Hospitality & Events North - January 2024

On Location: Newcastle and North East Multi-Purpose Mr Venue Finder Stand Out

PLUS Marquee Signing Sustainability - Floor Fillers Box Clever Catering AV & Tech Update

Stay at Crowne Plaza Newcastle

HOSPITALITYANDEVENTSNORTH.COM

ISSUE 98 • JANUARY 2024 January 2024

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A PLACE TO MEET, A PLACE TO CELEBRATE, A PLACE TO SLEEP.

• 18 Meeting Spaces • 500 Maximum Capacity • 6 Offices

10

%

OFF

• 338 Bedrooms • 120 Outdoor Space Capacity • 250 Car Park Spaces

To celebrate the launch of Connex, we’re offering you 10% off any new confirmed bookings for events that take place during 2024!

Please quote HEN10 upon enquiry, subject to availability, terms and conditions apply.

01785 762900 www.yarnfieldpark.co.uk yarnfieldpark.enquiries@thevenuescollection.co.uk Yarnfield Park, Staffordshire, ST15 0NL 2

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

CONTENTS: JANUARY 2024 FRONT COVER FEATURE Picture This

Good Grub

AND MORE

Sporting Glory

The recently revamped Langdale Chase venue in Cumbia offers a tranquil getaway on the edge of Lake Windemere for your corporate event. Page 15.

Under Cover

Heather Stanford, Managing Director of Stanford Gould Solicitors, breaks down what suppliers need to protect themselves from legal liability.

Page 20.

Founding Father

We speak to the very first venue finding agent in the UK, Peter Rand, and explore how he helped to shape the industry into what it is today.

Page 22.

On Show

With the demand for new and out of the box catering concepts at events ever rising, we take a look at what is driving the change. Page 23.

Explore what sustainability accreditations could mean to your business and is it worthwhile to get certified?

Page 49.

A Canny Place to Meet

Find out why sporting venues are the ideal location for holding your corporate event.

Page 34.

The North East provides dynamic backdrops, allowing event organisers to create an unforgettable experience.

Page 42.

Game Changer

Competition

Agiito, winner of the Highly Commended Marketing Strategy Award at the Famtastic Rocks awards, tells us how it pulled off an awardwinning rebrand. Page 39.

And the Winner Is…

Sustainable Signposting

We report back from Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability Live, which joined forces this year. Page 41.

It’s a Yes From Me

Ken Findlay, Co-Founder of Events R Talented, proves there’s more to the event industry than meets the eye while raising money for a new and incredible cause. Page 59.

Win an overnight stay for two, including breakfast and dinner, at Crowne Plaza Newcastle.

Page 44.

Congrats to Andrew Jackson, who won a boardroom meeting for up to 10 people with lunch included, at Wyboston Lakes.

Family Affair

Jo Wilson, Director of ACE Bookings, talks about her recent family wins at the Famtastic awards. Page 64.

Lorna Edwards, Caroline Hill, Robert Moorhouse, Ben Thompson, and Inga Taylor all won a copy of Paul J. Abbott’s new book, Events Are Easy…

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

Happy New Year

Events are evolving and the industry is ready to move forward. 2024 will see more push towards a green planet, with venues and agencies tackling their environmental impact from varying perspectives. But it’s not just sustainability that is high on agendas.

Venues and suppliers will need to deliver wellbeing elements and provide a holistic experience for delegates. The focus on shorter lead times and bespoke requirements brings instant booking to the fore.

Publisher

Elliot Landy

were delighted to hear from the initial player. We talk to some of the recent award winners, find out all about multipurpose venues, exhibitions stands and the latest AV and tech which was on show at the latest Event Tech Live. We like a trip to London, occasionally!

Plus we are across the latest in event catering, marquees and tents, and exhibition stands. Have a read, and follow us on our socials, with daily updates you’ll be in the loop. You can even win a stay in Newcastle as part of our location feature up in the North East.

Features Editor

Elliot Landy.

EXPERT HOSPITALITY RECRUITMENT

Richard Shawcross

Senior Account Manager Editorial Assistant Adam Freedman

Katerina Hough

Contributors Jo Wilson

NOEA

AEV

Ken Findlay

Peter Rand

Agiito

Louise Hodgson

Richard Moorhouse

Beam

Mark Sullivan

Stadium Experience The Jockey Club

ABPCO

ESSA

mia

EVCOM

MJ’s Event Services

Tour Spain

Heather Stanford

NewcastleGateshead

Wow Grass

Immersive AV

Convention Bureau

Enjoy, and happy new year.

A lot has changed since Peter Rand started venue finding in 1973 – we

Design

Emily Stone

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

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

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

The home of amazing hospitality staff

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

WE WORK WITH Caterers • Golf clubs Event planners • Music events • Sports venues Festivals •Hotels and many more...

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Printing PNG Print Management January 2024

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M U LT I - M I L L I O N P O U N D TRANSFORMATION The Venue, Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire WHAT’S NEW AT THE VENUE • Major Extension • New entrance and reception area • New design style inspired by the natural world • Two new outdoor terraces •State of the art AV, lighting and WIFI

MORE ABOUT SHERWOOD FOREST • Easily accessible by road and rail • 300 acres of forest • Events for up to 550 delegates • 900 luxury lodges • Wide range of team building activities • Free dedicated car parking & EV points • State of the art AV and free WiFi • Undergoing multi-million pound transformation

TAKING ENQUIRIES FOR EVENTS FROM JANUARY 2024

CP_UK_Events Center Parcs Conferences and Events www.centerparcsevents.co.uk 4

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

North in Brief Camm & Hooper Adds Glasgow Venue Premier events management company, Camm & Hooper, is delighted to announce the addition of Platform Glasgow to its growing and iconic portfolio of venues. Part of its national growth strategy, this latest acquisition will enable Camm & Hooper to attract a wider national and international client base, while providing new employment and partnership opportunities for members of the Glasgow community as it has plans to grow across the region.

Located in the heart of Glasgow city centre, under the iconic Argyle Street Bridge, also known as the Glasgow landmark The Hielanman’s Umbrella, Platform is a unique venue steeped in local history and community spirit.

With every Glaswegian familiar with Platform, it is the first venue outside of London that Camm & Hooper have incorporated into its portfolio, with plans firmly in place for the disruptive events management company to expand its footprint across the UK. Derick Martin, CEO of Camm & Hooper, expressed immense enthusiasm about this latest acquisition, affirming: “We’re thrilled to incorporate such an iconic and versatile venue into our portfolio. This feels like a homecoming, and we’re excited to infuse our unique touch into the wide array of events at Platform. Scott has built an incredible brand and venue and I know we will become a real events disrupter in Glasgow and beyond.”

EVENTIT Launch EXPERIENCEit Created and hosted by event agency EVENTIT, EXPERIENCEit is a new initiative designed to support the growing event experiences market in Scotland and beyond. Its inaugural event EXPERIENCEit is due to take place 8th February at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

On a mission to build community, curate content, foster industry collaboration, and create opportunities in the event industry, EXPERIENCEit plans to achieve these objectives through innovative interactive engagement.

January 2024

Activities you can expect during this immersive day include: a keynote session with leading UK agencies, interactive and engaging activations with suppliers from across the industry, the opportunity to join short tours with industry experts to meet with suppliers and gain a further understanding of what’s on offer, audience-led campfire sessions with industry leaders on event technology, sustainability and creating memorable experiences, and time to connect with fellow industry professionals in an experiential setting.

Meet in Nottingham Appoints Chief Executive Officer In a new chapter for the organisation, Meet in Nottingham unveiled Megan Powell Vreeswijk as its new Chief Executive Officer recently.

In a business career spanning over two decades, Powell Vreeswijk is currently the Head of Enterprise at Nottingham Trent University. During her four-and-a-half-year tenure at NTU, Megan oversaw the launch of the state-of-the-art Dryden Enterprise Centre in 2021 and has helped many entrepreneurs throughout the region to start, grow and innovate.

In addition to her experience at NTU, Powell Vreeswijk has recently served as Vice-Chair of It’s in Nottingham (formerly Nottingham BID) board, supporting Nottingham’s city centre business community. In addition to this, the startup expert also serves as Vice President of Enterprise Educators UK, the leading membership network for those in enterprise education.

The area continues to establish itself as a standout destination for conferences and events, with excellent green credentials, world class transport links, and strong industry specific appeal in life sciences and sports.

As well as Liverpool continuing to receive accolades for another stunning year of events within the city, Grimsby was awarded The Placemaking Award, a new category which recognised the contribution of the city’s Grim Falfest in spurring both civic pride and economic growth in the city.

The Placemaking award was also given to We Are Placemaking for the businesses continued advocacy for placemaking within the events industry and across the UK. At the same time, the Event of the Year Award - Private Sector, was awarded to Weston Beach Race – RHL Activities, another event which brings in a global audience.

The Venues Collection Announce New Event Space The Venues Collection has launched Connex, a new event space with 18 meeting rooms situated within the grounds of Yarnfield Park, in Staffordshire.

Connex is a purpose-built events, meeting, and training space with 18 different spaces spread over two floors and can host between two and 500 delegates. Each corridor has its own security door enabling organisers to hire a whole corridor of rooms to create their own private and secure multi room meeting environment.

Jo Austin, Sales Director, The Venues Collection said: “Connex is a great addition to our portfolio of meetings spaces and gives our clients access to an exclusive, immersive, distractionfree experience. Staffordshire is a key geographical location for national and international events and so having this new facility is a great addition to our collection.”

The 2023 National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards recently took place and saw Culture Liverpool take away the Best Events Team – Local Authority award, and Eurovision 2023 win the Event of the Year Award – Public Sector, at the gala celebration.

The building is within the grounds of Yarnfield Park meaning that it can offer exclusive use for confidential or focused events or be used in conjunction with the extensive facilities of Yarnfield Park.

Catering can be provided either onsite or a short walk away at Yarnfield Park’s restaurant. Guests using Connex can benefit from an exclusive onsite bedroom check in service – removing the need to check in at the main building.

The evening recognised events, event businesses, and individuals across the industry in what has been a tough but positive year for the sector. In a day which saw the earlier convention address the subject of the future, the evening recognised specific contributions to the industry that point to positivity for outdoor events.

The main room can seat up to 500 delegates and is furnished with multiple relay screens and comfortable chairs.

Every room has a Click and Share presentation screen. Connex also has dedicated outdoor space for up to 120 delegates with barbeque facilities and team building zones, and a business centre.

Liverpool’s Efforts Recognised at Awards

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You won’t want to miss these new and remodelled conferencing and event venues.

HILTON GARDEN INN

Co-op Arena | Manchester | April Co-op Arena is Manchester’s latest live music venture in epic proportions, this mega venue holds 23,500 people and boasts the largest floor space of any indoor venue. The venue will also be making corporate hospitality packages available with rooms which have exclusive views and a staffed bar and catering service.

Cooplive.com

Hilton Garden Inn | Manchester | Open now This new hotel extension has increased the overall capacity to 250 premium bedrooms, including a new top floor of suites. The facility includes two outdoor terraces, and a restaurant and event space, The Edge, which was unveiled during the Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford. The Edge is a highly opulent and

flexible, dynamic space which along with the additional bedrooms in the hotel, creates an incredible opportunity for multiday events.

Hilton.com

Maldron Hotel | Manchester and Liverpool | Open Spring 2024 Two new Maldron Hotels are opening in the north in spring next year, one in Manchester Cathedral Quarter and the other in Liverpool close to Liverpool One. Maldron Hotels are corporate friendly venues for business travel and event space with AV and Wi-Fi throughout its locations. Its Manchester City location seats 28 theatre-style, 12 classroom, 16 boardroom. 20 U-shape, and 20 in dining style – judging by this capacity size its next two are set to be similar sizes.

Maldronhotels.com NEC

Quest Apartment Hotels | Liverpool | Open now Quest Apartment Hotels recently opened a spot in Liverpool boasting great business travel and corporate meeting facilities.

Complementary WiFi and refreshments by the likes of tea, coffee, and water are available in this 20-person conference room as well as supplies such as a whiteboard and markers, flipcharts, a direct dial telephone and catering for your delegates. Catering can be arranged in several forms such as breakfast, afternoon tea, lunch, or post-conference canapes.

If you would prefer to conduct a meeting from the comfort of your own executive suite then Quest Apartment Hotels can arrange for AV equipment and catering to be delivered to your suite.

Questapartments.co.uk

NAEC Stoneleigh | Warwickshire | Open now Recently renovated, Hall Three of NAEC Stoneleigh has a maximum capacity of 3,600 delegates, making it perfect for large-scale events. As the second largest hall in the venue, this space has access to the Grandstand Foyer, Parks Restaurant, and is close in proximity to the venue’s two small glass-fronted meeting rooms meaning everything you need is under one roof. It is fully draped and flexible space lending itself well to creating the space you need for your event.

Naecstoneleigh.co.uk

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www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

NEW VENUES

AC HOTEL

AC Hotel Glasgow | Glasgow | Open now

NEC Birmingham has unveiled its StrEAT Kitchen which now occupies Hall Three.

The street food hall allows delegates to grab food on the go as not to miss any of their event’s busy schedule, foregoing the formal restaurant or buffet setting which has become common to corporate events.

A perfect pairing of accommodation and meeting space, this event space with elegant period features holds 40 people and provides an extensive list of equipment including an LCD panel and projector, microphones, teleconferencing and video conferencing, a TV production service provider, and an AV technician all while providing included WiFi. The adaptable room can be set up in many seating arrangements including banquet, boardroom – E,U,and T shape – theatre, reception, ovals and rounds, and classroom-style.

Thenec.co.uk

The Tetley | Leeds | Opening 2026 Due to re-open in 2026 The Tetley has been taken on by Owners Vastint UK, the developers behind Aire Park, to turn the old factory into food, drink, and event spaces with the help of a new western extension. Plans are still in the works but this venue can be sure to be an exciting change for the Leeds landmark with its central location and great transport links.

Marriott.com

Thetetley.org

NAEC

January 2024

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Keep an Eye Out!

NEC Birmingham | Birmingham | Open now

MULTI-PURPOSE VENUES

All Rounders Choosing the right venue is always the key to a successful event. Get the most out of your event by ensuring it has the size and flexibility you need, with plenty of added facilities and outdoor space to compliment.

Customisable spaces

All under one roof

Great multi-purpose venues give you a blank canvas, where you can put anything in them. Customisable spaces often have vast changes to room configuration which the venue can perform for you, this often works well in stadium or arena venues in which the event team is used to construction changes to stages and seating.

Multi-purpose functions with added elements such as a restaurant, hotel, or social activity are a great way to combine business and leisure and further incentivise business outings.

Preston’s Guild Hall is known for hosting several events of differing purposes, such as theatre performances, exhibitions such as Comic-Con, and huge sporting events. After its seven adaptable event spaces, it has an adjoining arcade, Level, which would make a great post conference social or team building opportunity. Additionally, upcoming venue The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead plans to have an adjoining 344 room hotel to accommodate traveling delegates to its 12,500-capacity arena and 17 conference suite spaces, [read more on page 18].

The recently opened Factory International in Manchester has a retractable wall, and tiered seating system which can be there for you to hold up to 1,565 people or removed if unneeded, while this year’s host of the Eurovision Song Contest M&S Bank Arena Liverpool transformed the arena into a stage and several hubs by creating smaller seating structures.

Get outside A good multi-purpose venue can cater for indoor and outdoor activities allowing for a variety of aspects to your event.

At Yorkshire Event Centre, a connecting 360° of outdoor space is available around the outside of its venue, making it easy for guests to locate activities and for event organisers to better control space. Using this venue with its vast interior and exterior space increases options such as using outdoor street food vendors and free up indoor space for a stage or extra stands. The YEC recently underwent

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a multi-million-pound refurbishment and is now one of the largest sustainable event spaces in the North, and onsite the Pavilions of Harrogate is a 13-room, award-winning event space which can cater for events of all shapes and sizes with its expansive indoor and outdoor capacity.

Events Director, Richard Moorhouse illustrates how multipurpose venues can take on a variety of events, saying: “We have had a hugely successful year at The Yorkshire Event Centre which has included hosting the launch of Fully Charged North and the Great Holiday Home Show in addition to our established events calendar. Pavilions of Harrogate will host over 350 events by the end of 2023 and already, bookings for 2024 are looking strong.”

Common knowledge Multi-purpose venues are often the most recognisable venues of their area due to their size, location, scale and capacity to bring in wide audiences. Usually with easy locations and good accessibility for diversity, these venues have good profile and reputation to attract more attendees and can cater for pretty much any event. Plus state-of-the-art AV and sustainability agendas add to the many reasons to get an all rounder on your shortlist.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

TRAINING AND EVENTS

A venue Ipowered by sunshine At Wyboston Lakes Resort, we’re committed to building towards a more sustainable future for all.

