HEN May 2020

A Warm Welcome May 2020

In a month where the industry literally ground to a halt, we’ve already seen amazing resourcefulness through virtual tech, and with the time we never thought we had, we can review, plan ahead and just think a bit. We are a resilient bunch and we will come back stronger.

Team building is going to be even more important as we

rebuild – where better than a day out at Adventure Parc Snowdonia to get the team back up. We focus on North West and Scotland’s top venues, and a few tips on working from home.

To all our readers and clients, thank you for supporting us and most importantly, stay safe and stay well.

Elliot Landy.

Publisher Elliot Landy

Features Editor

Evangeline Spachis

Editorial Assistant

James Wilson

Duncan Collet-Fenson

Lex Butler

Heather Lishman

Jane Longhurst

m GreXasley

Charlotte Lee

Senior Account Manager Adam Freedman

Contributors

Emma Swan

Marketing Cheshire

Marketing Manchester

Marketing Liverpool

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Bahson Colour Ltd

H&E North front page feature: A Walk in the Parc

Adventure Parc Snowdonia invites planners to be adventurous when booking their next team building trip. 11

Virtual Reality

Meet the software platforms that are helping companies conduct ‘business as usual’ without face-to-face meetings.

Pandemic Pandemonium

As the MICE sector adjusts for the COVID-19 crisis, H&E North hears industry members react to the widening pandemic and UK lockdown. 10

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Focus on: North West

From the cultural highlights of Liverpool and Manchester and the epic landscapes of Cheshire and Lancashire, the North West is a region of variety for venue hunters.

Win a weekend stay for two at INNSiDE Manchester!

Focus on: Scotland

A hotel boom, a colourful history and spectacular venues – Scotland has it all.

North In Brief

A New Date for CHS Leeds

In light of the government’s advice about mass gatherings, CHS Group has moved the date of CHS Leeds to 7th July 2020. Speaking on the move, the organisers are reassuring the industry that “everything else stays the same; taking place at the same venue, with the same timings and a great programme.”

The event, which will take place at the first direct Arena in Leeds, will be the 11th year of the show. “With the circumstances for this move so extraordinary, the date change has been far from simple, but thanks to our supply chain, including the venue and our main contractors, it has been surprisingly easy, and we can’t thank them enough for this,” commented Emma Cartmell, CEO of the CHS Group.

“CHS Leeds will have its time and do its bit for the industry at a time when we need all the support we can get,” continued Emma. “CHS Leeds isn’t just important to us, it’s a show that injects business momentum and growth into the industry and is needed now more than ever before, as we once again go into unchartered economic waters. We’re committed to making it happen and working with partners on a unified event industry comeback.”

Two New Appointments at Manchester Events Agency HGA

Two key personnel appointments have been announced by HGA as Grace Taylor is promoted to Head of Venues and Laura Davies’ promoted to full-time Events Producer. HGA is a full-service events production agency for some of the UK’s biggest brands including Debenhams, Amazon and the Manchester Airport Group.

Grace joined HGA last year as a Client Services Manager and has extensive experience both in-house at venues and within a venue-sourcing agency. As Head of Venues she will be responsible for all HGA’s venue finding services. Laura joined the team in 2017 after working in-house at local venues as an Events Assistant, and when the existing Event Producer left after five years to go freelance – Laura stepped up.

UK Hotel Chains Offer Beds to NHS Staff

UK hotel chains across the country are being converted into temporary hospitals to provide the NHS with emergency bed space as well as accommodation for medical staff. Hilton, Holiday Inn and Best Western GB are some of the hotel chains in talks with the government about rooms given to vulnerable groups and NHS staff.

The collapse in commercial bookings has hit hotel chains hard, with hundreds of vacant rooms. Martin Bradnam, Chair of Hospitality Association York (HAY), said: “A lot of the properties that focus on conferences are seeing cancellation by people affected by the travel bans with companies saying ‘is the meeting necessary?’” he told York Press.

It is also reported that Roomzzz Aparthotels, which has branches in Chester, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and York, is offering 10 free rooms in each hotel for NHS workers. Intercontinental Hotels Group has also marked out 300 beds for the next three months so rough sleepers can self-isolate.

Stress Matters Launches Event Industry Support Line

A free, dedicated support line for the events industry has been launched today by Stress Matters to give everyone access to trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) and offer practical support, information and signposting to other services.

The service has been available on WhatsApp from 30th March. The Stress Matters Support Line will be open from 8am to 8pm and can be accessed by texting 07481 362 111 and a trained MHFA will respond and call back.

Buddies Matter is a free peer-to-peer matching service that creates ‘buddies’ across the industry that can offer support and an ear to listen – it does not offer professional help. Laura Capell-Abra, Founder of Stress Matters said: “Everyone in our industry is being impacted and this is causing a high level of anxiety. We are seeing a large increase in the numbers of people applying to be a ‘buddy’ on our Buddies Matter programme, our free peer-to-peer matching service, but we were also conscious that there are lots of people who will need more qualified mental health support.

“We have worked around the clock to set up the Stress Matters Support Line so that everyone now has free and easy access to trained MHFAs. At the moment the support line is manned by MHFA volunteers, but we are appealing to the industry for funding to enable us to extend this crucial service to a 24-7 helpline accessible through all communication methods.”

Independent Hotels Also Step in to Support Key Workers

Independent hotels are also following suit, with former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville stating that he will be opening his hotels free of charge to health workers. Neville co-owns The Stock Exchange hotel and Hotel Football at Old Trafford with ex-teammate Ryan Giggs.

“In the last week, we’ve been in consultation with the health services,” Neville said on Twitter. “Our 176 beds will be occupied by NHS workers and medical professionals...”

Wyboston Lakes Resort, which closed following government requirements, is also joining the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Steve Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes Resort said: “We are already in talks with the NHS about some of our facilities being taken over in the short-term for those patients convalescing following surgery or illness. This in turn will free up valuable beds in hospitals for those COVID-19 patients who need them most…”

Manchester City FC also announced that the Etihad Stadium has been signed over for use by the NHS. The 55,000-seat stadium is likely to be used by the NHS to run training courses for staff involved on the frontline to treat the pandemic, according to Sky Sports. A temporary hospital is also being prepared at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

The Show

H&E North explores the rise of cutting-edge virtual event software to keep your events live and kicking.

The majority of the industry’s biggest conferences, tradeshows and summits have either been postponed, cancelled or are hanging in the balance as countries across the world move to clamp down on the spread of COVID-19. The economic impact on its businesses has been bracing, yet there is one sector that may see a silver lining: virtual event platforms. While it’s tough to beat the tried and tested format of face-to-face, the coronavirus outbreak might be the spark that creates a game-changing market for dedicated event software that permanently revolutionises the way we host events.

While social distancing means it may not be feasible to host events in person, it doesn’t mean they can’t continue on a virtual plane. Digital event tools are becoming so sophisticated as to replicate the experience of attending conferences while providing a range of advantages – from streamlining networking, to accessing to in-depth post-event analytics, not to mention the environmental benefits of avoiding travel and pollution. Virtual trade shows can even enable exhibitors and event professionals to reach more people at a lower cost, creating massive online audiences for exhibitors to share their services with.

Many planners have found a way to rethink their strategy to continue with their programming while still preventing the spread of the virus. High profile tech summits such as Google Cloud Next 2020 are leading with innovation, announcing that attendees will be able to join from home as they shift talks, panels and discussions to apps and streaming platforms. In the music industry, after having to cancel all events up until May, Defected Records brought hundreds of thousands of house-lovers together worldwide via their 12-hour virtual festival streamed live from

the shuttered Ministry of Sound club via Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.

While in the MICE industry, as the crisis broke, HBAA were among the first industry organisations to respond with practical digital initiatives to support its members. As part of its ongoing campaign to raise awareness and empower businesses to tackle the growing problem of work-related anxiety, it launched a series of webinars to help event and hospitality professionals protect their mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis and beyond.

Leigh Cowlishaw, HBAA past chair and board member who is leading the initiative, believes embracing digital is the best way to help a bruised industry back to its feet: “It is now more important than ever to act quickly and support our members and the wider industry. We are all challenged right now, both personally and professionally, and we need to ensure that we have support and tool kits to look after ourselves and those around us. This situation is beyond us washing our hands.”

From video conferencing developers offering innovative ways of connecting via traditional videolink methods, to full-scale computer-generated replicas of tradeshows inhabited by digital avatars breaking the boundaries of simulation, the ways we interact over the internet have come a long way over the past few years. If they can weather the inevitable infrastructure storm as worldwide attendees on lockdown log into streams and software en masse, we might just see a long-term impact on the way the industry thinks about events, as planners begin to embrace this tech with open arms to fulfil their obligations to sponsors, advertisers and delegates during testing times.

Show Must Go On

Here’s our selection of virtual event platforms to keep your events going strong…

Teooh

US tech startup Teooh recently pulled back the curtain on one of the most ambitious avatar-based virtual event platforms to date. Despite its developers hailing from a video game development studio famed for its virtual reality (VR) titles, Teooh focuses on mobile and desktop platforms, hoping to pitch an alternative to traditional meetup software to give participants the freedom to interact dynamically in a virtual event environment.

Where video conferencing platforms are primarily aimed at presenting content, Teooh allows users to meet and network in a personalised virtual event which can be monetised by selling tickets. Where it proves truly unique, is its real-life aspect of facilitating unexpected encounters. Your delegates can walk around as an avatar and hear speakers while socialising with others in a computer-generated venue, from a large-scale exhibition hall, to a cosy fireside breakout space. In short, if the Sims did events, Teooh would be it.

While many delegates may be sceptical about adopting a cartoonish approach to interacting online, Teooh is hoping that the accessibility and functionality of its platform can tempt event professionals into the virtual world.

Teooh.com

Zoom

Zoom, the video-conferencing app that has seen a huge rise in downloads since quarantines were imposed around the world, is now being used by millions for work and social gatherings. Prime minister Boris Johnson even tweeted a picture of himself chairing a cabinet meeting via the app.

The next best thing to hosting an in-person event, it lets you connect speakers, sponsors, panellists, and attendees, maximising face-to-face interaction. Whether you need to host a product launch or company training session, a Zoom Webinar is a great option for presentation-driven events. Designed for managing audiences, you can quickly promote an attendee to a panellist so they can interact live, with other interactive features including hand raising, Q&As, and polling enabling additional engagement, while PayPal integration even allows you to charge a registration fee for attendance.

Organisers looking for ways to quickly adapt and host trade shows, conferences and other events online have a great option in Zoom, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration and webinars across mobile devices and desktops. Zoom.us

6Connex

Looking to throw your event headfirst into the virtual world? The 6Connex virtual events platform enables planners to host a virtual trade show, so exhibitors can showcase their products and services to attendees in the comfort of their own home. The platform recreates the feel of a physical event with virtual booths your exhibitors can customise for personalised, visually engaging environments. Exhibitors can market their products and services with real-time chat and messaging, streamable videos and downloadable content such as product demos to allow potential clients to learn more.

As the organiser, you can drive increased attendee engagement and sponsorship revenue by allowing attendees to compete for prizes, assigning point values for specific actions such as visiting exhibitor booths or downloading information about a product. Instant access to advanced analytics helps you to discover how your delegates are interacting with the event, what pieces of content generate the most leads, the value and number of transactions performed and more.

You can leave your event live for as many days as you like, or opt for permanent access to virtual booths, presentations and downloadable collateral so you can continue to generate leads even after the event is over.

6connex.com

Feeling Fresh

H&E North has the lowdown on openings and refurbishments in the north that are new on the MICE scene.

MIDLANDS

A new 150-room hotel at one of the Midlands’ premier sporting and leisure complexes is planned. Wasps Group’s Ricoh Arena complex in Coventry is a 32,600-capacity stadium alongside 20,000 sqm of event space, including the 6,000 sqm exhibition hall, casino, and various lounges. The proposed hotel – which will be located at the stadium’s Car Park C – will strengthen the group’s commercial operations.

The new £15 million Hampton by Hilton hotel will complement the complex’s 121room DoubleTree by Hilton hotel and will enable the Ricoh Arena to attract more conferences and exhibitions to the site. A planning application has already been submitted and, if successful, work on the new hotel could begin this summer. The venue is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2021 – in time for Coventry City of Culture and ahead of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in Birmingham in the summer of 2022.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Venues at Wasps Group, said:

“This is an exciting project which will greatly benefit not only Wasps Group but the city as a whole…It will also support Wasps Group’s ambitious commercial plans. We have some of the finest conference facilities in the Midlands. Unfortunately, a shortage of bedroom stock at Ricoh Arena means that we are not always able to reach our full potential by accommodating people on-site.

“The new hotel will make us an even more attractive venue for organisers that are looking to stage large events over more than one day, and we estimate that it will boost revenue by as much as £1 million per year.”

Work has now completed on three luxury lodges at events venue Goosedale – set in Papplewick in Nottinghamshire. Designed by Nottinghamshire-based firm AM2 Architects, the first three luxury houses, titled Goosedale Lodges, are now complete as part of phase one of the ongoing project.

The bespoke, contemporary lodges have been constructed with timber and steel frames for a modern and sleek finish and feature underfloor heating and natural Siberian larch timber cladding. Each lodge also boasts an environmentally friendly roof with planted green foliage,

to blend into the surrounding picturesque countryside and adhere to modern eco design aspirations and codes.

A further six lodges at Goosedale – home to conferences, seminars and team building activities in the countryside – are to be constructed in 2020 as the second stage of phase one of the project. Each lodge features a hot tub within a private setting, surrounded by magnificent views. Nearby are various fishing lakes, walking, cycling and horse-riding trails and a local country pub.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the lodges’ design, director at AM2 Architects, Jonathan Metcalfe said: “We wanted to step away from the standard size and shape of the usual lodges you see at venues and parks, so we researched individual locations across the globe, which gave us great insight into the detail that was being used in the creation of projects. Using that research as our inspiration, we decided to create a bespoke and luxury experience at Goosedale.”

