ambrette and white rose. A refreshing blend of sandalwood and vetiver base notes make this a lasting fragrance and fitting travel companion. Dolcegabanna.com

Mix business with pleasure and pick up a sweetsmelling perfume or cologne on your way to a conference abroad this summer.

Fico di Amalfi | £69.80

Reflecting the spectacular Amalfi coast, Acqua di Parma’s refreshing blue blend will keep you in holiday mode throughout the whole summer. Fragrances including Italian lemon, bergamot, and grapefruit invoke the Mediterranean, rounded off with fig, cedar wood, and benzoin.

Acquadiparma.com

Eternity Summer Daze | £32.95

Sparkling oceanic undertones make this cologne a perfect match to the lightness of summer. A soothing blend of mandarin orange and mint, anchored by a minty wood base, with notes of calypsone and patchouli to keep you invigorated long after the trip home. Fragrantica.com

Love In White Summer | £168

A youthful perfume for those looking for some holiday romance, this sweet fragrance bottle flirts with the senses. Opening fruity notes of cranberry and peach meet with a delicate touch of Florentine iris and a warming base of cedarwood, for an energetic yet delicate blend. Creedfragrances.co.uk

Love H&EN?

Aberdeen Douglas Hotel

Our

Lancaster University Management School West