We have recently launched our Sustainabiltiy Policy, and our Green Energy Roadmap, which outlines all of our ambitious plans for the future.

From solar energy installation to reducing single-use plastics in our venues, we’re doing all we can to make your next event, a sustainable one. www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

sales@wybostonlakes.co.uk

INDUSTRY OPINION

Sustainability Saboteurs?

With sustainability at the top of everyone’s agenda, it can sometimes be easier to look to others as the main culprits inhibiting progress when they are in fact part of the solution; says Andrew Harrison, Director of the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA).

Face-to-face events are here to stay, which means we all have a part to play in implementing sustainable practices if we are to meet government targets.

Disappointingly, the supply chain is often seen as the problem rather than part of the solution, with many opting for the blanket removal and banning of certain items.

Take the current narrative around certain materials used in our industry where the consensus can be simply to ban without consideration, consultation, or planning for the significant impact this will have on suppliers of such items and on the look and feel of our events.

It’s damaging to single out certain parts of the supply chain as the problem, implying they are the reason preventing us from achieving sustainable goals in our industry.

It not only ostracises certain suppliers, but it also has a detrimental knock-on effect on the broader sector.

We also can’t hide behind reuse and recycle – we must all look at better alternatives. Most areas of the supply chain have been working on more sustainable solutions for years, some for decades, flooring being a great example of one of them.

Most importantly, let’s all agree to join

this conversation because effective sustainability can only work when there is a consistent and unified understanding between suppliers, organisers, and exhibitors. We each have a responsibility to measure where we are currently using an agreed framework that works across the board. Without this, we will continue to be at odds with what we compare making it impossible to arrive at a mutually agreeable and sustainably beneficial solution.

Let’s collectively develop a strategy that moves us towards a more sustainable future together.

Essa.uk.com

Safeguarding at Events Gabrielle Austen-Browne of Diversity Alliance, in partnership with ABPCO, offers some advice and benefits on safeguarding your events.

As a people-led industry, we have a responsibility to ensure we protect individuals’ health, wellbeing and human rights from discrimination, harassment, and harm at all our events. ABPCO has recently partnered with Gabrielle Austen-Browne of Diversity Alliance to ensure its members are aware of the responsibilities and challenges that come with safeguarding.

Responsibility & Risk

With much greater awareness and expectations from individuals, safeguarding is now at the forefront of many conversations.

The risks are higher than many realise, particularly if a situation is not handled correctly. The impact could be as significant as sponsors or speakers not participating, which in turn could result in the cancellation of an event along with all the financial and reputational damage that could incur.

Managing this is therefore a shared responsibility between all event stakeholders, but Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) have a responsibility to inform clients and work with them to mitigate risks and resolve potential challenges.

Management

We recommend PCOs develop an event Code of Conduct (COC) and ask all stakeholders to agree to this as soon as they become part of the event planning team and process. A COC should be aligned with company policies and values and will allow individuals to understand what constitutes inclusive and appropriate behaviour.

Then if a situation arises, the COC acts as a framework to resolve and deal with challenges in the best interest of all parties.

As part of this process, it is also important to take the time to have reporting guidelines in

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place, giving individuals the confidence to come forward if necessary. Within this you should include a chain of command and provide training to your team.

Communication

When you have the tools in place, effective communication to all stakeholders is vital.

Use every point possible to disseminate your safeguarding position – website, registration system, joining instructions and also at the event, within the opening address for example.

Taking these steps will demonstrate that you are committed to hosting safe and enjoyable experiences for everybody at your events. It will have a positive impact on your reputation, with knock-on effects such as increased attendance.

For more information, please visit Diversityalliance.co.uk

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

THE CUTLERS HALL 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

Our dedicated hosts are on hand to ensure your day goes smoothly, catering for your individual requirements throughout.

Whether you book for a meeting, a special occasion or a large conference, you can be confident that we will make your day a success.

Something Different...

The days of stuffy boardrooms, un-appetising lunches and embarrassing team building exercises are long gone. Instead, at Château Rhianfa in Anglesey, we invite you to look at something different to accomplish your business objectives.

Don’t miss our Creative Clubs, Music, Singing, Producing, DJ, all things creative!

home@the-crescent.co.uk

01924 444 929 www.the-crescent.co.uk

01248 880090 · hello@chateaurhianfa.com www.chateaurhianfa.co.uk

40 The Crescent, Station Road, Batley, West Yorkshire (Opposite the train station, big building on the corner blue door!)

January 2024

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VENUE FOCUS

Long awaited Las Vegas’ new venue Sphere opened recently, and word is the king of US event venues could be opening a replica here in the UK soon. H&E North finds out more about the totally unique event space.

PHOTO: FORMULA 1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

is among the most expressive and life-like humanoid robots in the world. There are five robots around the Atrium, and each focuses on one fundamental aspect of human ability: connection, creativity, innovation, longevity, and productivity.

Futuristic venue, Sphere is redefining event venues of the modern event industry with stunning embedded technology. Boasting the world’s largest spherical structure at 366 ft. tall and 516 ft. wide, Sphere has the capacity for 17,600 seated and 20,000 standing. It may even become a contender for the Las Vegas strand of Event Tech Live.

PHOTO: SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT

Corporate packages

In a prime location, one block away from the Las Vegas Strip, Sphere also connects directly to the Venetian Expo. Its first-class amenities include luxurious seating with corporate hospitality offerings. Brands can be propelled to the skyline with its ability to

PHOTO: ICRAVE

change its 580,000 sq. ft exterior logo with the added ability to project 256m colours.

Audience experience

Promising a headphones experience without the headphones, Sphere’s sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, delivers crystal

clear sound to every guest no matter the size and type of event.

The immersive display plane wraps up, over, and around the audience as a fully immersive visual environment in 16K x 16K resolution – the highest resolution LED screen on Earth. Sphere also utilises 4D technologies to enhance storytelling and make audiences feel like they are truly somewhere else. Its 10,000 immersive seats utilise an infrasound haptic system combined with changeable environmental effects, such as changing temperatures and scents, so guests can feel the experience.

Virtual reality experiences

Great for some post-event corporate team building or social activities like no other, Sphere offers virtual reality entertainment or experiences which will be like nothing you have seen before.

Aura is the world’s most advanced humanoid robot – developed using the next-generation technology in robotic mechanics and artificial intelligence. Aura

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A completely virtual world once seemed the stuff of fantasy, but each day, we move closer and closer to our avatars blurring the line between the digital and practical planes. Sphere welcomes the next era of communication with avatar scanners, where guests enter the metaverse, and take home an mp4 keepsake.

Thespherevegas.com

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Glasgow’s specialist 4* Conference Hotel 360 VIDEO TOUR

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

Michael Gourlay | Business Development Manager T 0141 951 6006 E michael.gourlay@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk

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

A UNIQUE & UNFORGETTABLE SETTING FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT To find out more please contact the team on: sales@concordeconferencecentre.co.uk 0161 489 8299

Scan to visit our website

January 2024

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“ EXPECT MORE IMPRESS MORE

“

MEETING, CONFERENCING, TRAINING & EVENTS

We believe we have created a setting that will surpass anything you could begin to expect from a corporate events venue To us, every function is a bespoke event. We will deliver to your individual, exacting requirements

Find out more

crowwoodhotel.com 14

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Picture This

COVER FEATURE

gathering is hungry work so arrange to get a platter of pastries or nibbles to greet you at the door or to break up your meeting – the choice is wide.

Looking for a tranquil getaway for your corporate event or team building? Look no further than recently revamped luxury hotel, Langdale Chase in Cumbria, sat on the edge of Lake Windemere.

Leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city, busy motorways, and cramped trains, and feel your tension seep away at your first glance of Lake Windemere from Langdale Chase. There’s nothing like a change of pace and scenery to get new ideas pouring in at the enticing conferencing facilities at this Lake District hotel. Unique from other accommodation in the area, Langdale Chase creates bespoke corporate packages for each guest tailored by their requests of rooms, meeting area, food, team building opportunities, all with the beautiful backdrop of Lake Windemere’s edge on your doorstep.

With the help of General Manager Mike and his team you can create your ideal event, starting with your choice of the hotel’s two meeting spaces, The Dining Room which is fit for 18 delegates and The Sitting Room which holds 16. Both rooms have a spectacular lake view, especially from The Dining Room which

January 2024

Langdale Chase’s helpful team are committed to making your stay memorable which extends to making your time outside the hotel just as special as inside. Situated in a beautiful area between Ambleside and Windemere, the team can organise for you walking tours, boating trips, and paddleboarding lessons which make excellent team building sessions. They also host team building opportunities from the hotel including a tour of its historic gardens led by Langdale Chase’s own head gardener upon request.

has panoramic floor to ceiling windows. Each space can be set up in boardroom style and have included fast-connection WiFi and a large screen with casting abilities for seamless presentations. With the help of the Langdale Chase team you can request whatever special equipment you may need for your individually crafted experience.

Curating your own schedule at Langdale Chase also means you choose when and where you dine. Inspired by the Lake District and its coastline, Executive Chef Michael Cole has created a decadent and distinctive menu for guests to enjoy. New dishes are made using local produce – so you can rest assured that you and your delegates will be getting more than a sandwich and packet of crisps for lunch! Healthy meals will help your team stay full and focused during the day and the odd naughty treat is there for you whenever you want too. Your corporate

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Excellent advice is on hand for evening and social activities in the area including cosy country pubs, the area’s best restaurants, and a local independent cinema.

Langdalechase.co.uk

INDUSTRY OPINION

A Future Perspective AEV offers valuable insight for Event Management students through real industry experience.

To explore the perspective of future talent entering the industry, AEV gathered opinions from students taking part in its Academic Associate membership. The results demonstrated the power of work experience for students.

Hearing from people of my generation who emphasised the normalcy of changing career paths, especially in your mid-20s, resonated with me deeply. It provided reassurance and inspiration as I navigate a similar journey.

Anastasia Kozadinou-Metsi, Annouk Drost, and Anna Siegfried are all MA International Events Management students at the University of Greenwich. Each attended the AEV annual conference on 17th November at the QEII Centre, for a day in Event Assistant’s shoes as part of the initiative.

Annouk’s observations:

Anastasia’s view: The conference reinforced my interest in the events industry. I am determined to apply the knowledge and insights gained to shape my future career. Learning how to navigate audience preferences, understanding the intricacies of event organisation and maintaining a calm and respectful demeanour were invaluable lessons.

The “How Liverpool delivered the Eurovision Song Contest” session amazed me. They shared the stages of organising such an important event and undoubtedly did a great job, giving us a lot to learn from.

I enjoyed the GenZ session delivering compelling insights on the future of the events industry. I found their advice to discover more fields in the events industry before settling on a specific one valuable. I also found it noteworthy that they addressed the importance of mental health. It was a pleasure to listen to these three women talk about their careers and emphasise the importance of expressing themselves and sharing their opinions.

Anna’s takeaways: The speakers were fascinating, captivating and throughout awe-inspiring and I left the QEII with much food for thought. What kind of change agent am I? I theoretically belong to GenZ, but do I identify with the characteristics? There are so many key take aways but my top four are: • Continuous improvement – find and encourage that 1% that makes a difference in yourself and your team.

• Technologies drive change – AI enhanced technologies are already here, and I cannot wait for what’s to come.

• Every problem has a solution, be boldly you, enhance the individuality and diversity.

• Try everything and grow as a person!

You don’t need it all sorted out by 25!

Aev.org.uk

Aim High Kerrin MacPhie, Chief Executive of the Meetings Industry Association, discusses the importance of raising standards across the sector in 2024 and beyond for venues and suppliers.

The start of a new year is a time to set goals and aspirations. Over the next 12 months we’ll be continuing our quest to champion standards across the industry, and more importantly ensuring everyone knows how valuable our sector is.

To attract world-class business meetings and events, it’s essential that we market the UK as an accredited destination. A destination whereby no matter which region inbound buyers plan to host their event, they can be assured they’ll discover a wealth of quality meeting spaces featuring the finest facilities.

The last few years have been challenging, to say the least, and the emphasis has been on recovery. Now it’s time to review our businesses and test them against

industry standards and beyond through accreditation.

Marketing our venues and suppliers to the national and international markets will be much easier if we can clearly validate our brilliance. That’s why we’re encouraging even greater adoption of our nationally recognised AIM Secure accreditation in 2024, including our enhanced AIM Higher quality standard, which elevates an organisation’s service to another a level.

There are multiple benefits for businesses becoming AIM Higher accredited, which demonstrates to buyers that an organisation is of the highest standard in the UK. Assessments take place across a broad range of areas, including business planning, service delivery, customer

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service and business recovery. Venues who have achieved AIM Higher, have noted additional rewards from reduced staff turnover to a boost to their bottom line.

We are ready to assess those businesses willing to push themselves further. Are you ready to elevate your excellence? To find out more information, Mia-uk.org. Readers can also keep up to date with sector developments, guidance, and advice by following the Meetings Industry Association on LinkedIn and Twitter.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

We’re social

We are a UK leading conference & events team with a reputation that has been built on a breadth of knowledge, experience and an understanding of what our clients need for the ideal event.

Conferences, banquets, exhibitions and events from 20 to 2500 delegates 2707m2 flexible exhibition space Two theatres & multiple break-out rooms On site parking for 1650 850 Hotel rooms within 5 minutes’ walk Five airports under an hour away and great motorway links

For more information, email venuehire@armouries.org.uk or call 0113 220 1990

January 2024

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CLIENT NEWS

Checking In Community Kindness Renovates Venue In a remarkable display of community spirit, the iconic Xclusive nightclub and event space in Batley West Yorkshire, has undergone a transformative renovation without breaking the bank.

What makes this renovation truly exceptional is that it was achieved with a budget of zero, relying solely on the generosity of individuals and businesses who contributed their time, skills, and recycled or pre-loved items.

The project, originally facing the challenge of limited resources, embraced a sustainable ethos, utilizing recycled materials and second-hand treasures to breathe new life into its spaces.

The result is a testament to the power of collaboration and the impact a united community can make when driven by a common goal.

Countless volunteers and local businesses stepped up to the plate, contributing their expertise in joinery, design, and other essential skills. This grassroots initiative not only transformed a space but also fostered a sense of pride and ownership within the community.

The Xclusive Project serves as a reminder that impactful change can be achieved through resourcefulness, creativity, and the boundless kindness of those who believe in making a positive difference.

On Facebook @thenewxclusive

Unveiling the Artistry of Outdoor Events Step into the world of Tentickle Stretch Tents, where innovation and elegance intertwine to redefine outdoor events.

Since its inception in 2017, the business has evolved into a premier provider

Find out what’s going on at some of the region’s businesses! of Tentickle Stretch Tents and event accessories, meeting the dynamic needs of diverse markets.

The journey began with a vision to revolutionize outdoor gatherings, and today, with over 100 exquisite Stretch Tents and a fleet of four large vans, the business stands as a testament to passion and precision. What sets it apart is not just the quality of our tents but the immersive experience they create.

From enchanting weddings to pulsating festivals, corporate galas, and intimate garden soirées, Tentickle Stretch Tents adds a touch of magic to every occasion.

As the pioneer in the UK’s growing Stretch Tent trend, it has expanded its reach to cater to the burgeoning demand from pubs and restaurants seeking to elevate their outdoor spaces.

Tentickle’s commitment to excellence extends beyond products; it’s woven into its service. With a seamless booking system ensuring efficient project management, the team delivers not just tents but moments that linger in memory. Shape the future of outdoor events, where every celebration becomes a masterpiece.

Tentickle-stretchtents.co.uk

The Escape Key Builds Team Skills The award winning Escape Key has worked with more than 500 businesses providing fun and engaging activities that strengthen their teams and help improve staff wellbeing. An escape room can benefit your organisation and is great fun as well. What skills are needed in today’s workforce? You need great teamwork – no-one can do it on their own these days.

You need good communication – listening to everyone’s ideas, not just the loudest.

You need people who can think outside the box, work together efficiently, quickly and be cool under pressure.

At The Escape Key your colleagues will be locked in rooms for an hour. They have to solve around 20 interlinked problems – some verbal, some numerical and some skill based. The puzzles are tough, the games are set in immersive atmospheres against the clock!

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You need the same skills to escape from the rooms as you need for today’s successful businesses – teamwork, communication, creative thinking and working to deadlines. So hard to teach from a whiteboard, they need to be really experienced, ideally experienced together with work colleagues in a pressured environment.

Escape-key.co.uk

Sage Gateshead Rebrands to The Glasshouse NewcastleGateshead’s biggest cultural charity and major conference centre has been rebranded as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. Situated on the banks of the River Tyne, The Glasshouse was formerly known as Sage Gateshead.

It remains an independent venue and will sit alongside the planned new development of hotels, bars, restaurants, and venue which will be named Sage ICC, operated by ASM Global.