Ricoh Arena

Goosedale

100 Princes Street

SCOTLAND

The EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) has been given the go-ahead for a pioneering hotel and hotel school development in Edinburgh. It will operate the new hotel being developed by M&G Real Estate and QMile Group at the £350 million Haymarket Edinburgh development where work has already begun.

The 362-bed four-star hotel will address conference demand issues for the EICC –which has hosted almost 1.5 million delegates at the conference centre venue since opening in 1995 – while the hotel school will address recruitment challenges faced by the hospitality industry in Scotland. The Colliers International Edinburgh hotel report indicated that future demand for hotel accommodation in the Edinburgh market, which already has the highest occupancy rates in the UK outside London.

NORTH WEST

Though currently closed (as of March) due to government directives during the COVID-19 outbreak, the boutique hotel in Grasmere, the Victorian House Hotel is new to the region. From the team behind Georgian House Hotel in Pimlico, London, the hotel is a ‘country cousin’ to its city counterpart.

Victorian House Hotel has 19 individually designed bedrooms, a Shepherd’s Hut and several open-plan shared guest spaces designed by Laura Fulmine, as well as a tranquil riverside garden and a range of outdoor facilities in the Lakes for visiting teams. There are four special Stargazer rooms which will have dual-aspect hip-to-ceiling windows and telescopes. A luxury Shepherd’s Hut at the end of the garden sits by the river and offers an alternative accommodation option for guests.

The shared guest spaces on the ground floor of Victorian House Hotel are open-plan and welcoming with cosy nooks and snug sofas alongside classic Victorian character features. A conservatory at the back of the house looks out onto the garden with an eclectic mix of furniture and extra seating space for guests. Features such as a boot room, bike washing and storing facilities will be available to guests who are taking part in outdoor activities.

Another new venue that closed indefinitely is The Climbing Hangar’s new second site in Liverpool. Due to the success of its flagship climbing wall near Sandhills station, the all-new 11,200 sq ft indoor climbing centre at The Matchworks features a bright and comfortable cafe and licensed bar with views of the climbing facility, serving a variety of fresh, ethically sourced food and coffee.

The new venue will also boast hang-out spaces, climbing and training and free on-site parking. Brand new climbs will be created at the site every single week, to ensure that there is always something new and interesting to try, regardless of climbing ability or experience. Several of the site’s original climbs are being set by British number one and former bouldering world champion, Shauna Coxsey.

Prior to temporarily closing until 30th April, Carden Park in Cheshire Carden Park was transformed into a wellness estate. A leading company in fitness and wellness solutions, Technogym partnered with Carden Park to create one of the best spa and leisure destinations in the country, The Spa at Carden.

An integral part of the hotel development is a hotel school and training academy that will offer a career path for students and trainees while providing a pipeline of qualified people for Scotland’s leisure and tourism industry. The hotel school will build close relationships with organisations including the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Edinburgh Hotels Association, British Hospitality Association, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland to ensure that the training offered matches the needs of the industry.

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s 19th property will be in Scotland with the refurbishment and reopening of former Edinburgh private members club, 100 Princes Street. Opening later this year, guests will enjoy a view of Edinburgh Castle from one of its 30 bedrooms and the executive lounge, transforming it into an exclusive retreat on Edinburgh’s most famous street.

The 1,000-acre hotel has invested over £300,000 into remodelling its high-quality leisure offering to service the ambitions of its growing member and visitor base. Carden Park will be the first site in the north of the UK to install a Technogym bike alongside a selection of innovative fitness equipment covering all training areas such as cardio, strength, functional, performance, holistic, yoga and group training.

Carden Park’s new equipment includes treadmills, exercise bikes, cross trainers, rowers, free weights, benches and more so that 100s of exercises can be achieved within the various zones. The equipment has also been fully integrated with a Carden Park MyWellness App which allows members to stay connected to their personal training programme either directly on the equipment or through their mobile devices.

Victorian House Hotel

The Spa at Carden

Climbing Hangar Matchworks

Photo: Rob Battersby

TEAM SPIRIT

As staff and clients feel increasingly isolated working from home, connectivity and investing in team building is more important than ever to help to keep a disparate workforce connected and motivated.

In a time of fear and panic, it can be understandable that brands are looking to cut back on their costs and an inevitable area that takes a hit is the team building budget. However, if your brand can ride out the storm currently underway, Emma Kowalski, Event Coordinator at corporate event provider Xtreme Events, suggests there may be no better time to invest in your business.

twists and turns, adapting and responding to a changing set of circumstances with agility. Conversely the cracks may start to appear in a team that lacks a collaborative and trusting approach.

“Employers should certainly be looking at arranging corporate team building right now for the autumn, with prices starting to drop. Companies such as ours are more than happy to negotiate prices at such a difficult time, therefore increasing the chances they can get themselves a good deal.

“Many businesses might prefer to wait for normality to return, but as business starts to pick up, the special offers will largely have ended. You can often just put down a deposit, meaning you’re not heavily financially invested, yet you can agree a discounted rate to be paid later in the year. Think of it as an investment into the future of you company.

“Team building activities are a great way to get members of the company to mingle with people they don’t often speak to, whether that’s different levels of seniority or from other departments, as they remotely work within their respective teams. Beyond this, it also helps to increase productivity and pushes people to tackle problems and find solutions as a group. It’s also an interesting education for managers to monitor how different people tackle tasks requiring creativity and an innovative mindset.”

At this time of uncertainty, Tracey MacLennan, Head of Organisational Effectiveness at learning and development consultant Insights, feels it is more important than ever that teams pull together and build these strong working relationships when home workers might feel particularly isolated and demotivated: “When team members work effectively towards a common goal, they can withstand many

“As budgets are tightened during the COVID-19 outbreak, it may be tempting to strip team development from your spend, however a solid team will be your key to thriving in these challenging times. Now more than ever before, your teams must be well equipped to connect, adapt and respond with agility and compassion.

“When we think of team building, we often imagine assault courses, ‘trust falls’ and face-to-face workshops, but in this new virtual workplace we need to switch our thinking. In direct response to the ongoing situation, we have successfully switched many of our face-to-face workshops to virtual delivery sessions. Forward-thinking teams from around the world are still coming together online to learn how to function collectively in this disrupted world.”

So what could team building exercises of the future look like if we’re all working remotely for extended periods? Glenn Gillis, CEO of augmented reality business Sea Monster, believes current technology already allows for so much, and these working shifts could prove a catalyst for new and exciting virtual team building opportunities: “Imagine a power 40-minute online session, that starts with a digital Jenga-like puzzle, projected into your home office using augmented reality (AR). The catch is you need seven of your colleagues to be able to solve the challenge. After 10 minutes of chaos, a facilitator (or their digital avatar) unpacks the experience and gives feedback, principles of how to use Zoom or some such virtual conferencing software to collaborate more effectively and how to find new ways of work on these new channels. The session finishes with a digital escape-room activity to lock in some of the new learnings.

“There are so many things we need to take from the real-world into our new ways of

work, but there are also some we need to leave behind. With digital collaboration we can get a much more nuanced and measurable approach to skills development. This isn’t just e-learning, but rather an approach that unlocks the full potential of digital. We’ve had online communication platforms for years now, but as the last few weeks have shown us, we haven’t really figured out how to use these for much more than a one-way presentation. People keep interrupting each other, given the lack of body language feedback, and we need to figure out new modes for collaboration.”

While it’s easy to get carried away with technological possibilities, Colin Murray, Director of leadership development consultants AndPartnership believes that business leaders should be focused on using virtual connectivity to build human relationships that count, recognising the importance of establishing a positive practice of mental health and physical wellbeing: “Every leader has a part to play in developing a strong level of resilience in their team. Take advantage of any available ‘slow-time’ to reach out to your team. Make yourself available to them and show an interest in how they are feeling. They might have started remote working for the first time so may feel disconnected, unmotivated and uncertain.

“By enhancing relationships across your team using digital spaces, you can foster social cohesion, a sense of community and a stronger support network – and by role modelling these behaviours, your team will respond in kind. By pulling together and finding new ways to interact and grow, your team can come through this as a stronger unit, with deeper connections and a renewed sense of vigour and drive.”

THE POWER OF A LITTLE ADVENTURE

Andrew Ainscough, Managing Director at Adventure Parc Snowdonia, advocates how releasing your adventurous side could be just what you need as the world recovers.

It seems the vast majority of us are looking for the gift of better focus, less stress and a better work-life balance. As businesses and individuals, we should be open minded about where we might find it.

Which skills would you most like to cultivate to help your professional –and personal – development in 2020? As an outdoor adventure hub with a big interest in wellbeing, it’s a question we put regularly to our corporate friends and partners. There are some common and oftrepeated themes that almost always wing their way back:

• Better focus

• Better stress management

• A better work-life balance

We’re willing to bet that these resonate with you, too. In this age of constant distraction, the sense of being overstretched, over stressed and overwhelmed is pretty much universal. For a while now, there has been a growing consensus that meditation and mindfulness is the key to soothing our strung out, stressed out souls. Forward-thinking global brands like Apple, Google and Nike have invested heavily in mindfulness courses and time out for their employees. Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey are well known advocates of the power of meditation.

You won’t hear anyone at Adventure Parc Snowdonia argue against the power of focusing your thoughts with mindful techniques. The idea that being more present in each moment can have a significant effect on productivity and wellbeing is an obvious no-brainer. But does mindfulness always have to be done in a quiet, meditative environment? Over here in North Wales, we don’t think so.

We believe it is entirely possible to achieve many of the same great benefits we associate with mindfulness and meditation –like concentration, compassion and self-belief for example – by participating in adventure.

Improving Your Focus

The pay-off to taking part in any activity that pushes your boundaries is the enormous sense of wellbeing that it immediately serves up as your reward.

It’s not just about releasing a rush of endorphins – though that’s a nice side effect – it’s way more profound than that. It’s about the sense of freedom, the self-belief, the intense connection to your immediate environment.

Take surfing, for example. When you’re out there on your board your focus and attention is completely taken up with being in the moment. All of your effort and attention is put into managing the best outcome possible: catching this wave, making this pop up, standing on your board and staying upright for more than half a second.

By sticking at it and incrementally taking on bigger challenges –catching more waves, making more pop ups, standing up on your board for longer and longer each time – you gradually expand your sense of what you’re capable of, what you can overcome, what you can achieve if you only put your mind to it.

That’s a powerful lesson to apply to everyday life. And to take back to the office or boardroom.

If our corporate guests, friends, and colleagues are right, it seems we’re all looking for the gift of better focus, less stress and a better work-life balance.

Maybe having a new adventure is just where we might find it.

Adventure Parc Snowdonia offers fun and exciting team building activities and events designed to energise your team and reward their hard work. Whole-day packages start at £45 per person.

WORLD FIRST SURF

Man-made waves with a beautiful mountain backdrop.

INDOOR ADVENTURES

For weatherproof fun, all year round.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

For exhilarating days out with your gang.

GARDEN INN

The 106-bedroom lagoon-side hotel will feature conference and event spaces for up to 230, indoor / outdoor spa, gym and a destination dining restaurant and bar.

Find out more at adventureparcsnowdonia.com. Email corporate@adventureparcsnowdonia.com or call 01492 353 123 to discuss your next adventure.

HILTON

This Too Shall Pass

As the events industry tries to bounce back, looking to the future embodies the spirit of the festive season.

It probably seems premature to be thinking of Christmas right now, but for businesses that are looking to thank their staff for sticking by them or simply need to celebrate getting through to the other side, the annual festive party will certainly have added importance this year. It might be a great way to say farewell to a truly tumultuous 2020 and toast to the future…

However the Christmas spirit has come sooner than you might have expected thanks to Lights4Fun, the internet fairy light supplier, which is campaigning to keep people’s spirits up by asking members of the public to display Christmas lights and ‘shine a light’ in the darkness during the coronavirus pandemic. The ‘Shine a Light’ movement is testament to people’s need to look to the future and concentrate on the good things in life, says Jo Naughton, Co-founder of Lights4fun: “We all need hope right now, so let’s shine a light in the dark to join the community. Displaying lights, whether in your window or garden, is also an opportunity to show friendship and solidarity with our neighbours, reminding the lonely that there is someone there for them, even if they cannot be seen.”

Keeping with the theme of bringing the Christmas spirit to springtime, H&E North has decided to look ahead to late 2020 for some positivity. Hopefully many venues and event planners will have their event diaries booked up once again and will be reuniting with their trusted suppliers and clients to mark the festive season.

If you’ve been tasked with organising your company’s next Christmas bash or simply want to indulge in some party planning ideas for when things get back on track, then here is a handful of party themes for you to consider…

The Name of the Game

There’s nothing like a bit of needless competitiveness to bring the company together, is there? Retro gameshow activities are all the rage when it comes to team building, so why not carry the theme over to your corporate Christmas bash?

All you need is a ‘gameshow host’ – aka a party host as you would for an awards show or gala dinner – to lead the proceedings and pit the tables of colleagues against each other with silly games and general knowledge rounds to find an ultimate team winner. You could either seat people by department or mix everyone up to encourage staff bonding. Maybe Margaret from HR and Callum from marketing will make a dream quiz team?

Nationwide events company Gable Events specialises in creating a spectacular gameshow event at your chosen venue and will provide the Christmas quiz show activities and all necessary equipment, including the quiz host and trained staff to run the games, team packs, festive fun prizes, PA system, music, projector and screen and professional event management too.

Gable-events.co.uk

Howdy Partners

If your client is looking to instil a cutthroat instinct in the team, then a tongue-in-cheek throwback to the wild, wild west might be just the thing. No one is expecting you to be historically accurate of course, but think about using the pages and pages of Pinterest style ideas or the western films of old – the ones that remind you of a lazy Sunday afternoon in front of the telly – for some inspiration on how to decorate the tables and transform the event space. Consider asking your colleagues to dress up too!

West Yorkshire-based Event Prop Hire has gone from strength to strength, providing bespoke props for events of all kinds. It recently met a brief to create a Wild West-themed Christmas party in a disused warehouse and put together an American West-style street, complete with a saloon, hotel, gun shop and undertakers, plus an immersive goldmining area and prairie. Yeehaw!

