HEN Nov 2020

Suppliers Guide

Stay Connected Stay Motivated Stay Safe VIRTUAL TEAM BUILDING

Contents A Warm Welcome NOV 2020

We head to a new year with our hope betrayed for now, fighting, changing and adapting. There is no doubt we are up for the fight, but time is against us, we need action and support. The furlough scheme and self employment grants help, but many companies face a massive uphill battle to exist, and owners enjoying dividend form of remuneration in the past constantly ignored.

We look at some of the creative moves from the industry, with valued opinions about the current state of play. Our suppliers guide has been brilliantly supported by

Publisher Elliot Landy

Features Editor

James Wilson

ESSA

HBAA

ABPCO

mia

EIF

Jonny Ross

Dr Hilary Cooke

Stuart Mitchell

Vividink

Mason Rose

clients old and new, and while our regular venues are of course keeping quiet, we speak to top industry professionals about their changing worlds. The CHS Awards at least offered a beacon of light and a reminder of the great spaces across the area that will once again be a hive of activity; one venue is coming back to life, Grand Hotel Birmingham, transformed, restored beautifully.

In the mean time stay safe and be ready.

H&E North front cover feature:

Grade II-listed The Grand Hotel Birmingham has been catapulted into the 21st century.

Stacey Hanson-Rothery

Senior Account Manager

Adam Freedman

Contributors

Melia Hotels International

World of Zing

Advanced Journey Chauffeuring

Brightvision

Zing Events Into the Lake District

Lumley Castle Hotel

Ramside Estates

Old Course Hotel

ACC Liverpool Cirque Bijou

Feel Good Contacts

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New Hope

H&E North catalogues the latest hotel openings, renovations and takeovers emerging against all the odds.

Premier Inn: Blackpool,

Peterborough, Scarborough, Manchester and Chester

Premier Inn is set to open no less than five hotels across the north alone in November and December 2020 including Blackpool (North Pier), Peterborough, Scarborough (North Bay), Manchester (Princess Street) and Chester (Grosvenor Centre). The raft of new openings come as owner Whitbread saw UK sales fall 78% in the period March to August, leading it announce lay-offs of up to 6,000 staff, totalling 18% of its total workforce in a bid to cut costs.

Tamara Strauss, who joined Premier Inn as global brand marketing director at the start of 2020, said: “We are having to work with uncertainty looking forward, which means we have to take a few gambles along the way, but they are calculated gambles.” The September trading update proved things were picking up, reporting that 98% of its hotels had reopened and that trading was ahead of the market, with strong demand in tourist locations.

Attempting to further raise investors’ spirits, chief executive Alison Brittain has pointed to “enhanced structural opportunities in the medium to long term”, in the form of acquiring cut-price properties in Germany in the hope of replicating the Premier Inn model in Europe.

Travelodge: Kendal and Workington

Travelodge was plunged into crisis after having to shut all 564 of its UK hotels when the lockdown began, with the majority of its 10,000 staff placed on furlough. The operator withheld rent payments, sparking a stand-off that culminated in an insolvency process, putting it at risk of its property owners deserting for other brands or their own rival operator, Goodnight. However, property investment trust Secure Income announced in October it would not exercise a break clause in its contract, marking a victory for the budget hotel chain.

Things continue to look up for Travelodge as restrictions relax, having since opened

New Radisson Individuals

Radisson Hotel Group recently established its new conversion brand, Radisson Individuals, aimed at encouraging independent hotels to join the group’s platform, to “benefit from international exposure, with the freedom to maintain their own unique style and identity.”

The brand has launched with 25 new signings across EMEA “with additional properties in advanced discussions in Italy, Germany, Russia and beyond.” In the north, the forthcoming River House Hotel in Inverness will join the brand in 2021, followed by Radisson Blu Hotel Sheffield when it opens its doors in 2023.

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts: Blackpool

InterContinental Hotels Group, owner of Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands reported a slow recovery as coronavirus infections rose, despite a summer boost from domestic breaks, having already announced 650 job cuts as part of a $150 million cost reduction plan. The FTSE-100 group saw comparable revenue per available room fall by 53.4% worldwide in the three months to September – an upturn on the 75% dip experienced in the second quarter as lockdowns came into force across the globe.

However, management appears to have its eye on the long-term opportunity as

two further hotels, a 78-bedroom property in Workington and 43-room site in Kendal, capitalising on the rise of domestic travel to popular UK tourist destinations as holiday

it continues to expand its 5,900 global portfolio. In the north, the site of the brutalist Wilko building near Blackpool North Station will make way for a new 144-room Holiday Inn hotel in summer 2022, which will also include Marco Pierre White's New York Italian restaurant.

The new four-star hotel is part of a wider regeneration project including retail units and improved public transport links including a new tram terminal, all within the new Talbot Gateway business district, which will receive a total investment of £34.6 million.

Taras Properties: Newcastle

Taras Properties, owned by billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben, has worked up development proposals with Newcastle City Council to convert Grade-II listed fire station buildings on Pilgrim Street into a new 60-bedroom hotel and 3,850sq ft restaurant and bar.

The development forms part of a wider programme of regeneration on Pilgrim Street creating a raft of retail, leisure and office schemes. Matt Verlander, planning and development director at Avison Young said: “This is an exciting project to bring forward a high-quality hotel and dining offer which isn’t currently provided within Newcastle city centre.

makers embrace the ‘staycation’. The hotel giant now has nine Cumbrian hotels under its belt.

Travelodge Kendal.

Travelodge Workington.

Buxton Crescent Hotel: Peak District

The reincarnation of one of the country’s most architecturally significant Georgian buildings, Buxton Crescent Hotel takes the spa town back to its source. Designed by John Carr of York, the 18th century building is dripping with chandeliers, painted ceilings, stained glass windows and fluted columns. In Roman times, a settlement was built around the spring which wells beneath the hotel and continues to send up over one million litres of spa water a day.

The five-star hotel offers luxury spa treatments, lifestyle programmes and hydrotherapy across four pools – a thermal pool, a refurbished Victorian pool, a relaxation pool in a dark room and an indoor-outdoor rooftop pool. The 81-room property will be managed by Ensana, a health spa brand from Europe, marking its first foray into the UK hospitality market.

The Falcon: Northamptonshire

With a spring opening delayed until autumn for obvious reasons, the 16th century coach house has been thoughtfully restored into the rural Northamptonshire countryside as a hotel, restaurant and retreat “for those in need of rest and renewal.” Situated within the 11,000-acre Castle Ashby estate, the ancestral home of the 7th Marquess of Northampton, the venture is helmed by Lord and Lady Northampton.

Under the direction of Head Chef Mark Lawton, its Eyas Restaurant is supplied with produce grown, harvested and reared within the estate, while her ladyship’s professional

Hilton Hotels & Resorts: Stoke-on-Trent

The Hampton by Hilton hotel which opened back in 2018 on Blackpool South Shore with 130 bedrooms is expanding after planning permission was green-lit to add another 74 bedrooms as a result of growing demand. The extended hotel is expected to be finished by the end of 2021 and will see a bigger kitchen area and new meeting spaces. The hotel will be able to give further support to the new Blackpool Conference Centre and hotly anticipated Winter Gardens exhibition centre.