While The Glasshouse has a new name and brand, its commitment to great events remains at its heart. The organisation, celebrating its twentieth anniversary this upcoming December, has welcomed over 400,000 conference delegates and 4.7 million music fans in its first 20 years. Its success has contributed more than £500 million to the North East economy in its lifetime. From political party conferences to international associations, brand launches, and corporate events, the venue’s expert team continues producing the highest quality events.

As an independent organisation it works hard to achieve its charitable aims of supporting local communities, children and young people, emerging artists, and the music industry. Holding a conference or event here makes a direct and significant contribution to this valuable work. All commercial profits go back into the charity’s activity so your event will make a difference as well as a lasting impression.

Theglasshouseicm.org

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

North in Brief Property Improvement Programme Global hotel management company, Valor Hospitality, is overseeing the execution of a £16.4 million investment in a property improvement programme, renovating 1,331 rooms across six Hilton properties as part of its ongoing commitment to providing the best experience for guests across its portfolio of 34 hotels in the UK. The news comes shortly after the company rolled out NevayaOne, an in-room streaming service allowing guests to customise their hotel stay.

Five of the hotels are situated in the North: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Piccadilly, DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds, DoubleTree by Hilton Chester, Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham, and Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow.

All room renovations are anticipated to be completed by September 2024, with work already underway in Manchester and Leeds.

Brian McCarthy, President of Valor Hospitality UK and Europe said: “Our unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional experience for guests when staying with us, comes with ensuring our rooms are up to the highest standard.

We’ve overseen significant investment in refurbishments and upgrades to make our hotels feel like a home-away-from-home, so they’ll want to visit time and time again.”

Hospitality Unites for Walk for Wellbeing The hospitality industry stepped out for its annual Walk for Wellbeing hosted walks across the UK. The event has raised more than £88,000 for the industry’s leading support charity, Hospitality Action, with more rolling in by the hour!

On an unseasonably warm day, teams and individuals from some of the country’s top hospitality businesses walked 20km routes in six cities across the UK to highlight awareness of mental health in the industry and raise funds for Hospitality Action. Z Hotels, Dakota Hotels, and Placed App are just some of the businesses who signed up teams to walk the hosted events.

In the Midlands, the 20km route started and ended at Albert’s Schloss in central Birmingham, taking in green spaces such as the scenic Edgbaston Reservoir. Hosted

by Tonic Talent, the walk also covered

January 2024

parts of Digbeth, the city’s creative quarter and some of Birmingham’s historic canal network.

Up in Manchester the 20km route hosted by the Manchester Hoteliers Association passed two water parks, the River Mersey, and sections of the Trans Pennine trail.

Glasgow was not quite as lucky with the weather but many still braved the elements to walk 20km through Strathclyde Country Park with Davidson Asset Management hosting.

In total almost 900 people registered for this year’s hosted walks and Walk it Your Way walks which are sponsored by caterer.com and Peoplebank. The event has already raised over £85,000 and with funds still rolling in, it is expected Walk for Wellbeing 2023 will be the most successful in its fouryear history.

Delegates Unwilling to Travel Distance The Eastside Rooms’ cost of living impact survey reveals that organisers are seeing significant changes in delegate behaviour due to financial challenges. In particular, 45% have seen a growing reticence to travel long distances to attend meetings and events, causing the centrally located UK venue to support organiser in their work to bring delegates back to face-to-face events.

The Eastside Rooms, a leading, modern venue in the heart of England, conducted a survey of 125 event professionals from around the world in October 2023 to identify challenges and opportunities faced due to economic challenges.

A key finding from the report was that 83% of organisers saw an increase in event costs last year. However, alongside the impact on the organisers, the survey also explored differences seen in attendee behaviour.

Overall, the results showed that 35% of respondents are seeing a reluctance to attend events in person. However, this figure jumps significantly to 41% when it is broken down to just look at associations/ not for profits, compared to 25% of corporates.

Financial restriction causing a reluctance to attend in person has in turn led to increased virtual attendance across the whole sector, with 36% of all respondents seeing an increase in digital attendance.

With greater number dropping out of in-person conference and events, it is no surprise that associations and not for profits are seeing their attendance increasing online – 43% compared to 25% of corporates.

Athena Internship Programme Celebrates 10th Anniversary Athena Events Venue in Leicester is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its internship programme, which launched back in 2023.

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Discussing the milestone, Managing Director of Athena, Sandeep Singh, said: “Over the past decade we have witnessed first-hand how internships can be a powerful tool in developing the next generation of event professionals.

Internships are a crucial bridge between academic learning and real-world application, which is why our programme gives interns meaningful responsibilities and provides hands-on experience, rather than just administrative tasks allowing them to work alongside experienced professionals on live events. This approach not only ensures that interns gain practical skills but also exposes them to the intricacies of event planning and execution.”

One of the participants of the programme, Rebecca Walton, who is now working at Ashfield Event Experiences, said: “The internship allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of event logistics, customer service and problem solving, time management, event planning and execution, and I have been able to apply this knowledge to my subsequent roles.

Events rarely go exactly to plan and this experience allowed me to stay calm under pressure and make quick, effective decisions – a valuable skill when working in events.”

2024 Industry Trend Predictions Wyboston Lakes Resort and venue consultants has used its client knowledge to identify factors which have been influential in the UK meetings and events industries in 2023. Reporting on emerging trends it expects to play significant roles in 2024, it notes: ESG has become essential and sometimes decisive in the tender process.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations took centre stage and have been woven into tender processes’ becoming a deciding factor, signalling a new era in decision-making dynamics.

Growth in medium and longer term deals. The familiar rhythm of short lead business remained strong, but a discernible shift occurred, especially in sectors like professional services, where fixing in the medium term became a defining trait.

And yet more business reached out further into the future, signalling a trend towards thoughtful planning.

Greater scrutiny of cancellation and minimum number clauses. Clients, more than ever, scrutinised clauses, especially those revolving around cancellations and minimum numbers.

Informal festival style catering challenging formal dinner format. Modern and interesting Food and Beverage (F&B) concepts came to the fore. The Gala Dinner, while still relevant, faced competition from the allure of informal festival style options.

SUPPLIERS

COVID-19 brought cancellation culture to the fore, so we thought event planners should get their contractual house in order. Heather Stanford, Managing Director of Stanford Gould Solicitors, breaks down what suppliers need to protect themselves.

There are three main elements that you should consider when it comes to your legal responsibility to protect those providing (employees) and using (clients) your products.

Health and Safety Documentation Ensure that your health and safety documentation is meaningful and regularly reviewed and updated. This is not a tick box, ‘jobsworth’ activity. It might mean someone goes home to their family tonight.

Do you have a Health and Safety policy? If you have five or more employees, you must have a written policy. If you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down, but it is still useful to do so.

Look at your operation and practices – both the normal everyday stuff, and the one-off activities for a particular event.

Properly assess what you are doing and how you are doing it, to ensure you have identified and where possible reduced the risks of any activity. Write this down!

Evidence based practice in this area is essential. You should complete a Risk Assessment (what are you doing and where?) for the location, its spaces, and your activities, and where necessary a Method Statement (in simple terms the ‘how’ you are doing something) which sits alongside. Review and if necessary, update regularly and evidence this. Take advice from an events H and S specialist and do this properly. Your clients, your staff, your visitors, and your insurers will thank you for it.

Insurance Legally you are only required to have limited insurance cover for your business, but again, take advice from your broker about the advised correct cover for your activities. Almost all businesses will be advised to take public liability cover to insure for injury or loss based on the activities you undertake as part of your business, or in your spaces.

If you have employees, you must have Employers Liability Insurance to cover

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them for injury or loss at work. If you have changed what you do in your business – pivoted to a different style or type of service for example – make sure your insurer is aware and that your policy still covers your revised activities. Changes to your delivery need to be reported to your insurer or your broker to make sure your cover is adequate. Remember that your insurance policy conditions are usually a ‘condition precedent’ (they have to be adhered to if the policy is to be valid). So if you want to be paid if you make a claim, know what the conditions are, and make sure they are adhered to.

Contractual terms There are limitations on the liabilities you can exclude yourself from in a contract, so don’t assume if you exclude and disclaim everything, you will be on safe ground in the event of a problem. Contract law makes certain exclusions of liability – for example for causing death or serious injury by negligence – usually enforceable. Take advice. www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

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January 2024

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INTERVIEW

We speak to the very first venue finding agent in the UK, Peter Rand, and explore how he helped to shape the industry into what it is today.

Founding Father Peter Rand has had a long and fruitful career in the corporate events industry, and many major players at the forefront credit him as a mentor. Being the UK’s first venue finding agent, it’s no surprise that the mark he has left on the industry is considerable.

It seems that Peter was destined to work in the industry right from birth, as he explains: “I was born into the industry, in what is now the Royal Horseguards Hotel in London. It was apartments back in 1947 and my father was the house manager there. Wanting to get my foot in the door I was fortunate enough to get into Surrey University in 1965, which was the first university outside of America to offer a degree in hotel management.”

As an impressive career grew in hospitality, including managing a 4-star 100-bedroom hotel at the age of 24, Peter saw an opportunity that lead him to the then fairly new corporate meetings market: “Shortly after achieving my dream of being a hotel manager, I thought: ‘Do I want to do this forever?’ My ambition was to run my own business. I was working in this hotel which was very much focused on meetings and events and businesses would often say: ‘We can’t keep on coming back here, we’ve got to move this around the country. Where can we go?’ In those days there were a number of publications – AA guides and RAC guides – which helped people choose

where to go for their holidays, but no one to tell a company where they would be best looked after in relation to meetings and conferences.”

Peter set up his company based on the premise of how hotels pay tour operators commission to bring in coaches of guests, realising that they would likely do the same if he were able to bring in quality conference bookings. On 10th December 1973 Peter Rand Conference Placements was born.

Peter has also worked to improve the industry and is even one of the founders of one of its most prominent associations and H&E North partner, the mia: “My mojo was to raise standards in the industry. I was always trying to make sure that the best venues got the business, and the worst venues didn’t.

Back in 1988 we set up an industry code of conduct between venues and agents. That then developed into the Meetings Industry Association (the mia), which I was I was the Founder President of back in the early ’90s.

To this day they’ve lasted very well. In fact, during the pandemic it was the mia that the government quoted as to the impact that COVID was having on the industry.”

highlighted was the variety of venues which are available for corporate events: “There were very few non-hotels doing anything in the meetings sector. I’m not talking about the conference centres as a few non-residential centres were around. But in terms of residential mansion venues, there were very few of those at all. The very first one was Highgate House in Northampton, it had lots of rooms and was very focused on the meetings sector. There were very few unusual venues. I remember doing the very first conference at a National Trust venue. The hoops we had to go through to persuade them that actually it’s in their interest do corporate events!”

Peter has had the pleasure of watching the sector flourish into the powerhouse it is today over is 50 years in the business: “The meetings and events industry has certainly developed as an industry and a sector of hospitality since I started. With a level of expectation from customers which is much higher than it was. It’s an industry where the people running it, whether it’s agents or people in venues, really are proud of working within it, because they see contribution it is making to their clients.”

When Peter started out in the industry, it looked a lot different than it does nowadays. One of the main differences he

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www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

EVENT CATERING

Good Grub Gone are the days when delegates could reliably expect the catering at any event they attend to be a sit down meal consisting of the typical meat, veg, and a sauce – often served from a buffet table – which has been a staple of the event menu for decades. Nowadays, many events are leaning to the unusual, with an assortment of styles gaining traction, be it grab-and-go options or menus with a little bit of flair.

So what’s driving this change? The pandemic caused event caterers to have to completely rethink how they provided food at events. Contamination concerns gave rise to a plethora of creative workarounds from traditional buffets.

Foods which could be served in containers to each individual delegate, such as bento boxes, were a popular solution. As was easily cleaned and mobile catering concepts such as street food carts, which would allow service staff to hand over food and beverages to delegates with minimal contact. Both of these trends were such a big hit that they’ve stuck around post-pandemic.

The influence of social media also plays a significant role in the shift. People share their experiences online, and unique catering ideas can go viral, generating buzz for both the event and the catering service. This kind of exposure can be

January 2024

beneficial for both for catering companies looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive market and for event organisers looking to create a buzz surrounding their event.

We’re living in an increasingly globalised culture, with more access to exotic flavours and recipes than ever before.

There is a growing interest in diverse and exotic foods, as well as a focus on healthier and more sustainable options.

This means that, interestingly, both global and local are having their moment right now. Caterers are adapting to these trends by offering a wider range of menu choices and incorporating worldly flavours. Fusion cuisine and the use of local, organic ingredients are also gaining popularity.

The big question is: is this shift in catering styles going to stick around for good?

The NEC, Brimingham certainly seems to think so! The UK’s biggest event venue has recently opened a new street food area entitled StrEAT Kitchen, which will provide catering for events held at the venue. Katie Gordon-Hill, Event Manager at Fleet and Mobility Live, the first event to benefit from the new piece, said: “We’re really excited by the new StrEAT Kitchen concept at the NEC. It’s a gorgeously designed, relaxed, and informal setting that we think is much better suited to our

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GoodGrub

With the demand for new and out of the box catering concepts at events ever rising, we take a look at what is driving the change, and which new catering styles are making an impact.

event visitors. They can grab bowl food on the go and not have to worry about allocating time from their already busy schedules to sit down and eat.

“We love food that is easy for our event visitors with a fork in one hand and bowl in the other – and menus that will excite

them much more than any packet sandwich could. The StrEAT Kitchen is a great move for the team and we look forward to seeing its popularity continue to grow with guests and visitors.”

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Quality audio-visual equipment and technical support services for events in the Sheffield City Region Conferences d Civic Occasions d Formal Occasions & Banquets Official Ceremonies d Royal & VIP Visits Lectures & Demonstrations d Meetings & Debates Presentations d Press Conferences d Exhibition Displays Awards Ceremonies d Launch Events Wishing all our clients all the very best for 2024 from Paul and the team here at CVC. The Quadrant, 99 Parkway Avenue, Parkway Business Park, Sheffield S9 4WG

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SUSTAINABILITY

The wasteful nature of single-use flooring is often swept under the rug in the events industry so H&E North checks out some sustainable flooring options.

The Floor Is Yours Flooring is often forgotten when it comes to the sustainability agenda, with the industry’s most common approach being to use single-use carpets. This waste of resources is not only disheartening for eco reasons, but also because it is so easily avoidable. Two companies under the spotlight are MJ’s Event Services and Wow Grass, event flooring suppliers who can ensure a recyclable product.

Recently showcased at Event Sustainability Live to highlight the options that are available included Rewind products made from 100% recyclable polypropylene.

While traditional event carpets can be recycled, they contain latex, which requires significant volumes of water in their production. Rewind products are latex free meaning no water is required in the manufacturing process. This also means that the carpet does not have to go through a drying process.

This change in the production process means Rewind requires up to 85% less energy to produce with up to 55% CO2 equivalent savings when compared with traditional event carpet. Plus its a monofibre product – this means the pellets that are produced when the carpet is recycled are of a superior quality and help to reduce demand for virgin polypropylene in the plastics industry. Another benefit is that Rewind is lighter, meaning more product can be loaded onto fewer vehicles leading to greater transport efficiencies and a further reduction in the carbon cost of an event.

January 2024

The introduction of Rewind carpets is just one part of Birmingham firm MJ’s Event Services’ improved sustainability goals.

The company is a member of Carpet Recycling UK and in 2022 received their Take Back Partner & Collaboration Partner awards in recognition of their efforts at COP26.

Another direction you can go in is WowGrass, fresh, alive and soil-free wild grass, grown without any plastic, fibres, or polymers underneath. After being used, it is ready to be rolled up and easily used again for another client, then the company waters it, feeds it, mows it, and ensures it meets client standards before rolling it back out – the process is completely natural.

WowGrass is soil-free and clean, so its clients can lay the grass over tile, marble or carpets with no trace it was there afterwards.

Or if you’ve already arranged your flooring and want a sustainable short notice initiative, consider donating your

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carpet to a charity or community centre in need. Event Cycle accept carpets (but no carpet scraps) and by signing up to its website you can arrange for it to be collected and given to someone who needs it and you’ll get alerted to who you helped when it gets recycled.

Mjseventservices.co.uk Wowgrass.com Eventcycle.org

PROMOTION

“2024 is going to be our best year yet!”

That’s what we’re all saying right? Believe it or not there’s more to success than a great strategy, although this helps… a lot. Peter Drucker once said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, meaning that you can have the perfect strategy but without investing in people and culture, your strategy simply won’t have the foundations to reach its full potential.

The benefits of investing in team building are no longer a secret and is the reason why many renowned brands are making it a priority for 2024. With benefits such as employee loyalty and 10 times higher work ethic and innovation, it’s an opportunity not to be missed. But what’s new for 2024 and how can you maximise your team morale?

