H&EN April-May 2023

All

Equal

H&E North Cover Feature Farming Fun

Boost your team's morale and productivity with some immersive fun from Farm Adventure.

Congrats to...

Adaptable Spaces

Game-Changer

A Warm Welcome MAY 2023

In our latest edition we discuss the lack of sector-specific recognition for the industry as amplified by the Spring Budget and the challenges for equality, an issue that Emma Barrett from Women in Exhibitions knows all about. We delve into how waste and water can green up our sustainability, and we take a closer look at why Yorkshire is the right location for your next event. Plus we get outside with some unique outdoor event and team building ideas; our front cover features Farm Adventure - who knew pig rearing can help your team’s collaboration and productivity!

With The Meetings Show upcoming we review and preview the latest shows and give you some canny tips to use the data you are collecting and how to improve your LinkedIn profile. Multi-purpose venues lead the way in facilities and flexibility, and there are some palatial event venues across Europe to consider for your coronation themed events. Plus don’t forget to enter our competition, Haycock Manor near Peterborough is offering one lucky reader a right royal stay over!

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God’s Own Country

Waste Not

Finds

House of Books & Friends | Manchester

House of Books & Friends is an independent bookshop and café with a mission to fight loneliness in the community. Opened in December 2022, the venue boasts a unique hire space. The venue allows its shop and two event spaces be hired for private use. One of which, The Gladstone room, is a Grade II listed events room with an intimate capacity of 25 boardroom style. A perfect spot for literary companies and an inviting and serene atmosphere to all.

Houseofbooksandfriends.com

The Tempus | Northumberland

The Tempus, sister location to Charlton Hall Estate, is set to open in spring this year. The hotel will have similar event hosting facilities as its self-defined rural rebel counterpart. Charlton Hall Estate has venue hire packages for corporate retreats, team building days, and private events. The Tempus is currently taking bookings for its 15-bedroom hotel from midMarch.

Charltonhall.co.uk/thetempus

The Barnsdale | Rutland

Displaying packages for meetings and relaxed business retreats, The Barnsdale’s elegant farmhouse décor is as timeless and classic as the beautiful rural landscape views surrounding it. Whether you want to get away for a meeting or team building event, The Barnsdale has a package to suit your needs.

Barnsdalerutland.com

Leeds Marriott | Leeds

With seven event rooms, 17 breakout rooms, and a capacity of 300 in its largest event space, Leeds Marriott Hotel has an extensive meetings and events service. After beginning a large-scale refurbishment in early 2022, Leeds Marriott has come back stronger than ever. From boardrooms to suites, there will be a seating-plan which suits your needs. Paired with an intimate Mezzanine Lounge for socials, this event space is highly customisable and versatile to your desired event.

Marriott.com

Find the location to meet all of your corporate needs with our pick of new and refreshed venues.

HOUSE OF BOOKS & FRIENDS

Grosvenor Building | Manchester

Manchester Metropolitan University’s new build the Grosvenor Building is available for private hire to all. The venue is situated in an accessible central location capable of accommodating large and small meeting sizes. The larger spaces include a 130 sq. metres exhibition space and a theatre with a 180 capacity. Each room is equipped with either a projector or LCD screen and are covered by technical support throughout your event.

Venues.mmu.ac.uk

Department | Leeds

For meetings with a capacity of four to 10, Department has a room for you. Situated in Leeds Dock, this rustic and refined space allows you to hire a room by the hour and comes with all the meeting equipment you need. Flipcharts, HDMI connectivity, video conferencing, and free Wi-Fi are only a few of the meetings and events amenities available. This central venue is great to drop in for a quick catch-up meeting.

Departmentuk.com

The Sage International Conference Centre | Newcastle

Opening in 2024, The Sage ICC is a new world-class conference and events centre. Offering a staggering capacity of 12,500, the arena will lend itself to banqueting, exhibition spaces and outdoor events. Its two on-site hotels also plan to accommodate travelling guests, bringing the total of bedrooms up to 300. Accessible to both Newcastle and Gateshead town centre, The Sage ICC is the conference centre to put the NorthEast on the map.

W Edinburgh | Edinburgh

Set to open in winter 2023, the W Edinburgh hotel will provide a city-centre hub for international visitors and locals alike. The 12-storey hotel will also be dedicating two levels to an ultra-modern meeting and event space. This will include five meeting rooms and a 24-hour business centre. Accompanied by a luxurious spa and dining experience, with the addition of the popular fusion restaurant SUSHISAMBA, delegates will never want to leave their hotel.

THE TEMPUS

GROSVENOR BUILDING

LEEDS MARRIOTT

North in Brief

Suistainable Cup Creates Buzz

Fifth generation, family-run catering equipment business Stephensons, is to officially launch a truly planet-friendly takeaway cup featuring the iconic Manchester bee at the Northern Restaurant and Bar show. Made from certified plastic-free paperboard it can be recycled with paper and cardboard and is fully compostable.

The cup celebrates the identity of the city and helps to cut single-use plastics, building on the momentum garnered from the success of Stephensons environmentally friendly bee straws, launched in 2018. A percentage of profits raised from the cup will go to the city’s highly esteemed charity, We Love MCR.

Stephensons Managing Director, Henry Stephenson said: “We came up with the idea of putting the bee mosaic on a disposable cup when we launched the straw back in 2018, but it was only recently that the technology finally arrived, allowing us to put the bee on a truly sustainable, certified plastic-free cup. We’re proud to see both the cup and the straw as a simple but powerful statement from the city’s hospitality industry, reflecting its collective commitment to sustainability. As a Manchester-based business since 1868, we understand the pride and identity people associate with the Manchester bee, so to have the bee as a continued symbol of the city’s desire to limit single-use plastics is fantastic.”

EIA Publishes Promising Report

The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) – the collective made up of the of AEO, AEV and ESSA, recently published its seventh Size and Scale Index for Exhibitions (SASiE) report.

Shaun Hinds, CEO Manchester Central and current EIA Chair, commented: “The report identifies and confirms important trends in UK exhibitions as well as describing the key dimensions and characteristics of the sector.”

Launched in 2014, this SASiE report is the first since the pandemic and shows the post-COVID state of the industry. Hinds added: “The report shows that the number of major exhibitions held in the UK’s main exhibition venues in 2022 was almost back to pre-COVID levels, showing significant recovery with some indicators on a par or up on 2019 numbers and highlighting the resilience of our industry.”

Cvent to Go Private

Meetings technology giant Cvent is going private again after agreeing terms with Blackstone in a deal worth $4.6 billion.

Cvent said that its shareholders would receive $8.50 per share in the deal – a 52% premium of Cvent’s average share price over the past 90 days. The deal is expected to be finalised by the middle of the year.

Reggie Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Cvent, said: “As one of the world’s largest private equity firms, Blackstone brings deep expertise in the event and hospitality industry, and with their backing, we plan to continue to invest in our business and deliver the innovative solutions that meet our customers’ needs and power the meetings and events ecosystem.”

GRATIS Advisory Board Launches

An advisory board, representing a collective buying power of £320 million, has been established for GRATIS, the end-to-end sourcing and booking tool provided by venuedirectory.com. Comprising of TMCs, CVBs, venues and agencies, the board will examine the strategic direction of the industry and ensure GRATIS remains agile and responsive to market needs.

At the inaugural meeting, Instant Book topped the agenda as part of the group’s drive to progress venue booking. The board’s overall aim is to collaborate to encourage hotels and venues to embrace the technology. They’ll also work to standardise terms and conditions for small meetings via Instant Book as well as review online price points so that agents have the ability to negotiate rates.

“Representing a diverse range of clients from construction, automotive UK government and finance, our Advisory Board has significant size and buying power within the industry,” explains Michael Begley, Managing Director of venuedirectory.com. “Together, we’ll work with clients and contacts to help drive considerable change within our sector, notably around Instant Book. Instant Book offers so many valuable business benefits as well as sheer simplicity all around – and it’s an area where we hope to make great strides this year.”

First Incubator Scheme Events

Manchester Central’s Incubator scheme allowed applicants to pitch a unique event which would connect people through meaningful experiences. The first two events to result from the scheme are being hosted this summer. The events are the Northern Stainability Summit (12th June) and PlannerFest/JournalFest/ StationaryFest (1st July). Both will be held at the prestigious venue after organisers beat strong competition from many applicants to the scheme. The organisers, Events Northern and Elevate, have since been receiving guidance from Manchester Central’s in-house events

team to scope, plan and prepare for hosting their inaugural events.

Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, said: “We launched this scheme a year ago and were overwhelmed by the response. Coming out of the pandemic, we wanted to do what we could to stimulate recovery for our industry; helping attract new entrants into the event space that otherwise might not have the resource to get their idea off the ground.”

Awards Announce New 2023 Category

The SME National Business Awards is returning with a new category for 2023. The new Hospitality Business of the Year category is open to enter for any business in the Hospitality sector.

The category aims to celebrate the success of the very best of the hospitality industry, highlighting the innovative initiatives and businesses across the UK. Hotels, Event Companies, Entertainment, or Suppliers to the Hospitality Industry are all eligible to enter and showcase their determination, passion, and success.

Damian Cummins, Awards Director commented: "An SME National Business Award is a well renowned accolade of achievement, and to be crowned the National Hospitality Business of the Year will be a huge recognition."

Successful businesses will be invited to the Grand Final at Wembley Stadium in December, where the eventual winners will take home the trophy.

Meet in Wales Confirms New Ambassadors

Meet in Wales has confirmed the arrival of more ambassadors to its growing programme, aimed at building relationships with industry to support business events in the destination. The Ambassador Wales Conference Programme mirrors Wales’s wider strategy of working with specific sectors that underline its own industrial strengths.

Each of the new ambassadors represent these sectors, including life sciences, environment, renewable energies, and sustainability. They also include wider scientific expertise in astronomy, from inspiring science education and technology to the promotion of the Dark Skies in Wales, to inspire future generations on the importance of reducing light pollution.

Their involvement was confirmed through nominations put forward from a working group that included Cardiff University, University of South Wales, and ICC Wales. Other partners in the group represent the best of the business events community in Wales and include Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Swansea University, Venue Cymru, and Meet in Cardiff.

All Things Equal

Emma Barrett,

Events and exhibitions are big business. They contribute an estimated £84 billion to the UK economy and anyone working in the sector knows that businesses are run as tight ships, and the bottom line and sales targets are always front of mind. It’s therefore no surprise that the top jobs –executive level roles – require an acute business acumen.

If you look at a job advertisement for a c-suite role in the sector, you’re faced with a litany of corporate vocab that is not for the faint hearted: strategic plans; profit and loss; complex stakeholder relationships; company policies; employment law; regulatory compliance. Here lies the challenge: when and how do you develop the necessary skills for leadership positions? Is your current career path and trajectory pointed in the same direction as your ambitions?

Around 80% of new starters in the events and exhibitions sector are women. Often, but not exclusively, these roles are in event management, marketing, or operations. Before you know it, you are five, ten, fifteen years into your career and have honed your delivery skills to a fine art. You stop and pause, think about your ambitions, and career hopes and dreams. You think about your next promotion, inside or outside of your organisation, asking: where next?

For most of us the ‘next move’ will be a linear step up, with more responsibly for projects, budgets, and people. By this point you are growing in skill and confidence and are fast becoming an

expert in your field. Meanwhile, colleagues coming up through other routes – from sales to finance – are getting their heads around knotty organisational operations, and may or may not be working on events first hand.

Perhaps you look at your boss and the fellow execs and think: I can do that and the rest I can learn. But when the next big job is advertised, confidence dwindles, and questions start to arise for you – and others – about whether you have really developed the full set of practical and soft skills to operate at senior level. Have you driven business as well as delivered it? Have you brought in revenue rather than met targets? Is your team performing because of your initiatives?

It's these questions, and others, that either stop women going for senior positions or starting up on their own, or worst still: stop the employer putting women into these roles. So, if a vast amount of the roles in our sector (which are primarily held by women) are not priming people throughout their career to lead, then what needs to happen to change this?

The UK chapter of Women in Exhibitions was launched to support women at every stage of their career in events and exhibitions. We recognise that being a leader isn’t innate and the necessary business and soft skills need careful honing, and a deliberate approach to personal development.

This is why Women in Exhibitions has launched a training programme that is

available to both the staff of its member organisations and its individual members, so that everyone who is aiming for the top can do so with their eyes wide open to the opportunities, and the skills needed.

The training programme is curated with leadership in mind. Public speaking, managing difficult situations, and building resilience are but a few of our upcoming sessions. Building skills today for tomorrow’s leaders will ensure that there is a rich pool of talent when the time comes to recruit for the sector’s next leaders.

For businesses, it’s an important time to show commitment to shaking up leadership and the pathway to the top. It requires investment and persistence because change starts with today’s leaders. It’s also important to recognise that this is good for business: a wealth of research shows how diversity at board level leads to better business results, a more engaged workforce, and innovation. But we’ll only get that diversity by nurturing talent in the first place.

As a sector, we need to think about employees, talent, and the next generation of leaders in the same way as society is starting to think about trees: what do we plant and nurture today to ensure we have a forest tomorrow?

You can see the full training programme and become a corporate or individual member of Women in Exhibitions at Womeninexhibitions.co.uk

Women in Exhibitions board member and the Founder of Broadway Events, discusses the need to nurture talent and ensure equal access to leadership positions across the industry.

God’s Own Country

Welcome to Yorkshire invites you to host your next business event in the county.

Yorkshire is the perfect place to host your conference or business event. Choose from a wide range of iconic venues and corporate activities, served by major motorways, rail stations, and Leeds Bradford Airport. From racecourses to museums, historic halls and castles, Yorkshire boasts a wealth of history, culture, and inspiration.

York

York is an ideal location to host a conference with its stunning scenery, rich history, and diverse culture. City Cruises York offers a unique venue for conferences, with its boats offering a picturesque backdrop for meetings and presentations. The boats can be customised to suit the needs of any corporate event, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to host a conference with a difference. Corporate and team building activities can also be arranged, with dining included. City Cruises York provides an

ideal combination of stunning scenery, unique venues, and a wide range of corporate activities, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to host a memorable and productive conference.

In the Race

Yorkshire is lucky to have a full range of well-provisioned racecourses with hospitality, parking facilities and even hotels. Audio-visual equipment and meeting rooms are all available, and the stunning surrounds give great backdrops for team photos and product launches.

York’s Racecourse has a range of versatile business suites suitable for exhibitions, product launches, and training days with a hotel on site. Many of the meeting rooms boast natural daylight, and some overlook the stunning Knavesmire and racetrack, giving your event a grand setting. Hospitality Managers ensure all business guests have guidance and expertise throughout the planning of the

event, as well as organising their logistics and being present on the day. Come and experience the warmest welcome this side of the Pennines.

Catterick offers relaxed, rural setting with exceptional road network access makes it a perfect venue for smaller meetings and conferences outside of the city bustle. Just five minutes from the A1, Catterick Racecourse provides an ideal meeting place and with views over the lake in the centre of the course, can provide excellent value and a more informal feel than many of its larger competitors.

A stunning parkland location is offered at Pontefract, with Pontefract Park contained within the racecourse boundary. Easily accessible, being just half a mile from Junction 32 off the M62, the racecourse is ideally situated with close links to both the M1 and the A1. The team at the racecourse will guide you through your booking, and the on-site catering team, Huggamug, will design menus freshly prepared using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.

Day delegate packages for small groups are a great way to host your meeting or conference, providing you with a list of what’s included and the cost, right from

Continued on page 11

RaisE Business Centre is an exciting partnership between industry, public sector and academia with excellent and welcoming conference and catering facilities conveniently located at the heart of Junction 36, off the M62, Goole.

RaisE boasts modern conference rooms, ground floor meeting rooms, offices, workshops, communal areas, on site café, ample free on-site parking and electric charging points.

Hull Leeds

York Goole Manchester Doncaster

the start. However, that doesn’t mean you’re limited to only the standard options, as you can also tailor the package or add on extras to fit your budget.