Eventprophire.com

A Safe Bet

Home to the famous casino and venue for the Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo prides itself on its reputation for sunshine, glamour and affluence. If you are tempted to create a casino-themed bash for your client, then conjuring this Mediterranean principality is your ace in the hand for creating a successful Christmas party.

Pier Fun Casinos in Wigan specialises in creating swanky casino experiences with expert croupiers, roulette and blackjack tables and personalised or branded ‘money’ to gamble throughout the proceedings. The Pier Fun Casinos team can assist making sure your casino theme truly stands out too, so if you’d rather evoke the ostentatious sheen of Las Vegas or the decadence of the roaring 1920s, the team can step in to create the right party backdrop.

With the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, delayed until 12th November, memories of the smoothest player of the Casino Royale will be fresh in the mind of many attendees of this party. How about hiring a cocktail mixologist company to whip up some Bond inspired concoctions for the event? A Vesper Martini is a must!

Pierfuncasinos.co.uk

Team Train

There’s more than meets the eye in this historic market town as Darlington remains right on track for your next conference or event.

Rail connections past and present are what makes Darlington a perfect destination for your next conference or event. Located on the western edge of the Tees Valley, Darlington offers easy access to the Yorkshire Dales, Teesdale, Durham and Newcastle city centres and as well as being around an hour’s drive from the majestic Lake District and the North East coast.

The town centre is a delight for delegates, and boasts a Victorian indoor market, quirky yard areas, independent shops and lots of cafes, bars, and restaurants to help you unwind after a busy day. A multi-screen cinema and leisure complex plus a Victorian park and local riverside walks and golf courses means there’s lots to do whatever the weather. There are plenty of significant buildings to see, the central Grade I listed St Cuthbert’s Church is one of the most important early English churches in the north of England, built in 1183.

Super Spaces

You’ll be starstruck with the fantastic facilities at Darlington Hippodrome – a wonderful and newly restored Edwardian theatre in the centre of the town. With a 1,000-seat auditorium, flexible meeting areas, café and bars, plus the stage itself, your event will take centre stage thanks to the on-site events team. Who knows, your guests might even meet one of the resident theatre ghosts? Operating as a theatre since 1907, the Hippodrome hosts plays, opera, comedy, music, dance and pantomimes and is a mere five-minute walk from Darlington’s train station.

Overlooking the Market Square, the Dolphin Centre, run by Darlington Borough Council, offers modern leisure and conference facilities under one roof. You can eat, swim, learn, relax, and even dive into one of the only diving pools in the North East. Look out for ten pin bowling coming soon – always a team building winner!

Get on track to consider another unique venue at Head of Steam museum, one of the oldest passenger railway stations in the world, yet with modern Meeting facilities to ensure your conference journey is smooth. The Head of Steam Museum located within North Road Station is on the 1825 route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the

world’s first steam-worked public railway. The concept of a public railway, available to all, for transport of passengers and goods, was born here, and it makes an ideal venue for events that confirm how your business is truly people powered.

A range of hotels in and around the centre for delegates includes independent boutique style hotels, a Premier Inn to up to five-star hotels with golf courses and much more – the choice is yours. If you want to dine in style, book a table at the Raby Hunt, the north of England’s first and only two Michelin Star restaurant, led by chef patron James Close.

If you are looking to visit when the town is at its best, there is a full programme of events throughout the year including an awardwinning Food and Drink Festival, Pease Pudding Markets, dance, music festivals and even Darlington by the Sea where tons of sand transform the centre into a tropical beach.

With excellent conference facilities just minutes’ walk from the main station served by the East Coast mainline, good road links and Teesside International Airport close by, Darlington is very well placed for your next event.

Visit Enjoydarlington.com or follow #LoveDarlo on social media to find out more about future events and the local area.

Darlington Hippodrome

Darlington’s Indoor Market

DARLINGTON HIPPODROME

Darlington Hippodrome offers a range of event and meeting spaces suitable for any need.

The main auditorium has the capacity to seat 1000 people in traditional tip-up seats upholstered in luxuriant red velvet - perfect for truly special events.

In addition to this, the John Wade Group Lounge, Education Space, and The Hippo Lounge are fantastic to hire.

Call: 01325 405405

Email: hires.hippodrome@darlington.gov.uk

HEAD OF STEAM

The Head of Steam Railway Museum has an impressive function room that can be set up in a boardroom, theatre or cabaret style to suit your event. The room has WIFI, a built in projector and projector screen, and an array of other presentation equipment. In addition, there is free parking and a range of refreshments can be offered on request.

Call: 01325 405060

Email: headofsteam.conferences@darlington.gov.uk

Can We Fix It? Yes, We Can!

Liz Taylor, Founder and CEO of the event management company, the Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC)

These are unprecedented times. TLC marks its 25th anniversary this year and now faces its greatest challenge. Coronavirus is having a devastating effect on our industry and was something none of us could have planned for. With events suddenly cancelling, we were quick to react and rebook clients where we could for the autumn. Thankfully, this provides us with a base for strongly rebuilding the business. In the meantime, we have worked closely with suppliers and venues to ensure minimum costs for clients rebooking events, while ensuring that suppliers also have business booked in the longer term to aid their own recovery. Event planners can’t deliver the dream without our army of creative suppliers!

My own team have embraced homeworking with their usual gusto. I am sure that, once this is a proven model, many event companies may embrace the concept in the future instead of offices. I for one would certainly look at this as a possibility for the team. We have also come to rely on technology – not just to communicate within the team, but also with clients. We are encouraging clients to engage in video conferencing and virtual reality tours of venues instead of site inspections, which has seen a great response. The TLC team calls on WhatsApp are met with enthusiasm!

The industry is changing, and we must adapt and support each other. My glass is always half full and so, long-term, I am optimistic. Some less-established event companies will not have the depth of resources or resilience to survive. But this is when we call on the banks and government for advice. As an industry, the business landscape will certainly look challenging post-virus, but I am optimistic that we can all emerge stronger than ever.

Clare Bingham, Engagement and Operations Director at brand incentives and engagement agency, FMI

The current climate for any conference, hospitality event or group travel trip is really challenging – and sadly one that’s having a devastating impact on large numbers of companies, venues and suppliers as a result. While in the short term, it’s very much a ‘doom and gloom’ situation, the good news is that we’re seeing many trade conferences and exhibitions simply being postponed to later dates – not completely cancelled. But there’s no guarantee that life will return to some form of normality in the next six months, so then what?

We’re already seeing businesses working smarter and considering how they can better leverage digital marketing platforms in order to communicate their key business messages or engage a disparate workforce. It’s likely that the digital shift will change the face of business forever, making it a lot more costeffective and responsive in its operations.

This week alone, we’ve moved an international roadshow onto an online forum; we’ve switched travel trip rewards to digital e-codes; we’ve taken new briefs for brand videos to communicate to employees that they are supported during these global challenges; and we’ve launched new products to market by leveraging online engagement programmes while field teams are grounded.

At times like this, adaptation is the most critical factor to business survival. It’s no secret that the events sector has been significantly impacted but we have to look after one another. Supporting smaller businesses, sole traders and the huge amount of freelancers in our industry is key. We’re now offering more flexible payment terms and we’re working hard to ensure those we work with are afloat and operating as best they can. We’ve been in similar situations before with the 2008 recession, and we got through it – I have no doubt that we will come through this together.

Liz Taylor

Clare Bingham

As the world of events reels from the COVID-19 outbreak, we hear of the impact faced by planners, suppliers, incentive agencies and travel management companies and their predictions for the industry’s future.

Tracey Tracey Boreham, Head of Global Meetings and Events Operations at American Express Global Business Travel

While COVID-19 is unprecedented, the industry has dealt with major travel disruptions before, and duty of care is top of mind in these situations. As an industry we need to work collectively with health organisations to ensure it’s safe to travel again. When it is, we will reiterate to businesses what measures are in place, what actions they can take and how we’re here to support them.

It’s at times of disruption and uncertainty that the value of a travel management company (TMC) is emphasised. Our role is to support our event planners’ duty-of-care objectives, and key to this is helping to drive policy compliance – you can only care for your employees or attendees if you know where they are. When a sense of normality resumes, that means booking through the proper channels, so that you have the data to support and communicate with travellers when there’s disruption.

Good communication is key to a policy compliant overseas event, so it’s important to provide the right channels such as in-app messaging, and live webchat with travel counsellors, as well as phone, SMS and email. Other services we offer include being able to pinpoint and communicate with travellers in a crisis by using GPS and recent credit card data combined with itinerary information. With the right technologies and services, TMCs can help rebuild confidence in travel and meetings programmes.

Now is not the time to ‘turn off the lights’ – the next few months and beyond will be spent keeping in constant contact with our clients to understand what their plans are, share best practices, update on suppliers and start the planning process for postponed or new meetings.

Jake Ward Business Development Director of live streaming supplier

Groovy Gecko

The impact of the coronavirus on events has been felt across industries worldwide from automotive and tech, to sports and travel. The Geneva Motor Show, Mobile World Congress, Google News Initiative Global Summit, Paris and Milan’s fashion weeks, Formula 1’s Grand Prix and even the Dalai Lama have cancelled events in the past few weeks.

Global corporate events are planned months, even years in advance, with huge investments of money, time and forwardplanning from both organisers and delegates. As well as jeopardising product launches and business opportunities, the financial hit is monumental. Hundreds of thousands of pounds are spent by exhibitors annually on marketing and PR assets, staff attendance, flights, stands, products, fees, hotels, entertainment and hospitality.

Face-to-face events will always be essential, however advances in live-streaming technology enable marketing and event experts to adapt and re-evaluate strategies that are underpinned by one major global event each year, as well as opening it up to a wider audience than before. Whether it’s streaming several smaller, more localised interactive events regularly throughout the year, or incorporating streaming into major annual events, there is some relief in technology helping to de-risk and future-proof marketing and sales strategies moving forward.

ITB Berlin, one of the world’s largest travel tradeshows, decided to launch a virtual convention with more than 20 live streams and videos available both live and on demand, following its cancellation earlier this month. However, ITB isn’t the first to adapt. The Adobe Summit was also cancelled in Las Vegas, opting to make it an online experience this year, while Shanghai Fashion Week is currently live-streaming on Taobao Live, Alibaba’s livestreaming channel, making it the first fashion week event to go fully digital.

Streaming technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, including vast interactive opportunities so that those viewing from home or in the office are also able to engage, question and influence the flow of the discussion. As the fate of further global events this year is still in question, this crisis is not only a devastating eye-opener to how vulnerable the events industry can be – but a catalyst for the evolution of digital global events.

Tracy

Jake Ward

Focus on: Manchester

Manchester is a vibrant city that’s grown from strength to strength in recent years.

Manchester is developing at a scale and pace not seen since industrial times. At the centre of this development, Manchester is seeking to progress its reputation as a leading business tourism destination, a sector that is currently worth over £823 million per annum to the city region.

As the world’s first modern industrial city, Manchester has a strong manufacturing legacy, with the focus now well and truly shifted from the cotton industry towards the field of advanced manufacturing, where innovative technology is used to enhance the manufacturing process. The city is now home to the National Graphene Institute and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) which opened at the end of 2018 to foster development of the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material – graphene – first founded in Manchester.

Manchester’s historical, industrial and academic assets are also providing the added edge in attracting conferences, particularly in the city’s three key sectors; advanced manufacturing creative and digital, and life sciences – bringing large-scale conferences in 2019 such as the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution of 1,000 delegates and Medicine 2019 which welcomed 800 delegates.

Boasting the third busiest airport in the UK, Manchester is a well-connected region. Manchester Airport is just 15 minutes by train from the city centre, offering direct flights from over 200 destinations worldwide including non-stop routes to China, Hong Kong, the Middle East, India and several cities in North America including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta. Domestically, delegates can reach London in just two hours and seven minutes with Avanti West Coast operating every 20 minutes during peak times.

Beetham Tower

The Bridgewater Hall CONFERENCES & EVENTS

The Bridgewater Hall is Manchester’s iconic and prestigious concert venue; built to provide the best possible space for live music, whilst also offering a unique and exciting venue for a range of conferences, events and exhibitions. The Hall also offers three different levels of membership providing companies and individuals with the opportunity to entertain clients and staff, engage with the Hall and take advantage of various marketing opportunities.

Contact the Conferences & Events Team

Tel: 0161 950 0000

Email: conferences@bridgewater-hall.co.uk www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

1830 WAREHOUSE

The Science and Industry Museum is home to one of the oldest surviving passenger railway stations and the world’s first inter-city railway warehouse.

Once the scene of non-stop activity, as people and goods travelled in and out for over 140 years, the top floor of 1830 Warehouse is now able to host conferences, dinners, drinks receptions and private events for up to 200 guests.

The space offers exclusive access to three unique bays, available for both daytime and evening hire.

For more infomation or to book, please call 0161 537 6904 or email venuehire@scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

BY MELIÃ

See more of the world

Stay

Curious

INNSiDE is a collection of hotels that focuses on what we should all aspire towards: a balanced lifestyle. At the beach or in the city, our distinct range of locations gives you the flexibility to move effortlessly from work to leisure and back again. Because at INNSiDE, we specialise in ensuring you always have the freedom to be yourself.

Say hello to INNSiDE Manchester and our newest hotspots in 2020, INNSiDE Newcastle and INNSiDE Liverpool.

innsidebymelia.com

INNSiDE Track

INNSiDE by Melia Manchester, located on the new First Street development in the heart of the city, offers corporate guests a truly unique urban experience. One of the best new cultural destinations in Manchester, the development is situated opposite the legendary the Haçienda, a stone’s throw from the cosmopolitan shopping area, sporting arenas and business districts, meaning you won’t have far to travel for work or play.

The urban lifestyle hotel offers 208 stylish guest rooms and suites over 10 floors in a striking contemporary structure. Every room is peppered with thoughtful touches and all the essentials so you can make each stay your own.