Team Building Company of the Year 2023 – Eventurous, has given us its top three ideas for doing just that.

64% of CEOs now believe that CSR is core to their business strategy. Known for its award-winning sustainability initiatives, Eventurous says it has been the busiest year yet for events that give back to people and the planet. This led to the launch of its charity team building range, including its Sustainable Team Cooking Challenge, which helps educate on ways to eat healthier, save money and reduce carbon impact.

Screen-free Learning Vision direct stated that the average adult spends up 4,866 hours a year looking at a screen! OUCH! With focus on wellbeing and face to face interaction on the up, more of us are ditching the online learning courses for alternative and fun ways to develop teams. Numerous studies show that fun and humour, improve learning and productivity.

Interactive entertainment In the age of remote working, getting return on our face-to-face events is crucial and delegate participation is key! Kieron Bowen, Sales Director of the Warwickshire based firm says: “As a result of the growing number of conversations we are having with clients about attendee engagement, we have introduced two new interactive entertainment formats. Bangers Bingo and Gameshow Mania – both of which can be added to a conference, gala dinner, or award ceremony.”

Led by energetic hosts, these activities guarantee to keep everyone engaged throughout. Exciting audio-visual brings the same feel and intensity of an authentic TV gameshow or party Bingo experience.

Bangers Bingo is no ordinary bingo, delivering dance offs, lip-sync battles, wacky prizes, and timeless bangers.

Gameshow Mania requires teams to battle through fast paced quiz rounds, inspired by the nations favourite TV game shows. Name the tune, go higher or lower, guess the phrase or make a word – there is fun for all.

Talking of fun and engaging skill development, if your team like to show off how brainy they are then The Lost Pages is for them. This new team building activity is unique to Eventurous and is designed to take teams on a journey through ancient temples and lost cities, as they search for the answers to the mind-bending riddles illustrated in the lost pages of an adventurer’s journal. A more practical yet cerebral option is Master of Tasks. This activity asks teams to to take on extraordinary challenges which they are guaranteed to have a blast doing so! These wacky challenges, require teams to think outside the box, using a range of skillsets to impress the master!

For more information or to see the full range of team building events please visit: Eventurous.co.uk

Team building company of the year 2023, Eventurous, gives us their predications for the sector’s trends in 2024.

People and planet team building 26

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

POST EVENT ENGAGEMENT

Feedback is one of the most valuable invitations to learn and build your technique.

But, in a world where we are bombarded by ads and online surveys, getting your delegates to give feedback is often akin to pulling teeth. At the very least, you can personalise your survey to the brand, and make them easy, fun, and worthwhile for its users.

Incentivise

It sounds basic, but “what’s in it for me” is many people’s mantra: So give them something: an entry draw or even a freebie, and don’t undervalue the information you’ll get, its gold dust!

An app for everything

Using the right service for your survey can make all the difference. If your survey moves smoothly, your user’s experience will be much better than an infuriatingly slow, disorganised, or difficult to interact with service. Try using services like Survey Monkey or Typeform where you can let your users focus on one question per screen to avoid overwhelm.

Game on

Game-like elements are a great way to interest your audience into taking surveys; this could involve putting a progress bar at the top of the page, using fun icons and emojis to rank likes and dislikes, giving points for answer speed, and having a leaderboard for completed surveys. These qualities can be achieved on Pollfish or by being savvy with your survey writing technique on any service.

Use your voice

Your survey should be an extension of your brand, which means you should use the same tone in the writing of your survey as you would communicate with your audience over social media or newsletters. Depending on how your branding allows it, you can get chatty, conversational, or even cheeky in how you speak to your audience. Surveys are all too often written in a formal or clinical tone, but it’s a well-known way to grab attention to subvert expectations of your audience. Don’t take yourself too seriously and create a survey as a friendly check in.

Get off on the right foot

Make it easy to get to the survey in the first place, this means the fewest steps as possible. QR codes are great for this and get miles more engagement than making your delegates painstakingly type out an intricate URL link.

The need for speed

Survey feedback may be important to you but it’s not on your delegates top priorities, this disparity of interest is often where over complicated surveys fail. Prioritise what you want to ask in your survey and ensure it can be completed in less than five minutes.

Too long and you’ll not only lose precious feedback but you also risk losing trust in your audience for future feedback opportunities.

January 2024

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Getting post event feedback is worth all the struggle it takes to get it. But how do we get it

AV

Open To All In the world of events, there is still a distinct lack of representation and inclusion of diverse communities and those with accessibility needs. Shouldn’t we hold ourselves accountable to ensure ALL voices are heard, so everyone feels welcome regardless of identity and status?

Ensuring diversity and inclusion in events is not confined to merely expressing antidiscrimination statements and citing your accessibility policies. It’s about bringing real solutions into place from the planning stage, in the content of the event, and through to the moment the door closes on the last visitor to your venue.

Sign language interpreters

Inclusive event apps

AV technology helps amplify the visibility of sign language interpreters either through live video feeds or direct onstage presence to enhance visibility for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Develop event apps with accessibility features, such as voice commands, screen reader compatibility, and customisable font sizes, to enhance the overall event experience.

A recent government report on inclusivity and diversity states that an inclusive environment helps to accelerate innovation, creativity, employment, and economic growth for everyone across the UK. On the flip side, the lack of representation and inclusion of diverse communities deprives events of valuable insights, contributions, and experiences.

Immersive AV incorporates various AV solutions to help events create a more accommodating environment for attendees with diverse needs. Here are several ways that AV can make a difference to your event today:

Multilingual interpretation

Real-time captioning and subtitling Live captioning or subtitles on screens can not only aid those with hearing impairments but can also benefit nonnative speakers and individuals with different learning preferences.

Assistive listening systems (ALS) ALS uses infrared or radio frequency technology to transmit audio directly to hearing aids or personal receivers.

This can help individuals with hearing impairments to ensure that everyone can hear speakers, announcements, and other audio elements during the event.

Audio descriptions Assisting those with sight impairments, audio description software can describe the visual imagery in your presentations.

For international events, AV systems can be used to provide real-time translation services, allowing participants to select their preferred language.

Remote participation Facilitate remote participation through live streaming or video conferencing, allowing individuals who cannot physically attend to engage with the event content.

AV systems can also display live feeds of presentations in various areas of the venue, allowing attendees with mobility challenges to access content from different locations.

Interactive technologies Immersive AV can incorporate interactive technologies, such as audience response systems and mobile apps, for polling, Q&As, and audience participation for those with diverse abilities.

Digital signage Digital signage at varied and adjustable heights can provide wayfinding and information boards for those who require wheelchairs or mobility assistance.

Interactive displays can provide engagement with hearing loops, audio descriptions and easy-to-understand wayfinding, all based on the user’s specific requirements.

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Accessible lighting and visual cues Use AV technology to implement adjustable lighting systems and visual cues that cater to attendees with visual sensitivities or impairments.

Noise management Noise-cancelling headphones or silent conference headsets enable quiet spaces, reducing ambient sound and providing a comfortable environment for individuals with sensory sensitivities.

While AV technology can significantly enhance accessibility and inclusivity, we also need to respect choices, be mindful of pronouns, and dietary preferences or other requirements.We need to match our content to our audience to ensure no one is excluded, move any barriers that may be physical or contextual and continue to respect our peers’ life choices.

Immersive AV is passionate about making events inclusive for all, using technology where required, building physical access where needed, and keeping our minds open at all times.

Immersive AV’s specialist team is ready to help and offer personalised advice to create a seamless event experience.

Visit its website or contact on the number below to learn more about how it can help your next event become more inclusive.

Immersiveav.com 0195 295 3500

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Decor Event Equipment Hire

Providing stunning enhancements to any venue with our lighting, dance floors and photo booths. Offering the highest standard of service with over 10 years’ experience.

01274 952 212

info@decor-event-equipment-hire.co.uk decor-event-equipment-hire.co.uk

www.promptingplus.co.uk

Technical Support for Exhibitions and Conferences

Script Prompting for cameras and events Full range of options available Latest equipment and fully trained operators Worldwide availability in all languages

AV, SOUND, VIDEO AND LIGHTING HIRE

for Exhibitions, Conferences and Events

Contact us for a bespoke quotation

NATIONWIDE & INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

Head Office 01527 877994 Manchester Office 0161 205 4433 Email Enquiries@promptingplus.co.uk

January 2024

Unit H11, Halesfield 19, Telford TF7 4QT Telephone 01952 587049 · www.press-red.com

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Live / virtual events Technical Production Broadcast Filming Live / virtual events Connectivity Technical Production Broadcast Filming Connectivity

Sharing bright ideas, seamlessly.

Sharing bright ideas, seamlessly. www.presentcommunications.com www.presentcommunications.com

Peace of mind comes as standard • Event management services – let us take the strain • Stage, lights, projection, streaming, recording • Structures, toilets, site design, H & S support • Provision of audio visual and lighting systems for any location

office@mgeventandsound.co.uk Anji Forsyth: 07837 370 714 www.mgeventandsound.co.uk 30

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

North in Brief CHS Birmingham to Continue Close Relationships CHS Birmingham recently announced the extension of its existing partnership agreements with both the ICC Birmingham and the Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau after the latest iteration of the show took place in the city on 31st October. The agreements have further strengthened the event and present a united front from the region as it looks to attract more events.

CHS Birmingham’s Strategic Brand Partnership with the Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau has seen the destination provide both partner marketing support and assistance to the show. The support is linked to its objective of targeting more MICE event professionals looking to bring events to the West Midlands. Meanwhile, the Founding Partnership of the ICC Birmingham has also continued to offer commercial support to the show while also assisting in its growth.

“We’ve always called Birmingham the centre of the UK events industry and we continue to be delighted by the warm welcome we’ve had since bringing our show here for the first time in 2021,” commented Emma Cartmell, CEO & Founder, CHS Birmingham. “Since then, we’ve grown, had to cope with the changes that a global pandemic brought us, and are now expanding. This year we had our best visitor numbers since we began and to do this takes incredible support. We thank both ICC Birmingham and Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau.”

SEC Expands Conference Sales Team The Scottish Event Campus has grown its conference sales team with the appointments of Hannah Rice as Conference Sales Executive, and Faye Williamson as Association Sales Manager.

The announcement underlines the SEC’s continued commitment to its conference business and to investing in outstanding talent to support the venue’s conference clients.

Faye and Hannah join the SEC’s already

January 2024

strong team with Faye bringing with her a wealth of experience within venue sales and operations. Before joining the SEC, Faye honed her skills at Gleneagles Hotel before being part of the teams at the Malmaison, The Rocket Group and 200 SVS. Meanwhile Hannah represents the business’s continued investment in early career talent and brings a passion for the events industry and a keen focus on delivering the very best of customer service.

“It’s exciting to be expanding the team to meet the demands of the market.

Faye and Hannah bring fresh thinking, energy, and agility to a very experienced conference team, helping us to mirror the needs of our clients,” commented Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales, SEC. “I am so excited to be leaning into the new era of conferences and events with such extraordinary talent.”

Meet In Wales Life Sciences Meet In Wales delved into the world of Life Sciences at IBTM, when the team introduced its sector specialist and ambassador, Dr Lee Parry. Dr Parry, who is on the faculty of Cardiff University, was introduced to stage by Meet In Wales’ Head of Business Events, Heledd Williams, before presenting a session entitled Life Lessons from a Life Scientist and getting to grips with how the event industry can support such work.

The team’s attendance at the show forms part of Meet In Wales’ campaign to align its meetings and events strategy with the expertise within the destination and has already seen it highlight the region’s advances in the worlds of semiconductors and renewables.

“Our sector-focused campaign has opened people’s eyes to the rich mix of businesses and sectors that call Wales their home,” commented Heledd Williams, Head of Business Events at Meet In Wales.

“We’re pleased to be able to bring Dr Parry to IBTM and introduce the world of Life Sciences to a new audience and work with our partners to truly showcase Wales as a meetings destination.”

Twickenham Goes Green Twickenham Stadium, the home of England rugby union, has further underlined its sustainability credentials with the receipt of another accreditation, this time from Greengage through its ECOsmart initiative.

The venue achieved Gold Standard from ECOsmart, with the accreditation joining other endorsements of the venue’s commitment to sustainable events, including, BS20121, ISO14001, and its own commitment to achieve net zero.

Equally, the venue has been a pioneer in sustainable event food, with a ‘Zero waste to landfill policy’ for the last eight years, a

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commitment to 95% of its food prepared and cooked onsite, using at least 80% British ingredients, and with all cooking oil recycled.

“We’ve committed to sustainable events over a very long period of time, but it remains vital that we continue to benchmark our standards and provide evidence to our customers on the quality of what we’re doing,” commented Nils Braude, Managing Director, Twickenham Experience Limited. “This is just the latest example of a highly credible organisation supporting what we do, and we’re delighted to have come in at Gold Level.

It’s a tremendous endorsement of our team.”

ICE Annual Report Shows Industry Concerns The In-house Corporate Event (ICE) community has outlined a series of growing issues affecting corporate event organisers and some of the solutions they are turning to as planners come under increased pressure on time and budget.

The findings are bought to life in the annual trends report, commissioned by ICE, with the support of Cvent, and have far reaching consequences outside of the corporate event community. The research showed organisers expressing anxiety over budgetary restraints, sustainability, pay and their role within organisations, however it also showed them finding new answers through event technology and resources across the event industry.

The most consistent subject within the research concerned budgets, ranging from the need to stretch event budgets, to the costs of freelancers and remuneration for event professionals.

Respondents all reported increasing fiscal pressure with inflation driving the cost of events up, while expectations also continue to rise. At the same time, a notable 52% of professionals expressed dissatisfaction with their current salaries.

Felicia Asiedu, Marketing Director Europe, Cvent added: “During a time when there are a wide variety of issues impacting the global economy, it is understandable that an industry such as ours would have its confidence shaken a little by situations beyond our control. However, the detailed report clearly demonstrates the resilience in the market, the positive outlooks held by so many individuals and the desire to seek solutions. The doubling of lead times; the huge diversity in freelance skillsets; average salaries on the increase; events as part of the marketing mix; and event technology now considered a partner rather than a tool – all these can be seen as huge wins for a sector that is firmly on the rebound and looking at significant growth opportunities.”

EVENT TECH

Wearable tech is a prevalent fixture of every day modern life already, with the most popular example being smart watches. It’s only a matter of time then, before this tech makes its way into the world of events. Whether it’s a one-off showstopping piece of tech that will have your delegates talking for days, or a practical bit of wayfinding equipment, the future of wearable tech might be closer than you think.

As wearable technology progresses and becomes more accessible, we speak to Mark Sullivan, Business Director at gther, to find out how it will impact the industry.

Mark Sullivan, Business Director at gther, is at the forefront of exploring the possibilities of new and exciting wearable tech. At one event, gther used a headset which monitors brain activity to allow delegates to race Scalextric toy cars with their minds, as Mark shares: “That was a Muse headset, and it’s just something a bit different, to create more of an experience. If you go to a normal tradeshow, you get given a bag, you walk around and are given leaflets and a free pen, but you don’t really immerse yourself and engage with the brand and the concept. With the Scalextric example, we were just thinking of new ways to do things a little differently and make some more meaningful engagements.” At large events featuring multiple vendors, the more memorable you are the better, if you want the connections you make to last beyond the day.

One of the big bits of tech that could make a difference to how we run events is augmented reality (AR) glasses. By displaying text or images over where users are looking, these can use used to help people to find their way around an event, or to provide extra information or context

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to displays. However, the question at the moment is how close are we to this at mainstream events? Mark believes you’re a few years out at least: “At the moment, a lot of the tech, especially the AR glasses, used to be quite big and heavy, and the battery life wasn’t very good. But the cost of those headsets is going down now.

There are secret bits of information being released that Apple are looking to release their AR glasses in 2026. And you just know that when Apple releases something, the world explodes.”

Even once AR glasses are more widely used, there is a question of how best to utilise the technology: “Obviously, you wouldn’t necessarily give all of your audience physical tech. What we’re going to find is that people are going to start to bring it with them. For example, with AR glasses, if we can pre-empt that and develop apps and think about how those experiences will look, we’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to mass adoption.”

There are a lot of options for what to do with the tech once people have access to it: “You can just imagine all of the different use cases, with wayfinding or interactive exhibits. For example, John Lewis recently had a Christmas ad campaign featuring a Venus flytrap. If they had a stand at an event, on the AR glasses a Venus flytrap could come out and bite you on the head!” With the technology available and progressing so quickly, there’s no doubt that in the next few years event organisers will be brainstorming new and memorable ways to engage delegates.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

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

Providing high calibre event staff, ranging from Brand Ambassadors to face painters

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.