In North Wales, a new 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn is set to open its doors in the Adventure Parc Snowdonia activities resort in March 2021. Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia will include a restaurant and bar with a guest-exclusive fitness centre, as well as corporate conference and meeting facilities for up to 300 delegates.

In Scotland, Hilton Glasgow will see the largest renovation the hotel has undergone since its opening in 1992, set to include all 319 guest rooms, with the addition of new function and leisure spaces. The Ballroom, the largest of the hotel's function spaces at 944sqm, will undergo a complete redesign on a grand scale to help re-establish the hotel as a leading function destination in the region.

The latest addition to its growing portfolio, the £20 million Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent owned by Genr8 Developments and operated by RBH, recently opened its doors as part of the Smithfield development. The hotel provides 140 bedrooms, meeting and conference facilities and full-service restaurant, The Garden Inn Bar & Grill led by head chef, Juan Jose Valdivieso. The recruitment process for the initial team of 30 saw more than 3,500 applications submitted, reflecting rising levels of unemployment across the hospitality sector.

experience as a psychotherapist, counsellor and yoga teacher means guests of the 22-bedroom country retreat can enjoy yoga, foraging, guided walks and wild swimming.

Sands Venue Hotel and Spa: Blackpool

Blackpool seafront’s first five-star resort, the Sands Venue Hotel and Spa, is now in the throes of construction on Blackpool Promenade. Multimillionaire businessman Peter Swann, the chairman of Scunthorpe United FC is the man behind the ambitious resort, which will be run by the same management company which oversees the Lowry Hotel.

Inspired by 1930s art deco glamour, the site will create a 96-room hotel complete with cavernous penthouse room measuring 200 sqm, as well as a spa, restaurant, bistro, hairdressers, nail salon and hotel shop. The building will also play home to the new Blackpool Museum, scheduled to open in June 2021.

Alan Cavill, Director of Communication and Regeneration at Blackpool Council, said of the plans: “Although the conference trade is clearly stymied by coronavirus, it will return one day, and the resort will be ready.”

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House: Windermere

The Lake District has no shortage of luxury hotels, but the family-run Gilpin spa lodge in the Cumbrian hills regularly tops the UK ‘best of’ lists. Earlier this autumn, the AA five-Star outfit opened the first of three additional spa lodges purported to be 25% larger than the original.

All come with an in-room sauna, steam room and outdoor whirlpool inside a private walled garden, sidestepping COVID-19 regulations to provide a socially-distanced spa ‘staycation’.

The new Gilpin Spa Suite.

Buxton Crescent Hotel.

Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia.

North In Brief

etc.venues Reports £2m of Workspace Bookings

etc.venues has acquired close to £2 million of workspace bookings for the second half of 2020 as a result of changing working practices resulting from COVID-19. Research conducted by the group has shown that ongoing uncertainty has made commitment to workspace a challenge as organisations are shunning long-term contracts for flexibility. It has also shown event organisers are being creative within the bounds of the regulations, bringing together groups of up to 30 in separate hired locations and connecting them virtually.

Nick Hoare, Chief Operating Officer of etc.venues which has 18 venues in London, Birmingham, Manchester and New York, said regular workspace bookings have added an exciting additional strand to the business: “We are expecting many of the bookings to continue into 2021 while new enquiries continue to arrive as organisations review their workspace needs and costs. Some need additional room to accommodate extra staff and activity resulting from the pandemic, while other organisations have decided to operate without an HQ, with staff mainly working from home, so are booking rooms as a place to maintain connections with their team, suppliers and clients by meeting faceto-face on demand.”

Performing Artistes Brings Virtual Events Production In-house

Supplying motivational and keynote speakers, awards, conference and seminar hosts and facilitators, Performing Artistes is continuing to produce interesting formats for 2020 and beyond.

The corporate entertainment service has recently invested in a state-of-the-art presentation studio in its London offices, and this facility is now being made available to clients for professional broadcast-quality virtual events.

In September, it hosted its first virtual awards live from the new studio with hosts

Colin Murray and Zoe Lyons linking prerecorded material of sponsors and nominees, while getting involved with the audience via Twitter.

In October, it partnered with DPRG to create an interactive show rounding up a three-day flagship thought leadership event including a fine dining cook-along experience hosted by celebrity chef Mark Heirs, interactive challenges and entertainment hosted by Pete Firman with special guest comedian, Lucy Porter.

Most recently, the studio hosted its first virtual conference produced by Supreme Stage in Portugal with contributors from across Europe. The host Tanya Beckett was set against a corner greenscreen, with two camera feeds from different angles, which were superimposed on the virtual set as she interviewed panellists.

To download The Business of Speaking, Performing Artistes’ latest guide to making the most of talent at virtual events, visit Performingartistes.co.uk

Awards Open to Recognise Membership Organisations

Membership organisations from across the UK are being given the chance to shine with the launch of the 2021 National Association Awards.

The independent awards aim to celebrate the hard work and success of associations, societies and membership organisations across the events sector.

The awards are open for entries until 17th December, and the winners will be crowned at a ceremony at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington on 22nd April.

Categories include Best Conference; Best Event; Best Magazine; Best Newsletter; Best COVID Response; Best Membership Initiative; Best Website; Best Blog; Best Lobbying Campaign; Best Partnership; Outstanding Director; Outstanding Volunteer; Best Internal Team and Best Social Media.

There is also an award for Association Branch/Region/Area/Chapter of the Year and awards for National Association/ Federation of the Year in three categories –up to 1,000 members, up to 10,000 members and over 10,000 members.

Awards Director Damian Cummins, said:

"Everyone in the UK has had an exceptionally tough year this year and many people taken some comfort from the fact they are a part of a membership organisation or association - whether this be through financial support, advice helplines, discovering a new hobby or simply avoiding the loneliness of working from home by taking part in online networking events with like-minded individuals. They are doing amazing work and we want to help them get the recognition they deserve."

To enter the awards, or for more information, go to Naawards.co.uk.

Outdoor Events are Critical to Staff Wellbeing

As the pandemic continues, it is more important than ever for companies to address the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, particularly when we come out of lockdown.

Michael Hanson, Founder of leading Yorkshire-based event management company, What an Event, has seen first-hand the need for face-to-face team building activities: “We have many clients whose staff are suffering from ‘virtual fatigue’, and physical interaction is critical to ensure team dynamics, morale and productivity remain high.”

It is widely recognised that outdoors is the safest place to be to both avoid transmission of the virus and to boost wellbeing, and What An Event is working with numerous COVID-compliant venues to provide bespoke outdoor based events that can bring people together safely, and provide a much-needed uplift where virtual events simply can’t deliver the same impact.

“Once restrictions start to ease after the November lockdown, we hope to be back in the position of being able to hold indoor events for up to 30 people in COVID-secure hospitality venues, and larger groups for outdoor events.”

With flexible booking terms, risk assessed activities, and safety procedures in place, start planning now and give your staff something to look forward to.

Email mike@what-an-event.co.uk or ring 01765 658049 for more information and inspiration for your next event.

The Grand’s new terrace is the perfect space for COVID-secure outdoor events.

Light-filled breakout spaces boasting superfast Wi-Fi.