For business travellers on the hunt for a bit more space, the Studio is a premium king room with over 30m2 of floorspace, sleeping up to three guests. Guests with a job to do can enjoy a huge work area equipped with high speed Wi-Fi, as well as a 32-inch TV with a range of channels and free refreshments (including local craft ale) for when you want to kick back. All premium rooms offer walk-in rain showers with exclusive luxury amenities from urban cosmetics pioneer SAMPAR.

INNSiDE’s selection of flexible spaces are suitable for anything from a conference, away day or meeting, each space benefitting from natural daylight, an LCD projector and screen, along with self-controlled air conditioning.

The Big Ideas space encourages out of the box thinking, with smart paint walls letting you write, erase and share your scribbles in real time with anyone, anywhere in the world. With soft, relaxing seating, it’s designed as a fun and imaginative meeting space, the open plan setting allowing delegates to slip seamlessly from work to play and anything in between.

The largest and most versatile room, The Chadwick Suite offers 300m2 of bright, fresh and contemporary event space, divisible into three separate sections, allowing for smaller meetings or break-out sessions, while the Foster suite is ideal for more intimate events.

Street on First is a bar, lounge and terrace designed for social dining to enjoy food and drinks with friends and colleagues. Whether you’re kicking off your morning with an important catch-up meeting or a lazy brunch, the kitchen offers a balance of all things healthy, traditional and local to give you the perfect start to the day. The resident DJ will even add a much-needed energy boost with an early morning chill-out set!

If you’re looking to work out around the clock, its state-of-the-art fitness spaces have everything you need to make you feel good. The health centre even includes a wellness suite offering Finnish sauna, aromatic steam room, gym and relaxation area to help you unwind after a productive day.

The hotel is within walking distance of multiple mainline railway stations and offers easy access to major motorways, meaning your delegates can be at Manchester Airport or the many prestigious North West event venues within minutes. So why not make your next Manchester business trip a uniquely urban experience – after all, it’s what’s INNSiDE that counts!

Melia.com |1 First Street, Manchester, M15 4RP |0161 200 2500

COMPETITION

To win a two-night weekend stay in an INNSiDE Studio room with breakfast each morning for two, simply answer the following question…

How many square metres is INNSiDE’s largest event space, The Chadwick Suite?

Enter online at Hospitalityandeventsnorth. com/competition 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 winner will be the first randomly selected on the closing date: 29th June 2020.

Terms and conditions apply: Maximum one entry per person. Prize is subject to availability, and times and dates remain at management’s discretion. When entering the competition online, you have the option to not be entered into H&E North and Melia Hotels’ databases in order to be contacted about news, promotions and special offers. Postal entry data will not be saved. The winner’s name may be printed in a future edition of H&E North. Publisher’s decision is final.

All In This Together

Jane Longhurst, Chief Executive of the Meetings Industry Association (mia) calls on the industry to not distance itself from the difficult consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.

Our government is calling on everyone to play their part to help protect lives, support our health services and minimise the impact of COVID-19.

In doing this they have recognised the massive impact on businesses and put in place support packages specifically designed to help the sectors most at risk during this destabilising period.

At the time of writing, not all of the packages we, the business, meetings and events industry, need are yet in place, but we can be confident that the Treasury is working on further support and we know that HMRC and local government are working hard to get systems and portals in operation to enable us to start the claim process.

This support will help us weather the storm but what it can’t do is ensure the sector will come out the other side looking anything like it did just two months ago; an exciting, creative sector with world-class service delivered by first-class staff.

To re-build the sector to its former strength will take time, enormous resilience, cooperation, compassion and recognition, from all of us, that the industry is made up of many, many parts. It is that recognition that is probably one of the most important things we all need to concentrate on when we are making business decisions in the next few months.

There are thousands of strands to this industry: venues, caterers, drinks suppliers, booking agents, AV and production, team building, PR, marketing, tradeshows, florists, entertainers, stand builders, furniture suppliers,

the list is endless. The jobs of 70 million people rely on the sector and they rely on us all, collectively. Without all of these individuals we simply wouldn’t have an industry, which is why, right now, more than ever, we must support each other in every way we can to ensure those 70 million individuals keep their jobs and the companies they work for stay alive.

We absolutely must recognise the partnerships that we have with our suppliers, some forged over many years because we have a responsibility, perhaps even a duty to try to protect them as one of the many strands of our industry. This is a painful period for everyone, cash flow is critical and of course needs preserving but so do all the industry’s strands. If we don’t protect each other there will be many business casualties of coronavirus – it will have robbed us of many longstanding and trusted relationships and stolen the livelihoods of many people.

As an industry, please think about every strand. If you are a corporate booker please try to first move your booking rather than cancel, suppliers and venues please try to be flexible, if you are a venue please discuss cancellations with your suppliers before agreeing cancellation terms with the client and please pay suppliers and booking agents in a reasonable and agreed time.

We are seriously in this together, so we need each other to ensure we keep business moving. We need each other to guarantee our survival and to be there for each other on the other side when all our energy and resilience has been put to the test.

A free shuttle bus operates in the city centre, looping key locations such as Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Central, the trendy Northern Quarter, home to independent shops, bars and restaurants, and Manchester Victoria. Metrolink from Transport for Greater Manchester also operates a tram network. The famous yellow trams are now synonymous with Manchester, carrying passengers around the city and out into the suburbs.

It will soon be a great time to extend that business visit into a few days exploring what the city has to offer. Last year marked the start of a three-year wave of cultural projects across Greater Manchester. With a £200 million cultural investment, significant developments will place the region in the cultural limelight.

Manchester International Festival (MIF), the biennial festival of arts, music and performance will take up permanent home at The Factory (opening 2021), a new largescale arts centre for the north expected to attract up to 850,000 visitors a year. Expansion of three major museums – Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Museum and Manchester Jewish Museum – aim to be completed by this year, while the phased opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater, Europe’s largest garden project will soon commence in Salford.

three-year deal with 10,000 delegates and an estimated £110 million to the local economy over three-years. The International Congress for Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynaecology will also be visiting in 2021.

These will all be supported by the 2,500 hotel beds within a five-minute walk of the city-centre’s flagship conference venue, Manchester Central Convention Complex. New hotel openings and number of rooms in Manchester city centre are set to increase by up to 40% by this year.

Manchester’s newest MICE industry show, Venues + Events Live will return for a second year on 29th September. Conveniently located at Manchester Central, Venues + Events Live is free to attend and is not to be missed if you’re an event planner or organise any kind of event in the north. Thousands of corporate event buyers will attend to discover the latest industry trends, develop new skills and to source and book the best venues and suppliers.

A Conference in the City

Manchester Convention Bureau won 21 conference bids for Greater Manchester in 2018 and 2019, set to bring 13,130 delegates to the region over the coming years and boost the local economy by £27.4 million, The bureau brought the 16th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies to the city in 2019, and will welcome the annual meeting of the European Society for Clinical Virology in September 2020.

A big conference win was the British Small Animal Veterinary Association which has chosen to move from Birmingham to Manchester from 2021 as part of a

Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester comments: “It’s thanks to its incredibly rich history and heritage that organisers want to bring their events and meetings to the city. And it’s why Manchester consistently attracts exciting and forward-thinking events, continuing to host moments that matter. It is also incredibly accessible thanks to a well-developed transport infrastructure. The city centre is compact and walkable and benefits from a tram network, a free bus service and three major national train stations.

“Manchester is a place where great things start, with a heritage and history of radical thought and deed: the birthplace of the suffragettes, Peterloo, the cooperative movement, health and social care devolution. In a nutshell then, Manchester is a place where important conversations begin, where new thinking is inspired, and where new partnerships are forged.”

Meetinmanchester.com

Manchester Museum

Castlefield

Altrincham Market

Silence is Golden

H&E North discovers how wireless headset technology is reshaping the sonic landscape of corporate events.

Most of us will have heard of silent discos, where headphone wearing partygoers dance to the DJ of their choosing in a silent club or festival. Now, pioneering AV suppliers such as Silent Noize Events, the Birmingham-based supplier of silent disco headphones and equipment, have leveraged the idea to give corporate events the same silent treatment through its sister company, Silent Seminars.

So how does it work? Multiple seminars and workshops can be set up in the same space, thanks to radio frequency transmitters connected to sound desks that send audio to all headsets simultaneously, and potentially in multiple languages too. For delegates moving from one session to another, each headset has a channel switch indicated by LED lights to allow delegates to choose which presentation they listen to, making engagement throughout a conference seamless. Furthermore, to help reinforce your brand, the headsets can be colour coded and branded to maximise revenue or sponsorship.

“Our headsets help to control noise on a busy show floor and allow organisers to maximise space and deliver more content with crisper, clearer audio,” explains Duncan Strain, Director of Silent Noize Events. “Delegate and client participation can be improved by engaging with this new and innovative form of tech.”

Duncan has seen learning, networking and motivation significantly improve, with clients including Google, Microsoft, BBC and Nike, taking advantage of wireless headset systems at venues such as ExCel London, Messe Frankfurt, Manchester Central, the NEC and Marina Bay Sands.

It’s easy to see why leading events in the conference and exhibition industry are already incorporating wireless headphone technology into their events. The reason is simple – it solves several common problems. If the venue has a lack of break-out space, wireless headphone systems enable delegates in a single room to break off into

smaller groups to listen to separate presentations without competing against each other.

With exhibitions often having a packed agenda, you can squeeze more keynote speakers into a shorter space of time, hosting simultaneous sessions in the same space. Plus, delegates have the freedom to select the topics they want to listen to, making your content more relevant for maximum engagement. It’s not just one-way traffic, delegates can even use roving mics to feed audio directly into speakers’ headsets for clear and effective Q&A discussions.

Even if you have only one stage, large exhibition halls are often echoing with the chatter from buzzing show floors. Any way to broadcast content more clearly and effectively keeps delegates focused on your message, whether they’re tuning into key announcements or exhibition stand demos.

From large-scale international conferences, to client meetings of mixed nationalities, the multiple channel functionality available on Silent Seminar wireless headphone systems means that presentations and discussions can be enjoyed in multiple languages simultaneously. Using either live translators or preprepared, multilingual soundtracks, you can host multiple speakers in multiple languages, all at the same time.

And with no PA systems required, event planners can not only save money and space, but circumnavigate increasingly stringent venue sound regulations, so you can keep lively networking events going all night long, without having to worry about curfews and maximum decibel levels.

From large corporate summits to conferences and tradeshows – silent conference systems offer endless possibilities as they help to reshape the way that audio is presented and consumed within the conference, exhibition and live event industry.

Silentseminars.com | Silentnoizeevents.com

Industry

Product

Qualified

Refill Not Landfill

Green Goblet Ltd is an environmentally friendly company that produces Ecocups for the UK events scene. Ashleen Cousins, its Project Manager, discusses how the product is utilised at some of the UK’s biggest festivals and venues.

Plastic cups have posed as an affordable and safer alternative to glasses for events and businesses for many years. From large sports events to water dispensers in office environments, the single-use cup has become an everyday item for many. But with the recent shift in environmental consciousness and increasing awareness of the single-use plastic crisis, many are searching for an alternative and reaching for a reusable answer to combat this throwaway culture.

Green Goblet Ltd is a family-run, UK based company supplying reusable cups and sustainable solutions to the event and corporate markets. Established in 2012 by two families who wanted to introduce Ecocups to the UK market with the mission of reducing single-use waste to landfill, from humble beginnings Green Goblet has grown over the years, implementing sustainable solutions and gaining experience in every aspect of the industry.

With products of every shape and size from two-pint jugs to shot glasses and champagne flutes, Green Goblet has a reusable Ecocup for every corporate theme. With three different methods available, you can create a branded reusable product for any event. The digital print service is popular for private parties with low order quantities, whereas the photographic quality achieved with in-mould-label printing is most popular with Green Goblet’s sports clients for larger quantities of Ecocups.

that their products are used multiple times, offering a wide variety of generic designs which can be used alongside a clients’ own bespoke designs.

At Download Festival in 2019 over 500,000 reusable cups were supplied by Green Goblet to the site at Donington Park in Leicestershire. Of these, 110,000 were bespoke designs showing Download Festival and sponsors logos.

The remaining cups provided were Green Goblet generic festival cups, containing bright, relevant designs which were used at the beginning of the festival. Towards the end of the event, the bespoke Download designs were released giving customers the option to take home their branded cup as a souvenir to continue to reuse. After the event, all dirty cups were returned to Green Goblet’s wash station to be professionally washed and dried in custombuilt, environmentally friendly machines. In this way the generic festival cups are used again and again at festivals all across the UK as well as at arenas and stadiums hosting concerts.

Independent studies have analysed the comparisons between disposable and reusable cups. One such report by Hope Solutions found that “a reusable cup has a lower environmental impact than a single use cup after less than three uses.” The company has measures in place to ensure

Green Goblet also supplies sports venues across the UK including county cricket clubs such as Durham CCC and rugby stadiums from Leeds Rhinos to Sale Sharks. These venues use a selection of reusable two-pint, pint and half pint cups with bespoke branded designs. At Premier League football clubs like Manchester City FC, where Green Goblet works closely with contract caterers Fabulous Fan Fayre, the club operates without the £1 refundable deposit system and so use a plain design with the message “I’m a reusable cup. Please don’t put me in the bin”. This is another example of Green Goblet’s generic reusable cups that are also used at some racecourses; these Ecocups can be used hundreds of times across different venues

meaning fewer products are produced.

Passionate about helping businesses and venues to reduce their waste to landfill, sustainability doesn’t just stop at cups for Green Goblet. The machines used to wash and dry its reusable cups recycle steam and water to operate in a more efficient manner than most machines on the market. Working with packaging experts Loadhog, it has introduced reusable pallet lids to remove single-use shrink wrap from their supply chain and increase handling efficiency. The tote boxes which are used to transport the majority of cups are made from recycled plastic. With a dedicated logistics department, the carbon footprint of transporting Ecocups is considered at every stage of the cup’s lifecycle and at the end of life, any products which can no longer be used are recycled into useful items such as ice scrapers.