Covering most geographical areas of the UK Extensive database of over 500 staff Competitive, flexible and adaptable, according to your requirements

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 www.rbgroup.co.uk M: 07805 434095

0121 572 0480 • carmellam@ctagencyltd.co.uk www.ctagencyltd.co.uk CTAgency LTD, Suite 3 The Gate House, 27 Gate Lane , Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5TR

The Bridgewater Hall MORE THAN MUSIC

Contact the Conferences & Events Team Tel: 0161 950 0000 Email: conferences@bridgewater-hall.co.uk www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

January 2024

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LEAGUE OF Looking for an exciting and unique location for your next event? Stadium Experience has got the ideal venue suggestions for you.

Stadium venues are unique and prestigious settings suitable for small and large events, offering adaptable spaces, award-winning cuisine, and breathtaking pitch views to add that wow factor. The variety of spaces make stadium venues great for meetings, conferences, events, team building activities, dinners, awards evenings, exhibitions and more. You can choose from intimate boxes, a variety of sized suites, break-out areas, pitch-side spaces or even host your guests in the changing rooms!

Stadium venues are often ideally located, offering excellent transport links and ample parking, and enthusiastic events teams to help at every stage. Adding a tour, or a player visit will give your event that special touch.

and celebrations. You’ll be sure to get a delicious meal for all your delegates since its Executive Chef has created exciting new menus from banquets to street food.

0743 624 2925 Enquiries@dn4events.co.uk

DONCASTER

Stadium Experience is a marketing collaboration of 50+ UK football, rugby, and cricket clubs. Here’s some more from our venues in the area...

HULL

MKM Stadium | Hull

GLASGOW

Hampden Park Stadium | Glasgow COVENTRY

Coventry Building Society Arena | Coventry One of the UK’s most versatile venues, it features a 32,000-seater stadium, 10,000 sq. metre conference and exhibition centre, 30 suites for conferences, exhibitions, and meetings, and can host from 10 to 6,000 delegates. It features a 121-bedroom hotel, casino, railway station and 2,000 car parking spaces – with 75% of the UK population within a two-hour drive.

0247 693 3444 Events@CBSarena.co.uk

The Home of Scottish Football and one of Glasgow’s largest and most iconic venues, this stadium boasts over 46 spaces – the largest can accommodate 500 delegates.

With luxurious Superboxes overlooking the famous turf, to a 240-seater tiered auditorium, it offers complimentary car parking, and is home to both the Scottish Football Museum and Hall of Fame too.

0141 620 4120 Hampden.park@sodexo.com

MKM Stadium is the home of Hull City Football Club and Hull FC Rugby League Club, and is the perfect venue for conferences, meetings, dinners, Christmas, and social occasions, for up to 400 guests.

Its seasonal hospitality packages offer fine dining, lounge entertainment, a matchday programme, and executive boxes for you to choose from.

0148 235 8327 Sales.office@wearehullcity.co.uk PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN SUTTON

EMIRATES OLD TRAFFORD

Emirates Old Trafford | Manchester

Eco-Power Stadium | Doncaster Its suites, ranging from small meeting rooms for 10 to their Legends Suite for 300, are suitable for a range of events from conference, exhibitions to private dinners

and Leeds Rhinos (SuperLeague RFL), the recently refurbished Executive Suite offers a contemporary space boasting a sophisticated bar area and panoramic cricket pitch views. The stadium has eight suites, 14 meeting rooms, 36 hotel rooms and capacity for up to 450.

0113 203 3899 Events@headingleystadium.com

HEADINGLEY

Headingley Stadium | Leeds Home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club

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This venue is a multi-purpose, awardwinning venue with a reputation for hosting world-class sporting events, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, awards dinners, Christmas parties and

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

SPORTS VENUES

THEIR OWN more! The venue boasts a 250-bedroom, four-star, on-site Hilton Garden Inn hotel with pitch-view rooms. With two on-site restaurants, Caffe Nero, many event spaces, 700-space car park and excellent transport links, it is ideal for Manchester events.

0161 282 4020 Conference@emiratesoldtrafford.co.uk

St James’ Park Stadium | Newcastle

Located in the heart of Newcastle UponTyne, the venue boasts 80 pitch-view boxes and over 10 suites, including a new Wing’s and The Rooftops. Its capacity ranges from two to 3,000. As an awardwinning venue, it continuously strives to enhance its stadium and offerings for clients.

0191 201 8525 Events@nufc.co.uk

LEEDS

Elland Road Stadium | Leeds

Elland Road’s Centenary Pavilion provides one of the biggest event spaces in the North - boasting over 1,500 sq. metres.

The stadium can host up to 1,200 guests across 13 suites and 50 executive boxes.

DDR rates start from £39+VAT with flexible packages available, and a dedicated conference and events team.

0871 334 1919 Conferenceandevents@leedsunited.com

Across 12 main spaces and accommodating up to 400 guests, 46 executive boxes and 883 parking spaces, the bet365 Stadium offers unmatched versatility for any event. Let their awardwinning hospitality and events team look after your next event, with room hire starting from £100 and DDR Packages from £42pp (inc. VAT).

0178 259 2211 Events@stokecityfc.com

AESSEAL New York Stadium | Rotherham This 12,000-capacity stadium offers unrivalled event space. With a choice of six pitch-view suites the stadium is the perfect setting to host an array of corporate and private events. Day delegate prices from £32 per person (min.

30 guests).

0170 982 7780 Aessealnys-events@elior.co.uk

Murrayfield Stadium | Edinburgh ST HELENS

Totally Wicked Stadium | St Helens The stadium is situated in-between Liverpool and Manchester, offering easy access to the M6 and M62, and numerous train lines. The stadium is an ideal venue for conferences, dinners, exhibitions and more. The stadium can host from 2 to 500 delegates, with a choice of facilities from small meeting rooms to larger suites, and complimentary parking, WiFi and stunning pitch-side views.

01744 455 056 Enquiries@totallywickedstadium.com

NEWCASTLE

January 2024

Bet365 Stadium | Stoke-on-Trent

ROTHERHAM

EDINBURGH

One of Scotland’s iconic landmarks and the home of Scottish Rugby, Scotland’s largest stadium boasts 22 flexible spaces accommodating 1,100 for banqueting and 600 for conference. With packages starting from £42 per person and complimentary parking, imagine arriving through the South tunnel or following in the footsteps of legends for your pitch-side lunch.

0131 346 5250 Enquiries@murrayfieldexperience.com

STOKE-ON -TRENT

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SUNDERLAND

Stadium of Light | Sunderland The Stadium of Light offers a range of events packages across 10 suites for up to 950 banqueting, and 450 for conferences.

Recently refurbished suites offer stylish, contemporary and versatile spaces. There is an onsite Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, 1,000 car parking spaces – the ideal venue to create unique memories.

0191 551 5094 Events@safc.com Hold your next event at one of our 50 plus UK stadium venues. Make your commission-free enquiry with Stadium Experience at: 0345 226 5494 Office@stadiumexperience.com Stadiumexperience.com

SPORTS VENUES

Place Your Bets

Racecourses are the ideal venue for your next corporate event.

It’s no secret that the trick to making a lasting impact with your event is to make it memorable. Racecourses might not be the first thing you think of when searching for a venue for a meeting or conference, but they can offer an experience unlike any other. Bringing a bit of buzz to the day, racecourses often have a distinctive and exciting atmosphere to entice your delegates with. The thrill of horse racing can add a unique and memorable element to a corporate event, creating a lively and engaging environment for some brainstorming or team building.

With 15 venues across the UK, Phillippa Clark, National Conference and Events Manager and Lexi Marlow, Conference and Events Marketing Executive from The Jockey Club know what race venues can offer: “Racecourses stand out as exceptional venues for corporate events, exhibitions, and conferences, offering a unique blend of elegance, functionality, and versatility. The expansive, picturesque surroundings that a racecourse can create an atmosphere that sets the stage for memorable and impactful business gatherings. The vast open spaces, often surrounded by lush greenery, not only contribute to a refreshing ambiance but also offer endless possibilities for event customisation.”

equipped to accommodate a wide range of business needs. Modern conference facilities, exhibition spaces, and state-ofthe-art technology seamlessly integrate with the historical charm of these venues, creating an unparalleled backdrop for corporate events. The inclusion of world-class catering services ensure that attendees are treated to exquisite dining experiences, further enhancing the overall event atmosphere.”

It’s no surprise that there are racecourses dotted in convenient and easy to reach locations throughout the UK, especially here in the north, in beautiful market towns such as Wetherby and Ripon: “The strategic locations of many racecourses, often with easy access to major cities, make them convenient and accessible choices for businesses. Additionally, the thrilling atmosphere associated with horse

racing adds an element of excitement to corporate events, making them not just productive but also engaging and enjoyable.”

It’s rare to find a venue that has the whole package in one place, outside of conference centres which delegates are often sick of visiting. Racecourses offer all of the facilities you need in a location that provides a breath of fresh air for conference centre weary delegates: “Racecourses offer a perfect fusion of functionality, aesthetics, and accessibility, making them truly fantastic venues for businesses to host corporate events, exhibitions, and conferences. The dynamic and versatile nature of these spaces ensures that each event is not just successful but leaves a lasting impression on attendees.”

As expansive and variable venues, racecourses have everything you could need on-site already: “The impressive infrastructure of racecourse facilities is

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www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

The Chestnut Room at Thirsk Racecourse offers a modern yet personable venue for a variety of occasions.

With tranquil views out over the Hambleton hills, across two storeys our facility includes a covered roof terrace for those moments of reflection across the racecourse.

• Private rooms and marquees suitable for 16-120 guests • Our Rowels boxes overlook the course • Claro suites provide flexible spaces for all parties • Award winning club restaurant

www.ripon-races.co.uk info@ripon-races.co.uk 01765 530530 Bespoke catering or choose from a range of simple packages from our award-winning catering partners CGC Event Caterers.

Wheelchair friendly with the main room on the ground floor.

One mile from Thirsk train station,two miles from the A1 and A19.

Unlimited on-site parking Free WIFI and use of audio-visual equipment included

Equipment Hire, Sales & Installations

07710 083 086

info@exclusive-entertainments.co.uk

Or join us for hospitality on a race day with 15 meetings in 2024 between April & and September, corporate packages from £99 pp

• Sound• Lighting • Staging • Stage Backdrop • Live Camera • Starlite Dance Floors

For all enquiries, please contact Erin Boswell on info@thirskracecourse.net or call 01845 522276

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

Find out more

A winning venue

• Competitive Day Delegate Rates • Ideal location - close to A1(M) with links to M1 and M62 • Renowned racing venue set in magnificent countryside • Flexible conference and exhibition space • Acres of FREE on-site parking and outside space

01937 582 035 www.wetherbyracing.co.uk January 2024

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SAT NAV: LS22 5EJ

TAKE A 3D TOUR

CHS BIRMINGHAM

G R E AT T H I N G S HAPPEN HERE CONFERENCES • MEETINGS • EVENTS • EXHIBITIONS W E D D I N G S • M AT C H D AY H O S P I TA L I T Y

B O O K N OW AT

T R E N T B R I D G E . C O . U K / C E L E B R AT I O N S 38

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

CASE STUDY

Game Changer

Agiito, winner of the Highly Commended Marketing Initiative of the Year Award at the Famtastic Rocks awards, tells us how they pulled off an award-winning rebrand.

Formerly known as Capita travel and Events and NYS, agiito made the decision to combine it’s specialist brands into one unified name and brand, agiito. The small team of five worked relentlessly to achieve the rebrand in-house, with little external help. Two years later at the Famtastic Rocks Awards agiito won an award for its technique and finesse in representing its company, a corporate travel firm, concisely and with commendable marketing expertise.

Two key figures in this project were Neal Poole, Director of Marketing, and Toni Nickson, Creative Director, who spoke to H&E North about their rebrand initiative and how it felt to begin during tough times for the travel industry, Neal said: “Doing a rebrand at any time is hugely resource heavy and costly. But we made a very brave and bold decision to rebrand just at the end of the pandemic which really helped boost morale because the team could come out of a tough few years as a creative brand that represents our people.”

Toni added: “All this was done with a really small five-person team. Just to give some sort of context, it took over 1,000 pages of collateral rebranded by the team, 4,000 individual graphic assets that had to be created, and 400 pages of guidance to be rewritten. And we even had everyone in the business to engage in these changes.”

our ties a bit and saying it how it is. So, your brand strategy must articulate your corporate strategy – you need to be what you’re trying to be otherwise the public will see right through it. So, I think 90% of the effort is engaging everyone around the business and getting them to feel that the brand is our culture.”

All the hard work clearly paid off since agiito, only two weeks after it won an award for its rebrand, was bought by Clarity Business Travel. Neal says: “The future has always had a lot of potential for agiito, but even more so now under new ownership. It’s going to be a really exciting journey to see how our people, brands, culture, personality and technology all come together as a combined business under Clarity Business Travel, resulting in something that will be truly special.”

Reflecting on their rebrand journey in its entirety, Neal and Toni spoke about the moment after the award when it really

Heading into the rebrand, it was crucial to agiito that it found an authentic voice.

Something which felt a little more simplified, representative of its work culture and, as Neal said: “More human.” Toni reflected: “Businesses now want people to talk truthfully and directly, we’re all loosening

January 2024

39

sank in and they realised what a success the rebrand had been. Neal says: “As a result of the change in brand we quickly began appealing to wider audiences and customers. When we won our first new customer as a result, it was a very proud moment.”

Toni added the moment of realisation came for her at the awards ceremony, saying: “For me it was when somebody came up and requoted one of our brand taglines back at us. She remembered it and she was using it herself like it had really struck a chord. I think its when you get that connection with your audience, that you know you’ve been successful in talking to them.”

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Loving Life If you missed CHS Birmingham this year, H&E North is here to give you the updates you need to stay clued up.

The latest CHS Birmingham experienced a 28% rise in attendance this year, of which 77% of all attendees were new to the event and would return the following year. The annual event industry conference turned its attention to the theme Love Life, encouraging event professionals to love every aspect of their events, careers, and their wellbeing.

This inspirational talking point for the industry was mirrored in its packed education programme which was filled with social media management tips, sustainability topics, wellbeing guidance, and the fundamentals of organising events. This year also introduced a new aspect of CHS, an exclusive lounge for PAs, EAs, and office managers as a meeting place with its own education programme led

by Lyndsey Taylor from Park Lane Events.

Highlights of the education programme included the panel session titled, Putting Your Values on Show: Up Front and Behind the Scenes, which was a conversation between Meg Strahle from The Bulb, Emma Ord from Major Event Planning and Operations, and Gabby Austen-Browne from Diversity Alliance. The trio spoke about balancing your companies’ values of diversity and sustainability by questioning what these subjects mean to us individually and as a community. Another intriguing session came from Neil Thompson of Delegate Wranglers who led a talk titled, How Can You Make Social Media a Safe Space? Which addressed creating a positive platform for your business in an otherwise intimidating and often negative environment of social media. Ending

the day was A Positivity Workshop, Leaving CHS Birmingham with the Right Mindset by Motivational Speaker, Nick Elston, who was a much-anticipated final spot in the education programme bringing boundless energy and welcome reflections about how we see ourselves and our changing industry – a fantastic end to the conference and start to the post-show networking.

Exhibitors this year included the Midlands top venues, suppliers, and team building experiences. Academic Venue Solutions, the UKs only consortium dedicated to supporting academic venues with over 50 venues across the UK for you to choose from; Farm Adventure, experts in outdoor team building activities joined with gorgeous meeting and accommodation spaces, and Indigo Promotions Limited, providing sustainably branded products for your event made from sustainable bamboo were a few of the many.

Next year’s CHS Birmingham is already set up for 29th October 2024 at the same location, ICC Birmingham. In the meantime, you can stay up to date with CHS with its Love Life Live Well podcast hosted by CHS Founder Emma Cartmell. Emma interviews top thought leaders and influencers from the event industry, the podcast can be accessed on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Radio Public, and Spotify. If you didn’t manage to attend the event there is a special CHS Birmingham mini-series on the podcast just for you.

Hello-chs.com/birmingham

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On Show

Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability Live joined forces offering event planners two information packed shows with one ticket. Emily Stone was there.

Say goodbye to FOMO as we share all the best bits of both Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability Live. Back in November, the two shows shared one hall in ExCel London for the first time. With engaging speakers aplenty and a raft of great exhibitors around the industry’s hot topics, it kept us busy throughout the day.

One of the first sessions of the day on the sustainability side of the room was a talk by Jonathan Berry of Tyler Grange, a last-minute swap from Simon Ursell, who couldn’t make it on the day. Jonathan’s topic focused on the social side of sustainability: ‘Creating more sustainable careers and businesses through reduced

hours and shorter working weeks.’ The talk explained how Tyler Grange had improved productivity and staff wellness by switching to a four-day-week, a topic which is still highly debated. Jonathan stated: “So many of us do things in our working life that we never challenge.