A Midlands Icon Reborn

The Grand Hotel on Colmore Row in Birmingham city centre was all set to re-open its doors in early November when the new lockdown was announced. H&E North Magazine gets the scoop on what to expect.

The iconic, Grade II listed hotel is a muchloved landmark building that has been catapulted into the 21st century. At the heart of the £45 million restoration and refurbishment is the spectacular Grand Ballroom, which the Birmingham Daily Post described as “indisputably the finest public room in the city” when it opened in 1896. Measuring 28.4m x 11m with an 8.6m high ceiling and beautifully restored original features in the style of Louis XVI, the Grand Ballroom can still lay claim to the Daily Post’s accolade.

“When we show people around the hotel, their jaws literally drop when they see the ballroom,” says Laura Orrell, Director of Sales at The Grand. “It really is unique in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We already have people dying for the time when restrictions allow them to book the ballroom for everything from weddings and Christmas parties to annual general meetings. Even with social distancing, we can accommodate up to 175 for dinner or 250 for a reception, but of course that’s not currently possible.

“The versatility and premium positioning of the Grand Ballroom has always attracted meetings and events of the highest calibre,” Laura adds. Annual banquets hosted by the like of the Federation of British Industries or the Birmingham Jewellers' and Silversmiths’ Associations attracted guests of honour who over the years included politicians Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain and Clement Attlee, as well as royalty including the Duke of York (later George V) and Duke of Windsor (later Edward VIII).

The Grand Ballroom has been lovingly and painstakingly restored, as has the rest of the venue, with more than 45,000 hours spent working on the refurbishment. The hotel boasts another eight extraordinary meeting and event rooms on the first floor, all of them filled with natural daylight and many

of them boasting original features such as plaster mouldings and fireplaces. Combined with brand new technology and innovative meeting solutions – as well as generous break-out spaces – the offer sets a new standard for meetings and events within the city. “We really do have the versatility and flexibility to accommodate many different needs,” continues Laura. “We are The Grand Hotel by name, but we appeal to a range of audiences and people that’s as vibrant, dynamic and diverse as Birmingham.”

Given the scale of the meetings and events portfolio, the glorious location perfectly lends itself to conferences, and visiting delegates will be spoilt when they see the 185 bedrooms and suites, which include a stunning duplex penthouse apartment that looks out across St Phillip’s Cathedral. At entry level, the Grand Double and Grand Twin rooms are generously sized and beautifully appointed, with custom-made luxury mattresses, 300 thread-count bed linen, Nespresso coffeemakers, and Molton Brown toiletries, as well as Ultra-HD smart TVs with Chromecast.

Cocktail lovers are in for a treat in Madeleine, the hotel’s sumptuous bar: “People can’t believe what they see,” says Laura. “In terms of glamour and luxury, the bar is every bit as special as the Ballroom.”

In its heyday, The Grand Hotel Birmingham was described as a “town within a city”. Now magnificently restored to its original splendour, that town is once again bustling.

Thegrandhotelbirmingham.co.uk

The Grand Hotel Birmingham Colmore Row Birmingham B3 2BS

T: 0121 837 9600

E: sales@grandbirmingham.co.uk

LinkedIn: the-grand-birmingham

The sympathetically restored 312sqm Grand Ballroom is fit for royalty.

A Grand Double equipped with ultra-HD smart TVs with Chromecast.

The Grand Hotel Birmingham at a glance:

•

Meeting and event capacity: From seven boardroom style to 350 for a dinner in the Grand Ballroom.

•

Meeting and event spaces: 10 extraordinary spaces, including the Grand Ballroom.

Offers: Day delegate rates from £39 per person until 28th February 2021.

Bedrooms: 185, including a duplex penthouse apartment.

Food and drink: Madeleine cocktail bar, brasserie-style restaurant opening 2021, outdoor terrace.

Technology: Free superfast Wi-Fi, ClickShare meeting room technology, video conferencing powered by Zoom, ultra-HD smart TVs with Chromecast (bedrooms and suites).

Madeleine, The Grand’s opulent new cocktail bar.

When the Going Gets Tough

H&E North brings you a survival guide to these unprecedented times from leading voices in the hospitality, MICE and communications sectors to help those seeking some positivity in dark times hang on in there.

Picking up the Pieces

Dr Hilary Cooke is an executive coach, leadership trainer, facilitator and Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. She recently wrote Picking up the Pieces – a toolkit for hospitality managers on how to create a resilient leadership for getting teams back to work.

You have a choice: you can do something or do nothing. Doing nothing is not an option for many of us in the hospitality industry, so focus on things that nurture you and make you feel more in control of your business. That might be reviewing your opening hours, reducing the size of your menu, or simply taking control of your energy spend by getting a smart meter installed. You can also try to do something on a regular basis to support others where you can.

You can resist perceiving yourself as a victim of these circumstances and to start to practice dissociating yourself from it. Despite how you feel about it, your business is not you and you are not your business. We are separate entities. Reduced revenues are an outcome of a situation you cannot control; they do not equate to personal failure. Associating or combining them as one and the same does not help you. The discarding of the shame and imagined humiliation makes it easier to expand your network, to discover new links and relationships and to nurture new interests.

Finally, I have learned, from a selfpreservation perspective, to focus on controlling the things I can control, and let go of the things I can’t. The ancient Greek Stoics called this the ‘Dichotomy of Control’ and they knew a thing or two. It doesn’t mean viewing everything through rosetinted spectacles, nor engaging in apathy. It just involves a mindful habit of consciously choosing where to spend my energy and emotion for greatest effect.

As we approach the end of a year like no other, the future is uncertain, and it is difficult to forward-plan for 2021 without information to guide our decisions. However, the hospitality industry is the very crucible of humanity and as such, it will thrive again. We may need to change some of our business practices, but as long as we are learning and aware of our need to adapt, we will come back even stronger!

Are you a Dolphin or a Dinosaur?

Stuart Mitchell is Founder of Catch the MICE Limited, connecting hotels and venues with UK MICE organisers across the globe.

A wise manager once told me: ‘at a time of change, don’t be a dinosaur, be a dolphin!’

What he meant by this was, invent and adapt. These are not normal times, so throw away the rulebook. What we knew in terms of business patterns are not coming back anytime soon. The commercial landscape is going to look very different, so don’t dismiss new creative business initiatives, any of them could have commercial legs.

Do something different with your business; who would have thought take-away afternoon teas from a hotel restaurant would work, or that a wedding function space could become a successful themed supper club? Can you digitize any of your products or services, and start offering them online?

Those companies you relied on to bring you that chunk of business every year may not be back and those business contacts you had are likely to have moved. Embrace social media to keep tabs on where they are and what they are doing – your network is so important at this time. Collaborate with those other businesses and share your successes. Use your core resources, but pool your communal staff skills; many of them have

hidden talents that could be called upon to support your new-look business.

On a practical commercial basis, look at the opportunities and risks and rewrite your projections to make a three-month financial strategy to plan your cash flow and mitigate expenditure. Don’t be afraid to tap into the resources of government and financial institutions and be flexible, but commercially fair with your contracts – bookers need to be confident that you will help them if guidelines change.