Meet in history

The diverse history of Yorkshire has resulted in some iconic buildings springing up for corporate events, from the Piece Hall in Halifax to the Mansion House in York –many of which are available for private hire.

There are many ancient, ruined castles to be found, but Bolton Castle has a roof and is available for hire, as are the magnificent surrounds of Bramham Park, Temple Newsam, and Wentworth Woodhouse.

Historical sites aren’t the only way to impress your delegates; Yorkshire’s unique and exciting museums also make great venues. Options include the Royal Armouries in Leeds (right next to a major train station) and the National Railway Museum in York (again, next to the train station). Ideal for everything from trade shows to awards ceremonies and receptions, all against the gleaming backdrop of magnificent steam engines or imposing suits of armour. Holding your event surrounded by historical artefacts is sure to make an impression your delegates won’t soon forget.

For those more artistically inclined, group visits and corporate events are also available at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth, both near Wakefield.

Continued from page 8

Down time and activities

Get everyone’s head “out of the office” with a group activity for your team with a difference. Outdoor activities for grown-ups are great for boosting employee morale, engagement, and motivation, and where better to hold them than the beautiful backdrop of god’s own country.

Designed to bring even the most introverted team members out of their shell, Farm Adventures near Masham ticks the box, as seen on our front cover. With hilariously wacky outdoor activities that you can’t find anywhere else, help blow away your office cobwebs and bring your team closer together.

Activities include:

• Sheep gathering

• Tractor driving

• Egg throwing

• Pig herding

• Welly wanging

• Farmer Olympics

Lost Earth Adventures also run team building courses in Yorkshire designed

to improve transferable skills such as leadership, communication skills, planning, change management, delegation, teamwork, and motivation. Adventure is used as a vehicle for learning, and to test and challenge your group. During the experience, small team tasks will delve into the building blocks of teamwork, leadership, and communication.

From product launches to major conferences, Welcome to Yorkshire can help you select your next business destination – contact info@yorkshire.com for assistance choosing your venue.

The inappropriate application of guidance is a concern for everyone, particularly when things go wrong.

Recently there have been incidences where guidance in the Purple Guide, which has been specifically designed for outdoor events, has been applied to indoor arena events. For instance, it was recently quoted in the Manchester Arena inquiry and it has also been referenced in relation to the O2 tragedy in Brixton.

Another example is the increasing call for event organisers to show how they are complying with Martyn’s Law, despite the fact that it is not law and is unlikely to become so for some years as the details are still being discussed. And, even when the final legislation is drafted, it will take

By the Book

Jim Winship, Secretary of The Events Industry Forum, explores the need for flexibility and understanding when safeguarding events.

some time to get approval through the House of Commons and House of Lords.

While event organisers have a responsibility to safeguard the people attending their events as best they can, it is inappropriate to expect them to comply with laws that do not yet exist and, ultimately, may well not apply to some types of outdoor event.

With many local authority budgets under pressure, there is growing concern that some will cull their event teams and lose the knowledge and experience they have, leading to an even more cautious approach to sanctioning events in some areas and an even less consistent approach to them, with requirements – such as those quoting ‘Martyn’s Law’ –being used to make life more difficult for event organisers. The shame of the situation is that local

Green Thinking

Andrew Harrison, Director of the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), discusses why sustainability in the events industry urgently needs to adopt an industrywide standard to become truly sustainable.

Our industry consumes a significant amount of natural resources and generates a significant amount of waste. While we can each implement our own sustainable initiatives, to become truly sustainable, all parts of the industry need to be conversing now on the topic and not acting in isolation. Unfortunately, we’re still seeing too many companies across the sector acting first, then consulting which will never achieve the optimal result we are all ultimately striving to achieve.

Broader consultation and the adoption of an industry-wide standard is needed as a matter of urgency. Jumping on a single issue or topic does not solve the problem, but rather clouds the bigger picture and what really needs to be done. We need to plan more and force less, ensuring economic sustainability as part

of the process. Only when we collectively work towards the same predetermined goals and adopt the same means of measurement and benchmarking can we truly know that we are universally on the right path towards sustainable success.

We are well beyond the stage where sustainability is optional. Any business in the events industry not taking it seriously is in danger of being left behind. Whilst sustainability is a complex topic, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming but the growing misinformation that exists in the industry is of paramount concern and is only designed to act as a barrier to success.

This is where ESSA is leading, investing, and supporting. We introduced a comprehensive sustainability module to the ESSA Accredited scheme in 2021,

communities and businesses (including the local authorities themselves) lose out when events are driven away from areas as research shows they can generate substantial revenues for an area, from providing local employment to hotel nights, restaurant covers, and more.

As research by Bournemouth University showed in 2018, outdoor events – from festivals to county shows – are a major contributor to the economy, with £30.4 billion being earned from travelling to and spending onsite.

At a time when many local communities and businesses need the injection of income that events can generate, it is short-sighted to put increasing obstacles in their way.

Eventsindustryforum.co.uk

followed by a Sustainability Awareness training course last September.

Focusing on all key knowledge areas of sustainability theory and practice, the training is designed to enable members to build their sustainability roadmap with ease whilst dispelling the myths surrounding how complicated it needs to be. The important thing is to make a start, understanding that you cannot do everything at once – it’s a marathon, not a race.

Sustainability success is about getting the right balance between its three pillars - people, planet, and profit ¬– and implementing in a sustainable way with consideration for the impact on businesses and the supply chain.

Essa.uk.com

At CM Event Recruitment we staff occasions from small private events to large corporate ceremonies.

We meet and interview everyone face-to-face and conduct a skills test, ensuring they have the skills required for the job.

Matching experience to event, we supply bar staff, waiting-on staff, kitchen porters and cleaners/clearers.

Leeding the Way

Recognised as one of the top UK Conference Destinations and one of Rough Guide’s best travel destinations in 2023, a visit to Leeds will leave you with something special. A unique experience. Or an eye-opening discovery. From a conferencing venue rich with heritage and history, to world-class cultural and sporting events, or a taste of the local food scene.

This year welcomes LEEDS 2023, a year-long celebration of culture, promising a whole host of events and experiences that business and leisure visitors can enjoy to immerse themselves in local life. The planned programme will celebrate and transform the city’s identity locally, nationally, and internationally – creating a lasting legacy of cultural, economic and social impact.

To shine a light on the exceptional experiences that are on offer in the city, Conference Leeds, the conferencing bureau for the city of Leeds, has welcomed the return of the #ExploreLeeds campaign. The campaign includes a four-part film series created to illustrate the unrivalled delegate experiences on offer in the city and to encourage those visiting the city on business to extend their stay or return as a leisure visitor to explore everything the city has to offer.

The films follow a Visit Leeds survey which found that nine in 10 business visitors would visit Leeds again with their family or friends for a short trip. The four films in the series showcase standout destinations and things to see in the city, including, the Grade

I listed Leeds Corn Exchange, home to independent stores and eateries, Leeds Kirkgate Market, the biggest indoor market in Europe, and walking tours to view the fantastic array of street art and the stunning architecture of the Victorian Arcades.

Delegates can also enjoy days out that are easily accessible from the city and take in the beauty of the rolling Yorkshire Dales National Park, visit the Victorian spa town of Harrogate, or Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters. The films also showcase a selection of Leeds’ awardwinning dining destinations which earned Leeds its reputation as ‘Foodie Capital of the North’, to encourage visitors to journey further and see the best attractions on offer while in the heart of the North.

#ExploreLeeds will be launched at CHS Leeds, which returns to the city on the 25th April at the Royal Armouries, and will also be available to view online at: Conferenceleeds.co.uk/exploreleeds

One of the top UK Conference Destinations and home of CHS, a visit to Leeds will leave you with something special.

Experience the Leeds Marriott Hotel leedsmarriott. com

A comfortable, cost-effective venue suitable for a variety of events.

Situated in extensive grounds in the Headingley conservation area, just 2 miles from the city centre.

• 52 bedrooms

• 7 conference rooms

(2 – 90 delegates)

• Modern AV equipment

• Day and Residential Delegate Rates

• Free Parking

• Free secure WIFI throughout

Choose Leeds Marriott Hotel for your next event, with refurbished conference space for up to 300 guests, a new executive lounge and modern bedrooms.

Contact the hotel’s sales team to find out more: leeds.events@marriotthotels.co.uk

Friendly, family run catering company

YORKSHIRE BASED & WELL ESTABLISHED

Corporate and private events with a range of affordable options

Working lunch buffets delivered daily to your workplace

Formal dinners and canapés, outdoor events, fairs and parties, hog roasts, bbq’s, chocolate fountains and much more

Bespoke catering packages with our highly experienced team offering consultation on all aspects of your event

Unit 1 York House, 55 Easy Road, Leeds, LS9 8QS 01138 715 999

info@bluepeppercatering.co.uk

www.bluepeppercatering.co.uk

• Full range of dining and refreshment options available

Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX 0113 261 8000

info@hinsley-hall.co.uk

Meet, Train, Entertain & Sustain

With 9 vibrant event spaces for 2 to 185 guests, all just a hop, skip and jump from Leeds Central station and the public transport network.

The Studio is now ECOsmart Gold accredited, just another reason to make us your first choice for your next event.

For further information visit us at: www.thestudio.co.uk call us on 0800 028 6694 or tweet us @studiovenues

Plan for Success

Event Planner and Owner of Shenderey Events in Leeds, Juliet

Shenderey shares her steps to creating a successful corporate event.

There’s a careful balance to strike when organising a corporate event. You want to bring some personality, with standout moments your guests will remember. But it’s also important to meet the expectations of the organisation you’re planning the event for so it fits their culture and standards. At Shenderey Events, there are three key stages we work through when we plan your corporate event. No matter the size or scale, every step is significant.

Setting-up the event

Getting the initial planning right is crucial to a successful event. We start by getting to know our client’s aims, objectives, and budgets so we can create an event that exceeds expectations. As well as securing

venues, booking speakers, and setting up ticket registration systems, we’ll also make sure sponsorships are right and your branding is perfect.

Managing the day

Event days can be stressful. So when our client is hosting delegates and making business connections, they can leave the running of the event itself to us. We’ll make sure the venue’s set up correctly, all signage has been put up, and speakers are well looked after. We’ll also manage any issues on the day, from providing parking permits to last-minute crisis management, taking the pressure off.

Evaluating the responses

The event is over, but the evaluation

stage is important – and often forgotten. We’ll help with the post-event processes, checking nothing was left behind at the venue and debriefing teams. To make sure aims are achieved, it’s important to follow up with attendees after the event, with post-event surveys that’ll help us plan the next corporate day and secure future sponsorships.

There’s plenty to consider here, so the experienced helping hands of a planner such as Shenderey Events will ensure a smooth, stress-free, and successful event.

Shenderey-events.com

07946 629 309

COMING UP IN

NEXT

For more info contact Adam Freedman

0845 052 2911

Shining Sheffield

Street food is big in Sheffield with numerous outlets, collective venues and regular events that combine pop up artisan food, with music and art. Event Central is a new development which will see six storeys of flexible event spaces as a showcase of creative talent perfect for performance or exhibition, including a 200-capacity basement space.

all electricity. Five impressive lecture theatres host between 120 and 400 delegates with 16 further seminar rooms at event organisers’ disposal. Impressive architecture, top sustainability credentials and a short walk from the city centre!

You might be excused for thinking that Sheffield flies a little under the radar of other northern metropolises, but the city formerly known for steel is regularly hitting the press for its cultural and foodie scene –and hosting some impressive conferences and events.

From stylish venues and hip regeneration projects to its wealth of green space and sustainability credentials, Sheffield is a real crowd pleaser. Little wonder, then, that it was voted second best destination for a European city break by Time Out, and Observer Food Monthly says it’s this year’s foodie hotspot, good news for delegates!

There’s space to breathe. Not every major city can boast of being inside a national park, yet a third of Sheffield lies within the celebrated Peak District. 61% of the city’s entire area is green space, making it a great destination to find venues with al fresco areas or build outdoor experiences into your event. Sheffield city centre is well into a £470 million redevelopment of the city centre known as Heart of the City. This is already transforming Sheffield’s centre into a sustainable and socially responsible celebration of heritage buildings alongside brand-new contemporary buildings.

Heart of the City will enhance Sheffield’s constantly evolving food and drink scene, creating more venues for eating, drinking, and socialising with an independent vibe, from emerging independents and beloved local institutions to recognised names.

Venue highlights include the Winter Garden – Europe’s biggest urban glasshouse. The city’s flagship venues (the over 2000-seater Sheffield City Hall and the 500-seater Cutler’s Hall) are complemented by stylish residential venues such as the Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria, the Leopold Hotel in the city centre, Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa, and Double Tree by Hilton on the outskirts of the city.

There are new hotels in the pipeline too. The Radisson Blu hotel is taking shape with an enviable location overlooking the Peace Gardens. Opening later in 2023, it has restored the charming Victorian architecture of the original building and, as well as an events space, it will introduce a stunning roof top bar and 154 bedrooms. Before that though, the 150-bedroom new Courtyard by Marriott hotel opens this summer in a prime position on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (close to M1 Junction 33) with ample parking and EV charging points. Small meeting and private dining spaces are available for up to 10 delegates.

Both universities have impressive spaces. The latest addition is The Wave at the University of Sheffield. The Wave’s sustainable design is a first for the university, this net zero operation uses ground source heat pumps to provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, while solar panels generate

The conference team have recently worked with event organisers and ambassadors to secure conferences and events worth more than £5 million to the local economy. This includes several national and international sector-specialist events set to take place over the next couple of years, including the Annual International Stillbirth Alliance Conference; the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons Annual Congress; NDE In Nuclear Conference; the International Society for Study of Celiac Disease General Assembly, SUMO Digital Developers Conference, and the 52nd Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes. The recent announcement that funding is now complete for the National Centre for Child Health Technology at the Olympic Legacy Park is also great news for conferences and events, making Sheffield a global player in the Life Sciences sector. Why not get in touch on 0114 273 5978 or click Welcometosheffield.co.uk/ conference

Conferences@sheffield.gov.uk

Discover why Sheffield is one of the most talked about cities right now and why it might just be the ideal destination for 2023 events.

Conferences

Exhibitions

• Meetings

• Training Courses

Interviews and Assessments

Flexible and accessible event space of all sizes in the heart of Sheffield City Centre

info@thecirclesheffield.org.uk thecirclesheffield.org.uk

E C U T L E R S H A L L

The Cutlers Hall is without question a magnificent venue steeped in history and grandeur. This impressive Grade II listed building in the heart of Sheffield has excellent transport links, complimentary robust Wi-Fi and the flexibility to suit all types of events.

The Main Hall is perfect for events up to 550 guests, whilst smaller rooms are able to provide the ideal backgrop of a more itimate affair. With our winning combination of a specacular environment, flexible room space and outstanding service along with exceptional food and drink, we look forward to welcoming you and your guests to The Cutlers Hall.

7-15 CHURCH STREET, SHEFFIELD, S1 1HG www.cutlershall.co.uk

Facts & Figures

Event organisers have a wealth of data at their disposal from each event they hold which can help them improve future events and make them more engaging, informative, and successful. From attendee demographics to social media engagement, event data can provide valuable insights. Dash Tabor, Founder and CEO of TUBR, a Sheffield-based predictive analytics business, helps businesses to collect and get the most out of the data at events.

“One of the things that’s really important to recognise is that GDPR only applies to personal data,” Dash explains. “There are a lot of things that can make data personal. Obviously, name, or email address – if there are identifiers that can be tracked back to an individual, that might still need to be treated as personal data. But for the most part, if you’re using anonymised data you can still do a lot without breaching GDPR. You do need to be careful about the terms and conditions of what you say you’re going to be using it for, but if you make that broad in the terms and conditions, they you are fine to use the data without having to worry about GDPR.”

Having data from your previous events or from delegates you know will be attending can help you plan to better your event.