January 2024

Are you working in the most efficient and productive way you can be?”

Over on the tech side, Paul Richardson of VividInk, Richard Belcher of First Sight Media – which streamed the talk – and Neil Thompson from Delegate Wranglers, discussed ‘Hybrid and virtual events, don’t drop the online value in the rush back to in-person events’. Richard said: “I think that there’s an element of virtual in all events.

I think hybrid is a confusing term that we bounce around. If you think about this stage and this show, we’re streaming it.

Also how do you register? You do it online.

Have you engaged with the app? That’s online. Actually, virtual is a very good chariot for spreading your content as wide and as far as you can.”

Later on, at the sustainability main stage, the topic of sustainable power was under discussion. Among many other options which were explored in the session, Jenny Samuels from Festival Republic offered insight into running outdoor events from National Grid power, as a sustainable solution. As the National Grid moves increasingly into sustainable power sources, getting hooked up to it is one of the best options for reducing your event’s carbon footprint. However, one of the debates around this track is whether it is possible to power everything the event needs on the National Grid. Jenny was ready to explain that this is usually entirely possible: “My initial goal is to start with the main stage, which is the most contentious

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part of the show, because if that goes down, you don’t have a show. We’ve been investigating it for a while and we’ve found that it is in fact feasible to put a main stage onto the National Grid. They tend to use less power than the people using them think.”

In the final session of the day, panellists came together to discuss how to use tech to give delegates what they really want: in-person meetings. On the subject Richard Barnes, CEO of Worldwide Events,

had this to say: “For us, events have always been about meetings. We set out with a mission to produce events which would give people good business relationships.

What data does is allow us to find ways to give people better relationships and to form more meaningful connections.”

ON LOCATION

A Canny Place to Meet Newcastle and Gateshead both provide dynamic backdrops, allowing event organisers to create an unforgettable experience.

Newcastle is a city steeped in 2,000 years’ worth of history in the North East of England.

Built up from the banks of the River Tyne, the city’s seven iconic bridges connect Newcastle in the north to Gateshead in the south. The city’s rich heritage is twinned with impressive innovation, world-renowned nightlife, and an exciting independent cultural and food scene. Locals are a canny* lot, bursting with Northern pride and welcome visitors from near and wide with open arms. Find out exactly why Newcastle is increasingly the go-to host city for national and international conferences and business events.

Newcastle benefits from its proximity to stunning coast and countryside, providing venues, accommodation, and social activities for all sector interests. Although one of the northern most cities in England, Newcastle is extremely well-connected with London, Edinburgh, and Manchester all accessible via train in under three hours.

The international airport, which was recently awarded Airport of the Year at the Routes World Conference, connects the city to almost 80 destinations worldwide and the ferry port connects the region to northern Europe by sea.

the UK for accommodation and catering in Newcastle and Gateshead and with over 7,000 city centre bedrooms within a 20-minute walk from major venues, there is ample choice for delegates with ranging budgets. With industrial heritage and worldleading research and industry innovation in digital and tech, health and life sciences and tourism, Newcastle and Gateshead provide a strong backdrop for events that want a cooler, more dynamic alternative that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Organisers thinking of Newcastle or Gateshead for their next conference can benefit from a passionate and experienced team at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau to help them bring their event to life. The award-winning team are dedicated to helping organisers secure

Hosting business events here also makes financial sense. Organisers can expect some of the best delegate costs per person in Continues on page 51

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A VENUE WITH A COMPETITIVE EDGE LARGE CONFERENCE SPACES (HOLDING UP TO 900 GUESTS) CORPORATE PARTIES AND CELEBRATIONS VERSATILE EXHIBITION SPACES PITCH VIEW MEETING ROOMS

TO BOOK CALL: 0191 201 8525 EMAIL: EVENTS@NUFC.CO.UK SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

- specialists in audio-visual and production management - experts in video production and live streaming - bespoke props and room dressing

big purple group is a family run event & production management company. we work hard to produce inspirational events that leave a lasting impression.

Blu Meets Green • Carbon neutral meetings • Riverside/Waterfront venue • Meeting space for 400 • 207 bedrooms • Onsite Health Club & Spa • Durham central venue, less than mile from Castle, Cathedral, central shopping • Walkable to train station but also have onsite car parking

Please reference BLU&GREENAD when enquiring www.radissonblu.com Radisson Blu Durham Frankland Lane, Durham. DH1 5TA 01913727200 events.durham@radissonblu.com

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COMPETITION

Crowning Glory experience is curated by talented Crowne Plaza Newcastle culinary chefs who provide regular refreshment breaks and lunches at Hawthorns, the offers comprehensive hotel’s modern brasserie specializing in authentic local food. Delegates can meeting and event indulge in dining that complements the overall conference experience. spaces in the heart of If you need to get your team together Newcastle.

When it comes to hosting a conference that seamlessly blends sophistication with functionality, look no further than Crowne Plaza Newcastle. Nestled in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, this premier venue offers an exceptional setting for your next conference. With a variety of versatile rooms, an expert team, and a range of amenities, Crowne Plaza is committed to ensuring the success of your event.

One of the standout features of the venue is its array of conference rooms flooded with natural daylight, thanks to floor-toceiling windows that provide doorstep views of the vibrant city of Newcastle. The jewel in the crown is the Stephenson Suite, designed to accommodate conferences and large meetings ranging from 60 to 500 people, depending on your preferred room layout. The modern design and ample space make it an ideal setting for any professional gathering.

Crowne Plaza Newcastle is not just a hotel; it’s a purpose-built venue dedicated to delivering an unparalleled conference experience. With premier accommodation, delegates can unwind in comfort and style in the hotel’s guest rooms, offering a relaxing retreat after a day of conference activities.

When putting on your event, you don’t need to worry about a thing as the venue has its own on-site catering team. The

during your stay, the hotel boasts modern conference rooms equipped with cutting-edge technology and high-speed Wi-Fi. These spaces seamlessly blend functionality and sophistication, providing the perfect environment for productive meetings.

The success of any conference lies in meticulous planning, and Crowne Plaza Newcastle takes pride in its experienced events team. Working closely with organisers, the team strives to understand unique conference requirements and objectives, ensuring that every detail is tailored to perfection. From initial concept to the execution of the event, the events team is dedicated to delivering a seamless and successful day.

For those seeking the perfect blend of sophistication, functionality, and convenience, Crowne Plaza stands as an unrivalled choice for hosting conferences.

With state-of-the-art facilities, comfortable accommodations, delectable catering, and a team of dedicated professionals, this venue sets the stage for a conference experience that exceeds expectations.

Choose Crowne Plaza Newcastle for your next conference and elevate your event to new heights of success.

Cpnewcastlehotel.co.uk/meetings

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COMPETITION For your chance to win an overnight stay for two including breakfast and dinner, please answer the following question:

What is the maximum number of people the Stephenson Suite can accommodate?

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: 2nd February 2024 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 Crowne Plaza Newcastle’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.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Have great fun while benefiting your business in an Escape Room!

Today’s workforce needs great teamwork - good communication - listening to everyone’s ideas, not just the loudest. You need people who can think outside the box, work together efficiently, quickly and be cool under pressure.

60-62 St. Andrew’s Street, Newcastle

0191 468 2068

www.escape-key.co.uk

Coco Luminaire started in 2010 in the North East, the first illuminated prop hire co. outside of London.

We manufacture and hire out glass neon signs and LED neon. The glass is hand made with tubes, bent into shape giving a super cool effect.

We also have 5ft ivory, 4ft wooden and 1st steel letters, LOVE, hearts, stars and more. www.cocoluminaire.co.uk hello@cocoluminaire.co.uk

07793 971 294

Located in the heart of Newcastle city centre with 251 bedrooms and 9 purpose-built meeting rooms Luxurious Mineral House Spa including gym, indoor heated swimming pool and beauty treatments Contemporary local cuisine in Hawthorns Restaurant ∞ Premium gins and cocktails at The Gin Bar Conveniently located close to local attractions

0191 562 3333 sales@cpnewcastlehotel.co.uk cpnewcastlehotel.co.uk

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Check In With stress levels in the industry on the agenda, we speak to Louise Hodgson, Owner of Aspects Wellbeing to understand when and why an awareness of mental health in the workplace is important.

feel would help create an open and positive environment. Also think about how to support senior managers, this could be manager specific team meetings or in smaller companies trying to set up something similar with companies in the same building or location.”

Workplace mental health has come into the spotlight in recent years, highlighting how important stress reduction is to our long-term health and short-term office environment, factoring into everything from interpersonal relationships to how many sick days we take. But after highlighting the issue in conferences and articles, has raising awareness led to changes and are we on the right track?

Louise Hodgson is Owner of Aspects Wellbeing, a company which runs workshops to support good mental health and encourage open communication about mental health within the workplace.

Louise weighs in: “There’s certainly more awareness, particularly since COVID, so I believe we are on the right track, though we need to continue efforts. It’s now more about what we do with that awareness. There seems to be a shift in employee expectations around employer support of wellbeing, mental health, and work/life balance. Where these are realistic, businesses need to keep putting appropriate support in place.”

A vital factor to this conversation is knowing when support is needed, since you can’t receive the appropriate support if you’re unaware of why it’s needed.

Changes to your mental health can be imperceptible especially if changed slowly overtime. If you’re not used to acknowledging your emotions your mental health changes can even come out in physical symptoms, the most common of which are weight gain, unexplained aches and pains, a lower immune system, and a lack of concentration. Louise says: “Changes in our own or someone else’s behaviour or appearance are possible

signs that we or they are struggling.

Some common signs are feeling agitated or restless, finding it difficult or harder to cope with everyday things, being distant, not wanting to talk to or be with people, feeling tearful, using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with feelings, lack of motivation, reduction or stopping hobbies and activities you usually enjoy.”

Once you can identify that yourself or someone you know has experienced a shift in their mental health it’s time to think about support, Louise advises: “The sooner you speak to someone the better and it doesn’t have to be somebody at work. Check out any self help support the company offers or via the NHS or charities such as Mind and its websites, explore any employment assistance programme or occupational health offer, contact your GP, or speak to a trusted supportive friend or family member.”

It is also the responsibility of your employer to make mental health support known to their employees and easy to access.

Investing time into making the office a safe space concerning mental health can earn you significant rewards, an article by Forbes noted: “Reduced absenteeism, reduced presenteeism (people who were present at work, but not productive) and increased job performance” were all achieved by paying attention to mental health in the office. Louise recommends tips for employers: “Simple things like regular check-ins with everyone, asking how everybody is, perhaps asking what hasn’t gone well, offering a daily online coffee room where employees can drop in for a chat. Ask employees what they

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Unfortunately, mental health care is a highly complex subject not only being divided by factors such as gender, wherein a study by HDR UK showed that only 36% of NHS referrals to a therapist are for men, but also by sector. People in fast paced careers may be less likely to receive help for stress and anxiety if they believe stress is a common part of their job. Just under one in four people in the hospitality industry (Cambridge University) and one in three people in the events industry (Moriarty Events) reported having problems with their mental health.

It is more important than ever to consider utilising stress management techniques, Louise says: “Self-care, down time, and switching off are really important. Some techniques worth trying are mindfulness, creating a peaceful calming image in your mind, breathing exercises, having a bath or shower when you get home to wash away the work day, spending time with friends and family, relaxing, taking a walk or doing some exercise.”

Aspectswellbeing.co.uk 5 Top Tips to Reduce Event Stress Set Boundaries - Say No Practise Good Time Management and Delegation Plan Rest Time Afterwards Eat and Sleep Well – Use Mindfulness Techniques to Relax Prioritise Your Self-Care The EventWell® mental health hub has great tools to help you manage your mental wellbeing at Eventwell.org

Make it iconic The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

New name. Same great home for spectacular events.

Every single day we create events that make people feel something. Or do something.

Home to two beautiful auditoriums, distinctive function rooms and unique breakout spaces.

Our crowning glory? The large central concourse space used for exhibitions, dinners and parties.

conferences@theglasshouseicm.org 0191 443 4657

And the cherry on top? We’re a charity.

We empower and inspire people through music. So your event will make a difference as well as a lasting impression.

We’d love to hear from you, so get in touch and let’s make your event unforgettable.

INDUSTRY OPINION

Book Up Sian Sayward, Chair of beam, explores how Instant Book is making an impact on the industry and the benefits to venues. beam has been working closely with Venue Directory, supporting the development of Instant Book. Following up on the Instant Book Summit in July 2022, there was an engaging discussion at the beam Annual Forum. Taking part were Jason Gutteridge from Venue Directory, Danny Yates of Clermont Hotels and Anna Snoep of Inntel and Caroline Medcalf of Agiito sharing the views of agencies.

We went back to them for their latest thoughts on this key topic.

The Benefits

‘Time-saving and greater efficiency’ was the common view with Caroline Medcalf adding that Agiito has increased its operational efficiency by 30%. Anna Snoep reflected the views of all saying

that everyone can give more attention to more complex meetings providing increased quality of service to the client. Danny Yates added that clients appreciated the flexibility in when and how they book simple meetings, including outside office hours.

Current Momentum

Jason Gutteridge quantified this: “We have certainly made significant progress, with the number of venues with Instant Book available on venuedirectory. com recently increasing by 25%, now exceeding 1,000.” Caroline Medcalf confirmed: “There is a huge amount of interest and once people have tried it the response is incredibly positive.”

The Future

“Instant Book must continue to be for simple meetings, essentially a meeting room with standard refreshments,” say Jason Gutteridge. Danny Yates agreed: “Simplicity is the key and if inventory is available to book instantly with immediate confirmation this will ensure it becomes a normal way to book small simple meetings.” Jason added: “More venues need to prioritise becoming ‘Instant Book ready’ as the benefits are undoubtedly worthwhile.”

Beam-org.uk

R&B Group is a ‘full service’ corporate event production supplier.

For over 30 years our multiple awardwinning AV teams have produced thousands of conferences, awards, product launches, event broadcasts and staff updates.

R&B have extensive stocks of AV equipment, in-house set design and build facilities, video production and creatives that can help with your presentations, animation and graphics.

WE ARE A TRUSTED PARTNER FOR HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS & YOUR DEDICATED PROJECT MANAGER WILL ENSURE YOUR EVENT PRODUCES THE WOW FACTOR WITHOUT YOU BEING STRESSED!

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

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SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Signposting What sustainability accreditations could mean to your business and is it worthwhile to get certified?

Sustainability accreditations have soared in the past five years with businesses accumulating more and more badges after their name deeming them sustainable, but what are they and is it worth the hassle to get certified? Accreditations show an event agency or venue has met a standard of ethical practice in its business and that it will continue to maintain its high standard of sustainability practice.

This credibility provides an instantly recognisable emblem to attract new clients, immediately alerting them to the ethical values and practices of your company. Your business may even already be meeting the requirements, so take a look at these top certifications specifically catered to the events industry and find out more.

Green Tourism | Green Meetings

A new accreditation by Green Tourism, the Green Meetings accreditation is specifically for meetings and events and can be achieved at a gold, silver, or bronze.

Northern public and corporate sector venues which are already onboard include: Manchester International of Leeds Conference Centre, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Manchester United, and Leeds University.

Green-tourism.com

B Lab United Kingdom | B Corp

Run by B Lab United Kingdom the B Corp certification is a popular option, suited to both agencies and venues to show they are sustainable in practice and meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Certifying takes seven easy steps, eligibility, pricing, the B impact Assessment, B Corp legal requirements overview, the review process, reporting your impact, and joining the community. With over 7,800 B Corps around the world across 161 industries, B Corps have been shown to out-perform their peers in several areas such as increased customer loyalty, higher level of innovation and market leadership.

Bcorporation.uk

IACC | Green Star Certification

Best suited to venues, the IACC Green Star Certification ensures they have sustainable practices in the following areas: education, awareness and public declaration, waste management, recycling, reuse, water conservation, purchasing, energy management air quality, and food and beverage. Depending on how much of the code is adhered to will determine the standard members can achieve, 100% is a platinum tier, 85% is gold tier, and 75% qualifies for the silver tier. Members are required to update their status of adherence annually to maintain their standard.

Iacconline.org

BSI| ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management

Aimed at event agencies, the ISO 20121 has a project management focus to event sustainability. Its attainment demonstrates you can plan, manage, and deliver events in a sustainable way. BSI gives you a formal assessment, with an optional pre-assessment service to cut down on time and cost, before providing you with an IISO 20121 certificate which is valid for three years. Throughout the three years your assigned client manager will make regular visits to ensure your standard of sustainability is not only maintained, but continually improved.