Unless you look after yourself, business survival may be a lot harder. Eat well, try to keep to your regular sleep patterns and get some exercise in. Physical and mental health will help you to keep calm, which in turn will also help keep your staff calm. Focus your thinking before you make any difficult decisions and ask your trusted colleagues for their opinions and take time to reassess before you commit. Most importantly, cut yourself and those around you a little slack, we’re living through unprecedented times.

The New Normal Paul Richardson is Managing Director of Vividink, an events industry communications agency based in the Peak District managing public perceptions of some of the UK’s leading organisers, venues and suppliers.

The ‘new normal’ is a phrase I’ve heard bandied around a lot in recent months, but it’s one that seems to be increasingly

oxymoronic when you look at the dictionary definition of normal! For those events that are capable of transitioning between their old normal and that which is permissible under the new normal – which has proved so catastrophic for many – this very same government guidance may just prove a lifeline.

Although there are caveats to how they are deployed, it is possible for some outdoor events to continue. During the course of the pandemic, we’ve worked on formats from festive concerts to autumn fairs and comedy festivals, creatively staged using everything from motorhomes to trucks. I’m sure that the organisers would have wanted the freedom to run their events in the old normal, but that opportunity was unavailable, so they reshaped their offering, working with venues and local authorities to decide upon a format that public health can give the goahead. The magic ingredient? Compromise. So apply that thinking to other events: can they become something that is permissible within the current guidance?

We have seen some exhibition organisers migrate their entire portfolio for 2021 into the

virtual space, hoping to keep their brand alive until after the pandemic – the key question is whether their audience will follow. If this works, I will be the first to congratulate them, however, there is nothing that beats the serendipity of a live event, the personal interactions, the visceral experience of being among other people with a common interest. I remain sceptical about the transition to virtual as a solution, I am sure that it can add value to a live event by expanding reach, content and interaction, but live events cannot simply be confined to 2D digital squares.

So what’s my new normal? It’s working with clients who love their live offering and are seeking to keep it live. An exhibition in a field is still an exhibition, it may need wellies and a coat rather than slick shoes and a nice suit but if the end result is economic interaction, then break out the Hunter wellies. If watching Beetlejuice in the Devil’s Arse (a cavern for those who have never been to the Peak District) on Halloween in family bubbles is a temporary substitute for a cinema, I have my thermals at the ready.

• Friendly and well established family run Yorkshire

• Corporate and private events with a range of

• Working lunch buffets delivered daily to your workplace.

• Formal dinners and canapés, hog roasts, bbq’s, fish & chips, chocolate fountains and more.

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

Suppliers Demand Action

Andrew Harrison, Director of the Event Supplier and Services Association speaks of the need for industry specialists and suppliers to receive parity with other sector workers as a 90,000-strong exhibition workforce is on a knife-edge.

Our membership has been poleaxed, both by this pandemic and the seeming indifference of the government to our industry when it comes to support and assistance. So many Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) members, from AV companies to security firms, are deeply embedded in the exhibitions sector. Our members are proud of the long-standing relationships they have developed with venues and organisers in the UK, and in many cases have been the first to feel the cut from COVID as their customers rapidly realign their businesses and budgets.

The forecast is gloomy, to say the least, with an estimated 80% of the exhibitions sector workforce expected to be made redundant by Christmas (if not before). That's 90,000 people or more.

One of ESSA's overriding priorities over the last decade has been to fight for parity of voice with other industries and sectors within the national discourse. Together with our fellow associations, the Association of Event Organisers and the Association of Event Venues, we have campaigned for and represented the whole event industry.

Since the very beginning of the pandemic, we have been in close contact with government officials and health authorities. Together we established COVID-secure protocols, demonstrating beyond doubt through pilot events that exhibitions were viable.

Despite all measures to assure the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that exhibitions could be run safely and securely, the government made the decision to deny the opening of exhibitions and promised to review this decision by 1st April 2021.

Of course, the whole economy has been affected by the pandemic, and we all understand that the government has the unenviable task of balancing public health against the economic health of the whole country. Furlough schemes and other support mechanisms have undoubtedly saved many firms from bankruptcy and staved off redundancy for millions, for the time

being, but everyone involved in exhibitions knows that if we are going to kick-start the economy at any point in the future, exhibitions are going to be central to that ambition.

We wrote to the Prime Minister, Chancellor, Secretary of State for Business and Secretary of State for Culture to underline the importance of the event industry to any economic recovery, and implored them to provide appropriate sector-specific support in the form of a ‘hibernation support package’ for exhibitions, event businesses and those that supply them.

There is a lot at stake, not least the lives and livelihoods of all our members. The exhibitions sector alone directly contributes £11 billion to the UK economy, but what is not counted is the positive effect of exhibitions on all business – the value of business done here in the UK, by UK firms, is almost beyond estimation.

It's true that events are starting up again in a very small way with sociallydistanced, low capacity talks, gigs, book launches and so on. But this tiny sliver of light is not enough to sustain our members, who are trying to keep afloat on less than 10% of expected revenues at this time of year on average.

We directly represent our members, but we are fighting for the survival of all suppliers and event contractors – and the wellspring of creativity and innovation that has made them a global success story. Many freelancers and sole traders have already fallen through the government's safety nets, and we may never get them back. It is heart-breaking.

We've worked successfully with government

and public health from the beginning of the pandemic to establish the ‘go date’, and we are ready to do so again. The venues will still be there, but without the help of central government to create a road map for reopening as a matter of urgency, there simply won't be the capacity, knowledge or expertise available that is needed to build the world-class exhibitions that put the UK at the forefront of the global events industry, where I believe it belongs.

Fighting Our Corner

The industry may be down, but it’s certainly not out. H&E North catalogues the campaigns working to give the hospitality and events sector a fighting chance.

#DontStopTheMusic

The Scottish government has banned background music in hospitality and events venues in an effort to combat COVID-19, an order the government says is aimed at preventing customers from raising their voices in order to be heard. This measure makes Scotland the only country in the world to completely ban any sound at all in venues. Hospitality businesses are asking for clarity on the reasons behind the ban, which is compounding an already suffering economy.

In response, the Night-Time Industries Association Scotland (NTIAS), which represents hospitality and events venues,

#MeetOutToHelpOut

has launched the #DontStopTheMusic campaign to reinstate music in venues which have fallen silent across the country. The campaign hopes to raise awareness around the ban by calling on people to share their favourite song of all time along with the hashtag.

Michael Grieve Chairperson on NTIA Scotland said: “The total ban on background music is having a severe effect on many hospitality businesses leading to completely sterile environments which some have likened to visiting a library. It seems completely disproportionate relative to other settings and whilst our industry is totally committed to the serious public health imperatives which the Scottish Government

Meet Out to Help Out, the sales incentive scheme for the business events industry proposed by Venuedirectory. com is gaining momentum. Nigel Huddleston MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage at the department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport acknowledged the proposed scheme in an interview during September’s UKickstart Event 2020: “We’re open to conversations and I’ll continue the dialogue with the Treasury. I think we’ve seen with various measures such as Eat Out to Help Out that if we need a kind of innovative intervention we are

#PayitForward campaign founders.