“If you wanted to go down the GDPR route and use personalised data, there’s a lot you can do with that. You can do to personalise people’s experience. You can see what they’ve looked at, what they’ve booked to before, when they arrived. You could maybe try to get them to arrive sooner or spend more in your venue based on this data. If someone bought a cold drink at the last event, maybe throw in a discounted deal with a light bite to get them to spend more. You can analyse behaviour and then use that data to attract more people to your events.”

Using technology to provide your delegates with information about the event can also allow you to collect accurate data about behaviour: “If you have an app for running your event and providing your delegates with timetabling information, allowing them to check in etc; you can use this to see what time people usually arrive and the number of people you usually have at different times in different spaces, then know how many staff you need to employ. Data can help with sustainable targets, reducing waste and avoiding running out of products if you can predict how much food or drink is sold at each different till during a large event.” Food for thought for event organisers.

“You can analyse behaviour and then use that data to attract more people to your events.”

Data is an invaluable resource which when used well can help you enhance your delegates’ experience and your post-event ROI.

North in Brief

Edinburgh Second Most Expensive City

According to global mobility specialist, ECA International, the UK’s second most expensive business destination in the UK is Edinburgh, with a typical trip costing £326 a day. Half of the cost is due to hotel stays, while higher hotel costs have also led Birmingham to be the third most expensive city in the UK, moving above Manchester.

Alec Smith, Benefits and Daily Rates Manager at ECA International said: “High inflation and increased staffing costs are leading to hotel stays becoming significantly more expensive across the UK. London, however, stands out as having some of the greatest rises in hotel costs, up by 20% since last year, while hotels elsewhere in the country show an average increase of just 5% on the previous year.” ECA International has calculated that sending two employees to London for a three-night business trip will set businesses back by £2,982, before travel costs.

Evolution Dome to Headline Event

Set to run alongside Event Tech Live in November 2023, the first edition of Event Sustainability Live announced its headline sponsor will be inflatable structures business, Evolution Dome.

The sponsorship follows Evolution Dome’s latest advancements in battery and storage capacity. Its SPB-6500 battery packs allow Evolution Dome’s pods to be used without any need for power outlets or generators for up to 21 hours. These amendments create a more sustainable effect with significantly reduced carbon emissions, cost, and noise pollution when installed.

Ash Austin, Director of Evolution Dome said: “It is a pleasure to be sponsoring the debut of Event Sustainability Live. With its passionate team and the support of event industry professionals who share the goal of building a better future, there’s no doubt that the show will be a positive step forward for the industry.”

ABPCO Announces Line-Up for Festival

ABPCO’s Festival of Learning is returning for the second time this year on 25th April at Telford International Centre under the theme, Survive and Thrive. The day supported by Telford and Wrekin

Council will include a packed schedule of speakers and content devoted to the needs of association event professionals, preceded by a networking event the evening before.

ABPCO Chair, Emma Duffy said: “Our inaugural Festival of Learning was an incredible success. The concept has been reimagined for 2023, with content from a fantastic group of speakers, leaders, and influencers.”

ABPCO have announced a talk titled Moving Sustainable Meetings Forward: The Next Step in the Journey, a conversation about the acceleration in sustainable practices within association meetings between Dawn Lauder, Head of Association Sales at Scottish Event Campus and Sarah Garry, Executive Officer at British Association of Soil Science.

World Water Exhibition Set for Glasgow

The International Water Association chooses the Scottish Event Campus to host its 2026 World Water Congress & Exhibition. The acquisition of the event continues the attraction of Glasgow as a sustainable city following the SEC’s hosting of the 2021 Nations Climate Change Conference.

In Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales at SEC said: “This is exactly the kind of conference we love at the SEC – those that look to carry critical messages around the world. We’re looking forward to welcoming the delegates of IWA to our city.”

The previous edition of IWA’s World Water Congress & Exhibition in 2022 was held in Copenhagen, Denmark and the next conference will be hosted in Toronto Canada, in August 2024. SEC in Glasgow will play host the following year.

Tomorrow’s Talent Award 2023 Winners

The Meetings Show has announced the ten winners of its 2023 Tomorrow’s Talent Awards, celebrating exceptional emerging talent within the industry. Now in its fifth year, the competition is open to any talented event planner or buyer aged 30 and under, with three years or less experience working in the industry.

The winners represented companies such as Alzheimer’s Research UK (Becca Shiner), DRPG (Laura Pike and Jenna Border), and Palace Events (Alex

Chesters). The entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts including Paul Harvey, Editor of M&IT.

The Tomorrow’s Talent winners will be invited at VIPs to The Meetings Show on 28th and 29th June, the prize also includes an invitation to a celebratory lunch and profile-building opportunities.

Leicestershire Venue Claims Sustainability Award

Mythe Barn, an eco-friendly luxury wedding and corporate events venue recently won a Greengage ECOsmart Silver Award at its 2023 ceremony. Owners and married couple, Joanna and Joe Garland, converted the family farm into a wedding venue after taking it over in 2005 and have since celebrated the venue’s tenth anniversary including over 1,000 marriages on-site.

Andrew Perolls, CEO at Greengage said: “Over the years Mythe Barn have implemented some impressive initiatives which show that sustainability is a priority at their venue. We look forward to working together to continue their journey to becoming more sustainable.”

UKEVENTS Working Group Expands

Clive Wratten, CEO of the Business Travel Association and Martin Fullard, Director, News and Content, at davies tanner and The Business of Events have joined UKEVENTS Working Group for Advocacy & Government Relations.

The role of the group within UKEVENTS, the overarching body for the UK events industry, is to raise the profile of the business visits and events industry to the government, drawing attention to the economic and social contributions they provide to each department.

Clive Wratten said: “I am eager to join UKEVENTS’ as business travel and events go hand in hand. I am delighted to join my events colleagues to ensure our government fully understands the power of in-person events and their significant contribution to business, bringing workers from all over the globe together.”

Fullard added: “While we must continue to talk with one another as an industry, it is vital that we articulate as clearly as possible what the events sector can offer UK Plc, in both economic and social terms. I’m delighted to have been invited to join this Working Group and will continue to advocate for this magnificent sector.”

Checking In

Newark Showground off to a flying start!

Newark Showground’s strong start to 2023 has included its busiest March on record. Highlights from the 2023 calendar so far include the Midlands Woodworking and Power Tools Exhibition, National Shire Horse Show, a weekend of table-top gaming, and a classic motorbike show.

Meetings, conferences, and corporate events are also on an upward trend, accounting for over a third of events taking place this quarter. Highlights have been a two-week dealer training residency for a leading agricultural machinery brand and a Fork-Lift Driver of the Year competition for a national logistics company.

The huge range of events reflects the range of flexible venues across its multipurpose 84-acre campus and the high levels of service delivered by its dedicated event delivery team. The site is well-known for hosting Europe’s largest antiques fairs, B2B exhibitions, and consumer and special interest shows, all of which benefit from the unique combination of indoor and outdoor spaces.

Further evidence of the site – and team’s – versatility, is the strength of its inhouse catering. As well as providing event catering for thousands of visitors across seven satellite outlets, it has also hosted a sell-out boxing promotion, numerous dinners and celebrations, and a ball for a thousand revellers this year.

Newarkshowground.com

Silent Seminars Tackles MultiLingual Events

Silent Seminars have launched a strategic partnership with remote interpretation experts, Interprefy, to provide a seamless platform for delivering high quality translation at live events.

With bases in the UK, Belgium, and Spain, Silent Seminars cater for events across Europe. Using Silent Seminars headsets audiences can choose which

language they listen to by selecting the relevant channel on their headset. Each channel is colour coded for easy use, for example English is green, Spanish is Red, French is Blue, and so on! 10 channel headsets allow for up to 10 languages or breakout rooms in the same space.

Boost inclusivity and accessibility while providing your audience with an immersive and engaging experience. With Silent Seminars you can maximise your space and deliver high quality audio at your next event.

Silentseminars.com

Cedar Court Hotels Refurbishes

Cedar Court Hotels has seen bookings far exceeding its 2019 levels after undertaking a huge renovation to its meeting and events spaces.

Managing Director Wayne Topley says: “Over the last year we’ve created a new smaller meeting product. We’re also creating a much more flexible mid-sized meeting product and invested heavily in our large spaces.”

Cedar Court Hotels spent between £200,000 and £250,000 on each of its three locations for the renovations. The result of this is that the largest space in the Bradford venue can now hold up to 600 delegates, while Huddersfield can accommodate 400, and Harrogate up to 450.

“We’ve refurbished the outer areas in the same style and design, so they become an extension of the space,” Wayne continued. “As we choose to use those exterior spaces more, they fit in with the main suites. Each hotel has also spent money on the outdoor areas, which accompany the large event spaces.”

The venues are also able to offer banquet catering for events, providing packages to offer great food and entertainment at a cost effective price. This offering has been renewed and advance by the new Executive Chef.

See the main advert on p13 Visit Cedarcourthotels.co.uk to book directly and gain rewards

Swans Events to Produce Food Festival

In 2023 Sheffield Food Festival will have new producers. Swans Events, will build on

many wonderful years, and develop the festival, working with the local community to deliver the best street food, artisanal produce, drinks, music and more. Taking over the Peace Gardens during the end of May Bank Holiday weekend, from 26th to 29th May, the aim is to continue to be one of the city’s largest free to attend events for all members of the family.

Noemi Antonelli, Managing Director at Swans Events explained some of their vision: “We want to showcase Sheffield’s relationship with food through an exciting programme that continues to play an integral part in putting this city on the culinary map. As part of that, we want local food and drink traders, community initiatives that centre around food, and local performers to get involved and help us build content for this year’s festival.”

Cllr Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council said: “We are excited to welcome Swans Events on board as the new organiser of Sheffield’s popular food festival.

“The event continues to grow and thrive each year and we are looking forward to them bringing exciting new ideas and creative elements to build on the past success.”

Swansevents.co.uk

Crowne Plaza Offers Dynamic Meetings

Sitting right in the heart of Leeds, Crowne Plaza offers a luxurious spa, an indoor swimming pool and modern rooms, and Leeds’s bustling shopping area is just a 10-minute walk away. The renowned Bar and Kitchen @ LS1 restaurant serves simple honest food and drink throughout the day. You can enjoy a buffet breakfast, grab a quick, healthy snack if time is of the essence, or order room service 24/7.

Crowne Plaza Leeds has seven impressive meeting rooms and can cater for everything from an intimate business gathering to a conference for 200. With climate control and free Wi-Fi throughout, delegates can also enjoy fresh coffee in the large breakout area, or on the terrace outside.

Car Parking is available on-site if prebooked.

Ihg.com/crowneplaza

We share some of the latest news updates from the events industry across the North.

Adaptable Spaces

While multi-purpose venues are becoming increasingly popular for event organisers to use due to their flexibility in size and usage, they provide a wide range of extra benefits that make them a versatile and convenient option for various events. H&E North reports.

Flexibility

One of the significant advantages of multipurpose venues is their flexibility. These venues are designed to cater to a wide range of events, which means they can adapt to different setups, themes, and sizes. They offer a customizable space, which is a significant benefit for event organisers who want to create a unique experience for their guests. Wayne Topley, Managing Director of Cedar Court Hotels explains: “Because we have so many different businesses using our spaces for different events, we’ve invested heavily in our various meeting spaces to give us the flexibility to accommodate these events. We’ve updated our large meeting spaces, which has then impacted our foyer spaces, and over the last year we’ve also created space for a new, smaller meeting

product, allowing us to accommodate for any event type.”

Multi-purpose venues can also be used for multiple events simultaneously, which means that several events can be held in different areas of the same venue. This flexibility can help event organisers save time and money by eliminating the need for multiple venue bookings.

Cost-Effective

Multi-purpose venues can also offer a cost-effective solution for event organisers. By booking a venue that has everything is one place, organisers can benefit from a range of facilities and services that are often included in the rental price. These facilities and services can include audio-visual equipment, furniture, and catering services, among others. Multipurpose venues also often come with staff dedicated to helping your event reach its full potential, as Wayne points out: “We have what we call our Minister of Fun, and that person develops events at our venue. Within these spaces we run all kinds of events successfully and uniquely each

year. We also have on-site catering, which does draw in event organisers.” By having everything in one place, event organisers can save money on logistics and coordination, which can be a significant expense for events.

Versatility

Multi-purpose venues offer versatility in terms of the types of events that can be hosted. From corporate events to concerts and sporting events, these venues can accommodate a range of events. This versatility means that event organisers can cater to a wide range of guests with different interests and preferences. It also means that multi-purpose venues can generate revenue from different events throughout the year, making them a profitable investment. So what kind of events are being booked at Wayne’s venue Cedar Court?

“Fundamentally we’re seeing a lot more events from associations using our spaces, and also a lot more sporting events as well.”

Cedar Court Hotels’ MD Wayne Topley tells us why holding your next event in a multi-purpose venue can help enhance your delegate’s experience.

TRANSFORM YOUR EVENTS FROM THE MUNDANE TO THE MAGNIFICENT

Flexible conference and events spaces at the Library of Birmingham and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

BOOK ROTUNDA & BASKERVILLE

• Iconic setting for gala dinners and drinks receptions.

• Amazing backdrop for dinners up to 500.

• Access to roof terrace that offers stunning panoramic views across the city.

STUDIO THEATRE

• The Studio offers seating for 292 delegates or reduced seating for 229.

• Versatility is key with The Studio seating retracing to provide a blank canvas for creating events.

HOUSE THEATRE

• 800 seater auditorium with a dividing gouze, creating a more intimate space for 475 delegates.

• Dine on the stage up to 240 guests.

• Host events on top of theatrical sets.

0121 245 2066 enquiries@uniquevenuesbirmingham.com uniquevenuesbirmingham.com

At Swan’s Events, we are in the business of hosting special events.

At our Manchester venue our clients have the power to personalise every aspect of their event. From decor to banqueting packages we are here to serve!

117 Bury New Rd, Whitefield, Manchester M45 6AA bookings@swansevents.com

www.swansevents.com

R&B Group is a ‘full service’ corporate event production supplier producing over 15,000 events over 30 years across the UK!

Our award-winning AV teams produce conferences, awards, product launches and event broadcasts amongst others.

R&B have warehouses full of AV equipment, in-house set design and build facilities, video production and creatives that can help with your content, 3D animation and graphics.

For free advice about your next event please get in touch with KEVIN FLOYD Head of Client Services

E: kevin.floyd@rbgroup.co.uk

T: 0191 2763999

M: 07805 434095

www.rbgroup.co.uk

Glasgow’s specialist 4* Conference Hotel

170 Bedrooms (deluxe as standard)

15 flexible meeting spaces for up to 250 delegates theatre-style, 140 cabaret-style and 60 Boardroom

Competitive Day Delegate and overnight rates available

Amenities include 4k screen in each conference room with HDMI connection, free conference Wi-Fi and stationary

Fully equipped gym with 15m pool, sauna, steam-room and jacuzzi

Easy Access

Ensure your event is open to everyone with our top 10 guide to making it accessible.

Organising an event that is inclusive and accessible is not only a legal requirement but also a moral obligation. It is essential to create an environment that is welcoming and accommodating to individuals with various needs and abilities.

By considering these concerns, you can ensure that everyone feels welcomed, comfortable, and included. Accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all approach, so be open to feedback, consult experts, and make necessary adjustments to improve the accessibility of your event.

Here are ten ways to make your event accessible to everyone.

Choose the right venue

When selecting a venue, ensure that it is easily accessible for individuals with disabilities. It should have adequate wheelchair ramps, parking spaces, and lifts. Check if the venue has accessible toilets and audio-visual aids that cater to people with hearing or visual impairments.

Consider lighting

Lighting can have a significant impact on individuals with visual impairments. Ensure that the lighting is sufficient, and there are no glare or shadowy areas that could make it difficult to navigate.

Braille materials

Braille is a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingertips, and it is the primary form of communication for people with visual impairments. Providing braille materials such as menus, brochures, or event programmes can be extremely helpful.