Bsigroup.com

Greengage | ECOsmart

Greengage describe ECOsmart as the gateway to a more sustainable future in the world of event agencies and travel management companies. This service uses an online survey to understand where you are now and how you can start to make real change, following which will be handed a tailored roadmap with practical and clear steps to guide you towards your accreditation. More than just a certificate, with an ECOsmart accreditation you receive a comprehensive report, certification and marketing collateral to help you promote your commitment to sustainability.

Greengage.solutions

January 2024

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Continued from page 42

the best rates and venues with a tailored service to ensure delegates have the best possible experience while at conferences in the North East. This can be anything from hosting familiarisation visits, sourcing local support services, venue finding and accommodation sourcing, and even organising red-carpet welcomes.

Earlier this year, the Memory Studies Association (MSA) held their first ever UK conference in Newcastle. Having previously been held in major cities such as Seoul, Warsaw, and Madrid, the event was hosted

by Newcastle University in 2023. The city’s strong academic links, varied venues and long history of activism and heritage were key drivers for organisers choosing Newcastle as the host of the conference.

As the home of the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) Newcastle is a world leader in the longevity economy and pioneered Ageing Intelligence, exploring how people can live happier, healthier, and longer lives in an urban environment. This is another key asset which attracts health

January 2024

local suppliers which in turn boosts the social impact of events taking place in the region.

BeaconHouse Events, a leading events company in Newcastle and partner of the convention bureau has partnered with environmental charity, Groundwork NE & Cumbria to ethically offset its carbon output as well as drive change in the industry.

and life science conferences to the city.

Similarly, Newcastle and the wider region’s QCC ‘Outstanding’ NHS Trusts are often attributed as reasons for choosing the area having undertaken the likes of the UK’s first heart transplant performed on a baby and pioneered the use of Silver Diamine Fluoride, a new and innovative minimally invasive treatment for decayed teeth in young children. The latter of which played a key role in bringing the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry Annual Scientific Conference to Northumbria University in September this year.

Looking toward the future, the importance of delivering sustainable and inclusive business events and conferences has swiftly become a key priority.

NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau continues to work with hotels and venues in the city to support and develop the accessibility of their businesses for visitors with visible as well as invisible access needs.

The team is also committed to driving and encouraging sustainability in the business events sector, introducing organisers to

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In a year which saw the Convention Bureau team generate over £1 million worth of new enquiries, the future is bright for business events in the region. The sector was able to recover quicker than expected postCOVID as the passion and high quality of service from venues and hotels shone through despite the challenges. The entire region and supply chain can also prepare to benefit from the new international conference centre, The Sage ICC which will take shape on Gateshead Quayside in the coming years, sitting in between and complimenting cultural icons of The Glasshouse Centre for International Music and The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

Looking for an exciting and dynamic place to host your next conference? Get in touch with NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau today: Meetnewcastlegateshead. com *Northern term for pleasant and nice.

EVENT TECH

On the Clock!

Use short form content on TikTok to engage your event’s audience.

Think it’s just for kids? So come on Event Profs, how many of you are using TikTok for your events? If you aren’t, you should be!

Tik Tok’s audience exceeds 1 billion, and is the most downloaded app currently, critically with over half the users are over 30.

Get them involved Create a challenge for your attendees and give them a hashtag to use so you can see how they’ve been engaging with your event. This can also be a great way to incorporate a competition into your event, since you can see everyone whose submitted a video to your hashtag you can easily pick a winner.

Create a buzz Get your event noticed and create content to announce the event and tease its special features to pique your audience’s curiosity. Generate excitement for your event and start an event countdown. According to eventtia, 29% of TikTok users open the app daily and multiple times, this is a perfect opportunity to provide daily teasers leading up to your event such as revealing the speakers, the event’s theme, the top exhibitors, entertainment – anything! Just make your viewers feel like they’re getting closer and closer to something big.

Get discovered

what algorithms do best. The best way to encourage an algorithm to sending your content to its intended audience is by being savvy with the hashtags you use in your description. Investigate in your target audience’s subcultures and micro communities and create content for them.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 Making short form content especially in the likes of trends and challenges doesn’t have to be original at all. Scroll on TikTok for an hour and you’ll find that plenty of jokes, trends, songs, sounds, and text are all the same, they’re just rehashed to be specific to the creator. Do some research, find the trends applicable to you, then recreate it with your own spin. Since these are already trending videos it’s more likely that people will be recommended yours.

Behind the scenes Everyone likes to think they have some insider knowledge or that they’re in on a secret. Use your TikToks to let your audience think they’re being treated to something special, unique, or extra for following you there. You can show timelapses of setting up time, informal Q&As with the team before the event starts, or give your audience a behind the scenes tour. Let them in on the secrets of the event and they’ll want to be there to see the final product even more.

Although it might seem counterintuitive to rely on your audience finding you, that’s

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Quick tips to beginner’s social media from Grace Hughes, Social Media Manager at Apprentify.

• Create a content calendar a week in advance.

• Check the news every morning so you can be on top of trends.

• Create a yearly National Awareness Calendar so you can plan content around this in your calendar.

• Ensure content going onto each channel is relevant, don’t just share the same post everywhere to be consistent, ensure you know your audience on each channel.

• Use planning tools such as Plannable to visualise content and create an aesthetic feed.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

CLIENT NEWS

Checking In ACE Bookings Finds Perfect Venues Worldwide ACE Bookings stands out as the premier choice in Venue Finding. Our expertise spans both the UK and International markets, making us an award-winning family business with a collective experience of over four decades.

As specialists in the field, we excel in alleviating the challenges of venue selection, allowing you the freedom to focus on other essential aspects of your business. We are committed to providing up to date information on venues and regularly assess and personally visit our venue suggestions.

For locations we haven’t personally explored, we go the extra mile by consulting directly with local experts, ensuring you receive the most optimal recommendations. Whether your event involves a small gathering or a large international conference, ACE Bookings handles every enquiry with precision and efficiency. Our services cover a broad spectrum, including small meetings, conferences, private dinners, parties, incentives, and more. We pride ourselves in negotiating added value and working with both client and supplier on contract T&Cs. In collaboration with trusted partners such as event managers, AV suppliers, team building, and entertainment companies, ACE offers a comprehensive solution for all your event needs. We pride ourselves on lifting the burden off your shoulders, providing a seamless and stress-free experience with our dedicated services at ACE. Acebookings.co.uk

Meet at Maften Maften Hall has a selection of decadent and luxurious event and conferencing spaces to choose from. Better yet, it has five dining areas and 65 rooms for overnight stays making it perfect for corporate retreats.

For a larger conferencing space try out its corporate hub The Morning Room with a capacity of 100 banqueting and 60 theatre-style. For a more intimate board meeting The Sapphire room holds 20 banqueting-style, perfect for laid back, casual meetings. Maften Hall also has its Vault Bar to host 40 banqueting or 120 for

January 2024

Find out what’s going on at some of the region’s businesses!

drinks and dancing, or a reception space in The Great Hall so socialising and wellearned time off can be found all in one place.

Take a meeting or event outside with Maften Hall’s two idyllic outdoor locations which are perfect for outdoor dining, a stylish reception or teambuilding sessions. The Terrace, overlooking the vast parkland, is perfect for late night drinks and nibbles, with a capacity of 100 guests while Le Jardin Hollandaise offers outdoor teambuilding opportunities, such as laser clay shooting, axe throwing and more, and seated dining for up to 40 guests.

MG Stands the Test of Time Having spent almost 30 years managing events MG Event and Sound’s MD Mike Godden is amazed that still no two events are alike.

Mike says: “Returning customers want to theme differently year on year; new customers bring different needs to be met and it keeps the team on their toes thinking outside the box to bring new twists and elements to distinguish the new from the old.

“It’s through the development of our team, and their eagerness to seek new inspiration through technology that has kept our long-term customers coming back year after year.”

He goes on to say: “We have the skills and knowledge, creativity, and attention to detail to meet our customer’s needs.

By working in close partnership with them, we achieve their event outcomes and maintain long-term positive dynamic relationships. This is why we have remained buoyant in the industry for all this time, when so many of our competitors fell during the COVID period.”

The core team of Mike, Colin, Emma, Bryony, and Anji pride themselves on their individual skill sets contributing to the

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overall achievement of top-class events through tight teamwork.

Based in the Midlands, the team is perfectly located to manage events across the UK and Europe such as festivals, music events, outdoor rallies, extreme fitness races, and hotel-based conferences.

Contact us to discover if we suit your needs Office@mgeventandsound.co.uk

Adrian Salamon Provides Magical Experiences In the world of hospitality, creating memorable experiences is paramount.

York based Adrian Salamon Magic stand out as a captivating addition to any event.

From first picking up a packet of playing cards 20 years ago to becoming professional over 10 years, magic has been a constant source of joy for Adrian.

Witnessing the power his performances have to create a sense of wonder in people makes all the dedication and practise feel worthwhile.

Apart from performing at the usual events like weddings, corporate award shows and house parties, close-up magic also provides tangible benefits to the hospitality industry. Its interactive form of entertainment allows guests to participate, creating a shared experience that they will hopefully share with friends, and of course social media.

As a strategic tool, magic helps enhance brand perception, creating links between your venue and the positive experience of patrons, and also helps develop a competitive advantage – having something unique. Events may also benefit during any unexpected delays in the kitchen, for example.

If you’re seeking a unique and unforgettable way to elevate your events, try looking into some magic!

Adriansalamon.co.uk

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES

Stake Your Claim

Temporary structures such as marquees and tents are the cornerstone of outdoor events, often adding flexibility and strength to a venue’s space.

Temporary structures play a crucial role in facilitating outdoor events, from simple canopies to elaborate modular constructions, these structures are temporary yet very effective. Despite popular belief, there’s more to temporary structures than just a canvas overhead, with the scale of structures available often providing the wow factor.

Getting the right advice for your requirements is key. MUTA is the UK’s only trade association dedicated to marquees, tents and structures, and has represented its members and raised standards in the industry for 100 years. It will offer a helping hand on the structures and suppliers available.

Pop-Up Tents and Canopies Events: Festivals, Trade Shows Pop-up tents and canopies are versatile and easy to set up, making them ideal for events that require quick and efficient shelter. These structures are commonly used at festivals, and trade shows to provide temporary booths or shelter for vendors. Their portability and ease of assembly make them perfect for events where flexibility and mobility are essential.

Marquees and Event Tents Events: Corporate Parties, Gala Dinners What most people think of when it comes to outdoor events, marquees and event tents are larger structures designed to host more formal events. They offer a customizable and elegant space for weddings, corporate parties, and gala dinners. These structures often feature options for climate control, flooring, and interior decor, providing a sophisticated atmosphere for guests.

Temporary Grandstands Events: Sporting Events, Concerts, Outdoor Performances Temporary grandstands are designed to accommodate large audiences at outdoor events. These structures are temporary seating solutions that can be assembled and disassembled quickly.

They provide a comfortable and elevated vantage point for spectators, enhancing the overall experience of the event, especially if you’re putting on a show or have a keynote speaker attracting big numbers.

structures that can be customized for various purposes. They are commonly used for expos, conventions, and product launches, providing a dedicated space for exhibitions and displays. These structures often feature open layouts and can be configured to accommodate different types of exhibits.

Temporary Hospitality Suites Events: Sporting Events, VIP Gatherings For events where VIP accommodations are required, temporary hospitality suites offer a solution. These structures provide a comfortable and exclusive space for special guests, sponsors, or corporate partners. They often include amenities such as seating areas, catering services, and even private bathrooms.

Temporary Pavilions Events: Expos, Conventions, Product Launches Temporary pavilions are versatile

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INDUSTRY OPINION

2024 and Beyond Susan Tanner, CEO of The National Outdoor Event Association, looks to the future of the industry.

At the time of writing, we’re a few weeks after NOEA’s most successful, mass attended, and in my mind, groundbreaking conventions. Why? Because for the first time in a long time we delivered conversations on stage and in the audience that mark a new period in evolution of events. We looked to the future and felt, as a community, that the industry is approaching a new frontier.

Organising a conference, like any event, often becomes such a consuming process of logistics, operations, promotion, and customer service, that we forget what is taking place on the stage, and what it means to an audience.

Take technology, one of our most eagerly anticipated sessions and one that didn’t disappoint. The discussion ranged from energy saving, AI driven technologies that automate much of the event organising processes, to augmented technology that brings spectators closer to the onstage action. It finished by looking at the metaverse, and how it could profoundly affect what we do. Do Metaverse events need our industry? Are they our industry?

We also looked at how brands view the industry, Martyn’s Law with our colleagues at the Home Office, we discussed sustainability, and how the cost of putting on events is creating elite level ticketing, possibly crowding non-affluent audiences.

Most importantly though, we talked to event organisers about events. That lovely feeling of creating the extraordinary and seeing audiences react to it. It reminded me that the events industry has changed, it continues to change. But, at the same time, it stays the same. We are the entertainers, the elevators, the cultural explorers, the innovators, and the place where people congregate.

How we do it is, once again, in our hands.

Noea.org.uk

Experience Matters Claire Fennelow, Executive Director of EVCOM, explores how work experience placements drawing young people into the events industry can help your business too.

In the last couple of months, we’ve had three young people join us at our offices for work experience. Their days have varied. One spent most of his time with us sitting in on the review sessions we hold with our judges to decide the winners of the EVCOM London Live and Film Awards.

He saw some of the best work of the industry, and listened to rigorous debate on what makes a standout project.

Another joined us for one of Senior Leaders’ breakfast and was a muchneeded perspective in a room of senior leaders discussing the behavioural trends

of Gen Z. Another spent her afternoon at a masterclass focused around creativity, in which, alongside our participants, she was encouraged to think differently, to look for inspiration outside the box. In the office, they worked on a mixture of administrative tasks and creative tasks. Throughout the day they asked us questions about our careers so far, and shared where they were at when it came to decisions about college and the working world.

As young people, they received insight into an office environment and the chance to listen in on conversations that would usually be closed to them.

As an organisation, we got to ask their perspective on getting into our industry and find out what their concerns and

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interests were. We are passionate about working for young people, but often we are planning our next gen campaigns without their input. Our shadow board plays a huge role in making sure the work we are doing for young people is relevant and valuable. And so do the people who do work experience with us.

Work experience is a vital way to show young people what our sector has to offer, but it can be just as valuable for organisations and agencies too.

Evcom.co.uk

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

GOT AN EVENT AND NEED A TENT??

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EVENTS R TALENTED

It’s a Yes From Me Ken Findlay, Co-Founder of Events R Talented, proves there’s more to the events industry than meets the eye while raising money for an incredible cause.

Events R Talented began in 2018 founded

by Ken Findlay, Paul Tidy, Graeme Saunders, and Matt Curran as a way to raise money for charity while celebrating the events industry and its talented event professionals. Five years later after three successful shows and surviving the pandemic, the talent show is preparing for its 2024 entrants and raising money for Rare Dementia Support, a personal cause for Ken Findlay’s brother.

If you’re thinking about entering next year’s show Ken says: “The condition for entering the competition is that you have to work in events as a standard event professional, so you’re not working events as a singer or part of a band. But it’s that you’ve always had this idea that you want to do – whether its as a singer, as a dancer, or as a comic or whatever else – it’s just having this performance talent.”

The overall winner gets to perform at the M&IT Awards Dinner to over 1, 200 people and is invited to a special five day trip to the Caribbean. For someone who has a hobby and a dream of becoming a performer this could be your first professional credit and a great stepping stone to stardom. Previous winners have

January 2024

had the boost to pursue their passions and careers further after competing. 2018 winner Eiza Murphy, a singer-songwriter, now has a record contract and three Spotify number ones and Johanna Potkin winner in 2022 is a talented flute player who was approached to play with The Hallé Orchestra at Bridgewater Hall after her win. This year’s winner Reina Villaneuva performed a set at the Famtastic Awards in Manchester where Ken says: “People couldn’t believe she wasn’t a 100% professional singer.”

What’s more, the talent show warms the hearts of the event industry and beyond with its committed charity ventures. Ken says: “We invite people along to our evenings; we normally get 70 to 100 but we have had as much as 140 on our very first night. And we don’t charge them to come to the event, we ask them to make a donation.” At the show’s live auction and a raffle there are epic prizes to be won, such as, tickets to see Paul McCartney, and VIP tickets to the National Television Awards.

This year’s chosen charity, Rare Dementia Support (RDS), helps individuals and their carers who have one of seven rare forms of dementia, which most typically affect

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people aged under 65 and as young as 20 years old. One strain of which, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), has recently been in the media spotlight with Actor, Bruce Willis’ diagnosis in 2022 which was first misdiagnosed as Aphasia due to the lack of knowledge surrounding rare strains of dementia.