In response to the escalating COVID-19 restrictions on hospitality venues, #PayitForward will support the sector with a discounted voucher scheme. The campaign encourages consumers to purchase discounted vouchers at participating

is focused on, our already damaged sector is in serious danger of being permanently wiped out unless this ban is removed.”

willing and able to do so. I’ve already been lobbied for the Meet Out To Help Out scheme and it is really important we get the information directly from the sector.”

The campaign encourages corporates to commit to booking their next meeting or event and put down a refundable deposit with the venue to demonstrate their commitment. The venue can then pass on 50% of the commission to the booking agent in an effort to boost the cashflow of vulnerable venues and agencies.

Support for Meet Out to Help Out, put forward by Michael Begley, Managing Director of venuedirectory.com, is building with many hotels, venues and suppliers voicing their support, including Abstract Events, Studio Venues, Venues of Excellence, Jurys Inn, Classic British Hotels, Amaris Hospitality and the National Conference Centre: “All sides of the industry – corporates, agencies and venues – need to work together to ensure it remains on the government radar. We need their support in generating much-needed momentum and confidence in the industry and are confident Meet Out to Help Out is a workable solution.”

restaurants between now and Easter, with a view to redeeming them from May onwards. For each voucher purchased, restaurants will make a £1 donation to Hospitality Action, the charity which offers vital assistance to all who work within hospitality in the UK.

The initiative has been launched by Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord and Manchester PR agency Roland Dransfield, and is backed by Northern Restaurant and Bar chef Aiden Byrne, Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, Manchester Hospitality Network and other key industry leaders in the city.

Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Adviser, said: “#PayitForward will encourage people to consider how badly some of our city’s best-loved hospitality institutions are suffering currently, and to support them when they most need it.”

Specific discounts will be determined by each hospitality company and customers will be able to view the full list of participating venues on a dedicated website: Pay-itforward.co.uk, which will launch from 17th March 2021, and venues which would like to participate are encouraged to contact payitforward@rdpr.co.uk.

Meet Out to Help Out founder, Michael Begley.

Events Industry Hibernation Support Package

The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) comprising ESSA, the AEV and the AEO anticipates that 80% of the exhibitions sector workforce consisting of over 90,000 events suppliers, organisers and venue staff, will be made redundant in the coming weeks due to continued event closures.

In response to the continued lack of support provided to the industry, the EIA delivered

Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30

an open letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak proposing the Events Industry Hibernation Support Package.

The support package, backed by 334 EIA members, calls for an adapted wage subsidy scheme, with a temporary higher government contribution to event companies’ employment costs, reflecting the restrictions preventing them from generating revenues. It also calls for a regular review process with clear criteria and industry

HBAA is spearheading a new fact-driven campaign after its recent survey revealed a lack of confidence and confusion over guidelines among planners. Research revealed common misconceptions over the number of delegates allowed to attend meetings in England –which at the time of writing stands at 30 – preventing planners from having the confidence to book and organise permitted meetings.

Of the survey’s respondents, 71% had concerns over employee and delegate safety and 65% stated they will only run online meetings and events in the foreseeable future. Almost all other respondents said that they will organise virtual or hybrid events and will leave it to delegates to decide whether to attend in-person or online. The responses not only showed confusion over government guidance, but also a lack of understanding and confidence in the measures taken at venues.

As well as building confidence, the Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30 campaign will concentrate on communicating and supporting government regulation, as well as highlighting the level of safety and flexibility of contractual terms and conditions. It is a free to

One Industry One Voice

Leaders of three high-profile industry campaigns have aligned with cross-industry initiative, One Industry One Voice, to ensure more effective collaboration in fighting for awareness and economic support and are encouraging other campaigns to get in touch.

The new taskforce comprising #WeMakeEvents, #LettheMusicPlay and

#WeCreateExperiences

Founder: BVEP

Aims: To raise awareness among the general public and national media about the true value of the industry to daily life and the wider economy.

Actions: Raised £50,000 via Justgiving for a UK-wide PR awareness campaign, which the action group will put out to tender, in a bid to reassure both the public and corporations that events are safe.

#WeMakeEvents

Founder: PLASA

Aims: To raise awareness of the UK’s live performance and entertainment suppliers unlikely to restart work until spring 2021.

Demands: A government backed COVID-19 Insurance Scheme; government support for widespread proactive COVID-19 testing for event attendees; a three-year extension to the reduced cultural VAT rate on tickets in

involvement to assess the ability of COVIDsecure events to resume at a future date, and an enhanced grant and loan scheme offered to companies which remain closed due to government restrictions.

The EIA proposes the package would be time-limited and contingent on the sector not being able to trade, with support offered on an opt-in basis, with the most severely impacted companies applying for additional grants or loans.

participate campaign for both venues and agencies and does not suggest reducing meeting or delegate rates, as the survey confirmed that price is not a barrier to booking.

Juliet Price leads HBAA’s latest industry campaign.

Juliet Price, Consultant Executive Director of HBAA, said: “It is clear from our survey that there is a long way to go in terms of customers understanding and appreciating how compliant the vast majority venues really are when it comes to COVID-19 protocols and also that the current government guidance supports off-site meetings for up to 30 people. Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30 aims to deliver on both fronts and drive confidence while demonstrating why people want to meet – and should meet – in line with the prescribed measures.”

#WeCreateExperiences aims to coordinate on campaign dates, statistics and key industry asks of government while working to amplify each other’s messages.

Peter Heath MD of PLASA, which launched the #WeMakeEvents campaign in May in response to its members plight, said: “We are immensely proud of how this has galvanised into over 22 trade bodies, along with thousands of industry professionals from over 28 countries, all working together

ICC Wales in support of the #wemakeevents Red Alert Campaign.

line with DCMS recommendations; grants –not loans – made available to businesses in the events supply chain; a specific industry support scheme until guidelines change on social distancing to allow a viable return to work.

Actions: August’s Red Alert Campaign, lighting up iconic venues over 20 cities across the UK to symbolise the industry going into ‘red alert’; September’s Global Action Day which included 28 countries and 17 regions across the UK; and October’s The Survival Tour 1,500km bike ride representing

voluntarily to create awareness of the whole events supply chain and the urgent need for financial support. The alignment of the major hashtags allows us all to communicate more, maximise our efforts and streamline our voice to government.”

the music industry touring season that never happened.

#LetTheMusicPlay

Founder: UK Live Music Group

Aims: Calling for support for the £4.5 billion live music industry and to safeguard its 210,000 workers.

Demands: A three-year extension to the reduced cultural VAT rate on tickets; a government-backed reinsurance scheme to allow shows to go ahead next year; further financial support for the sector until it can reopen; and a conditional timeline for reopening venues without social distancing.

Actions: The high-profile campaign achieved hundreds of millions of social media hits, trending at number one on Twitter worldwide, and helped secure additional funding for the sector as part of the government’s £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund.

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Alex Fleming

One of the UK’s leading Events Host, After Dinner Speakers & Charity Auctioneers

He is number one choice for Manchester United & Sir Alex Ferguson and his associated charities. He was also auctioneer at the Barack & Michelle Obama Dinners in Edinburgh, where he raised almost £1 Million from a total of only 12 Lots.

He specialises in event hosting, comedy after dinner speaking, charity auctions, celebrity Q&As, gala balls, sportsmens’ dinners, ladies lunches, corporate events, awards ceremonies and Burns Suppers.