Sign language interpretation

If you have guests who are deaf or hard of hearing, it is crucial to provide sign language interpretation. This service can be provided by a professional sign

language interpreter, and you can arrange this in advance.

Captioning

For individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, providing captioning is also essential. This service can be arranged through software, which automatically generates captions on a screen.

Vary seating

Providing different seating options can be beneficial for individuals with mobility issues. Chairs that have armrests and offer back support can be helpful. Ensure that there is sufficient space between the chairs so that wheelchair users can manoeuvre easily.

Quiet spaces

Some delegates may have sensory processing difficulties or mental health conditions that make it difficult to handle crowds or noise. Providing a quiet space where they can relax and recharge can be helpful.

Consider dietary requirements

Providing dietary options for individuals with food allergies, sensitivities, or special dietary needs can be a game-changer for them. Ensure that the menu caters to their needs.

Use accessible language

Use simple language that is easy to understand, avoid using jargon or technical terms, and ensure that the font is large enough for people with visual impairments.

Have a clear policy

Having a clear accessibility policy that outlines the steps you have taken to make the event accessible can be helpful for individuals with disabilities. This policy should be easily accessible on your website or in your event programme.

CASE STUDY

Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue has recently undertaken to become more accessible for blind people. In total, 146 tags have been added along the main walkway and central axis of the venue, from the main entrance to the last hall. These codes, which were launched during the recent MWC Barcelona, can be scanned using a mobile phone app and are translated into voice messages describing the location and characteristics of the space so that visually impaired people can find their way around more easily in unfamiliar surroundings.

In addition to the basic information about the layout of the venue, the system can also provide more specific information about the areas and spaces created for each event. The technology chosen by Fira for this project is the Navilens codes which also work in complex environments for the mobility of blind people, such as the Barcelona metro, but which had never before been used in a corporate venue.

A Real Purpose

Jill Wadge, Team Manager – Event Management (Conferences & Exhibitions) at the SEC Glasgow, and Chair of the Association of Event Venues (AEV) Event Managers Working Group, discusses the value of multi-purpose venues.

parts of the cities and the cultures that support them. We have responsibilities to our visitors, our neighbours and the city. We need to be mindful of the effects of our choices and decisions on local businesses and supply chains. We also need to consider the strength of our industry and strive to ensure the UK remains a global leader in the event and exhibitions sector.

A multi-purpose venue must be greater than the sum of its parts.

When we say that the SEC is a multipurpose venue, it has many meanings. One of our core strengths is our ability to accommodate every kind of event, from conventions and exhibitions to international live acts, meetings, gala dinners, or televised entertainment, across our three facilities: OVO Hydro, SEC

Armadillo and SEC Centre. We believe in a purpose that goes beyond events, visitors, and shareholders, via local and regional collaboration and leadership on issues of sustainability, waste and energy: as a herald and flag carrier for the great city of Glasgow.

SEC works in all senses - because today’s large multi-purpose venues are more than just visitor attractions, they are integral

Further, we are proud of the positive impact our campus has in the wider community. We bring more than 1.75 million visitors and a net economic impact of £354 million to Glasgow every year. We provide a venue for our industry colleagues through the Association of Event Venues’ (AEV) working groups, including the Event Managers Working Group, which I am delighted to chair. Aev.org.uk

beam Launches Sustainability Forum

Louisa Watson, Sustainability Director, beam, shares the association’s plans for a Sustainability Forum.

• Measuring an event: the process, evaluation, impact and success factors

share experiences in our open mic session.

Studio Birmingham on 24 May.

The full day programme, featuring a wide range of experts from across the industry, is designed for agencies and suppliers. It will help to inform, educate and inspire everyone and share tried and tested sustainable practices that will enhance brands and create a better future for all.

The agenda includes specialist guest speakers and interactive panel sessions covering:

• Accreditation, is it worth it?

Understanding the challenges and demystifying the topic without the sell!

• Waste not, want not: understanding best practice around food waste

• Creating a sustainable culture in your business: Overcoming challenges, leading the impact from the top and driving change from the bottom up

• A Sustainable Journey: working towards sustainable goals as experienced by a major corporate organisation

• Training for better: how sustainability training can be delivered, who can train and who needs to learn more, and how is it useful in your organisation

Plus facilitated roundtable discussions, a wellbeing exercise, and an opportunity to

With sustainability increasingly important to everyone, this is a superb opportunity to learn from experts and from other organisations sharing their experiences and what they have learned. We welcome all agencies and suppliers to attend.

To register please go to Cognitoforms. com/Beam9/SustainabilityForum24May

For more information on this and our other activities for 2023, visit Beam-org.uk or email membership@beam-org.uk.

Grateful Gifting

EMPLOYEE GIFTING

Calm | £69.99

In a world of stress and pace, give the gift of calm to your employees with this one-year subscription to meditation app, Calm. More than just meditations, Calm also includes sleep stories, inspirational podcasts, and mindful exercise videos. In gifting a Calm subscription, you will truly be giving peace of mind in an app. Calm.com

Grabbing a coffee makes the chaos of a commute a little more bearable – but having free coffee on the way – now that’s a real treat. Prezzee has many gift cards for coffee shops, from Starbucks to Costa, and Café Nero. Or its Coffee Smart eGiftCard is accepted by all three! Choose from a starting price of £5 to a generous £500 for a month’s, year’s, or lifetime’s supply of hot drinks. prezzee.uk

| £3.99

Quickly becoming a necessity for any anxious or overactive mind are fidget toys. These are little trinkets designed to help you focus by occupying the restless part of your mind. The fidget cube has the appearance of a six-sided dice with a different activity on each side, including levers, buttons, a rotating joystick, and a light switch. Gifting a fidget toy will give the receiver an outlet for their stress and let them know you are thinking about their wellbeing.

Tinknstink.co.uk

CLIENT GIFTING

4. Ocean Bottle | Ocean Bottle | £35

Gift your clients a unique momento with the Ocean Bottle. Not only does the reusable stainless steal bottle make a perfect gift it is also sustainable: each bottle stops 1,000 plastic bottles from entering the ocean. The Ocean Bottle comes in nine different colours and can even be engraved for just £10, it can also be personalised with company branding upon request.

Oceanbottle.co

5. Mini Gin ‘n’ Flavoured Tonics with Chocolate | The British Gift Co.| £42.95

For a celebratory gift for your team to enjoy, this gin and tonic hamper is perfect for that wrap party toast! In the package you receive three 5cl bottles of flavoured gin, three 200ml bottles of flavoured tonics, dark sea salt chocolate, and one bag of Mini Pop Popcorn. A great excuse to get the party started!

Thebritishgiftco.com

6. Moment for Yourself: Mug & a Hug Collection | Hotel Chocolat | £26

This decadent gift set from Hotel Chocolat will remind your clients to slow down after all the hard work is done. Including a ceramic mug, shortbread biscuits covered in a layer of 70% dark chocolate, and Hotel Chocolat’s Everything Pocket Selection box. This indulgent gift says it all. Hotelchocolat.com

1. Calm Gift Subscription

2. Starbucks Gift Card | Prezzee | £5 min

Let your employees and clients know they are appreciated with this selection of gift ideas.

3. Fidget Cube Antsy Labs

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2.

3.

5.

6.

Fielding unexpected circumstances and last-minute problems is part and parcel of being an event organiser. It can often feel like the day (or sometimes even the hour) before an event is always spent putting out fires as fast as they crop up, from caterers stuck in traffic, to misprinted banners – we’ve seen it all! But what about those problems that just can’t be solved with some quick thinking and last-minute phone calls? That’s where event insurance becomes essential, and its separate to your commercial package. Here are the three types of insurance that organisers need most frequently.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance protects you from having to pay out should any member of the public – or their property – accidentally get injured at your event. Areas covered under this insurance include accidental damage or loss of property, injury, or death of a member of the public.

Naturally, we all hope our event will go off without a hitch, but that’s far from a

Ensure You’re INSURED

guarantee, especially if you’re spicing up your event with exciting activities and experiences. While public liability insurance might seem like just another expense during the organising process, if anything does go wrong on the day, it could end up saving you thousands.

Employers’ liability insurance

Delegates aren’t the only people whose wellbeing you’re responsible for during your event. If you have staff working the event, you will also need employers’ liability insurance. This is separate from public liability insurance and covers you if any staff are injured while putting on your event.

If you employ temporary or short-term staff, casual workers, or volunteers at the event, you will need to have employers’ liability insurance. This insurance covers both paid and unpaid staff at the event, and will protect you in case of any accidents; covering claimant costs, damages, and expenses. However, it will not cover occurrences such as road

accidents on the way to the event or subcontractors or suppliers such as caterers.

Event cancellation insurance

While you always try your best to ensure your event goes ahead, sometimes circumstances are out of your control and you have to cancel. Whether it’s a problem with a speaker cancelling, equipment not working, or an act of god such as a freak storm, sadly cancellation is sometimes necessary. It can be quite costly if you aren’t insured for it, so make sure you are.

Cancellation insurance protects you from irrecoverable costs and expenses you may incur as a result of your event having to be cancelled due to circumstances beyond your control. Your insurer will reimburse your costs and expenses incurred or loss of profit following the cancellation of your event, or even if it’s only delayed or interrupted due to unforeseen circumstance.

Find out why insuring your event is an essential part of the planning process.

Game-Changer

In addition to assisting with registration, ChatGPT can also be used to communicate with attendees leading up to the event. This could include sending out event reminders and updates, answering last-minute questions, and providing relevant resources to help attendees prepare.

On-site assistance

As the events and meetings industry continues to evolve, technology is playing an increasingly important role in enhancing the attendee experience. One emerging technology that shows great promise for the industry is ChatGPT, a natural language processing (NLP) tool that can streamline and enhance events and meetings, from registration to followup.

Event registration and communication

Event registration can be a complex process, and attendees often have a lot of questions about the event. ChatGPT can help simplify the registration process by providing real-time assistance and answering common questions. This could include providing event details, guiding attendees through the registration process, and answering questions about payment, cancellation, and other logistical details.

Once attendees arrive ChatGPT can be used to provide on-site assistance. This could include answering questions about the schedule, providing directions to different areas of the venue, and offering real-time updates on any changes or announcements.

It can also help build a smooth experience, assisting with issues that attendees may encounter, such as technical difficulties or lost items.

Networking assistance

Networking is a key part of many events and meetings, ChatGPT can help facilitate networking opportunities by suggesting matches between attendees with similar interests or backgrounds. It could also be used to suggest conversation starters or provide icebreakers to help attendees connect with each other helping attendees make the most of their networking opportunities and build valuable connections.

Session recommendations

Many events and meetings offer a wide range of sessions and presentations, and it can be overwhelming for attendees to choose which ones to attend. ChatGPT can help by recommending relevant sessions or presentations based on an attendee's interests and previous session attendance. It could also provide realtime updates on session availability and suggest alternative sessions if a particular session is full.

Post-event follow-up

After the event is over, ChatGPT can be used to follow up with attendees and gather feedback. This could include sending out a survey to gather feedback on the event, or providing relevant resources based on the attendee's interests, keeping them engaged with the event increasing value from their participation.

This powerful tool has the potential to transform the events and meetings industry. By providing personalized assistance, recommendations, and follow-up it will enhance the attendee experience and help events and meetings achieve their goals. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative uses.

As the AI wrote this article itself, this really is a game changer.

We explore ChatGPT, the new AI taking the world by storm and find out how it can help streamline the running of an event.

TOP TECH

Giant iTab

Giant iTab is a giant smartphone on a movable stand. Designed to create better visibility for display pieces, the Giant iTab can be set up in portrait mode, landscape mode, or as an interactive table. Winner of EN Exhibition News Awards for Best Sales Tool, this piece of tech can be used for event check-ins and surveys as well as presenting apps and websites. The slimline design comes in 27-inch screens and perfectly replicates the familiar appearance and functions of a smart phone.

Giantitab.com

Evolution Dome

Revolutionising breakout rooms, Evolution Dome has created temporary inflatable structures to break-up and provide private areas in large event spaces. The range of styles: breakout room, seminar theatre, meeting pod, and inflatable wall divide are a quick and easy solution to making the most of your space. Evolutiondome.com

AccessLoop

AccessLoop is a new tool designed to increase accessibility for virtual events. The tool is browser-friendly and can live caption all your live streamed events including multi-language, open and closed captions, and sign language. When enabled, its Do Not Translate function means it will detect and purposely not translate brand names. AccessLoop is easy to use with a simple workflow, standardised layouts, and a simple joining invitation for accessibility providers. Soon to be added is Audio Description rooms for those with impaired sight.

Accessloop.com

Quizmodeon

Quizmodeon is a digital presentation and event aid which facilitates audience interaction. Keep your audience engaged with a range of interactive activities to

Silent Seminars

Silent Seminars provides award winning audio solutions to the industry’s big conference and seminar problems. With the highly efficient noise-reducing headsets you can deliver multiple talks in the same space. Also used for multilingual audiences, Silent Seminars allows you to give the same speech in multiple languages saving you time, space, and money on your event.

Silentseminars.com

Allseated

Allseated is a cloud-based event planning service strengthening the collaboration between planner, organiser, venue, and service provider. 3D models of event rooms can be walked through, individually equipped with seating options, and sold virtually. VR events can be held at a venues’ virtual twin as Allseated promises to provide the closest comparison to in-person events, virtually. Providing fully immersive virtual environments, in future it hopes to create digital offices.

Allseated.com

ShoutOut

suit your in-person or online event. Start with a simple quiz then explore the games Quizmodeon has to offer including True or False, Spin Wheel, and Tombola. You also have the option to customise the branding to make it work for your company. The tool is quick and easy to use, no apps or accounts are needed, just get online and enter the PIN code.

Quizmodeon.com

Create easy video content to promote your event. ShoutOut can make speaker videos, testimonials, highlight videos, exhibitor videos, winner interviews, and stand tours in an instant. All you have to do is create a branded template and send a link to whoever you wish to record a segment. Once you’ve collected your clips ShoutOut will edit them together for you.

Shoutout.social

The recent International Confex edition had a plethora of great tech ideas to help event organisers. We take a look at some of the stand outs on show.

Know Your Audience

This has made it trickier for event planners to attract audiences and I believe the answer lies in better engagement. Through personalisation, events can be tailored to individual people, rather than be created as a one-size-fits-some approach.

Events can only succeed if they deliver what the audience wants and needs, and those wants and needs are changing thanks to COVID, technology, generational shifts, and an expectation for personalised experiences.

During the pandemic there was a mass transition from in-person to virtual events. And that was a real lightbulb moment for employees who realised they could attend events and be more productive while also enjoying better balanced lives.

Post-pandemic, people are now more discerning in how they spend their time, especially with the adoption of hybrid and flexible working. And that extends to events. People want to choose which events to attend and, more importantly, how they attend them.

Our workforce is changing in other ways, too. By 2025, millennials will represent over 70% of the workforce, and Gen Z a further 27%. These people are the “swipe right” generation. Thanks to entertainment apps, they are acutely aware what technology can do and they expect the same instant access, easy to use, personalised, engaging experiences from events.

This is only possible if event managers understand what their audiences want and give it to them, and this is why I’ve been spearheading a team at Live Group to develop and launch a new product called AudienceDNA. It’s an audience profiling tool that helps planners deliver events that really captivate people’s attention.

Data rules. But only if you use it properly.

Data is absolutely the best tool to increase engagement. Used correctly, it can remove guesswork, and increase relevance and ROI. Unfortunately, some organisations collect data – even analyse it – and then do nothing with it.

The other mistake I see is using data to plan an event’s content but forgetting that audience engagement shouldn't be limited to the duration of an event. It starts with the very first email and only ends when the community fades out and data can help you create engaging communication throughout the entire process.

My team analyses data to work out the personality breakdown of an audience and, by applying strategic insight and creativity, we can create an event that is tailored to everyone.