To find out more about how introducing reusable cups could reduce waste and provide a better drinking experience for your customers and clients, get in touch with Green Goblet and find out how your business can ‘refill not landfill’.

Visit Green-goblet.com.

When Belonging Truly Matters

Heather Lishman, Association Director of ABPCO, praises the optimism of conference organisers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABPCO’s ethos is based on three key pillars – excellence, learning and belonging. They are fundamental to who we are as an association and key to why people join us or choose our members to support their association events.

The importance of excellence and learning are easily measured and demonstrated through our accreditation process, awards, knowledge sharing and round tables. However, now more than ever we are truly seeing the benefit of belonging. In the past it was all too easy to consider the belonging to be a ‘nice to have’ – the drinks before an event, the conversation over a meal.

Amid the greatest crisis our industry has ever witnessed though – belonging is arguably the most important part of association membership.

Our industry is looking at the long term, postponing events, planning for the future and doing it all under immense cash flow pressure as well as the simple truth that we don’t know how long this could all last. I am writing this on day one of “lockdown” but rather than an inbox full of woe and worry, I am talking more than ever to our members, hearing their stories of solidarity and creative ideas to support each other.

ABPCO is ultimately a niche association, but that niche means we know and understand each other so well. Our partners and professional conference organiser members all understand each other’s pressures and challenges and are therefore seeking ways to help us all come through this together. With belonging comes understanding, and through understanding we achieve empathy and support.

I have never been prouder of our membership. We face a true challenge at the moment, yet our members stand united and ready to face it together.

Focus on: Liverpool

Liverpool City Region has become one of Europe’s premier conference and events destinations.

With world-class venues and an exciting downtime landscape, Liverpool offers visiting delegates everything they could possibly need and more. Throughout 2019, the waterfront city played host to various major events including the Netball World Cup, Royal College of Nursing (RCN19) and the 2019 UNISON National Delegates Conference.

2020 will see the city welcome delegates to various events including the 38th International Society of Biomechanics in Sport Conference and the British Society of Gastroenterology 2020.

Liverpool’s array of venues and event spaces come in all shapes and sizes, from the state-of-the-art ACC Liverpool on the city’s waterfront to the breath-taking Liverpool Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Britain. The iconic Royal Liver Building is home to The Venue, a bright event space and balcony ideal for drinks receptions with panoramic views of the River Mersey. Next door in the city’s Cunard Building is the British Music Experience, a walk-through of British musical history that also doubles as an engaging event space for delegates.

Event planners also have the likes of Liverpool Football Club, Knowsley Hall – Merseyside’s only stately home – and The Beatles Story, a museum dedicated to the Fab Four, to choose from. There are also an array of new venues popping up across the city including Content, a contemporary space in the creative Baltic Triangle and an upcoming new four-star INNSiDE by Melia hotel, both of which add to the city’s extensive events offer.

Continues on page 30

Liverpool Lime Street Station

Baltic Market

TOGETHER WE ARE BRILLIANT

Consider us an extended part of your team.

Pitch ACC Liverpool for your next event and experience an inter-connected residential event campus in one of the most well-connected conference destinations in the industry.

With global and national transport links, the opportunities are infinite.

Let’s connect and show you the possibilities.

www.accliverpool.com | 0151 703 7260 | sales@accliverpool.com

Speaking of hotels, Liverpool has an array of accommodation options for visiting delegates, many of whom also have event space on site too. For a touch of luxury, the four-star Titanic Hotel offers large rooms with views over Stanley Dock while Hope Street Hotel’s brand new fifth floor event space will be sure to delight delegates.

Liverpool is a leading international tourist destination so it should come as no surprise that the city region has plenty to offer delegates in their downtime. It is, of course, the home of The Beatles and there’s plenty of Fab Four-related activities such as a trip to the iconic Cavern Club or a ride on the Magical Mystery Tour. Liverpool is also home to more national museums and galleries than anywhere outside of London and July 2020 will see the return of contemporary arts festival Liverpool Biennial.

Food and drink options are aplenty in the city with an array of independent restaurants and bars in areas such as Bold Street and the Royal Albert Dock. There’s also the opportunity for visitors to make their very own Liverpool Gin at Liverpool Gin Distillery or sample a six-course tasting menu at new opening Six by Nico.

Visitors can easily access Liverpool by both plane and train; with two international airports nearby and just over a two-hour train journey to London from Liverpool Lime Street station. Accessibility doesn’t end once delegates have arrived either; the city is easily walkable with all the major venues and attractions within walking distance of each other. If delegates did need to venture further afield, the Merseyrail network expertly connects the city centre to the wider city region.

Liverpoolconventionbureau.com

• Corporate / Executive Travel

• Specialists in conferences & events

• Liverpool Based

• Luxury Mercedes Fleet

•

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’

Ian Whiteley, CMM Events

Still Going Strong

An impressive 7,623 visitors, 1,157 exhibitors, 81 speakers, 17 sponsors and 23 media and association partners made International Confex 2020 the best yet.

International Confex once again exceeded all expectations, as the 2020 edition, alongside the co-located Event Production Show and The PA Show, took place on 25th and 26th February at their new home of ExCeL London.

This year’s editions of the events coincided with Mash Media’s 25th birthday, which fell on the first day of the tradeshow. For the first time ever, all three shows were held together at ExCeL London and the change in location had a positive impact on attendees and exhibitors alike.

Julian Agostini, Managing Director at Mash Media, commented: “It couldn’t have been better planned. Literally, to the day, the shows opened at a new location on our 25th anniversary and I am so proud of what Mash has become and the quality of the shows this year…We can’t wait to be back there again next year for an even bigger event. How can you not love and get excited about the events industry?”

With more than 7,500 unique event professionals attending over the two days, Duncan Custerson, Event Director of International Confex, commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the positive feedback from International Confex 2020. Our exhibitors really scaled up in tune with the venue move to ExCeL. The new venue also gave us the opportunity to truly maximise the co-location of the three shows, and the visitor flow really worked. What really stood out for me was the volume of relevant content we managed to deliver, and high attendee levels to every single one is testament to their industry value.

“Moving any exhibition is daunting but having made this transition and maintained such high attendance gives us the confidence to develop the show further, and really hit the ground running for 2021. We’re very proud of the shows and the teamwork that delivered three successful events and with over 60% reserved already on the 2021 floorplan our exhibitors and sponsors seem to agree.”

The Event Production Show saw strong growth in attendee numbers too, with a 7% growth on last year and total unique attendees of over 6,500 over the two days. Meanwhile The PA Show had one of its best years since the event came under the Mash Media umbrella of shows in 2015. Attendance for the show increased welcoming over 5,000 attendees, with unique attendance up 34% compared with last year.

Mike Sherrard, Portfolio Director for the Event Production Show and The PA Show, said: “It was fantastic to see the hard work of the show team, speakers and exhibitors rewarded by such highly engaged shows. The quality of exhibits was extremely high and this helped deliver events that our visitors really enjoyed. It was excellent to see the power of Event Production Show and The PA Show in full flow. We are already deep in planning to carry on this success at ExCeL London in 2021.”

Top Billing

This year’s International Confex featured a strong line-up of educational sessions, including Figen Murray and former National Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator Nick Aldworth discussing the importance of venue security. The pair are advocating for new security regulations with Martyn’s Law, named after Murray’s son Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings.

Secret Cinema founder Fabien Riggall also delivered a keynote about the power of immersive events, and how they can be an antidote to our increasingly digital lives. Riggall said: “The pre-narrative experience is key in a digital world, where everybody is shouting as loud as they possibly can. Every aspect of your event has to have a character – your toilets have to be in character.”

Among the other highlights were the launch of the UK chapter of the Women in Exhibitions network, run by Soraya Gadelrab, Portfolio Director – Food, Drink & Hospitality at Montgomery Group. The new chapter, already operating in key countries in Europe, promises to address the balance of women and men in senior positions across the industry, as well as offer support and advice to women wanting to develop their careers.

The Association Event Village, moderated by ABPCO Director Heather Lishman, welcomed several high-profile speakers. Senthil Gopinath and James Rees, CEO and President respectively of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), were among the highlights.

Alongside the educational content, visitors had the chance to meet a huge variety of exhibitors, offering everything from mindcontrolled beer taps to colourful furniture for events. Venues, suppliers, organisers and everyone in between had an opportunity to show off their latest products and services to a varied crowd of event professionals.

Industry giants Evolution Dome also celebrated a big birthday at the show. Its 10th anniversary in business was marked

by unveiling new products at Confex. The temporary structures supplier launched its brand-new Vue Dome – a 100% transparent structure that allows users to view their surroundings while being sheltered and comfortable.

The speed networking session at Confex generated several charitable impacts through a partnership with B1G1 and Blue Hat Teambuilding. B1G1 is an enterprise which connects businesses to charitable projects around the world.

The speed networking was organised in four sessions across the show and introduced over 40 venues and destinations – both UK and international – to senior event and exhibition organisers. Visitors were greeted by Blue Hat Teambuilding in the dedicated speed networking zone and encouraged to think laterally about their network during the quickfire sessions. Each visitor was incentivised with a corporate hamper from KHYVA hampers worth over £125.

Collectively, the speed networking session and Blue Hat stand generated 10,350 days safe drinking water to a family in Cambodia, 198 days educating a child in need in India, and 860 days sponsoring an irrigation system for a village in Kenya.

Mash Up

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Mash Media has set up a new online forum, the Mash Community, which will provide a resource hub and place of discussion for the industry during unprecedented times.

The Mash Community is for #eventprofs from all corners of the events industry. You can share advice, ask for help, and search for useful information in the existing threads.

Current topics up for discussion include ‘how is COVID-19 affecting your business?’ and ‘how your trade bodies can support you?’. There are also threads dedicated to jobseekers and freelancers looking for advice and/or work. Users are free to post their own topics for discussion. The forum is retroactively moderated. Please read the Community guidelines before posting.

Visit Community.mashmedia.net to join the conversation.

Focus on: Chester & Cheshire

From ancient Roman sites to a telescope observing the skies, Cheshire has it all.

Nestled between Liverpool and Manchester, Cheshire is world famous for its acres of green landscapes, 18th century black and white timbered buildings and the historic city of Chester: home to the most complete Roman walls in Britain and the oldest continuous racecourse still in operation.

The county’s most recent accolade is that of Jodrell Bank discovery and observational centre receiving status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is exactly these features which provide a backdrop for international delegates, attracting them to an enticing events destination. Expert event planners in the area have helped H&E North collate this one-stop guide to hosting the perfect meeting in this astounding part of England’s North West.

Astounding Venues

Sitting adjacent to the iconic Eastgate Clock since 1865, The Chester Grosvenor is one of only 200 hotels in Britain awarded five Red Stars by the AA, in additional to retaining a prestigious Michelin star since 1990.

Further along the city, meander towards the River Dee through the black and white timbered buildings of Chester’s cobbled streets to take your events in a new direction with ChesterBoat. The river’s resident cruise can be hired for exclusive use meetings, drinks receptions or social events. With a glass of wine in hand and on-board entertainment, delegates can take in the stunning sights of Cheshire from a new perspective and catch a glimpse of the Duke of Westminster’s private estate.

To the north of the county, overlook the pitch of Challenge Cup winners Warrington Wolves at the fabulous Halliwell Jones Stadium. This venue comfortably hosts up to 400 delegates in one space, with additional rooms offering versatile set-ups. Complimentary parking and a central location between Manchester and Liverpool mean that access by road, rail and air couldn’t be easier.

Heading east, Peckforton Castle is a medieval castle converted to a stunning hotel and conference venue perfect for meetings and off-road Land Rover

team building experiences. With the hotel equidistant from Crewe and Chester mainline train stations, London is within reach of a 90-minute direct train journey.

Inspiring Incentives and Teams

Cheshire’s acres of green spaces create a unique destination for team building experiences. Delegates of an adventurous disposition can swing from roped heights or the more competitive among the team can enjoy a round of golf at Carden Park, winner of England’s Best Golf Hotel at the 2018 World Golf Awards. Carden Park’s all-new £10 million spa makes for ultimate relaxation, with indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, steam room, ice fountain, experience showers and Cheshire’s first tepidarium – a Roman style relaxation room.

For a truly unique experience, larger groups of delegates can participate in a barbeque safari among the 35,000 animals at Chester Zoo, crowned the UK’s largest and the third best zoo in the world. Tatton Park offers ranger activities including pond dipping, deer safari or an evening bat bonanza while over in Frodsham, HoverForce offers everything from axe throwing to Segways to off-road karting!

Large Capacity Venues

Located directly across from Chester’s mainline train station, the Grade II listed Hallmark Hotel The Queen offers meeting facilities up to 400 delegates with 218 bedrooms on site. Carden Park is also able to accommodate similar numbers in rural Cheshire.

For larger events, Chester Racecourse has a number of different, flexible meeting spaces, located less than five minutes’ walk from the heart of Chester city centre with car parking on-site. There are also multiple hotels within close vicinity, providing delegates a choice of accommodation, from B&Bs and aparthotels to luxury four and five-star properties. Tatton Park, Cranage Hall, Crewe Hall and The Mere can also host up to 400 delegates for events, each offering the ‘wow’-factor on arrival with their stunning architecture.

The Chester Grosvenor

Carden Park

Tatton Park

Crewe Hall

Ideally Located Training

Legends at Bentley has been brought to Cheshire by the luxury car manufacturer and is located at its world-famous production site in Crewe. This purpose-built, contemporary meeting facility can host up to 110 delegates, and with courtesy car parking and a location just 2.5 miles from Crewe mainline station, this is an ideal meeting point for training events and board meetings where delegates may be travelling from across the country, or internationally.

Rookery Hotel and Wychwood Park are two other beautiful venues with great connectivity, both close to Crewe station and junction 16 of the M6. Having just undergone a £3 million development, Wychwood Park has a high-end contemporary feel with 110 bedrooms and an on-site golf course.