Impactful displays to create the wow factor

Word of Mouth

H&E North speaks to Alex Fleming to discover why he has become regarded as one of the UK’s leading event hosts, charity auctioneers and after dinner speakers.

In March, business was good for Alex Fleming, with over 92 events booked for 2020. He was entertaining guests and raising huge sums of money at events throughout the UK and then suddenly, the pandemic struck. In fact, one of his last events was doing the auction and speaking alongside Sir David Attenborough at The Hunter Foundation gala dinner at the National Museum of Scotland.

When we spoke to him, he was waiting impatiently for live events to get started again: “I miss the buzz of events and hope 2021 will see their return, not just for the sake of the hospitality industry but also for charities everywhere. On the plus side, just think of the party atmosphere at the first events back!”

Alex certainly has an impressive client list from five-star hotels, such as Claridge’s and The Savoy, to leading national charities. He has also shared the stage with such dignitaries as Peter Kay, Jose Mourinho, Prince Charles, Ole

Alex is also the host and auctioneer of choice for Sir Alex Ferguson and his charities. He tells us it was Sir Alex who also recommended him to Manchester United where he is now a regular feature at events including the Player of the Year Awards and The UNICEF Ball. Alex has also compered and auctioned at an impressive five royal dinners on behalf of Princess Anne.

His career highlight so far is being asked to perform at the Barack Obama Dinner in Scotland and being asked back the following year, when Michelle Obama visited. He was able to raise almost £1 million from only 12 lots over the course of the two dinners. Alex reflects on the 1,200-strong audiences at each dinner and is optimistic that we will soon see a return to events of this grandeur.

Alex is renowned for his hilarious and fastpaced delivery, engaging the audience at every opportunity whether as compere or after-dinner speaker. And if your event includes a live charity auction then Alex’s uniquely fun and energetic auctioneer style ensures it will be one of the highlights of the event. It really is something to watch his encouraging charm and humour in action as guests gladly part with cash with a smile on their face and laughter in the air.

He also has a great reputation for getting the best out of any celebrity at a Q&A session, striking that difficult balance between interest and entertainment. The same can also be said for awards ceremonies, where he keeps the event running smoothly whatever the evening throws up. Let’s hope we get to see Alex in action again soon!

Alexflemingspeaker.com

Understandably, many venues across the country have closed down for the safety of their staff, customers and local communities, making it difficult to engage their audiences and host large events. But that doesn’t mean you need to go dark during these troubling times. Here are some tips to help you promote your venue during COVID-19 to ensure you’re the venue of choice once things get back to normal.

engage them online to promote your venue.

Stay active on social media

Maintain your social media presence to ensure that people don’t forget about your brand or your venue.

Speak to past customers

Keep in touch with past customers that have hosted events in your venue and speak about future projects or see how they’re doing.

company or even repurpose your venue for something else temporarily.

Set future goals

It’s always a good idea to look ahead for when the situation improves. Try to establish yourself as a driving force by adopting all of the latest guidelines as early as possible so you can continue your business despite COVID-19.

Gunnar Solskjær, Rachel Riley, Paul Scholes, J K Rowling, Rob Brydon, Annie Lennox and Jason Manford to name but a few.

IndustryOpinion

This is the seventh year that we have run The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) Excellence Awards, and each year the judging process becomes more challenging.

2020 has been particularly tough due to the creative ways our members have supported their associations and clients – ways that simply don’t fit simple categories such as ‘best conference’. It was with this in mind that we decided to create the Lockdown Hero Awards, recognising the extraordinary and creative work of individuals and organisations throughout the COVID pandemic.

The Best Industry Partnership category has been replaced this year by the Partner Recognition Awards – nominations for which were received from both agency and in-

Rewarding Excellence

Heather Lishman, Director of The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers reveals the shortlist for its upcoming virtual Excellence Awards.

house PCOs – the winners will be revealed on the night.

The awards will also include the presentation of the ABPCO Chairmen’s Award, which goes to an individual or organisation displaying exceptional levels of professionalism, while balancing our core pillars of belonging, excellence and learning.

Shortlisted candidates have been selected by an independent panel of judges, but the winners will not be selected until the event itself – where the finalists each present details of their submission.

The winners of the 2020 ABPCO Excellence Awards will be revealed on 7th December 2020 during a virtual awards ceremony –members interested in attending should head to our website to find out more.

The events industry generates £70 billion each year and creates 700,000 viable jobs. Businesses and public organisations still need to meet, to communicate, to launch products, to engage, to share and discuss ideas just as much as they did before restrictions.

Government policy is the only factor that is, according to the Chancellor, temporarily making some businesses and jobs less viable until live events are allowed to resume. We simply need action plans, financial backing and support to keep as many of the talented people in this world class industry until large scale live events can restart and need support with more virtual events, as there must still be a human side to this delivery.

The Finalists for the ABPCO 2020 Excellence Awards

• Best Conference by an In-house Conference Organiser – The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed for the National Freelancers Day 2020; Archer Yates’ for The Oxford Farming Conference 2020; Healthcare Conferences UK for Prehabilitation Principles and Practice.

• Best Conference by an Agency Conference Organiser – MCI Group for the One Young World Summit; Abbey Conference and Events for the 30th World Congress for the International Association for Suicide Prevention; Haymarket Media Group and the CIPD for the CIPD Festival of Work.

Abpco.org

Events Underpin Economies

Lex Butler, Chair of HBAA asks why events has become the forgotten industry.

That is HBAA’s summary assessment of where our industry stands today and the challenge we face.

HBAA and all the many associations with who we collaborate and who have united as One Industry One Voice, will continue to try to make our voices heard loudly and effectively, as we make sure that the government, MPs and the public all know that we were viable and still are viable. We must also continue to shine a light on the major contribution the industry makes to the economy.

But there is so much more that we can do. Meetings for less than 30 people are still permitted and, according to HBAA partner venuedirectory.com, 73% of meetings in 2019 were within that category. Thousands of meetings can take place and provide work

for event planners and business for venues.

We must make the most of these opportunities and give organisations the confidence to book smaller safe socially distanced meetings and hybrid events until major live only events can be held again. These will continue to work hand in hand.

Many companies and state organisations are still meeting within our members’ permitted venues. They clearly have confidence in their safe events procedures, and their feedback can be a major asset in building the confidence of others and convincing them to do the same. We must publicise this.

This is a challenge that we can overcome.

For the next six months, we are stuck with virtual events whether we like it or not. But just because you have a webcam, doesn’t mean you have a virtual event. Once normality resumes, many will breathe sighs of relief as they leave behind the frozen screens and weird echoes to return to the tried and trusted arena of live events. But what if we learn to nail the hybrid format – can virtual go hand in hand with physical events to expand our global audience?

In an effort to learn more about the conferencing behaviours of Fortune 1000 executives, Goodman Lantern conducted a survey to discover why these influential attendees choose to appear at certain business events. For the majority, content was the primary driver of attendance, and if we can deliver that just as well virtually, there may be no reason to stop.