That means choosing between in-person, virtual, or hybrid but it impacts so many more decisions, including venue, location, dates, duration, and format. It also extends to the balance of networking vs learning, what type of speakers and sessions will resonate best, how many rest and reflection breaks are needed and for how long, what information do they want to receive and how should it be delivered, do they want to socialise with peers, and so on.

Our pilot stage showed, for example, that leaders react to events entirely differently to most of the workforce. In this instance, organisers are advised to opt for physical, keep it short, use stories not facts, and build in opportunities for them to share their voice.

For an event to truly deliver tailored content to an entire audience, creating multiple layers within an event may be the best option. It’s similar to offering shoppers a genuinely omnichannel experience, or football fans different ways to watch the World Cup. Some people watched it on their smartphone, some in a bar with friends, and others at home on the big screen with family and snacks. Those people were all enjoying the same content, but the delivery mechanism changed.

I believe events must offer the same level of customisation if we're going to succeed in increasing engagement and the good news is this doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in cost, but rather allocating budget in ways that deliver better results and a greater return on investment.

Bruce Rose, Head of Audience at Live Group, explains why events must be focused on audience expectations if they are to succeed.

2022 was for many of us our first year transitioning fully back into live events and for Lux Films it was no exception. After two very challenging but busy years supporting clients with virtual and video communications, Lux Films had a year of taking forward all the pandemic learnings and bringing that technology and new approaches back into live events.

Hello Andrew, what was your biggest takeaway from lockdowns and going virtual?

Hi! The way events are run and how we do business has to fundamentally change. Ok, people do still want to meet face-to-face and get away from the office, but the need and desire is less than pre-pandemic. Working from home has increased productivity and given people more time to focus and to be with family and friends. Over the last year all

Lights, Camera, Action!

our clients have wanted to produce a hybrid or a video on-demand element of their live events, giving attendees the opportunity to stay at home and engage with the event in their own time.

So how did Lux Films adapt?

During the pandemic, virtually overnight we became responsible for the whole event from start to finish. This gave us the opportunity to really showcase our expertise in production and storytelling. We demonstrated how we could elevate events by including high-end video production elements at regional openings, product launches and recognition, and award moments. Once we came back into the real world of in-person events, it became the natural progression for us to organise the whole event for our clients. Taking these virtual elements and transforming them into beautiful real-life moments on stage.

Tell us what’s new and your plans for 2023 and beyond?

This year we are expanding our video production offering by producing marketing and social media content for businesses and events looking to communicate with their audience before and after their event. We do this by producing testimonials, highlights, and motion graphics unique to their event.

We are also continuing to offer live event support and scale-able production services for large-scale training events and parties from 150 – 25,000 delegates. Many of you will have established highly qualified events teams already in place and have already contracted venues, hotels, transportation companies and are solely looking for a partner to manage the venue needs (for example). We will work within your parameters and budget to support you as and where you need it.

Finally, what is unique about the Lux offering?

We work with a team of event professionals and producers, hand-picked for your requirements based on their experience and what they can bring to your event. We integrate our team with yours to, together, provide only what you need, when you need it, saving you money compared to hiring ‘full service’ agencies. In addition, we offer film quality video, which can elevate your event beyond the corporate standards.

Luxfilms.uk

We caught up with Andrew Fowler, Founder and Director of Lux Films, to find out more about recent highs and lows and his plans for 2023 and beyond.

Quality Care

Pre-Hospital Emergency Services (PHES) is a professional medical company which strives to provide the highest standards of patient care and excellent service to its customers. Its thorough and unmitigated care and compassion for its clients and their customers ensures that you receive bespoke medical cover for your event. All clients are provided with a competitive rate depending on the personalised services required for their individual event. PHES can provide event cover from a single medic to a fully equipped and established medical centre including transportation.

PHES utilises state of the art equipment which is maintained to the highest clinical and professional standards. It also provides its staff with high quality continuing development, annual refresher training and competency assessments. All its services are insured for medical malpractice, public and employee liability and include blue light fleet insurance for its vehicles.

As a company, PHES has built its brand on reputation alone, with its clients booking for subsequent events based on the highquality service it provides. It continues to invest in specialised vehicles and infrastructure in order to expand the services and facilities it can provide to larger events; including 4x4 ambulances, Support Unit, A&E Ambulances and a Mobile Control room.

PHES can also offer extended services including security with its SIA trained employees. This allows it to work closely with security teams to ensure an event is safe from all possible eventualities. Throughout events its teams support event organisers and security providing essential assistance resulting in successful, safe events. Core values of Care, Respect, Professionalism, and Resilience are at the top of the agenda to ensure your event runs smoothly and safely.

Pre-Hospital Emergency Services offers your event the best bespoke medical cover available.

HYDRATION STATION

ways of supplying water to events. You either have a mains water supply, or you bring water to the site.” Providing water sustainably can be a challenge. In the past, an event kept its guests hydrated by pallet buying bottled water, but going forward we need to cut down on plastic waste. We encourage tap water use at events and have taps in our range to achieve this.

“At the Farnborough International Air Show in 2022, our Auto Refill Stations received 28 visitors in ten minutes. Now that’s around 28 litres of water, so that’s 28 bottles which weren’t discarded.” says Jason. If we consider this rate continued throughout the day then, over six hours, 1,008 plastic bottles were saved, showing how making sustainable swaps in water distribution can make a monumental difference in less than a day.

landscape, and its fragile eco-system, isn’t needlessly disrupted for a one-time event. Especially in the case of rural events where there could be surrounding wildlife to consider. Considering how we can remove ourselves efficiently from a venue is just as necessary as planning how to set up.

Water is a necessity we all use without thinking. It’s always there. But how often do we stop to question how it gets there for us to drink, or wash? Who controls the water supply and how do they decide how to manage details like how much is needed, when it will arrive, and how to distribute it? Event planners have always had to prepare for these fundamental needs before hosting any event, but now they’re also tackling how to do it sustainably.

MTD Water, an international company based in Holland but working in the UK, specialises in providing pure water to events by building on-site water infrastructures. Jason Harryman, Sales Manager at MTD Water says: “Realistically in terms of volume, there are only two

It’s not just plastic waste reduction we can improve when changing to a more eco-friendly water supply, the impact your water supply makes to its surroundings is also an area for improvement.

Instead of receiving water from mains supply like we have in our homes, MTD Water uses an overground infrastructure which leaves no trace to the land it is installed upon. Jason says: “We don’t want to interfere with the landscape and its surroundings. We’re not digging pipes into the ground, we don’t want to be there longer than we have to be. We want zero impact on the landscape and to respect the ground that we’re on.”

Avoiding permanent transformation of the landscape by digging up land ensures the

The expansive task of ensuring an event is sustainable takes plenty of cooperation, extending even to the guests of events. When asked about what the future holds, Jason turned the attention to event planners and goers to be more involved in the process: “We need to educate people to come to events prepared and knowledgeable about the effect of their actions. Something as small as bringing refillable bottles makes a difference.” Another pressing matter for water suppliers currently is the disposal of E-cigarettes. Their lithium batteries, which if contaminated into the water supply, leak harmful chemicals or even explode.

Providing water to events is a joint responsibility between the supplier and user: “We’ve got to look after each other,” says Jason.

For more than 35 years MTD has provided high quality equipment and the latest technology for the optimal supply and treatment of temporary water infrastructures for both drinking water and wastewater in the events industry.

Mtd.net

Hosting sustainable events is about going back to basics; MTD Water tell us how you can boost your environmental impact by thinking about your water supply.

This year for the first time, we introduced a new category in our EVCOM Clarion Awards, just for suppliers. Why?

For those who don’t know the EVCOM Clarion Awards recognises work with a cause-driven focus, work that seeks to make a difference. Categories touch on sustainability, social impact, diversity, and inclusion and more.

And this year we decided we wanted to make suppliers part of the conversation around sustainability, with our new

Sustainable Suppliers

Claire Fennelow, Executive Director of EVCOM, introduces a brand-new award for industry suppliers.

category ‘Most Sustainable Supplier’. So often, when it comes to putting on an event, who our suppliers are defines how sustainable it is, from the caterers to the décor suppliers, the AV team to the venue itself. These are the things that count when it comes to sustainability and there are so many suppliers doing amazing things.

It is therefore incredibly important that we celebrate them, but it’s also important that we look to them. Often, when it comes to sustainability, I hear people talking about how they are struggling to embed sustainability into their ethos as a small company or when working with smaller budgets.

Across the supply chain there are so many companies that have set examples we

Ready, Set, Go!

Susan Tanner, CEO of the National Outdoor Events Association, looks ahead to a very important season for the events industry.

For the majority of people reading this, one of the most significant event seasons for a generation is already in full swing. The hard work and preparation over the autumn and winter is being put in place; if you’re not on site now, you will be shortly.

Therefore, from everyone at your National Outdoor Events Association, the message for this column is simply good luck. Here in the UK, we have a world class reputation for our events community; the global brands that bring millions together across the summer, the creativity of our production, the quality of our infrastructure, the people and the businesses, the world’s best are right here on our doorstep.

The events that will take place this season will play a critical role in the tone,

confidence, and basic happiness of our society at a time when it could not be more under strain. At the same time, those people responsible for putting on these events have done so while facing their own unique challenges, not least from a financial perspective. If we deliver for our audiences, as well as for our industry, we will have achieved a quite monumental feat.

At NOEA we often lament that one of the big problems with our industry is that it never fails. No matter what is thrown at it, it still delivers, often giving off a warped perspective of an industry without need for support or recognition. Hopefully though, every event professional working throughout the summer will know that NOEA continues to have their back, will fly the flag, and will always work hard to

can learn from.

We worked with a caterer recently – a small operation with one van which was electric. Our shimmer wall at a recent awards ceremony was set up by a company who drove it to us (and only operate locally), built it and then came back for it the following day. There was no packaging, no waste, nothing to dispose of at the end of the event.

It is our responsibility as event organisers to ensure we are being sustainable, and that can feel hard in the face of increasing costs and static budgets. So I recommend looking to our suppliers – from them, we can learn a lot.

Evcom.org.uk

represent their best interests.

That leads me on to one final point. At the end of the season, on 22nd November, NOEA will once again close the season by giving recognition to all those events people and businesses that will have made it all happen; again. Our Annual Convention & Awards this year have more categories and opportunities to gain this sought after hallmark.

We know that, as always, there will be incredible things coming from our industry this year, and we hope to see everyone in November to celebrate their achievements. Until then, the very best of luck from everyone at NOEA.

Noea.org.uk

Checking In

work with clients from event design through to install, operation and event evaluation.”

R&B Group Thriving Post-Pandemic

Newcastle based corporate events production company R&B Group survived the pandemic and is roaring back with a full diary of events. Some AV production suppliers sadly ceased trading and hundreds of freelance technicians took up other careers or became couriers such was the uncertainty around furlough and lack of financial support during the period.

Kevin Floyd, Head of Client Services at R&B Group says: “The challenge now is to find quality freelance technicians to add to our database, although, at R&B we have our own in-house technicians and highly experienced Project Managers that

R&B is one of the few corporate AV production suppliers who provides a 360° service with inhouse creatives, AV equipment, production managers, technicians, video, and event broadcasting. The construction warehouse team builds fantastic 3D stage sets and themed backdrops.

For 30 years clients like Nissan, The Royal College of Nursing, and Insider Media benefit by using R&B’s inhouse services. There is no ‘lost in translation’ as they are not using multiple suppliers, changes can be made quickly and delivery is on time, every time. R&B’s aim is to provide the complete audio-visual technical solution that meets budget, H&S requirements, sponsors, and presenters needs.

For more information contact Kevin Floyd on 0191 276 3999, Email kevin.floyd@ rbgroup.co.uk or visit Rbgroup.co.uk

The Ultimate Industry Business Hub

RaisE Business Centre is the place to be for business. This newly constructed modern building, ideally located just off Junction 36 of the M62, offers easy access to the rest of the UK via the M18 and M1 motorways, making it Goole's Gateway to Business.

The facilities at RaisE are modern,wellequipped and include conference and meeting rooms which not only complement the office space but also provide a great location for businesses based both locally and nationally. The onsite café, Feast 78, provides a full catering service for conferences, available from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. With ample free on-site car parking and capacity for up to 80 delegates – why not consider holding your next meeting here?

To find out more go to Investgoole. co.uk

"Organising events is like an iceberg – you can only see the end result of an awful lot of work that goes on underneath. It takes multi-skilling on a grand scale to organise everything needed for a successful event – great content, the right venue, getting media coverage, dealing with suppliers, delegate management, setting up the staging and ensuring the event is as spectacular as it possibly can be.

The fact that Cool Breeze is asked again and again to organise events for organisations once they have used her services is a testament to the high-quality events she always produces." Client Testimonial

@coolbreezeevent

We share some of the latest news updates from the events industry across the North.

Chris Eigelaar,

Resort

General

Manager at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, talks us through a day in his shoes as the venue prepares to host one of the major golf dates, the British Masters.

as we have secured significant funding for future development, work on which is starting imminently. Our customer-focused meeting with the team then looks for opportunities to ensure our leisure guests receive the best possible customer experience. A current initiative is our family Easter Egg hunt where guests can exchange coloured eggs they’ve found hidden around the resort for a prize every day during the Easter break.

The Daily Grind

Spring Awakening Spa Day package, which includes a 50-minute treatment, Fire and Ice Experience, full use of the spa facilities, and cream tea.

6pm sees the start of evening service at Ryder Grill, our AA 2 Rosette restaurant. Before service begins, I always spend time checking-in with our award-winning chefs and prized waiting staff ahead of the evening covers; this is a chance to debrief on our corporate meetings and events clients which were served throughout the day. Tonight, the first of our newly launched spring menu dishes leave the pass.

I live on-site four days a week, so I have the luxury of kickstarting my day with a walk to the resort’s gym at 6am. This is followed by a floor walk at 8am where I visit each department across the resort to catch up on the previous evening and discuss plans for the day ahead. With 22 meeting and event spaces; over 300 luxurious bedrooms and suites; several restaurants and bars; a leisure club and The Belfry Spa; as well as the hotel’s three golf courses; a floor walk is no mean feat!

Mid-morning sees our revenue and commercial meetings where we discuss future strategies for the hotel. These catch ups are particularly important at present,

Today, Sir Nick Faldo, MBE, was on-site to review the Brabazon Course ahead of hosting The 2023 Betfred British Masters in June. I joined him early afternoon as he considered alterations and assessed how the course will play. We then met with the wider operational and golfing team to discuss the event which will see more than 60,000 spectators descend on the venue. We also outlined the final aspects of a brand-new Halfway House which will boast a dedicated outdoor BBQ, catering for up to 72 people, with incredible views over the most iconic hole on The Brabazon. Before dinner service I meet with the Spa and Leisure team, to finalise the new

Before my working day ends, I set aside time to tackle my ever-full email inbox to answer resort-related queries as well as messages relating to our partner charities, which includes the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I send a congratulatory email to the team on yet another award win, this time for the West Midlands Tourism Awards Business Events Venue of The Year.

Around 8pm I begin the walk back to my room. The resort is surrounded by 550-acres of countryside so as the evenings lighten it provides a soothing way to wrap up a day well-spent, ready for another busy one tomorrow.

Embrace & Immerse

immersive experience is a great way to capture your team’s interest and enable them to collaborate creatively.

Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills

Experiential team building events have seen an upswing in recent years as a way to enhance team performance, improve communication, and foster a positive workplace culture. These events provide an opportunity for team members to engage in new experiences and work together in new and engaging ways. Providing participants with a hands-on, face-to-face immersive experience that engages multiple senses and creates a lasting impression is more important than ever in a world of working from home and online catch ups.

Improved Communication

Experiential team building activities can help team members communicate more effectively by encouraging them to listen actively, express their ideas clearly, and provide constructive feedback in a new environment. This can help to break down communication barriers and build trust among team members.