In the heart of Chester, ABode Hotel brings inspiring views over Chester Racecourse from its external balcony while the nearby University of Chester Queen’s Park campus offers the prestige of executive boardroom facilities overlooking the picturesque River Dee. On the outskirts of the city, Mercure Abbots Well Hotel offers complimentary car parking and great meeting facilities, with gym and swimming pool for delegates to relax in after a busy day. Meetincheshire.com

Good for business...

Perfect for meetings, seminars, conferences, presentations and banquets

Modern corporate venue or use of the historic stately home

Variety of menu options

Free WiFi, flipcharts, projector 2,000 acres ideal for team building exercises

‘The team at Arley went above and beyond from concept, through planning and on the day itself’ Sian Corrigan, Watkins Jones Group

Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6NA 01565 777 353 www.arleyhallandgardens.com

Peckforton Castle

Wychwood Park

Cover Story

H&E North speaks to the insurance experts about managing risk during the coronavirus crisis.

In a recent survey of 2,000 MICE professionals, 69% of events were found to have not been covered by insurance amid cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Only 6% of events were insured against the pandemic, while a quarter of respondents reported they were unsure whether their business was insured. This widespread uncertainty reflects an industry still struggling to comprehend its financial and legal responsibilities amid ever-changing government social distancing legislation.

Alex Balcombe, partner at Yorkshire-based insurance agency Harris Balcombe, has witnessed events and hospitality businesses who may well be covered, struggle to claim on their policies due to government inaction: “I firmly believe that the coronavirus pandemic means that the government needs to do more to assist the insurance market to look after policyholders. We are already seeing huge delays. This is an unprecedented situation and one that requires immediate action.”

The Treasury has responded to challenges faced by the industry and is providing support, however venues, planners and suppliers are asking themselves what they can do to protect their companies now and safeguard themselves for the future. As the effects of the virus have inevitably hit businesses hard, Mark Halstead, Partner at business and risk intelligence specialists Red Flag Alert, recommends they run financial health checks on the companies they work with as normal trading returns in a bid to minimise risk.

“When a level of certainty and economic confidence returns post-coronavirus, companies will be keen to trade. There will be a backlog of postponed events, which people are keen to deliver, and this is where they may become less risk-averse about extending credit terms, as they are eager to generate revenue. However, companies should keep a close eye on the financial health of the businesses they directly trade with and take an interest in any large

businesses going into administration. It’s not uncommon for businesses to weather the worst of a crisis, only for cashflow issues to then catch up with them not long after.”

Using creditor services data, Mark believes companies can make informed decisions about how to manage debt risks by opting to request full or part payment upfront or reducing payment days for settling invoices. They can then cease the provision of other goods and services if an invoice isn’t paid on-time and also take more decisive and immediate action in terms of recovering any bad debt.

“For example, a large venue that goes out of business could have repercussions for any companies that rely on its revenue, i.e. catering suppliers, recruitment businesses providing temporary staffing or facilities management companies. If a business trades with these companies, they may want to start contingency planning to find other suppliers to avoid any impact on their own supply chain.”

Mark also warns of the need for events businesses to remain wary of inflated supply chain costs as a consequence: “Struggling businesses affected by non-payments from organisations which have gone into administration may attempt different quick fixes to address cashflow issues, including hiking prices. If companies have already broadened their supply chains, they’ll have more choice to avoid paying over the odds.”

Between the corporates, agencies, hotels, venues, destinations and suppliers included in the recent insurance survey, corporates were revealed to have the highest levels of policy cover, with 11.6% reporting they were protected from event cancellations, with destinations following behind at 8.7%. Industry suppliers were shown to have the worst levels of cover, with 78.5% declaring they were not covered for cancellations, followed by 74.7% of agencies.

Toby Heelis, CEO of venue finding platform Eventopedia, has witnessed the challenges faced by event planners in acquiring the right cover to safeguard themselves against such foreseen circumstances: “While some planners believe that if their event is cancelled that the venue will cover any additional costs incurred, this is not always true, so planners must be prepared with the correct policy to protect their business.”

“There are a number of types of event insurance available, including public liability and employer’s liability, adverse weather protection and cancellation, abandonment or postponement protection. Most consider public liability insurance to be the most important cover for event organisers – designed to cover planners if a third-party suffers accidental injury or property damage because of the event – but in a case such as this, where a pandemic is impacting the event, organisers need to look carefully at which cancellation policy they have signed up with.”

According to insurance regulators, it is unlikely a standard insurance policy will cover loss of income or revenue as a result of cancellations due to coronavirus. However, policies may have a clause which extends cover to apply to instances of ‘notifiable or communicable disease’. On 5th March, the government took urgent steps to list coronavirus as a notifiable disease in law, meaning any loss of revenue should be covered when planners with the appropriate policy make a claim.

“When signing up for event insurance, it is crucial that organisers read each policy document thoroughly to understand what exactly the insurance includes and most importantly, what it excludes,” continues Toby. “Event cancellation policies can be complex and confusing, with multiple clauses that may leave planners convinced they are covered when they are in fact not. The current pandemic has left many without cover for their event because the clauses in their insurance do not cover this type of cancellation.”

“Some event organisers have tried to purchase insurance after the spread, however it is increasingly difficult for companies to add cover to their existing policies or sign up for new cover. Trying to insure against such an occurrence for all future events could also be tricky given ‘epidemics’ are typically excluded.”

As the current climate has demonstrated, the delicacy of planning events and the absolute need for insurance in the case of emergencies cannot be understated. As the industry begins to bounce back and diaries once again start to fill, Mark agrees that event insurance should be at the top of every event professional’s list: “We recommend planners ensure they sort their event insurance before they begin anything else and carefully assess any policies they find to ensure they cover as many areas as possible. If you are in doubt about a policy, always ring up the insurer and ask them to clarify the details to ensure you are aware of what type of events you will be covered for.”

Mark Halstead

Toby Heelis

Focus on: Lancashire

Lancashire, a land of hidden beauty that offers a special welcome to every visitor and business.

As the historic heart of the North West, the county of Lancashire is blessed with a diverse landscape, ranging from coast to countryside, majestic moorland and industrial heritage sites. Whether holding an intimate meeting, a presentation or a grand banquet, locations from the seaside resort, to bustling cities and breath-taking countryside can offer an extra dimension to make your event truly memorable.

According to the Lancashire Tourism Visitor Strategy, the economic impact generated by staying visitors was estimated at £2.23 billion in 2018, equating to just over half (51%) of all economic impact. Thanks to a calendar packed full of unique and appealing year-round events and a wide range of attractions, as well as plenty of unique venues to experience, those seeking an inspirational place for a conference, meeting or team building event will be impressed.

The county is 80% rural and the countryside, less crowded with visitors than its northern neighbour Cumbria, remains unspoilt. Less than an hour from the stylish cities of Manchester and Liverpool, you can find yourself in the great outdoors, exploring

two of the UK’s great Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Forest of Bowland and Arnside and Silverdale offer miles of rugged beauty, teeming with wildlife and spectacular hill, river and coastal areas to explore on foot, by cycle or in the saddle.

Lancashire’s fabulous coastline spans 137 miles, with silver estuaries home to spectacular birdlife and the iconic Morecambe Bay and Blackpool – still Britain’s most popular seaside resort. And did you know that it takes seven years to paint the Blackpool Tower, winner of Business Events

Venue of the Year at 2019’s Lancashire Tourism Awards, from top to bottom?

Lancashire’s commitment to corporate business growth is epitomised by Lancaster being named as the host city for the yearly UK Corporate Games. Thousands of businesspeople descend on Europe’s largest multisport festival for organisations, businesses, corporations and institutions. Founded in 1988, the UK edition is part of a worldwide scheme to get corporations to take part in team building fun alongside creating brand exposure, developing new business opportunities and meeting new clients. The July 2020 edition has been postponed until September but will still take place at Lancaster University.

Veritable Venues

When the dust settles and the sector gets back to business, the choice of locations for future events in Lancashire is huge.

Lancaster University is home to Lancaster Conferences+ which creates bespoke experiences across 13 venues at the university campus, including its newest venue, Lancaster Suite. Located right in the heart of the city, this unique seminar room – with a capacity of up to 60 people – is steeped in history positioned in the centuriesold Lancaster Castle, owned by the Duchy of Lancaster.

Large capacity venues such as King George’s Hall in the centre of Blackburn and the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, which is in the middle of a complete refurbishment and extension, will be perfect for those events that must really impress, while dedicated conference centres such as the five-star Ribby Hall Village close to Preston, has 17 conference spaces available and outdoor team building in over 100 acres of landscaped grounds.

In this Climate Emergency, people are looking for more ways they can help save the planet by making small but significant changes in their daily lives, at home or at work. Brockholes Nature Reserve in Preston, owned and managed by the Wildlife Trusts, has been at the forefront of eco-friendly conferences since it first opened in 2011.

The visitor village and conference facilities are specifically designed

with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental performance, making Brockholes the ideal venue choice for any business looking to go green. On top of the sustainable benefits of a conference or team building day at Brockholes, every penny spent on the booking is invested back into the nature reserve and the wider Wildlife Trusts for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside.

Set in 32 acres with close access to the motorway networks Bolton School offers facilities to suit every event. The Arts Centre can offer a range of seating layouts while the Great Hall provides a splendid location for larger theatre style events. Well located in Wigan within the heart of the county, The Edge is also a fantastic venue and conferencing complex with capacity for up to 1,000 delegates.

In Lancashire there are meeting venues to suit any budget or size – a cosy private room for two, to a light, modern conference centre for hundreds; from a buzzing city setting to a calm, coastal retreat. With an enviable mix of heritage culture and commerce, to the fresh sea air, visitors have plenty of choice. And with an excellent network of motorways and a London rail link in under two hours – you’ll find yourself in the North West in no time.

The new Lancaster Suite at Lancaster University.

Brockholes Nature Reserve

Ribby Hall Village

Blackpool

Blackpool Rocks

Julie Vincent, Sales Manager for Blackpool’s new £28 million conference and exhibition centre, discusses the challenge of selling a venue before it’s even built.

When in 2017 the prime minister announced Winter Gardens Blackpool had secured funding for The Blackpool Conference and Exhibition Centre, there was a great deal of excitement in both the town and the wider North West about what this could mean for the region.

Fast-forward three years, and as the 2,000-capacity venue nears completion, the giddy prospect of having a shiny new events space in the heart of the resort quickly turns to the hard reality of selling it. Initially it’s a salesperson’s dream, but once you have your client’s interest, then comes the tricky part. Suddenly the usual questions of ‘can we visit?’, ‘do you have photos?’ and ‘are there testimonials of successful events?’ are impossible to answer. Even ‘when will it actually be open?’ can present a challenge.

While we know that developing a 21st century venue physically linked to a 140-year

old Grade II listed building will throw up a number of issues – moving completion dates aren’t particularly helpful to a sales team talking to clients with event dates often set in stone. The last thing you want to do is pencil in provisional bookings which may not be possible to accommodate, as this can introduce a lack of confidence in both you and your product.

So, what’s the answer? Well, in Blackpool we are incredibly lucky that we have far more than just a new venue to sell, and that there are many compelling reasons why the town should feature on shortlists for a wide variety of different events and exhibitions. For starters, we have the existing Winter Gardens complex – a hub of 11 distinct venues, all under one roof, offering over four acres of connected conference, meeting and exhibition space with a fantastic track record in delivering major events well for over a century.

Blackpool

The UK’s fastest growing business destination*

4.9 ACRES OF CONNECTED EVENT SPACE

Winter Gardens Blackpool is home to a range of connected venues, each with their own distinct style, including the state-of-the-art Conference and Exhibition Centre.

FUTURE-READY FACILITIES

Each venue offers the latest technology and facilities, including superfast Wi-Fi and the latest in AV technology.

FULLY INTEGRATED TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

Combine that with £500 million of transformational investment the resort has enjoyed over recent years, including high-speed train services, an extended tram network linking the station to the promenade, and 900 premium hotel rooms being added to the town’s existing stock –and you’ve got a very good story to tell.

The wealth of new amenities, accommodation and transport links creates an amazing package to take to market, as does having the power of ‘Brand Blackpool’ behind us. As the UK’s most well known and loved seaside town, it’s a place which continues delight existing clients and wows new prospects who come here for a famvisit. I’m thrilled that we have so much to offer in addition to our fantastic new space we’re on the cusp of unveiling.

Wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Direct transport links from all major cities, as well as modern and efficient transport solutions within the resort.

FIVE-STAR EXPERIENCES

Quality accommodation solutions across the Blackpool resort to suit all budgets, including over 600 new rooms of 4-star quality and above.

Blackpool is currently undergoing a £500 million transformation, which includes the brand new £28 million Conference and Exhibition Centre situated at the heart of the iconic Winter Gardens complex.

Set in 32 acres with close access to the motorway networks Bolton School offers a range of facilities to suit every event. The Arts Centre can offer a range of seating layouts whilst the Great Hall provides a splendid location for larger theatre style events. Ample free parking on site.

T: 01204 434795 E: enquiries@boltonschoolevents.com

Ideally located in Wigan in the heart of the north-west, The Edge is a fantastic venue and conferencing complex with capacity for up to 1,000. The main auditorium is a modern well-equipped, flexible space, supplemented with additional function rooms and seminar rooms, making it a great option for events of all sizes. Free Wi-Fi throughout.

All on ground level with plenty of on-site parking, close to the major motorways and just a short walk from two main-line train stations, The Edge is easily accessible.

Full range of catering options available, tailored to suit your event.

Independent on-site coffee house serving speciality coffee, tea & light meals.

Tel: 01942 244 460 Email: events@theedgeconferencing.com www.theedgewigan @TheEdgeWigan .theedgewigan

Cancellation Courtesy

Jonny Ross, Founder of Fleek Marketing, discusses how digital can help in the event of

These are strange times, especially for the events and hospitality sector. There’s been so much uncertainty, it’s been hard to plan ahead. As a result, so many fantastic events have had to terminate, some with (understandably) very little notice. Yet, responsibly handling cancellations can actually show your brand in a good light, here’s how…

Communication is Key

Talking to your attendees is vital for maintaining trust. Try and give at least 24-hours’ notice as a minimum. It may be a belt and braces situation, so email and telephone calls could be required. Having said that, personal contact with speakers and sponsors is clearly always best.