JJ Jackson, Director of speakers bureau

Performing Artistes is one of these industry insiders who believes while social events will return exclusively to the physical realm, there may still be a future for the hybrid conference model: “When it comes to award ceremonies and gala dinners – I don't think there will ever be a virtual element per se. Not least down to the fact that people are struggling to commercialise them right now.

“In the fullness of time, we will go back to in-person conferences because we're social animals, yet I think there will always be a virtual element. Travel restrictions – not so much enforced by government, but in terms of company policies remaining cautious –will remain for a while even after a vaccine has been found. And personally, the biggest reason I would attend a conference is the speakers programme, so I think conferences will continue to deliver this remotely, but not just with a camera on lock-off at the back of the room.”

Moving forward, organisers will be thinking more about the quality of what they are pumping out to growing virtual audiences.

Zooming in on Virtual

With Zoom fatigue taking its toll on audiences, we discover how you can up your production values to deliver more interactive and engaging virtual events.

Performing Artistes is one of the many agencies racing to invest in professional studio equipment in response to the mounting dissatisfaction of virtual attendees, fed up with low quality webcam footage: “I feel a bit sorry for Zoom, it has become a generic phrase to blame poor video content on, in the same way PowerPoint has become a shorthand for everything that's wrong with presentation software. They are essentially just tools to do a specific job – it's how you use them that counts.

“PowerPoint is a great way of delivering imagery and video, it only falls down when somebody puts up 30 bullet points on the screen and reads them out. Similarly with Zoom, it’s just a way of linking people through video – it's neither innately good nor bad. It’s the equivalent of hiring a boardroom at a venue. You’ve got a table and chairs, perhaps a flip chart and screen. For the purposes of bringing people together for a discussion, it’s perfect – but an event, it is not.

“But at that same venue, you might hire a function suite and put in professional staging, sound, lighting, you may well have a production company running it. It looks and feels professional and slick, creating the right impact for the audience. On the keynote side, just being slumped behind your webcam – with at best a bookshelf and at worst your washing drying and the dog wandering around in the background – is no longer good enough, especially if somebody is paying thousands of pounds for it. Events agencies have to invest in a decent webcam, lighting and backdrops at the very least, and ideally a multi-camera setup with a little mixer so you can slickly switch between them.”

At a time where purse strings are stretched, this investment could prove a major gamble for agencies. Yet if hybrid aspect is here to stay as many predict, it may just pay off to help them stay ahead of the game: “We’ve invested in professional lighting and high definition cameras in our office – it’s a

great halfway house between expensive studio rental and having speakers present at home. We recently hosted a virtual awards ceremony from here, inviting two presenters to link a whole load of pre-recorded bits while following Twitter to do shoutouts and engage with the audience. Now if you watched it live, it will have all looked very professional, but it was just me and one other guy in our office – it was all slightly surreal.”

“We're not an outlier. I think more facilities will come on stream – many hotels at the moment are converting underused space to this very purpose. We had a London client who wanted a more glamorous background, so we discussed it and I said: ‘why don’t we get a suite at the Royal Lancaster overlooking Hyde Park?’ As long as the internet connection is good enough, you can bring your kit and stream as comfortably as you can in your own studio.”

From a venue's perspective, internet speeds are set to prove the biggest challenge when it comes to facilitating future demand for high-definition streaming: “If you’re streaming your event in 4K, you certainly wouldn't be doing through their Wi-Fi, you’d be using a hard wired connection and ensure they allocated you sufficient bandwidth. Let's face it, hotel Wi-Fi is renowned for not being what it might be, so moving forward they're going to have to invest big time in installing dedicated fibre lines.

But while production values may be queen, content remains king – with much of our Zoom fatigue stemming from poor presentations as opposed to production values: “With virtual, you have to adapt to your audience, remembering that although you might have a thousand people tuning in, every single person is essentially in the front row. I always liken live events to theatre – because you have a stage and an audience, and although you can use lighting to direct their gaze, it’s ultimately up to them to decide where they look. Whereas with virtual, it's more akin to TV, but with added audience interaction.”

JJ Jackson, Director of speakers bureau Performing Artistes.

In the same way event production teams are having to think differently, presenters are also having to adapt: “In terms of the keynote speakers, charismatic people don't necessarily come across as well as you'd expect them to. Normally they're running around the stage larger than life, but it's hard to get that across on a fixed camera. But when you have a speaker who has fascinating insights and a brilliant story, even though they may be introverted or hiding behind the lectern, funnily enough they often come across better through a virtual format.”

When planners are faced with picking the right presenter for their virtual event, JJ believes they should be headhunting for a less traditional skillset: “A good rule of thumb, is If presenters have good radio experience, they tend to be good at virtual. It's the simple reason that if you think about a TV situation, even if you have no audience, you’ll have the camera man, lighting, sound, producer and all the rest of the crew on set. If you're doing radio, it's just you and your producer. They may have millions of listeners, but they have no reaction whatsoever, so they’re good at knowing how to pitch it. If they do phone-ins, that's brilliant because they know how to engage with a Zoom

Stewart Moss, Group Director of Sales for Yorkshire's Cedar Court Hotels discusses how he created #StudioSpacesYorkshire with a view to facilitating conferences for clients during lockdown…

I could see how the need for companies to communicate presentations to their full audiences wasn’t going to go away, even if they couldn’t all physically be together. Technology being put to use in such a way made instant sense to me and was therefore worth our combined efforts; happily, this turned out to be the case.

However, what has surprised us somewhat is the multitude of other uses people are finding for this setup! Digital weddings are on the horizon, as are fashion photo shoots, charity presentations and fan engagement filming for sports teams – naturally, we are delighted and have continued to evolve and tailor our packages to accommodate.

As we move forwards with the concept, I will be looking to ensure that we are offering an ‘experiential’ element to complement the

attendee who suddenly pops up on screen and is slightly nervous, but they will also know how to shut them up – in a nice way.”

When deciding on entertainment to blow your virtual attendees away, there are formats that simply don’t lend themselves to the medium: “Hiring a comedian to do a 15-minute set is out, that just doesn't work because of the issue of comic timing – the pauses usually reserved for laughs turn awkward fast. You should be looking for entertainers who offer something a bit quirky, such as musical comedy in the style popularised by Tim Minchin. Their routine is based in song, meaning they don’t have to wait for the audience to laugh before they go on to the next verse. Not only that, they will often write a bespoke piece for the event and it’s those references which the audience most enjoy. If you want to incorporate some interaction, there are brilliant freestyle rappers who will create a rap on-the-fly from words fired into the comment section by the audience.”

If you’re looking to put on a virtual extravaganza with limited resources, JJ suggest your budget may stretch further than you think: “When lockdown was in full force, clients expected fee reductions and

frankly, artists were offering them because they were literally rolling out of bed and jumping in front of the webcam. Now, things are getting a bit more sophisticated and clients are often running their event from a central studio hub, so there’s not as much saving from a presenter’s perspective, but fees are certainly more malleable than they once were.”