Increased Collaboration

Clients are looking for teams to develop a better understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses and identify ways to collaborate more effectively in the future. Engaging these skills in an

Immersive experiences often require participants to solve problems or challenges together. For example, a murder mystery event requires puzzle solving and logical thinking to solve the staged murder, developing thinking skills, learning to approach problems from different perspectives, and come up with creative solutions.

Boosted Morale

Working together in a positive, fun and supportive environment means the teams are more likely to feel valued and appreciated. This can lead to improved morale due to increased job satisfaction, higher levels of engagement, and lower turnover rates.

Increased Productivity

Understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses means better and more efficient relationships at work, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes for the organisation.

Watch your clients build the next leadership team, and work towards a more positive workplace culture, enhance employee engagement, and ultimately better business results.

TOP TIPS

Make sure its something that can get everyone involved, think about all the team members and their needs.

Put a dress code in place or supply the outfits, get everyone fully immersed!

Can the theme be taken further, e.g. in the food and drinks?

Make sure you have a takeaway memento for teams to remember the day.

Take lots of photos and video for the company social media and to bring up in the next meeting.

Put a date in the diary for the next one while its hot and get those new leaders involved in the agenda!

Explore the benefits that experiential team building events can have for your team.

Farming Fun

Boost your team's morale and productivity with Farm Adventure's team building activities.

option to go for, featuring a tug-of-war, greasy pole, and the farmer Olympics. A bit of friendly competition can be a great way to inspire your team to work together to come out on top.

Are you looking for a unique and exciting way to build your team's morale, communication skills, and productivity?

Look no further than Farm Adventure’s farm-based team building activities, designed to get your team working together in a fun and challenging environment, in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

At Farm Adventure you can bring your team together to work on a range of team building activities that cater to groups of all sizes. Whether you're looking to improve communication, problem-solving skills, or simply have some fun with your team, there’s something for everyone.

One of the most popular activity packages is the Ultimate Farmer Package, which puts your team's agricultural skills to the test. Teams take part in a variety of farm-based challenges, including sheep herding, tractor driving, welly wanging, and even egg throwing. These activities are perfect for teams looking to improve their communication and problem-solving skills while also having a great time.

For the more competitive team, the Farmer Warrior package might be the

Following a morning spent on the farm, there's nothing more inviting than the aroma of a newly ignited BBQ to greet you upon your return. Indulge your team in a post-activity feast fit for regal farmers. Farm Adventure’s BBQ feast features flame-grilled homegrown pork sausages, succulent Hereford beef burgers, and delectable veggie burgers (cooked separately), complemented by a generous helping of soft white buns, popular condiments, and bottomless supplies of freshly brewed tea and coffee. Some of the meat for the barbeque is even raised on the farm itself! This field to fork approach allows Farm Adventure to provide fresh and tasty food while keeping its carbon footprint minimal.

Taking your team for an away day here is a great way to meet your ESG targets in a fun and engaging environment. From the low carbon catering to the inclusive activities, every aspect of the experience is ethical and responsible. The farm even runs on biomass, ensuring that all heating and water is produced in an environmentally friendly way.

If you want to combine team building with business, there’s even meeting space on-site in the newly refurbished Shepherds Lodge. The space has an open and spacious layout, making it an ideal setting for enhancing productivity, fostering

creativity, and encouraging collaboration. Even better, the space sits in 360° of nature, perfect for winding down and re-connecting with nature. Why not take advantage of your team's heightened endorphin levels and reserve one of the cosy and welcoming spaces for a meeting or training session after a busy morning on the farm?

You can even make a trip of it and stay in the on-site accommodation. There are two primary cottages available: The Cow Byre, which has a maximum occupancy of 12 individuals, and The Shepherds Lodge, which can accommodate up to 24 people. In addition, there is an extra unit called The Pigsty, which can house an additional eight guests if required. All of these lodging options are located within close proximity of each other and are accompanied by a covered outdoor area known as The Collecting Yard. This space provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while also having a comfortable shelter, making it a great choice for meetings and events.

Farmadventure.co.uk

COME

OUTSIDE

With summer just around the corner plenty of events will be outside, why not create a unique outdoor event to remember.

Hire a food truck

Take advantage of the wide-open space and transform your event into the festival of the season. With the novelty of food trucks delegates can have a grab-and-go meal while enjoying the sun. Choose your desired cuisine from traditional fish and chips to world-foods such as Japanese or Mexican, or treat your delegates to a fan-favourite desserts such as waffles and crêpes.

Host outdoor activities

Give your outdoor event some structure by providing your delegates with some participatory activities. This can be

destressing activities like an outdoor yoga or meditation class to soothe their nerves or a bit of fun with a pop-up mini golf course or field games such as badminton or rounders. Come up with a theme and book some events to match.

Tipis instead of marquees

Summer outdoor events need some shade, but instead of a standard marquee why not hire a tipi for some bohemian variation? Not only do tipis add some excitement to your event but they’re also more practical for the hotter days as the downward sloping sides keep the sun away. Coming in many sizes from a small 25-person capacity to as large as a 1,000-person strong.

Light it up

Formerly used mostly by artists, event suppliers are catching onto the beautiful soft glow of light boxes. Keep your event brightly lit into the night with these large light sources. Better than

hanging thousands of tiny fairy lights, light boxes don’t need to be tethered to anything, meaning you can place them wherever you most need the light. Most companies will add your branding to create a more cohesively decorated event.

Bigger space, bigger entertainment

Big space equals big entertainment acts. Enthral your delegates by inviting circus performers such as fire-breathers, highstakes juggling acts, aerial acrobats, or ring throwers to perform at your event. Taking advantage of the open air, you can also host firework displays or light shows to dazzle your guests.

Have a contingency plan

To defend against the unreliable British weather, consider how you will adapt your summer event to undesirable weather conditions. This could involve investing in an extra tipi for your guests to keep dry, or have some indoor space available ensuring any outdoor furniture can stay dry, and it’s always good to have event insurance ready to go before the big day, in case of the dreaded postponement.

Organise an outdoor event like no other with these tips, tricks, and easy swaps.

Celebrating its 25th year in 2023 and a full hotel renovation, this is an exciting time for Delta Hotels by Marriott Liverpool, completely transformed and refreshed under the Delta Hotels brand. The new and improved hotel situated in the heart of the city centre is perfectly located for meetings and events, with all the city attractions and Liverpool Lime Street Train Station accessible within walking distance, or for those who prefer to drive, on-site car parking is available.

Be the first to stay in one of the newly renovated 146 guest bedrooms. Upgrade to an expansive luxury hotel room or a suite for enhanced amenities and extra space to unwind. Pick a room with a view over the city centre for a real feeling of culture. Relax in the Brew Bar or our outdoor terrace in warmer months and enjoy a signature cocktail, local wines, and craft beer alongside a specially

& IMPROVED

balcony terrace for an al fresco reception (weather dependent). The size of the suite means it can easily accommodate staging and sets, allowing you to impress your delegates with standout entertainment and décor.

curated menu. Plus be sure to try the highly credited breakfast to start your day off right and get ready for a big event.

For those who are booking the city for a meeting or event there are nine function rooms across the hotel offering business and social celebrations for two guests to 240. Get the full Delta Hotels experience by booking one of the newly transformed meeting and event spaces and be rewarded with flexible booking terms, free Wi-Fi, Marriott Bonvoy Events points, and other great exclusive offers.

The Merchant Suite is the perfect setting for a larger event, with a maximum capacity of 240 delegates. The suite has its own bar area, ideal for a reception before going on to the main event. This dynamic space even boasts its own

The space also offers the flexibility of being reduced into smaller sections for those events that don't require the full space. Use two of the three sections available and host an event for up to 80 delegates, while retaining access to the reception area and balcony terrace.

Delta is a member of Marriott Bonvoy, the award-winning travel programme from Marriott International. Guests can gain exclusive access to digital features through the Marriott Bonvoy Mobile app when they book direct, including mobile check-in and checkout and mobile requests to make their travel experience seamless. Marriott Bonvoy members will also earn points for their stay at Delta Hotels and can redeem for hotel stays across Marriott Bonvoy’s extraordinary portfolio of brands.

Marriott.com

Delta Hotels by Marriott Liverpool City Centre shows off its newly renovated rooms and offers the ideal location for Liverpool bookings.

Northin Brief

ESSA Holds Annual Event in Coventry

Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) announces the return of its annual two day Summer Event to include the ESSA industry charity golf day, dinner, and awards.

Taking place on 12th and 13th July at The Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club in Coventry, the event opens with the ESSA AGM followed by an afternoon of sporting activities, networking opportunities and BBQ on the first day.

Event professionals from across the sector are invited to participate and reconnect with industry peers away from the hustle and bustle of the show floor. Fuelled by a breakfast of champions, competitors will hit the Arden Championship golf course with one eye firmly focused on bagging a coveted prize which will be presented at the celebratory dinner and awards ceremony that evening.

ESSA Director, Andrew Harrison, said: “This annual meet has become a firm fixture in the events industry calendar and offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy some downtime with colleagues and friends in a relaxed environment,

albeit one with a healthy competitive edge. Recent months have been rather unforgiving in terms of workloads so it’s vital that we take time out to have some good old-fashioned fun and remind ourselves why we work in this somewhat crazy but thoroughly rewarding industry.”

Hilton Birmingham Metropole Launches Employment Initiative

Hilton Birmingham Metropole has launched an initiative called ‘A Place for Everyone’ that aims to provide career opportunities, in the conference, events and hospitality industry, to people from a range of diverse parts of society.

The campaign will see the venue partner with a series of charities and NGOs who support young people from a range of backgrounds to secure job opportunities within the hospitality industry. Partners include:

• Workfit: A Down’s Syndrome Association’s employment programme, that matches employers with potential employees who have Down’s Syndrome and will see the hotel take on employees through the partnership

• Aurora Foxes, Hospitality & Catering College, a school for people with severe learning disabilities, where the hotel is

LOOKED OVER

While business meetings and events are showing strong signs of recovery from the pandemic and its aftershock, many would have been disappointed to see a lack of direct support for the sector in the Spring budget. Three years on from the catalyst for many modern sector challenges, we’re now seeing the government shift its agenda away from economic stability and instead back towards investment and growth.

It is frustrating to see creative and cultural sectors receiving tax breaks while energyintensive service industries such as ours are neglected from specific support once again. As a sector that has heavily

burrowed into its financial reserves in recent years, incentives such as full capital expensing on investment into IT, plant and machinery are largely redundant. Instead, business meetings and events needed financial relief to mitigate its need to raise prices and deter demand, such as the extension and adaption of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

This lack of sector-specific recognition has been an ongoing challenge in recent years, and despite making huge strides in the development of our government relations we are working hard to establish our network of influence at government level to amplify our voice even further.

looking to attract young talent

• Newlands Bishop Farm, a work and education charity, that also gives those with learning disabilities an entry level work experience in a farming environment, but where the venue is also looking to give advanced level employment opportunities

The Business Of Events Announce New Council

The Business of Events have announced new members for its Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is in place to suggest insights and recommendations on topics which affect the events industry. Anything from trends and innovations, to recurring challenges and faults could be the subject of the council’s quarterly meetings.

The council has been initially made up of 13 members, but Martin Fullard, Director, News and Content at The Business of Events has said: “We will invite new members to join the Advisory Council when appropriate to cover certain knowledge or experience gaps, for which we will be guided by the evidence attained in the consultation. We encourage active engagement from the wider industry.”

As well as utilising our strong relationship with the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport, we’re working hard to put business meetings and events on the agenda of new Tourism Minister Julia Lopez. We’ll also be working with our members to share the story of the sector on a local level, reaching local MPs to ensure our sector is recognised.

To keep up-to-date on any developments, guidance and advice, follow the Meetings Industry Associations on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Mia-uk.org

Following the publication of the Spring Budget, Chief Executive of the Meetings Industry Association (mia) Kerrin MacPhie responds to the lack of sector recognition.

WASTE NOT

Event Cycle turns your excess event materials into charitable donations. Collecting anything leftover, it gives them a new home in community centres, amateur theatres, charities and much more. Simply get in touch, tell the team what you want to donate and they will give you a quote. Event Cycle also advises on waste and carbon reduction, from concept to project completion, and writes sustainability and social impact policies. Carina Jandt and Chantal Kerr-Sheppard have a combined 20 years in the events industry before they created the charity after seeing first-hand how many leftover items ended up in a skip.

Hosting a zero-waste event begins in the planning phase. It’s too late to think about what to do with waste at the end, sustainability must be addressed throughout the process. A good place to start is making an accountability list. Chantal says: “This lists everything you’ve purchased before the event and details where every item on the list going at the end. It really encourages you to think about the lifecycle of everything you buy. You can also plan this into your event and use it to tell a story.” Imagine watching a Q&A where the speaker announces: “these chairs on stage have already been donated to charity”, it gives a visual representation of how sustainable the company is because they’ve thought ahead.

When making your accountability list you’ll find a couple of trickier items to repurpose. Promotional materials are often thrown away because print products take a lot of damage or are handed out and then binned by the public. Chantal recommends the alternative to print and PVC banners, and other non-recyclable materials, is polyester: “It’s currently the best option. Polyester is very easy to sew, so by handing it to sewers after the event is done the brand can make merchandise like pencil cases, tote bags, and backpacks from the banners. Printing your branding on items can also be tricky because some companies may not feel comfortable having its logo used in situations they’re not aware of. We once had these puffer jackets which were set for the bin because their branding was deemed too sensitive to be handed out. But when we patched up their logos with some old fabric the company was happy, and the jackets went to Ukrainian refugees.”

Food waste is another large issue facing the events industry. But with solutions like

a People’s Pantry, as utilised by Wyboston Lakes Resort, there are always new options to consider. The People’s Pantry ensures unsold or unused food from the Resort’s hotel and two event venues are made available for colleagues to take home to share with their families. Its chefs package the meals in a range of portion sizes, which are then stored in fridges for employees to take home. Similarly, event organisers can cut down on food waste by calculating portion size more precisely and by getting in touch with food redistribution charities like Fair Share or Food Cycle.

As an industry, Event Cycle thinks we could reuse common items much more frequently. Common items like staging and stairs get built for most events and then taken down and thrown out again. If the materials could be returned to where we got them from, or shared throughout the industry, that would be so much better than throwing them out: “We need to stop turning up, causing chaos, and then disappearing while leaving skips behind us because that’s the legacy events currently lead.”

Eventcycle.org

Hundreds of items can get piled into a skip after an event; you can create your own Zero Waste Event with helpful tips from Event Cycle.

Totally flexible.

The right venue and environment is key to the success of your event.

Our resort is home to two dedicated event venues and a hotel venue.

From event spaces with moveable walls for increased flexibility, to ample outdoor space. Whether you’re looking for exclusive use, a completely bespoke event, or dedicated training space our venues and team are well-equipped for the job.

Let’s talk. sales@wybostonlakes.co.uk www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

Sister Act

Lisa Carpenter and Gail Crowe have been dubbed The Dynamic Duo. The sisters live and breathe events and love creating bespoke experiences and team building events which delight their clients.

With a background in sales, office and event management, and hospitality, Bedfordshire-based Lisa, and Gail – who has a degree in travel and tourism and experience in conferencing, customer services, event management, and coordination – often wonder why they didn’t join forces sooner.

It wasn’t until June 2016, with Lisa joking that she was “getting on a bit” that the siblings finally decided it was time to combine their skillsets and passions and create their own company: “It was now or never,” laughs Lisa.

Over four years, Magnifisense built a reputation for excellence, specialising in venue finding, conferencing, team building, incentive and loyalty programmes, and in-house workshops, both nationwide and overseas.

The company’s unique and fun team building and bonding events were particularly well received, offering

everything from land-sea-air treasure hunts, wellbeing retreats – even an Apprentice-style workshop and a good old-fashioned It’s A Knockout.

With the company poised to celebrate 2020 as its best year financially, COVID came as a terrible blow. “Shock, tears, frustration and fear were just a few of the emotions we felt at the time,” admits Lisa. “And then came the calls, the emails and then subsequently, the cancellations.”