Maintain Online Information

Keep posting rolling updates on all your social channels alongside your website. Sometimes it’s helpful to create a new page linked from somewhere prominent on your homepage, and all updates can be posted there (with the latest news at the top). Monitor online channels for any negative fallout and respond quickly.

Check Your Ticketing Platforms

Depending on whether a single event has been cancelled or one of a series, check how your ticketing platform works. Some have cancellation banners; others delete the event completely. Ensure ticket sale suspension and that customers are informed before event information vanishes offline.

Use Video

Video is fast becoming the communication channel of choice for the furthest reach. Consider filming your reasoning and a simple guide to being reimbursed or rescheduling activities. Remember to caption this for extra accessibility on social media. Likewise, think about whether a virtual event could still go ahead for exchanging ideas while things are rearranged.

Empower Attendees

Lastly, perhaps your attendees could help to shape the next event by taking part in online polls or questionnaires. Make your customers feel part of whatever comes next and that they have an important say in it.

Fleek.marketing

Working from Home

Like millions across the UK, the H&E North team are working from home due to the lockdown. We’ve collated some tips to help adjust to a different way of working. Kettle on!

While 1.5 million people are already used to it, many event profs in the UK are likely to be working from home for the first time. So how do you stay efficient, focused and avoid spending most of the day on social media or doing household chores? H&E North has some tips on how you can stay productive.

Get Prepared

Ensure you have a decent workspace first, a desk and workplace that reflects your normal office would be great, but if not find a table and chair rather than a sofa! Use some space you can get privacy and shut the door.

Get enough tea and coffee or whatever you would normally have, and check all the work you will need from the office is accessible, such as log ins, databases, etc. and the comms at home, the Wi-Fi speed can be an issue as more people log on.

Dress to Kill

Get out of the pyjamas and clothes you may associate with relaxing at home. Washing and getting dressed will prepare your mind, and get you ready to work. We are not saying business attire – unless you have an important video call of course – but you need to feel right for work!

Discipline

Discipline is so important. Try sticking with your normal hours of work, ready to start your day at the same time as you would normally arrive in your office or workplace.

Try finishing your day at the same time and shut the door with you on the other side this time. Discipline extends to non-work time too, go to bed as normal so you wake up refreshed, and get into a routine, such as an early morning run before work. Use the time that you would have been commuting wisely.

Get Fresh Air

Make sure you get out and get some air. Switching off and back on again will help you gain a different perspective and solve problems. Have a lunch time walk or just sit in the garden, listen to a podcast to take your mind off things, there are some great ones out there to settle your mind.

Call Them

It may be lonely for some at home, so why not pick up the phone and have a real conversation with colleagues, rather than relying on email and instant messaging. It will stimulate and get you more productive! Don’t overcommunicate though or try and justify being at home through rafts of emails. Monitor your production levels, you’ll be surprised.

Take a Break

Part of that discipline includes taking regular breaks, getting away from your screen and up from your desk to stretch. Make a cuppa, move around and clear the air, especially if you are writing proposals.

If you have children around the house or others working from home, why not pop your head out of your working space occasionally to check in, but be strict with yourself and tell them when you are going to next be free!

You never know, after a few months working from home could become the new norm!

Focus on: Scotland

Scotland is

a

diverse country that offers a stunning backdrop for MICE events.

Scotland continues to go from strength-to-strength as a business events destination, combining the unique Scottish spirit with world-class MICE facilities across the country. Scotland has such a breadth and depth of things to see and do, you can create an endless number of different programmes for your events.

From state-of-the-art conference centres and top of the range hotels to stunning castles and inspiring museums, the choice of venues in Scotland are endless. Scotland is known for its beautiful landscapes, castles, history and unique traditions. It also attracts MICE events thanks to its global reputation as a contemporary business destination, its academic excellence, prominence in key sectors such as energy, life sciences, technology and medicine, and its tradition of innovation. As a result, associations, academic institutions and companies with cutting-edge technology all feel at home staging events in this beautiful country.

The principal cities are also home to world-class live event venues such as Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC), the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and the new P&J Live, formerly the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, completed in 2019 following a £333 million development programme.

As part of VisitScotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters in 2020, Scotland’s coastal regions and waterways will be showcased throughout this year with a programme of activities designed to support the nation’s tourism and events sectors. Previous themed years have spotlighted and promoted opportunities to experience and enjoy Scotland’s unrivalled features, encouraging responsible engagement and participation from locals and visitors.

Scotland has distinctly different cities stretching from the Highlands down to the valley of Clyde. Each of these is home to a huge range of events venues, from vast conference centres that can handle large-scale events flawlessly, to unique places that offer luxury experiences.

Continues on page 44

V&A Dundee

Edinburgh

P&J Live in Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen has long played a significant role in the conference and events industry, thanks to its oil fuelled economy and expertise in many other buoyant sectors including life sciences and nutrition. With over 50 diverse venues and 4,000 modern, traditional and luxury hotel bedrooms, the city’s offering has become increasingly competitive. Aberdeen is within easy reach due to its international airport, railway station and ferry terminal.

VisitScotland Expo was due to take place on 1st – 2nd April at the brand-new stateof-the-art P&J Live in Aberdeen. Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said: “As a major international event, with over 2,000 attendees from around 30 countries, Expo was on course to be a great success at a brand new and exciting venue, so we are disappointed for all the buyers, exhibitors and staff. We will make an announcement regarding next year’s Expo in the near future.”

Glasgow

Glasgow regularly hosts more international association delegates than any other UK city outside London. Being just over three hours away via train from northern England and a variety of purpose-built conference venues to choose from, Glasgow has flourished as Scotland’s cultural hub. The iconic Scottish Event Campus (SEC) is probably the most sought-after venue in the city, boasting three auditoria, The SSE Hydro, the SEC Armadillo and the Lomond Auditorium, seating up to 12,000, 3,000 and 624 respectively. There are also up to 34 break-out rooms available ranging from 15 – 3,000 delegates across the site.

The city’s conference bureau takes it to the next level too by organising your event’s very own tartan, designed especially for the conference. It can be replicated on branded gifts for delegates, allowing them to be part of Scotland’s unique cultural

heritage and the lasting legacy of your conference.

Edinburgh

With more than 14,000 hotel beds in the city and counting, Edinburgh continues to be a new hotel hotspot for developers, with new additions such as the five-star Edinburgh Central, Market Street Hotel in Old Town and the 230-bedroom Moxy Edinburgh Airport.

Over the last decade, the number of passengers travelling through Edinburgh Airport has soared, with passenger numbers rising to 14.3 million in 2018, while January 2020 was the busiest January on record. The airport has also unveiled a £125 million five-year investment programme to include additional retail in landside terminal and departure lounge, improved check-in and immigration facilities.

Dundee

An inspirational location, Dundee and its surrounding region offers unrivalled unique choices for meetings, whether it be castle or preserved jute mill, arts hub or design centre.

Undoubtedly the jewel in its crown remains the V&A Dundee. Scotland’s first design

museum offers a breath-taking setting for a range of the events from intimate dinners to large-scale celebrations. It was revealed in January that the V&A Dundee had a £75 million economic impact across Scotland in its first year and that visitors in the first 12 months were worth £21 million to the Dundee economy alone.

Getting There

Hourly services offer direct connections to both Edinburgh and Glasgow from Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle. There are excellent scheduled flights from the rest of the UK, and direct services from North America and Europe to Scotland’s main airports.

With passenger numbers soaring, Scotland’s airports are also expanding thanks to the confidence delivered through increased visitor numbers and growing airline connections. With routes to Scotland from all parts of the world – from the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico – it is transforming access for business events. Most recently Loganair, Scotland’s Airline, announced the launch of two new international routes to Edinburgh – linking Scotland’s capital with Hanover, the largest city in the Lower Saxony region of Germany and to the western Danish city of Esbjerg.

Glasgow

Continued from page 42

North In Brief

Aparthotel Adagio Celebrates Win at Serviced Apartment Awards

Aparthotel Adagio has scooped the Best Use of Social Media accolade at the Serviced Apartment Awards 2020.

The Serviced Apartment Awards are the only awards created for and by the serviced apartment and aparthotel industry, celebrating excellence at individual, team and corporate level. This year’s awards ceremony took place at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel Kensington in London.

Aparthotel Adagio received the Best Use of Social Media Award in recognition of its effective social media presence, and its consistent creation of fresh and relevant content. The aparthotel brand was commended on both its innovative social media campaigns and its engagement with followers with a down-to-earth communication style.

Commenting on the win, CEO of Aparthotel Adagio Karim Malak said: “We are delighted on this award win. It is a testament to the hard work of our communication department to be celebrated with this award…Adagio’s content objective is to be present and useful at each stage of the customer journey, from inspiration to the act of purchase, during the trip and even afterwards.”

Aparthotel Adagio has over 13,000 apartments in 13 different countries, with further expansions planned on an international scale. Aparthotel Adagio is now rolling out across the UK’s premier citycentre destinations too, with aparthotels already operating in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leicester and London.

MEETinLEEDS Hires New Sales Team

Member

The University of Leeds conference group MEETinLEEDS has announced the appointment of Natalie Cherry as its Conference Sales Assistant. The new addition aims to build on the university’s position in the conferencing industry on a national and international scale.

Cherry will be responsible for helping clients explore and discover Leeds as a conferencing city. Previously, Cherry has acted as a student ambassador for the University of Leeds and has worked at the Leeds International Summer School, an annual event for MEETinLEEDS. She will now work alongside Lisa Wood, sales executive of the MEETinLEEDS team.

GL events UK Creates New Partnership with University Outdoor temporary structures company GL events UK has developed a new partnership with University College Birmingham (UCB) to educate the event professionals of tomorrow.

The partnership with UCB, a provider of higher education events management degrees, will see senior leadership figures within GL events sharing knowledge and experience with final year students in the classroom and provide input into the shaping of course content. The company will also provide on-site experience opportunities for students across its portfolio of major sporting and cultural event collaborations.

Scott Jameson, GL events UK Group Managing Director, commented: “We have a duty of care to help nurture the next generation of event professionals. Our team, our clients and our partners have so much experience and we are keen to communicate this and add additional practical value to the students we work with.”

“Events management graduates in particular need experience to stand out to employers in the sector. This initiative allows us to enhance students’ experience and employability on a broad scale, with the added incentive for students to be a part of a major global sporting event,” concluded Jameson.

Nic Pioli, Assistant Dean at UCB’s Business School, said: “With the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham fast approaching, this is an exciting period for the city’s events sector, as well as UCB and our events students. This partnership will serve to engage our students further into the real world of events work, giving them access to the minds of industry leaders...”

Grip Extends Offering to Include Virtual Meeting Rooms

Grip, the award-winning event matchmaking software, has announced a development in its software which allows event attendees to conduct meetings via virtual meeting rooms.

The technology provides video meetings in the browser, meaning no downloads or logins are required for guests. Messe Berlin, Informa Markets and Encore Media are just a few of the first event organisers who will be offering the software to their attendees.

A hybrid version of the integration was used at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel tradeshow, which

Hull City of Music and Hull Venues to Join Forces

Key Hull venue partners have come together for the first time to promote and acknowledge the rich music culture in Hull as well as its history and its aspirations as a ‘City of Music’. Hull City of Music aims to encourage the experience of live music within the community through attendance, participation and education.

The group, made up of venues such as the Bonus Arena, Welly, Adelphi, Asylum, Humber Street Sesh and Hull City Hall, hope that by joining forces the city’s live music scene will be put on the map in the same way as Manchester and Liverpool. It is the first time in at least 30 years that all major venues in the city have pledged to work together.

Hundreds of events take place every month across the city, and the group, which is working alongside Visit Hull and Hull City Council, will look to work together to promote Hull and all of its live music events as well as broaden opportunities for musicians in the city. It is also hoped that by working together the city may be able to take a joined-up approach to hosting a multi-venue event similar to Live at Leeds or Tramlines in Sheffield, which attract thousands of visitors from outside of their respective cities.

Dan Harris, General Manager at the Bonus Arena, managed by ASM Global, said: “Over the last few years Hull has welcomed some enormous bands and artists to the city, with even more planned in 2020. Hull City of Music gives all venues – regardless of size – the chance to come together and celebrate the rich cultural offering, promote the city’s grassroots acts and clear a pathway to continue to put the city on the musical map.”

was postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus. With attendees who have already travelled to Berlin for the event, Grip has adapted its app to allow people to meet in alternative locations.

Tim Groot, CEO of Grip said: “We are an industry that has to think on our feet – and I believe this innovative development is perfectly placed to empower the events industry to continue to conduct planned meetings. We know there is uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, but bringing people together is the backbone of the events industry and we will aim to do this whether it’s face-to-face or in a virtual meeting room. Event professionals are always quick to adapt to the challenges facing the industry and we hope our technology and this integration will help organisers.”

If it’s Baroque, Don’t Fix it

With a rich cultural history, impressive event venues and fairytale landscape, not to mention generous state incentives cementing its reputation as one of the world’s most popular MICE destinations – the medieval city of Salzburg should top every events planner’s list once the crisis abates.

When travel restrictions are finally lifted, conference and incentive travel will resume with gusto as a world of destinations await cooped-up delegates eager to spread their wings. Situated in the heart of Europe beside the fast-flowing Salzach river, the storybook city of Salzburg sprawls beneath its impressive clifftop fortress and mountain peaks beyond. With some of the best-preserved medieval architecture north of the Alps, its skyline of baroque domes and spires looks much as it did when Mozart resided here 250 years ago.