Ken’s brother has also been affected by the same strain of dementia, Semantic FTD. He recounted: “The day after the M&IT Awards I got a message from my sisterin-law to say that my brother had been given a formal diagnosis of Semantic FTD and though he’s 67 now, he first started showing symptoms of it when he was 63 in 2019. I spoke to Paul, Graeme, and Matt in a meeting and told them about the situation with my brother, and I said: ‘So are you guys happy if we make this our charity for 2024?’ and straight away they said you don’t even have to ask.”

To get involved with Events R Talented and its support of Rare Dementia Support look out for its booth at events throughout the year, scan its QR code, or and visit its website: Eventsrtalented.co.uk/

EXHIBITION STANDS

Stand Out!

Your exhibition stand design represents your business, and we’ve seen some great designs at the shows this year! So, here’s what to do, where to put your budget, and why investing in an expert supplier is worthwhile.

With hundreds of stands all trying to grab delegates’ attention, gain their confidence, and ensure their future business, employing the right stand builder for your next expo will give your business the edge and be noticeable, leaving you confident you’re one step ahead of the competition.

The right signage

First and foremost, good signage is easy to read and isn’t disjointed, so do not separate your sign by multiple posters especially if it’s your brand’s name. For knowing the correct placement of signs or digital screens consider all your sightlines – this is the view your prospective clients will take as they pass your stand. Depending on your stands’ positioning in the exhibition hall, in the middle of a row or at the end, your sightlines will be different. For optimal impact, you want to position your most important messaging in the sightlines delegates will see first, and ensure its well lit.

Interactive elements

Interactive elements incorporated into your stand design are a magnet for visitors

to your stand. Delegates usually feel like they have to speak to somebody from your stand to better understand the brand, so let them be independent and find some things out for themselves. Or even better, be conversation starters and get delegates talking to each other. Get them to put a ping pong ball in a labelled selection of cylinders as an interactive poll, play a game, or even offer them a nice massage!

And depending on budget, how about a magician, or a client free bar? Always a winner!

Think out of the box

Exhibition stands are often built with the basic cube shape in mind but if you want to really invest in your stand and create a stir at the exhibition hall then consider a ceiling piece or a structure with height. If your stand can make delegates experience space at the venue in a way which no other can – getting them to look up above them for example – then you will create a memorable experience associated with your brand. Height can be used to your advantage also, if your logo

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can be seen above other stands along the skyline of the exhibition hall more delegates will try to locate you. Think about breaking the mould in a different way such as using arches and circles instead of straight lines.

Employing a professional

Experienced stand designers will understand the colours and lights which catch people’s attention walking by in the exhibition hall, an awareness of colour psychology can be very useful in stand design and using every inch of your space wisely according to your desired budget. A common afterthought which designers are used to taking care of is storage, giving you a clean and tidy spot to place your brochures away from the desk appointment areas. This makes you appear prepared and put together – something that stand designers are experienced in as putting delegate experience at the forefront of your stand design is all in their area of expertise. Something fun and different could be a themed booth for your appointments.

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

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Experience Spain’s showstopping corporate venues.

Journey to Spain

PHOTO: JUANJO ARROGO

PHOTO: JESÚS ALFARO

Spain has some incredible venues for your next corporate away day, event, or conference. Whether you’re looking for corporate meeting or event venues, we’ve a selection of historic, authentic, and cutting-edge venues in some fabulously unique locations and with the great rail network in Spain you can get from Madrid to many of Spain’s largest cities in two and a half hours or less.

it a fantastic option for events and team building opportunities.

Laboralciudaddelacultura.com/en

PHOTO: CATEDRAL DE SANTA MARÍA_SERGIO PADURA_TURISMO DE NAVARRA

Pamplona Cathedral | Pamplona PHOTO: NOÉ BARANDA

Laboral Ciudad De La Cultural | Guòn Recently refurbished, this former university, Universidad Laboral de Gijón, has been transformed into a huge, gardened, architectural complex. A hub of culture, training, and entrepreneurial innovation this extraordinary limestone and gran¬ite building has 16 multi-purpose rooms for staging all types of business and can fit 1,250 people theatre style and 800 in a reception style. Its excellent location near the sea and several golf courses makes

Situated in the historic old town in Pamplona, this 14th-century, Gothic cathedral with a Neoclassical façade will amaze your delegates. The cathedral complex preserves a number of unique areas from monastic life, like the refectory, granary or grain store and the kitchen, all of which have been transformed to support meetings and events of all kinds.

Considered to be one of the best Gothic temples in Europe, Pamplona Cathedral is a great corporate venue for history buffs with four corporate spaces fitting 250 delegates theatre style and 200 in a reception.

Catedraldepamplona.com/en

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Galeria de la Colecciones Relaes | Madrid Recently opened and gaining a lot of traction, Galeria de la Colecciones Relaes is a royal collections gallery housing artefacts dated to pre-1200. There are four main event spaces at this venue, the auditorium, the access lobby, the wall room, and an outdoor terrace – each of which have a unique view of the gallery.

The access lobby promises to provide you with the best views of Madrid through its floor to ceiling windows, showing you the landscape of Madrid while providing you with a 260-person standing and seated space, cloakroom services, a large counter for customer service, and a cafeteria nearby. Better yet, this venue is easily accessed via Spain’s high speed AEV trains.

Galeriadelascoleccionesreales.es/en

Hacienda El Señorío De Nevada | Granada

This four-star hotel in Villame¬na is surrounded by vineyards and the magnificent peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It has three function rooms which can hold 330 delegates theatre style and 445 in a reception style and also features a wine cel¬lar, a number of salons, gardens, patios and terraces.

Perfect for combining business and leisure activities such as socials or team building opportunities, its excellent restaurant puts the fin¬ishing touch on this charming venue.

Senoriodenevada.es/EN

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

TRAVEL

Mount Gaiás. The unique, modern, and functional buildings, house 10 rooms hosting 600 delegates theatre style and 1,000 reception style all with cutting edge technological equipment, making Cidade da Cultura a great MICE venue.

Cidadedacultura.gal/en

Basque Culinary Centre | San Sebastiàn A great option for foodies! Have the backdrop of your event be the special menu prepared by first class chefs. The Basque Culinary Centre is a world-famous pioneering academic institution, its standout feature is its futuristic architecture and its only a half-hour drive from San Sebastián Airport and an hour from that of Bilbao. If you’re looking for something delicious in innovative surroundings, then here you’ll have your choice of 11 rooms including an auditorium for conferences and conventions, a restaurant and terrace for receptions and gala dinners. The venue can hold 200 delegates theatre style and 200 reception style and also accommodates cookery courses as an excellent team building opportunity.

Bculinary.com/empresas/en

CRISTÒBAL BALENCIAGA MUSEUM

Casa Lis Art Nouveau Museum | Salamanca A uniquely beautiful venue adorned with a stunning stained glass window skylight, the Casa Lis Art Nouveau Museum is an excellent opportunity to fit sightseeing into your corporate travel. Great for an intimate gathering, the museum has a corporate space to fit 150 delegates in reception style on its spectacular terrace overlooking the Roman Bridge. Book early to enjoy the last rays of sunshine reflecting off the stained glass on the facade, an unforgettable experience.

Museocasalis.org

Cristòbal Balenciaga Museum | Getaria A tribute to one of the 20th century’s most influential fashion designers, the Balenciaga Museum adjoins to the Aldamar Palace, up on a hill overlooking Getaria (Basque Country/Euskadi).

This modern build is a stylish venue less than an hour’s drive from the airports of Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián. Three of the areas are used exclusively for events: the loft, ideal for small get-togethers, four bright classrooms and an auditori¬um for holding press conferences, con-gresses and courses.

Combined there are seven function rooms with a capacity of 46 people theatre style and 850 in reception style.

Cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com/en

Bellver Castle | Palma Give your delegates the medieval experience in this 14th-century castle, built as a residence for King Jaime II. Fit for a king, this extraordinary building currently houses the city’s Museum of History and the Despuig Collection of classical sculp¬ture. With five function rooms this castle can host 450 delegates theatre style and 300 in reception style over your choice of a conference hall and a chapel for congresses and meetings.

Castelldebellver.palma.cat/en

Travel by train

PHOTO: @TOURSPAIN

Centro Botín | Santander Positioned in a scenic location overhanging the sea, this cultural build¬ing designed by Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect, Renzo Piano appears to be floating in the air in the historical Pereda Gardens. This intimate function room has a 300-seat auditorium and an enormous window with views to the bay and the Cantabrian Sea, perfect for small meetings and get togethers.

Centrobotin.org/en

Cidade Da Cultura | Santiago De Compostela This cultural macro-structure features several museums, study centres, libraries, and an opera theatre surrounded by a spacious area of forest on top of

PHOTO: CENTRO BOTÍN © FUNDACIÓN BOTÍN-CENTRO BOTÍN

January 2024

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Getting around Spain has never been easier when using its well-connected rail network, wake up in Madrid and eat lunch in Barcelona with high-speed AEV trains between Spain’s large cities.

Choosing to travel by train also reduces your company’s carbon footprint, especially seen as Spain is one of the main consumers of renewable electricity and has recently invested in new, more efficient trains. To experience all that Spain has to offer, explore the vibrant energetic city of Madrid then hop on a train to Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, or Valencia and arrive in less than two and a half hours. It’ll be a business trip your delegates will never forget. londres@tourspain.es

INTERVIEW

Family Affair

Jo Wilson, Director of ACE Bookings, talks about her recent wins at the Famtastic awards and the benefits of being a family run business.

With not one but two wins at the recent Famtastic awards: Agent of the Year for Jo Wilson, and New Talent of the Year for her daughter Ella, it’s clear that ACE Bookings has something special going on behind the scenes. Director of the company, Jo, believes that this is due to the approachable nature of the business: “We celebrated 10 years in the industry this year. We’re a family business and everyone knows us as a family.

My two daughters and my sister work with me. I think we’re all very approachable and friendly. We also have a really good response time when it comes to clients and work really closely with our suppliers.” Having a close relationship with both suppliers and clients flows naturally from working in a family setting, where everything is personal.

together. We’re all small independent agents, but I feel like we work together as one big agency, which is lovely.”

for the industry, but it also highlighted the ways in which event profs were willing to help each other tackle adversity.

The sense of community and helping each other out is an area in which the events industry thrives, especially since the pandemic, which challenged the industry in a way few other things have: “Community is especially important since COVID, because quite a few agents didn’t make it through, which is a shame. All through COVID I ran Zooms for the agents and suppliers, we had 60 to 70 calls throughout the pandemic.

They worked a treat, and it kept people sane. It gave them a bit of a purpose even if at that point they had no bookings.” The pandemic might have been a difficult time

Jo is also in the process of building a system to make agents’ lives easier when coordinating bookings: “I’ve had my own system for nine years now, and it’s worked so well for us that I think a lot of people could benefit from it. It’s not a venue search system, it’s a system which creates your bookings and your invoicing. It can also form reports and store all of your bookings in an individual online system. I just have the test site up and running now, and then we need to get paperwork up with costs and other information, hopefully I’ll launch the system in the new year.”

Working with family has a reputation for being difficult, but that isn’t the case at ACE Bookings: “I’m really proud of the business and the family that work for me. People often ask us, as a family: ‘Do you get on?

Does it work?’ and it does for us! We all get to have a good work/family balance, which I think is important. I didn’t get to have that when my kids were young. It was a challenging start with the business, but it’s paid off all the way.” It’s even not uncommon to see a furry companion in the office, as many of the team members have dogs which they bring to work with them.

It isn’t only clients that Jo goes above and beyond for, she is also very communityminded and committed to helping out other agents: “I also run a Facebook group for agents, which has 170 small agencies in it. I set this up about nine years ago, just after I started my business. It’s like a self help group really. I run it, and agents can post when they have a query or question, whether it be commission related, or new openings, or a referral or contact. Everyone is very willing to help and with agents, we all work closely

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www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

January 2024

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DIRECTORY DIRECTORY

Crocker Bros Marquees

Adrian Salamon Magic

Organising an event that requires a professional marquee company with a proven track of succuss? Whatever your event, Crockers Marquees won’t let you down.

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8 - 18 Station Road, Chellaston, Derby 01332 700699 sales@crockerbros.co.uk

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

Aspects Wellbeing

Clintos

Aspects Wellbeing helps businesses support their employees with a range of issues, in particular, reducing and better managing stress and anxiety and improving overall wellbeing.

We know our way around a stand like we know our tool bags. We are highly skilled stand builders with plenty of years experience. We don’t have time to stand around, we use our time to build your stand. Having the most experienced staff to accommodate your ideas in to reality. www.clintos.co.uk | clint@clintos.co.uk 07827814710

07704 777 881 | enquiries@aspectswellbeing.co.uk aspectswellbeing.co.uk

All Occasions Marquee Hire

Cube Exhibitions

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.

Cube Exhibitions is a North East based company that specialises in bespoke/modular exhibition stands, shell scheme installs and 3D modelling. Founded by Mark in 2019 following 20 years in the design and exhibition industry.

07788235763 | mark@cubeexhibitions.co.uk www.cubeexhibitions.co.uk

All Souls Bolton

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club

All Souls’ is a beautiful historic church (Grade II*) that has been converted for use as a conference, office, learning and community space. As part of this work, the original building was carefully restored.

A unique city centre meeting venue, with free parking,great spaces, superb views, and complete versatility.

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

01332 388105 | events@derbyshireccc.com Events - Derbyshire County Cricket Club

Renovation work began in September 2013 and was completed November 2014. Why not book your meeting or event with us?

Insideout Events With a 20+ year reputation in the events/exhibitions industry, Insideout is based in the West Midlands, UK and provide stand design and build services on a global scale. Our website for more information and our portfolio is www.insideout.events/.

All Souls-Bolton, Astley Street, Bolton, BL1 8EY 01204 385868 | info@allsoulsbolton.org.uk www.allsoulsbolton.org.uk

You can also find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

Charlton Hall Estate THE HOSTS WITH THE MOST – Able to entertain up to 140 guests and accommodate up to 60 in new hotel The Tempus, get in touch with our team to plan your next event!

insideout.events | 01527 517 111

www.charltonhall.co.uk/contact | info@charltonhall.co.uk

Lightmedia Displays

Clayton Hotel Our Private Dining Room is an ideal space in Birmingham city centre for corporate dinners, lunches, birthday parties, bridal showers, a graduation dinner and so much more.

Comfortably seating 10 – 22 guests we can offer our TDH menu, afternoon tea or even a bespoke menu for you. For all enquires please contact events.birmingham@ claytonhotels.com.

www.claytonhotelbirmingham.com May 2023

Since 1997, Lightmedia Displays has provided diverse LED screens for outdoor and indoor events, including modular and mobile options.

Their fleet includes truck-mounted screens (12-45sqm) with dedicated

production suites and generators.

Lightmedia also offers over 100sqm of advanced 3.9mm modular LED screens with exceptional pixel pitch.

67 66

Leeds London | 0333 600 6000 | sales@lightmedia.co.uk www.lightmedia.co.uk

www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com

Olympus Crew A crewing company based in Leeds and London. We provide services such as general crew, carpenters, av technicians, forklift/ipaf operators. Enquire for more details

Dom@olympuscrew.co.uk 07904 903452 www.olympuscrew.co.uk

Racing Sims North East

Turn events into thrill-filled experiences with Racing Sim Hire. Elevate engagement, create memorable moments, and impress guests with high-speed entertainment.

Book now!

www.racingsimsnortheast.co.uk

07495 304 690

Supplying the highest quality audio, visual & lighting equipment.

Soapy Productions

Experts in AV for small events. We provide stage hire, sound and lighting for festivals, community events, awards ceremonies, conferences, sports events and more.

Creating lasting relationships  Honest pricing Exceptional customer service  Creating memorable events

01904 405630 | soapyproductions.co.uk

Xav-Eight Ltd

Exhibitions can be a stress-full environment and are a large part of any exhibitors marketing budget. With our in-house sales and operations staff we are dedicated to the smooth running in the planning months to maximising the potential of the exhibition insitue.

www.xaveight.com

E: info@optimumav.co.uk T: 01279 486830 M: 07795 141304

01446 509110

COMING UP IN MARCH NEBOSH Safety Officers IOSH Floor Managers Stand Plan Auditing and much more!

North West Unique Venues Suppliers Team Building International Confex And more..

T: + 44 (0) 1483 266488 E: info@theeventpartnership.co.uk W: www.eepsafety.com | L: The eep Safety Team

For more information contact Adam Freedman 0845 052 2911 January 2024

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Your Conference Our Expertise Seamlessly working with you to provide an edge-to-edge service for conferences, awards and any short-term live events.

Dedicated Account Manager

Event Visualisation

Specialist Staff

Content Design

Concept Creation

Venue Liaison

Speaker Liaison

Streaming and Hybrid

Technical Delivery

Working in partnership with: Organisers Stand Builders Agencies Venues Event Managers

Download our brochure here

01952 953500

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enquiries@immersiveav.com 68

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immersiveav.com www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com