Determined not to give up without a fight, Lisa and Gail dusted themselves down and

learnt about Zoom, hybrid and virtual events, and hampers.

“We did a Richard Branson and said ‘yes’ to new things and worried about them later,” smiles Lisa.

“We’ve always been agile, creative and not afraid of hard work, so this kept us going and focused, as did a bounce back loan that we thought we wouldn’t use but did as time went on. We had to dig deep and make cutbacks, but we are proud that we didn’t give up. It’s been tough, but we are getting there, and our fire and drive is more evident than ever.”

Lisa admits that some of the working practices Magnifisense and other agencies learned during the pandemic still have a place to play in the events industry: “Hybrid is still essential, more for global businesses than European, and quarterly sales meetings have remained hybrid where long distance and sustainability is a factor. Whereas initially it was more of a tick box quest, this has now proven to be essential for many corporates. It’s also a fall back should there be a pandemic situation again.”

Julie Burniston chats with sisters Lisa Carpenter and Gail Crowe

about how their full-service agency Magnifisense survived and thrived post-COVID.

Putting your company centre stage

UNIQUE | VERSATILE | CONNECTED

Located just five minutes’ walk from Darlington’s east coast mainline train station, Darlington Hippodrome is perfectly situated to host your next business event - from a one-to-one meeting to a 1000 delegate conference. Put your company centre stage with Darlington Hippodrome.

hires.hippodrome@darlington.gov.uk www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

North in Brief

The Belfry Wins Big at Tourism Awards

The Belfry Hotel & Resort, located in Royal Sutton Coldfield, North Warwickshire, has added two more awards to its trophy cabinet, winning the West Midlands Tourism Awards ‘Business Events Venue of The Year’ and the Midlands Service Excellence Awards ‘Team of the Year’.

These acknowledgements of the resort’s outstanding facilities and its excellent customer service are the latest in an impressive track record of over 15 award wins in the past 12 months alone.

The Belfry saw off stiff competition to win ‘Business Events Venue of the Year’ at The West Midlands Tourism Awards, with judges commenting that the resort is: “a world-class venue which manages to effectively combine a variety of different offers in one brilliant location, making it the perfect location for a business event… It is ultimately The Belfry staff and their passion to give the very best level of service to all guests, whether big or small events, that gives this venue the wow factor.”

Cloth Hall Court to Host CHS Leeds Reception

CHS Leeds has announced a new partnership that will see the show’s legendary Welcome Reception take place at the University of Leeds’ new venue, Cloth Hall Court. The reception will take place on the evening of 24th April, before the show opens, and gives Hosted Buyers and exhibitors a chance to network informally ahead of the event.

The Welcome Reception at CHS events has always kicked off the event with an innovative, creative, and valuable networking opportunity for exhibitors and Hosted Buyers. Meanwhile, Cloth Hall Court itself represents a taste of Leeds heritage, a fully restored Grade II listed building steeped in rich and fascinating history, vital to Leeds becoming a global centre of commerce and trade in textiles.

The event will be a celebration, both of Leeds and the surrounding area, but also the city’s growing business events scene. Cloth Hall Court is representative of this scene, following investments into the venue, it now has state-of-the art technical facilities including, assisted accessibility, excellent catering options, and a synergy with businesses and brands from a diverse range of industries, all in keeping with Leeds’s industrial heritage and reputation for innovation.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone connected to CHS Leeds to Cloth Hall Court,” commented Sam Glenister-Batey, Head of Conferences and Events at the University of Leeds. “We’re really excited about what we have here, and we know everyone will be bowled over by the venue, the work we’ve done on our meetings and events product, and the quality of the hospitality we provide. It will be a great night.”

Beam Appoints New Marketing Director

The trade association for the business events, accommodation, and meetings industry, beam, has appointed Ian Brown, the Venues and Events Director of vbx, to its board as Marketing Director.

Brown, who founded the events arm of vbx with business partner Jess Hobday in 2021, has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, working for several agencies. Alongside Hobday, Brown has established vbx Events with a focus on corporate event production and venue sourcing for a plethora of clients in the UK and globally. He will continue in this role, alongside his new position with beam.

Reflecting on his new board role for beam, Brown commented: “Being appointed to the beam board is a huge

honour for me and something I have long had the ambition to achieve. It’s an inspiring time for the association as we look to further establish beam as a brand, expand our members across new and different specialities and support our industry with the challenges the past two years have thrown at us.”

Sian Sayward, Chair of beam, added: “beam has a talented board in place, which will now be strengthened further by the insight and experience that Ian brings with him to the role of Marketing Director. We would like to welcome him on board at an exciting and ambitious time for the association as we sharpen our focus, and our membership becomes more diverse.”

Athena Events Venue Celebrates 18th Birthday

Athena, the Art Deco Grade II-listed events venue located in Leicester’s cultural quarter, is celebrating its 18th birthday this year with a major event to mark 18 years of trading in the events space.

Originally designed in 1936 by Robert Arthur Bullivant as an Odeon Cinema, the venue represented one of the largest, most extravagant buildings within the region seating over 3,000 guests. Remaining closed throughout much of the ‘90s, the venue was then restored to its former art deco glory and now combines history with state of the art technology, hosting exhibitions, sporting events, festivals, conferences, and shows.

Hira Ram, Head of Events at Athena, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating our 18th birthday this year with a space that provides state of the art technology following major investments and upgrades. We look forward to continuing our service for delegates both locally and nationally.”

Agents and Venues Connect in Sheffield

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) will be uniting the industry in Sheffield later this month, as it partners with Vine Hotels and Marketing Sheffield to facilitate the association’s largest gathering of booking agents.

Taking place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park, part of the Vine Hotels group, the mia’s latest Connect Day on 28th March will provide a unique platform for those working in business meetings and events to engage and build mutually beneficial relationships with 25 leading booking agents, while also gaining exclusive insights.

The programme will kick off with an interactive presentation from the highly acclaimed professional relationships strategist Andy Lopata, in which he will explore the importance of seeing things from different perspectives. An enlightening panel discussion led by Edge Venue’s Jacqui Kavanagh will then explore the status quo of commissions before the agents reveal what’s important to them in a quickfire debate.

Kerrin MacPhie, Chief Executive of the mia, said: “Our Connect events have continued to evolve into highly soughtafter networking opportunities for agents and venues alike. We’re really looking forward to taking the event to Sheffield as, thanks to their highly regarded reputation, it promises to be the association’s largest gathering of booking agents, which is fantastic and will make for an engaging day for all.”

In our previous edition, we erroneously stated that the work Relocatable Structures described specifically in the case study we featured was undertaken for broadcasting company ITV. This was not the case, and we apologise for this error.

Get

Situated in a prime location in the South East of England, close to London and major transport links, Bisham Abbey is a unique setting for any meeting or conference.

Discover our state of the art hybrid office & meeting space or explore the Abbey, a Grade I listed building overlooking the River Thames.

Built in 1831, Lilleshall House stands in Grade II listed grounds, located in Shropshire, centrally located and easily accessible with good transport links.

Our Main House offers newly refurbished elegant rooms, with a range of conference & meeting spaces to accommodate events of all sizes.

in touch with our team today to host a conference with a competitive edge.

SCAN ME

SCAN ME

Facing the Music

ensure all team members have received best training to ensure that every single visitor feels welcomed, respected and included.

Last month we hosted a recruitment fair which welcomed over 1,500 candidates to meet with our teams and around 40 other employers across the city region’s visitor economy. The event, supported by DWP was a huge success, with Eurovision helping to act as a springboard to attract our community to consider a career in events and hospitality.

And I’m sure you’ve had to navigate some challenges along the way?

importantly, gives us the opportunity to show our support for Ukraine.

Logistically there must have been many considerations with multiple events within such a short time?

Hi Faye, so how has your venue been preparing for hosting Eurovision over the recent months?

This is a whole team effort and we have been aligning all our teams since we won the bid to ensure we are all working together. All departments are involved including marketing and communications; events and operations; production and technical as well as our service partners such as catering and stewarding. However, it’s not just our team and the BBC – there are many stakeholders involved in organising this event, so we are working closely with Culture Liverpool; the Combined Authority; DCMS and Merseyside Police.

It’s our 15-year anniversary this year and have a significant amount of experience and excellent track record in delivering large-scale, complex, global events – both as a venue and as a wider city – from the World Gymnastic Championships to the MTV Europe Music Awards. We have a strong in-house team so we’re tackling the event in the same way we do with every other event, with ambition, versatility, pride and teamwork.

There has been a lot of logistical activity going on behind the scenes such as making space for the Eurovision teams and we’ve accelerated a number of planned investments in our facilities such as installing LED lighting across the whole arena.

Our service partners – including catering, stewarding, cleaning and security – are integral to our world class event delivery and to ensuring the visitor experience is the best it can be. We’ve worked closely with them to ensure they are able to flex-up staffing levels to accommodate the needs of this event and the expected increase in visitor numbers to our campus and city region beyond. We’ve received excellent support from city partners to

The bid process was comprehensive and, as there were some events due to take place during Eurovision’s required tenancy, we fully consulted with all parties involved to ensure that a solution that everyone was happy with could be reached.

The planning period has been much shorter for Eurovision than would typically have been the case, with Liverpool announced as the host city just seven months ago. But – working effectively and efficiently as one team – we’ve ensured there’s been no compromise on the end result.

How does it feel knowing that your venue is going to be the site of such a prestigious event?

We faced some tough competition from other arenas across the UK so to be selected was testament to our team and the city – as well as confidence from the outside world – that we can deliver and that our people and our community have created a truly welcoming and inclusive vibe, befitting of the delegations, crew and fans of the event.

It’s been a really busy time planning this phenomenal event and we can’t wait to show the world how Liverpool can both party and wrap its arms around those in need. It’s so exciting for us, this will be a fabulous global event for the city and is a source of immense civic pride but, most

There will be 12 shows in total, nine of which are open to the public! In addition to the grand final, the two semi-finals will also be televised. We’ll prepare for the public shows in the same way we would for any other arena shows, although this is the first time we’ve hosted this amount of entertainment shows on consecutive days. More than 50,000 ticket holders will have the opportunity to experience the event from within the arena with up to 100,000 extra visitors expected to enjoy the city over that period. We are so proud of how the whole city has got behind this event.

Finally, how will Eurovision increase your venue’s profile on a global level?

We expect that the legacy of Eurovision for The ACC Liverpool Group will help us to continue to attract significant international events across all sectors that we operate in, cementing our reputation even further on the international map. However, our main aim is not about raising our profile, it is about standing in solidarity with Ukraine and its people and we believe it is right that we play our part in supporting this incredible country.

It will be a busy but phenomenal night and one we’re honoured to be a part of.

Eurovisionworld.com

We chat with Faye Dyer, Managing Director of The ACC Liverpool Group, operator of the M&S Bank Arena on how the venue is preparing for one of the biggest events in the calendar.

Confex Rewind

Our

Looking back at this year’s International Confex there were some standout speakers, exhibitions, and stalls showcasing this year’s theme Diversity and Inclusion.

This year’s keynote speaker was David Meade, with a talk titled Give a Hand – Life Changing Programme. The BBC presenter spoke about how we can use challenging and rewarding team building activities to make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate. The event involved breaking up into groups to construct a clinical, prosthetic hand which was then sent to be fitted to an amputee in the developing world. Representing Lightbulb Teams, Meade spoke about breaking the mould of conventional training experiences and using your time in your future team building activities to create a lasting impact on the lives of others and a life-long memory for those who took part.

Highlight talks from this year’s theme, involved No More Diversity ‘Hushing’, How Do We Translate D&I Strategy Into Truly Accessible Events?, and topically, relating to the industry’s on-going recruitment crisis – How Best to Attract, Invest In and Retain the Next Gen. Speakers

Dale Paramenter, CEO of DRPG, Hannah Eakins, CEO of Production Futures, Lorne Armstrong from Event Academy, Richard Waddington from The Event Apprenticeship Scheme, and Simon Hughes from The Power Of Events discussed ways to appeal to university graduates or those swapping professions. Discussions highlighted that nurturing the younger generation and appealing to a new audience, early, is a worthwhile use of the industry’s time.

The Event Tech category this year was dominated by talk of the metaverse and its possible effect on the event industry’s future. Most notably, Unpicking the

Metaverse and Metaverse – Ready or Not? dedicated their session to delving into the possibilities which could be provided to the industry. Josh King, Vice President of Growth at emc3, addressed the metaverse in his session by reflecting upon the impact of brands in the gaming industry. King divulged into how brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Samsung are displaying its products in Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, all of which have massive online followings. He invited listeners to get ahead of the curve and to get ready for this new wave of tech in the industry.

Sustainability was also a rich category for speakers this year with Confex putting themselves under the microscope in a talk between Matt Grey, Founder of event:decision and Chris Thompson, CEO of You. Smart. Thing. titled Understanding the Footprint of International Confex 2023. The session broke down the responsibilities of such a large event and the example it must set for the event industry in this time, while advising the audience on how to plan and deliver more sustainable future events. Speakers Luke Bilton, Chief Growth Officer from ExpoPlatform and Jack Newey from International Confex and Conference News also added their input to this conversation noting where the key drivers of sustainability really are in the industry.

Heading popular exhibitors this year was experimental food company, Lick Me I’m Delicious. The Willy Wonkainspired event inventions company took Confex-goers to a whole new level of excitement and curiosity. Guests sampled edible balloons, bubbles, and zero-calorie mist alongside watching the Instant Logopop Maker create branded chocolate lollies before their eyes. Others included ACC Liverpool, this year’s host of The Eurovision Song Contest, award winning Manchester Central, and Translateable, a service which provides translation, interpreting, subtitling, and transcription for events people.

We look forward to 2024!

look back at this year’s International Confex highlights.

Good Links

LinkedIn has quickly become the largest networking social media platform, hosting a staggering 58 million companies and counting. With all these like-minded people, shouldn’t it be easy to gain traction? Apparently not! More and more professionals are fighting for their share of airtime only to acquire a single, meagre like or even have posts pass by completely unnoticed. The platform is a personal one, and with some thought you can really up your engagement.

Show what you’re doing. Tell how you’re feeling.

Social media guru, Katie Steckly, posts YouTube content on how to improve your social media strategy. She says to increase engagement on video content: “You would get much better engagement and develop a more authentic relationship with your viewer if you showed what you were doing and talked about what you were feeling.”

In the context of an image-based LinkedIn post. If you’re posting images of your staff at a conference, and the next three lines of text describe what you did at the convention to your audience, you’re wasting precious seconds of their interest by saying what they can see. Instead, say how you felt when you were there. So not only are you avoiding repeating yourself by using this tip, but you’re also telling your audience an invaluable piece of information. This makes them more likely to see you as source of reliable knowledge.

Position yourself among your peers–not above

them.

LinkedIn is a very different platform for businesses compared to other social

media platforms, everyone is aware of their business and professionality. This means your audience, unlike on other social media platforms, is largely made up of businesspeople who want to be acknowledged for being, like you, professionals trying to improve their business. This is not the time to sell yourself to them. It is the space to be transparent with them.

By setting yourself alongside other professionals and being open to creating a community of equals, you can be in touch with LinkedIn’s core purpose: to be supported by like-minded professionals. Make it easy for people to relate to you, tell personal stories, tell people how your business made an error and then corrected it. In keeping with the previous tip, tell your audience how you feel. But most importantly don’t sell your product: by building relationships that comes later. People don’t trust brands, they trust people.

Be useful to the people who connect with you.

Interact with others. If you’re expecting engagement from your peers, but you don’t engage with their content, you’re cutting off key exposure opportunities. Being on other people’s radar by supporting them constantly means you

not only prove your business is an active member of the community, but you also get in touch with the person behind the screen. Behind the likes, comments, and shares on your posts are ordinary people –goodwill goes a surprisingly long way and positions you as someone who cares.

Make sure your post formatting is varied.