The city’s Germanic name literally translates as ‘Salt Fortress’, giving a clue as to the origin of its historic wealth. Its vast underground network of salt mines, which have now become a popular visitor attraction, are responsible for its lavishly furnished Baroque churches and palaces built by the influential clerics that ran what was a fiercely independent state in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Yet, an impressive arts scene, stylish beer haunts and chic restaurants feed into a city that lives in the here and now. Little wonder Salzburg was crowned top of The Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel for 2020 list, selected for its “topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’-factor” as a destination overlooked by travellers.

The city’s reputation as a strong commercial and business hub adds to its appeal, drawing many of the world’s leading conferences. As Austria’s economic centre, thanks to having a foot in both eastern and western Europe, it’s one of the continent’s major fashion trading hubs and the headquarters of high-profile companies including Porsche, Red Bull and Sony, with financial services also strongly represented.

The city’s high-profile scientific institutions make Salzburg an attractive location for events looking to cash in on its intellectual cache. An array of universities and research institutes contribute to an academic reputation attracting top medical, agricultural and data science clients to host their respective international congresses.

The majority of the city’s 150,000 residents live in the 19th-century New Town to the east of the river, while across the narrow waterway the UNESCO-listed Old Town is the heart of the city, a maze of medieval streets stretching along the west bank. This accessibility is a major draw to MICE travellers, a modern transport infrastructure not just facilitating easy connections to other major European hubs – Salzburg Airport and railway station both located 15 minutes from the city centre and Munich International Airport only 90 – but within the city itself.

In such a compact urban hub, groups can reach the majority of hotels and meeting venues on foot, but if you’re encouraging delegates to explore its wide array of attractions, why not take advantage of the special delegate fares available for public transportation during your event? With a minimum purchase of 100, the Salzburg Event Ticket can be issued and used across the province, proving far cheaper than a comparable day pass for larger-scale events.

Delegates have plenty to experience in between functions – and many of its attractions double as private event venues. The Salzburg Festival is a feast of classical music, opera and drama, with 200-plus productions taking place across the city during the two-month celebration. With tickets tough to come by and notoriously expensive, bagging the £400 front row seats at Large Festival Hall could be a deal-clincher if you’re looking to wow that hard-to-please incentive client. One of Salzburg Festival’s most impressive venues, the hall seats 2,100 guests for a wide variety of events, the Patrons’ Lounge on the first floor serving as a reception area for press conferences and functions.

Most tourists come to Salzburg with both Mozart and Maria on their minds. As the world’s most visited movie location, fans

Salzburg Festival in full swing.

The bronze-cast Mozart statue is the focal point of Mozartplatz.

have been flocking since The Sound of Music premiered in 1965, to visit the legendary sites where the Oscar-winning musical was shot. One of the most popular stops is the historic Villa Trapp, the residence of the family who inspired what was to become one of the world’s most successful films.

For years, not a single fan had snuck through the gates to peep the 19th century home where failed nun Maria sang her way into the affections of Baron von Trapp and his seven kids. But since reopening its doors as a stately hotel, delegates can sleep in their bedrooms, stroll in their gardens and eat where they ate. The regal lounge affords space for intimate meetings and banquets with period charm to impress, while its 15 bedrooms include five suites priced from £170 for doubles to £600 for Maria’s Suite.

With five-star hotels par for the course in this city, the riverside Hotel Sacher is particular decadent, offering 109 individually designed rooms from £299. Once the rendezvous point for high society, the family-run hotel has remained a cornerstone of cultural life – predominately known for its iconic café, which tourists queue round the block to visit. However, the Green Restaurant is the real highlight, serving modern regional cuisine based on ‘historical Viennese recipes, uniquely interpreted’. The events team will even support you in creating a custom menu, whether it’s a light buffet, candle-light banquet, or flying dinner, with the traditional

banquet halls and modern conference facilities coming with screens, projectors and high-res displays.

The city isn’t short of exciting venues either – Salzburg’s most prestigious exhibition centre, Salzburg Congress is an impressive multifunctional event space in the heart of the city offering 15,000m² of event space across five floors. With modern conference technology, the venue’s 15 halls offer flexible arrangements for groups of 20 to 2,500, making it the ideal stage for international conferences, meetings and product exhibitions.

If you’re looking to go big, the Salzburgarena arena is one of Austria’s largest and most state-of-the-art venues, its impressive oval architecture and wooden dome construction making for a stunning atmosphere. Facilities include a modular stage, bars, bistros and a VIP lounge, with a structural versatility allowing the arena to accommodate anywhere between 500 and 4,900 people, making it adaptable for a huge range of events, from international showcases to galas and congresses of all sizes.

Aside from its two biggest exports, Mozart and Maria, there’s plenty more to see around the immaculate medieval city. If it’s contemporary art your delegates are after, head up to the Museum of Modern Art atop the Mönchsberg, one of the five mountains

peaks encircling the city. Organisers should add it to their itinerary for the restaurant alone, accessed by an elevator carrying guests through the rocky heart of the mountain to reach a panoramic terrace, where they can enjoy a bespoke menu of traditional Austrian cuisine with stunning views of the Old Town. The restaurant accommodates up to 150 people indoors, as well as 230 people on the terrace and can be rented exclusively for private corporate events and gala evenings.

The team at the Salzburg Convention Bureau is always happy to support organisers in planning events objectively and free of charge while The Tourismus Salzburg GmbH (tourism board of the city of Salzburg) provides funding for two night conferences of over 250 international participants held in the city and will even send state government representatives to welcome your delegates at a lavish complimentary reception accompanied by a string quartet in true Salzburgian style.

With direct flights from Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds-Bradford, savvy MICE organisers can take advantage of the glut of cheap deals, as they look ahead to impress delegates raring to travel once the borders are finally reopened.

Find out more at the Salzburg Conference Bureau, Salzburgcb.com.

The city’s old town on the west bank of the Salzach.

Reach for the STAR

There for busy event planners who need expert assistance in booking venues and trips around the world for clients, STAR Your World assists in finding seamless travel solutions. Now is a great time to research and plan for next year.

For busy event planners, the right solutions save time and make it easier to match the perfect destination, hotel, conference facilities, unique dinner venue and activities to a specific brief.

Be it a financial global conference, product launch, incentive for a sales team, a private dinner or awards ceremony, a top company can work with the leading vendors in each destination, offering the best fit for each event. That’s why all the support offered by STAR Your World is tailored to each individual client, to provide a personalised service that works for everyone – from delegate groups of 10 to tens of thousands.

UK-based destination management company (DMC) representation group STAR Your World raises awareness about DMCs in the countries it works in, helping event planner clients to understand what they can offer for UK corporate event groups. The company provides detailed information and

insight about specific destinations for event organisers and agencies.

Based in a local UK office, Founder and MD Sarah Tennant knows how important a trusted source can be when booking hotels and venues and matching proposals:

“STAR Your World only works with the most tried, tested and trusted DMC partners. Our suppliers are mostly all owner-managed and we act as an extension of their team, here in the UK on behalf of our clients.

“We follow up on the briefs, ensuring the DMC proposal has been addressed accurately. And because we have visited the destinations, we are intimately familiar with what’s included in the programme from arriving at the airport, transferring to the hotel, ground arrangements and organising dinner at unique venues.”

STAR Your World’s local sales office can support the agency in the presentation of the destination to the client too, again

using first-hand knowledge to ensure that any questions the client may have can be answered. Likewise, Sarah and the team can organise appointments for the DMC to visit clients’ offices in the UK, even liaising to exhibit at UK MICE tradeshows so meetings can be organised to discuss destination programmes.

“We are currently working with six partners on outbound events, covering worldwide destinations such as Portugal, Italy, Spain, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.” Adds Sarah. “If you find yourself with extra time on your hands, now is a good time to get ahead of the planning for next year’s events, whether it’s researching destinations or planning venues.”

Get in touch in with STAR Your World with your next brief, via 01952 455532, sales@staryourworld.com or visit Staryourworld.com for more details.

Sarah Tennant

TRUE BLUE

H&E North checks in with the founder of Leeds-based Blue Pepper Catering about how the food business is adjusting to the coronavirus crisis.

As hospitality services attempt to wait out a worldwide pandemic and months of events are cancelled or postponed in one fell swoop, businesses are turning to alternative ways to keep the lights on, often diversifying into new revenue streams to stay afloat.

At Yorkshire’s Blue Pepper Catering, the family-run business has simply temporarily downscaled its offering, instead specialising in packed lunches for Leeds’ businesses and teams that are still required to keep working. Delivering tasty meals for workers who are busier than ever, including call centres, civil servants and key workers such as heroic NHS staff, David and the team have had to turn things around fast: “It’s been crazy but we’re busy loading up with food as we speak. Like any small business in these very difficult times we are trying to do ‘business as usual’.”

For those who place an order of classic fresh sandwiches or some readymade meals, they will all be individually wrapped, ensuring no unwanted contact…just make sure you get to them before they all get gobbled up by your colleagues! Some ‘ready to reheat’ dishes include lasagne, curries and traditional favourites like fish pie to help businesses and essential services keep up morale. Payments will also be taken online, so contact can be kept at a minimum to help prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of clients, as well as the Blue Pepper caterers.

“Please be reassured that we are taking every precaution to ensure the health of our employees and our customers and are going above and beyond our already five-star hygiene rating.” Adds David.

This adjustment has been led from the front by David who has 18 years’ experience in the food and catering industry, cooking in some of the very best hotels and restaurants attaining countless awards throughout his career. As a stalwart of the bustling Leeds restaurant scene, David achieved the accolade of Best Head Chef in Leeds, and in London was the Chef de Partie at the Cliveden Hotel when its restaurant achieved its first Michelin star.

Established in 2013, Blue Pepper Catering has worked with big name corporations such as automotive company McLaren and popular event venues such as New Craven Hall, Carr Hall Castle and Cannon Hall. As a member of the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS), Blue Pepper’s chefs and event team are certified in being well-trained and highly skilled to cope with the demands of the ever-changing events industry. Whether it’s delivering fresh packed lunches to a ravenous workforce or catering and serving at a glamorous gala dinner in auspicious surroundings, David’s team always prides itself on providing excellent customer service.

To place an online order or to discuss menu options for a future event call 0113 871 5999 or email info@bluepeppercatering.co.uk.

Blue Pepper Catering reveals the kind of Working Lunches offered for hardworking teams and meetings all year around. Below is a sample of the Executive Buffet from Blue Pepper Catering...

Executive Buffet Lunch

Carved meat platter, to include three of the following:

• Silverside of beef

• Yorkshire roast rump of beef

• Honey roast chicken

• Chicken with a pesto dipping sauce

• Roast chicken with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes

• Turkey breast

• Honey roast ham

Accompaniments include:

• Bread basket with a selection of breads and butter (v)

• Cheese tray with brie and red Leicester (v)

• Salad of spinach, pine nuts, sunflower seeds and baby tomatoes (v)

• Rice salad with cashew nuts and raisins (v)

• Mixed bean salad (v)

• Homemade coleslaw (v)

To finish:

• Seasonal fruit platter (vg)

• Selection of flapjacks (v)

` The Racquet Club

Centrally located in Liverpool, the Racquet Club can cater for small meetings up to larger conferences, canapé parties, sit-down buffets or formal dinners. There is a selection of different rooms available for meetings and small conferences that can meet your specific needs

The Racquet Club Hotel, 5 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG 0151 236 6676 | Info@racquetclub.org.uk www.racquetclub.org.uk

A1 Equipment

A1 Equipment is a family-run business selling fun food machinery and supplies, whose mission is to acquire innovative food concepts with high profit margins.

3 Sunny Gardens Parade, Hendon, London NW4 1JA 0208 202 3928 | sales@popcornandcandyfloss.com www.popcornandcandyfloss.com

Venues @ People’s History Museum

Unique, multi-purpose venue hire facilities in the heart of Manchester. Hold your event at a museum that celebrates ideas worth fighting for.

Contact our Venue Hire Team for more details: 0161 838 9190 | venuehire@phm.org.uk | phm.org.uk

Future Fit

Lighting and Audio Equipment Hire by SPL Audio Services who have been specialists for over 20 years in the hire, sales, installation and repair of PA systems, sound & audio equipment. DJ, disco equipment and lighting, audio equipment hire in and around Manchester.

0161 962 5151 / 07788 725 726 www.splaudioservices.co.uk

Carlowrie Castle

Carlowrie Castle is the perfect setting for your event, uniquely blending heritage charm with contemporary luxury.

335 3184 | info@carlowriecastle.co.uk

Castle, Boathouse Bridge Road, Kirkliston, West Lothian, Scotland, EH29 9ES

Lex Butler, HBAA Chair encourages us to fight for our industry – together.

Just one person travelling from China to the west has totally changed all our lives for now and for the future. We now need to work together and support one another more than ever.

We started our year of reflection and change, we started to develop plans around our theme of ‘regeneration’ and to put them into action. The first Fam Trips and Next Gen Mingles happened, Mental Health First Aid courses and events were in place and the Sustainability Committee were progressing their plans.

Then the impact of the crisis started to hit hard upon the business of our members. Conferences and events of all types were being cancelled; hotel bookings, bar and restaurant business went into steep decline. Our members suddenly had costs but no

income for the next few months at least. Since early March our focus as an association has been on fighting to help our members survive the consequences of this pandemic and that is where it will remain until well after the recovery period begins.

It started before the Budget when we lobbied and called the chancellor for financial support for our industry, particularly our small business members. We have continued this, pushing the Treasury for help for our agent members and for our many self-employed contractors.

Addressing our members’ need for practical support, HBAA is planning a series of initiatives on topics such as ‘how to apply for financial support from government funds,’ and ‘how to review and improve your cashflow’, through bite-size guides and

webinars with experts. Further information will be announced and posted on our website.

We’ve also recognised the impact on mental health among staff at all levels. We’ve restructured our Mental Health campaign and introduced a series of webinars specifically to help with this issue –details are on our website.

Most important now is for everyone in the industry to support each other, to be patient where possible and to work together, particularly helping with cashflow by paying what we owe to each other on time. That will help everyone to come through and continue to be #FutureFit for what I expect to be a bonanza of business when we can start again.

Hbaa.org.uk

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