Though an image with text is the standard form of post for LinkedIn, don’t be anchored to one format. Use multiple types of content; there are carousels, polls, and videos to explore. Having a range of content will keep your audience on their toes.

Similarly, cycle the type of content you post about. You may have frequent advice and anecdote posts integrated with the occasional “meet a team member” profile. You might have a monthly round-up post where you show a collation of the projects you did that month. Experiment with your content and don’t be afraid to take down, edit, and try again if something didn’t have your desired effect.

For further advice on boosting your LinkedIn profile, feel free to get in touch with our digital experts here at H&E North.

Stop leaving engagement to chance and understand long-lasting LinkedIn engagement for you and your business.

WIN A LUXURY

STAY FOR TWO

Haycock Manor Hotel is offering readers the chance to win an overnight stay including dinner and breakfast.

The Haycock Manor Hotel is one of the finest hotels in Cambridgeshire. Set in the idyllic surroundings of Wansford-in-England, on the River Nene, the hotel offers the best of breath-taking scenery and the finest of facilities. With direct access to the A1 motorway and only 80 miles from London, the hotel is a popular destination to meet, stay and dine and hosts an eclectic array of events, private dining, meetings and conferences; with superb hotel accommodation, stylish spaces and free Wi-Fi throughout.

The Wansford location is perfect for country adventures. Why not roam the amazing countryside and marvel in the glorious scenery on offer or take a trip to nearby Stamford to explore its medieval churches and timber-framed buildings. Once you’ve finished exploring, we recommend a visit to the hotel’s awardwinning restaurant, Prévost or the brand new brasserie, the Haycock Kitchen.

The venue features some stunning meeting facilities, including the Haycock Ballroom

which has its own private entrance adjacent to the car park, giving you and your guests exclusive access. The reception area leads you to the large suite, fixed bar area and toilet facilities. The room itself is complete with exposed oak beams, fireplace, sumptuous furnishings, and patio doors which lead out to the walled garden. With a maximum capacity of 350 delegates, this flexible space can accommodate anything your event requires.

Haycock.co.uk

COMPETITION

For your chance to win an overnight stay for two including breakfast, dinner in Prévost, and a bottle of wine, answer the following question:

What is the maximum number of delegates the Haycock Ballroom can hold?

Enter online at Hospitalityandeventsnorth.com/ competitions/or by post to JLife Ltd, Unit 7, Gemini Business Park, Sheepscar Way, Leeds, LS7 3JB. Please ensure your entry includes your name, address, daytime telephone number, and email address. The winners will be randomly selected on the closing date: 9th June 2023

Terms and conditions apply: Prize is non-refundable and cannot be exchanged. When entering the competition online you have the option to not be entered in H&E North Magazine and Haycock Manor Hotel’s databases in order to be contacted about news, promotions, and special offers. Postal entry data will not be saved. Publisher’s decision is final.

An idylic setting for Meetings & Events

Cambridgeshire award winning boutique hotel.

With direct access to the A1 motorway and only 40 minutes from King’s Cross, our hotel is a popular destination to meet, stay and dine.

Our hotel is a perfect venue for celebrations and conferences; we boast superb hotel accommodation, stylish meeting and event spaces as well as free Wi-Fi throughout.

The Tower of London | London England

The Tower of London, home to the crown jewels and an iconic building in England’s history, provides event spaces for hire inside its historic fortress walls. Situated in Central London in the borough of Tower Hamlets, The Tower is a 50-minute tube ride from Gatwick and Heathrow making it easily accessible for international

delegates. The Tower has two event spaces: the first event space – The New Armouries – has the capacity for 150 delegates for lunch, or up to 200 theatrestyle. The second room – The Reveller – is a contemporary building nestled under the Tower Bridge arches. Unlike The New Armouries, this space has a private outdoor terrace, perfect for barbeques and team building exercises. The capacity of The Reveller is 150 guests for lunch and theatre-style. If you’re looking for a capital meeting space with a beautiful and dramatic backdrop the Tower of London could be the one.

Hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london

Palais Hansen Kempinski | Vienna Austria

Located in Schottenring, the famous Ring Boulevard in Vienna, the Palais Hansen Kempinski was originally built as a hotel for the World Exhibition in 1873. Today, you can hire its ballroom, award-winning restaurant, and Henri Lou room for decadent and stylish events. A 40-minute drive from Vienna International Airport, the central location is minutes away from Vienna’s most central attractions, making it a perfect location for international travellers and opportunities to sightsee. Its maximum capacity of 265 in dinner and theatre-style can also be arranged into a 229 capacity dinner table setting. Recognised as one of the Top 100 Venues by the Global Venue Rank in 2016 and a member of Prestigious Venues, Palais Hansen Kempinski truly is fit for a king. Prestigiousvenues.com/venue/palaishansen-kempinski

Hillsborough Castle | Belfast Northern Ireland

Serving as the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland since 1922,

this 18th century castle facilitates luxury events of all kinds. The marquee sites in the manicured gardens are the perfect backdrop for summer events and can be accommodated from day to night. Its marquees hold up to 350 people, ideal for conferences and ceremonies while providing access to the complimentary 100 acres of beautiful gardens. Inside, The Privy Council Chamber and the three State Rooms are available. The smaller Chamber hosts 18 guests – ideal for intimate meetings and presentations, whereas, the largest space, the Throne Room, holds a capacity of 120 guests and provides a great option for receptions and conferences. Just 20 minutes away from Belfast this venue is a lavish and regal backdrop for your events.

Hrp.org.uk/hillsborough-castle

Trianon Palace | Versailles | France

Situated an hour outside Paris is a historic building which provided the backdrop to momentous modern history. The location of the signing of The Treaty of Versailles –which signified the end of the First World War – is home to an event space which holds a maximum capacity of 400 with options of a 250 guest capacity dinner or a 280 guest capacity theatre-style seating arrangement. Ornately set in the beautiful French countryside, the palace was recognised as a Winner at the Prestigious Star Awards 2020 and is within walking distance of Paris’s most famous palace, the Château de Versailles, making for a perfect team event.

Prestigiousvenues.com/venue/trianonpalace

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

THE TOWER OF LONDON

FIT FOR A KING

Palacio Estoril | Cascais | Portugal

Hampton Court Palace | London England

Just an hour from London, Hampton Court Palace is a symbol of Tudor History and a corporate retreat filled with majestic roots. Henry VIII’s former home after his marriage to Anne Boleyn, the venue is riddled with English history. Holding an impressive maximum capacity of 3,000 the Tudor palace has seven event spaces including The Great Hall, The Garden Room, and the Tudor Kitchens. The Great Hall serves as England’s last and greatest medieval hall, serving 270 for dinner, 400 at a reception, and 200 in a theatre-style. This magnificent room is where King Henry VIII entertained courtiers and dignitaries almost 500 years ago. The Garden Room is a more intimate setting in what would have been an Orangery-style building. Its French doors open onto the terrace and gardens offering its capacity of 120 to 300 guests to enjoy the manicured lawns surrounding the palace. The Tudor Kitchens are a statement feature of the building’s medieval roots, the main showpiece being the giant hearths which were used to cook over open fires. The atmospheric

room holds 100 for dinner and 150 for a reception and can be lit with beautiful coloured lights which shine against the white stone walls.

Prestigiousvenues.com/venue/ hampton-court-palace

Used as the set of a Bond film, this chic and alluring palace is a showstopping venue for an event. Dating back to the 1930s, the venue has marvellous sea views and is situated 20 minutes from Lisbon and a short walk from the beach. Its event facilities hold a maximum capacity of 700 in reception-style, 400 for dinner, and 500 theatre-style. Its six event spaces include the Europe Room, the Terraces and Gardens, and the Tropical Room. Host your event by the poolside with the Terraces and Gardens package, with a reception size of 400 and a dining seating plan of 200, so your guests can bask in the sun while they work. Or if you need something more complex, the Tropical Room is the most adaptable space on offer. With a maximum capacity of 80 the room can be arranged into a dinner, reception, theatre, boardroom, classroom, U-shape, or cabaret-style to suit all your audience’s needs. The Europe room is a decadent, elegant backdrop for any meal or reception, with its four pillars dividing the room, and its six-meter-high ceilings, all draped in natural light, with a maximum capacity of 400. At this glamourous paradise location, your guests will feel like they’ve been given royal treatment.

Prestigiousvenues.com/venue/palacioestoril

With King Charles lll’s Coronation around the corner, here’s our pick of some Euro palatial conference event locations to provide your guests with royal treatment.

PALACIO ESTORIL

HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE

Feeling a little overwhelmed?

We know the feeling. That’s why we offer a place for you to tackle your challenges and dive into the world of events, meetings and incentives in just a couple of days.

Take the time to save time

IT’S

WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE WHEN YOU #TAKETHETIME THEMEETINGSSHOW.COM/REGISTER

Take the Time

Event professionals are being urged to #TakeTheTime to attend The Meetings Show when it returns to ExCeL London next month.

The UK's leading event for the meetings, incentives, and events community, which takes place on 28th to 29th June, is set to bring together hundreds of event organisers and suppliers to connect, learn, and network.

EXHIBITORS GALORE

More than 500 exhibitors from across the globe – from destinations to venues and suppliers including H&E North – will be present to catch up with event organisers and help them find the best solutions for future MICE activity.

Global destinations new to this year’s show include Spain, Los Cabos, and Barbados, while many leading destinations, including Penang, Meet Boston, and Finland Convention Bureau, will be returning once again.

As always, the show will be wellrepresented by UK destinations and venues ready to talk to event planners about what they can offer. Northern destinations include Liverpool Convention Bureau, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, Conference Leeds, Destination Harrogate, and Meet In Nottingham while venues from the region include Butlin’s, Carden Park Hotel, Drayton Manor Resort and Nottingham Venues.

Visitors will be able to make contact with exhibitors and other visitors in advance via the Swapcard platform so they can arrange meetings and schedule

appointments with those they most want to and make best use of their time.

NEW LOOK EDUCATION

Mindful of the challenges event professionals are facing in areas such as time, budgets and sustainability targets, organisers of the event have devised a programme that will maximise the time spent– whether it’s one or two days – and ensure all visitors leave with everything they need to make their next business meeting, event, or incentive shine.

For this year, The Meetings Show has formed a new creative partnership with CEO of conferenceemcees.com Samme Allen and renowned consultant, author, and previous keynote speaker at The Meetings Show, Claus Raasted, who will shake up its education programme and help maximise attendees’ time at the

Allen and Raasted – both experience design experts working with organisations including Google, Marriott, and Accenture – will be working with the show to review and reenergise content and enhance the audience experience.

By attending sessions, event professionals will have the chance to learn new approaches, find solutions, stay ahead of current trends, streamline the event planning process and more.

HOSTED BUYER PROGRAMME

Events professionals can secure fasttrack access to the most relevant suppliers, education, and networking opportunities by signing up as a hosted buyer, which gives them access to a dedicated appointments diary to book

pre-scheduled meetings and support with travel, accommodation, and a host of other benefits.

A new-look pre-show conference – exclusively open to hosted buyers and which promises to be memorable for its content and execution – will be held 27th June, providing insight to inspire action and giving attendees the perfect alibi to connect with peers and solve business problems collectively. There are also opportunities to take part in post-show fam trips to destinations around the UK and Europe, including Destination Coventry, Bristol & Bath, Q Hotels and Malta. The tours highlight the best hotels, venues and attractions and give buyers valuable first-hand experience of the destinations for future event proposals.

The Meetings Show is also co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show, giving visitors even more to explore and discover.

To apply as a hosted buyer visit Themeetingsshow.com/hosted-buyerprogramme

To register as a visitor, visit Themeetingsshow.com/register

Get a sneak preview of what’s happening at The Meetings Show this year.

All Occasions Marquee Hire

From your initial enquiry to the conclusion of your chosen event, you can rely on All Occasions Marquee Hire to ensure that the event operates smoothly.

07745 697 971 | info@alloccasionsmarqueehire.com alloccasionsmarqueehire.com

Horwood House

Horwood House has 15 stylish VIP boardrooms, comfortable meeting spaces and large conference spaces for up to 270 delegates plus beautiful outdoor grounds for teambuilding. Whilst undergoing our £6 million renovation, we incorporated high tech AV facilities to make our place in the Buckinghamshire countryside, your ideal place to do business.

www.horwoodhouse.co.uk

01296 722100 | meetings@horwoodhouse.co.uk

Yorkshire’s corporate event magician. Entertainment at awards, parties, & events. Stunning close-up magic that will leave you with a lasting impression.

Call: 07849 123560 Email: contact@yorkmagician.co.uk Website: www.adriansalamon.co.uk

Drumnagorrach Designs

Family run business specialising in small business branded workwear. With no minimum order and a personal service, you're sure to find what you want.

Melanie Foley 07876 571636 | mel@drumnagorrachdesigns.scot www.drumnagorrachdesigns.scot

Exclusive Entertainments

Sound, Lighting, Staging, Stage Backdrop, Projection, Live Camera & Streaming, Starlite Dance Floors, Room Star Clothing, Room Draping, etc.

Awards Evenings, Charity Balls, Weddings & Events, Corporate Meetings, Event Power Distribution.

Prestigious Entertainment for Prestigious Events

Creating the perfect marriage between performer and client, founder and vocal impresario Anita Ryan and her team bring you spectacular events that leave guests amazed. 07825 705368 | anitaryansinger@gmail.com www.anitaryan.co.uk

Sandpit Creations

Sandpit Creations is a company of designers, fabricators, and makers. Our background is in immersive theatre events, live interactive gameplay, and set design and build. info@sandpitcreations.com | 07547352391

www.sandpitcreations.com

Strelitzia Events events events

Venue, planning and marketing specialists for all types of corporate events, as well as exhibition stand design and presence management to maximise ROI. info@strelitzia-events.com

07903422325

Equipment Hire, Sales & Installations 07710 083086

info@exclusive-entertainments.co.uk

Event Buggy Hire

Event Buggy Hire based in Yorkshire supply a full range of event support buggies and 4x4 utility buggies for short or long term hire.

0113 3934100 Option 1 info@eventbuggyhire.co.uk

FACE PAINT YORK - Chic Face and Body Art

For Yorkshire and beyond. Catering to a wide range of occasions with buildable packages to suit. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get in touch. We love usual requests as well as the classics.

07740 357 803 | www.FacePaintYork.com

Facebook & Instagram: facepaintyork

Offering a range of services including consultancy, training, event management, and support with health and safety planning. contact@seratoner.co.uk | 01138267874 www.seratoner.co.uk

Bradford Guide Post Hotel

The Bradford Guide Post Hotel offers function rooms for Weddings, Functions, Conferences & Events and our Restaurant offering home cooked food and daily specials. 01274 607866 | sales@guideposthotel.net www.guideposthotel.net

Ultimate Balloon

From small local businesses to the Rolling Stones, Coca Cola and even some very special Royals, I can help you create an event your boss will be raving about for years to come!

+44 01709 789333 | jacqui.saxon@tubcl.co.uk

www.ultimateballoon.co.uk

The

Seratoner - Leeds

Adrian Salamon Magic

Delta Hotels by Marriott Liverpool City Centre

Delta Hotels by Marriott Liverpool City Centre

One Queen Square Liverpool, L1 1RH,

For reservations contact libby.blackwell@deltahotels.com and quote Hospo2023 or visit Marriott.com/LPLDE

Details matter. Make them perfect.

Our Hotel

Discover our newly renoovated hotel in Liverpool City Centre. Explore attractions like St George’s Hall, Albert Dock, Aintree Racecourse, Knowsley Safari Park and the shops of Liverpool One, as well as both Anfield Stadium, home to Liverpool Football Club. Retreat into spacious accommodation with premium bedding, flat-screen TVs, large desks, free WiFi and natural light. Upgrade to an expansive family friendly hotel room or suite for enhanced amenities and extra space to unwind.

• Rennovation in 2023

• New Bedrooms Available NOW

• City Centre Location

DeltaHotels

DeltaHotels