Going forward, there will be major opportunities to widen audiences and increase revenues for those events which persist with virtual when the pandemic is in the rear view mirror: “As a company, if you have a consumer title with a worldwide audience, suddenly virtual means overseas readers can attend. Speaking with New Scientist, although it boasts a large international readership, its events normally only attract a UK audience. But since they’ve shifted to virtual events, the overall numbers are much higher and drawn from around the world. This lets you play around with the model, turning your physical event into a premium product, supplemented by the virtual offering, for which attendees are paying less, but bringing the potential for greater numbers, which is a win-win for everyone.”

digital for I think that’s where the true ‘value’ lies: here is a fantastic set up that makes you look and sound more professional than ever before, to as many people as you want,

studio.

who are all enjoying a ‘meeting-themed care package’ that has been delivered out in time to be shared together – community, both on screen and off.

Stewart Moss at the Cedar Court Hotels Harrogate

Supply and Demand

Two event suppliers rocked by the pandemic reveal how they turned disaster into opportunity, using the lockdown to expand into new flourishing markets.

Pritesh Mody, Founder and Chief Flavour Guru at

pre-batch cocktail

specialist World of Zing

We worked with a large number of drinks suppliers and events companies to provide cocktails for their events, such as Taste of London and Wilderness Festival. Most of our business is in the on-trade, where we look after around 250 venues around the country, from five-star hotels, to national chains such as Bill’s and Rosa’s Thai.

We had a strong summer of weddings and festivals booked in, as such, we lost around 85% of our turnover pretty much instantly.

However, we rapidly clawed back much of our revenue through offering pre-mixed bottled cocktails for takeaway and delivery to our existing clients, but the real bonus has been the corporate sector, where we have regularly supplied team virtual happy hour sessions and branded virtual events.

Kevin O'Mara, Managing Director of executive travel service Advanced Journey Chauffeuring

Prior to the pandemic, we focused solely on high profile passengers from the music, sports and entertainment sectors. However, as COVID-19 effectively shut down many of these industries, we lost our main revenue source.

As a small business in the travel and hospitality sector, we faced an immediate 100% decrease in all revenue streams for non-essential activity during lockdown. The initial difficulties we faced as a business were mitigating the financial impact as best as we could through government support and requesting payment holidays from creditors. We then set about addressing how we hoped to replace any permanently lost business.

To be entirely honest, it wasn’t even our idea! We started having marketing managers approach us to put together cocktail sets for their businesses and clients, including providing bespoke branding and for larger customers, bespoke flavours.

At the start, we were providing actual cocktail masterclasses, but as time went on and the group sizes regularly reached into the hundreds, it became clear that Zoom attendees didn’t really want to make drinks any more – they just wanted a good cocktail in front of them and an entertaining compere to create a fun atmosphere.

Moreover, I maintained strong brand recognition through appearances as a cocktail expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and we also partnered with some incredible brands, including Biscuiteers and South East Cakery to provide cocktails and treat pairings. Collaborations like this are great opportunities to get your name out there while providing a premium experience for consumers while stuck at home.

Our realisation is that there is still business to be done in the events industry, as people still want to be entertained and drinks will always play a big part. But while budgets aren’t the same as they once were, the virtual opportunity allows suppliers such as ourselves to stay front of mind and perhaps even build a new revenue stream.

We had no doubt the travel and music sectors would come back, but the timing was unknown, which made it difficult to gear up to move into another target market. The real balancing act was seeking temporary interim business that would not impact on returning markets. I wanted to balance out the interim work so that any new clients remained catered for but did not impact on capacity management. Another issue was the conditions of furlough preventing directors from ‘promoting the success of the business’. This meant my business was invisible while under total furlough and losing traction.

Predicting corporate travel would be the first market to reopen, we took the decision to implement ISO certifications in the business, working for three months to achieve accreditation in quality management and information security. By achieving these standards, we ensured our business would stand out as a trusted transport option for the emerging corporate market.

By marketing on social media and virtual business marketing groups, these internationally recognised business standards have attracted new large corporate clients. We’ve since been able to diversify to a wider base, offering luxury travel for well-known names from the field of business, politics and entertainment. We now also use professional images and share relevant content to gain customer traction, keeping clients in the loop about our activities.

My advice to any event suppliers to get through the short term would be to consider which markets are irreparably damaged and seek out replacement business. Also review any larger companies which might have gone out of business – you might be able to pick up new customers. In the long-term, focus on forming supply chain partnerships to expand your reach – for us this involved private airlines and facilities management companies. Most importantly, we wouldn’t have been able to turn things around without help and advice. So to give something back, we are now participating in Staffordshire Business School’s Small Business Leadership Programme, designed to help SMEs build resilience in overcoming the hurdles they face as a result of COVID-19.

Barn Storming

H&E North speaks to Dean Blonde to discover how his lockdowninspired comedy agency, Garden Gigs invented a new breed of event space to help a struggling industry stand up to COVID.

In the first week of March, Event Director Dean Blonde was preparing to book his flights to Switzerland to host Altitude Festival in Mayrhofen on behalf of international comedy agency, Get Comedy.

All 12 of the agency’s acts were regularly performing, its venues were turning record ticket sales, then at the click of a finger, the entire industry came to a standstill: “Our forte is working with other clubs and venues around the country and getting our acts on stage. But overnight, that was it, nearly every club in the world shut down, and within a three-week period, everyone was out of work and we were forced to get creative.”

As Dean watched the crisis unfold in Italy, he started producing online comedy in preparation for the imminent UK lockdown: “By the time the venues were being shut down – we were furiously editing online material to prepare our acts for what we believed would be a virtual revolution.”

But material which started off receiving 5,000-plus daily views, fizzled out in a matter of weeks: “Within a fortnight, every other comedian was putting material out and the online market simply became oversaturated. Even Jason Manford, who was preparing for a £50-a-ticket UK-wide tour was putting out material for free.”

That’s when Dean realised they had to get back to live events, whatever the cost. The moment restrictions were relaxed, they delivered a new brand of impromptu comedy directly to the doors of comedy fans.

In a UK-first, gigs were being hosted in front gardens across the UK: “Where I’m from in Nottingham, the local community wasn’t that strong, but all of a sudden the pandemic had us talking to our neighbours, checking

up on them and getting involved in all kinds of Whatsapp groups. Many were starved of live entertainment and decided collectively to have it brought to them – and we made it happen.

“We ensured we were covered with each local Safety Advisory Group to make sure we weren’t breaking any illegal rave laws – we couldn’t just have 10,000 people turn up in a field! – and we just got on with it.

“At the time, virtually the only two comedians working in the entire world were our guys, Damien Clark and Danny O'Brien. Now comedians are setting up their own gigs in the same way, but that's what it's all for: to spark an idea, and let others run with it. We don't own it – we just wanted to show the industry what could be done.”

Back in August, the newly-formed Garden Gigs had already filled its diaries until October, but as venues began to reopen, Dean witnessed a new problem emerging: “While it was a great thing event spaces had the chance to open their doors, many are still operating at a far reduced capacity. “They’re often paying more staff, but making less money, which is simply not sustainable. As a result, entertainment fees have been dropping and with many event industry performers receiving little help from the government, we had to do something.”

Enter Thomas Henry, an emerging Leeds comic, whose family who owned a farm in the North Leeds countryside: “Thomas

and his folks have been absolute legends – when he heard about Garden Gigs, he approached us to throw an event on this beautiful piece of land with a fantastic barn.”

Following the gig, Dean and the Henrys made plans to transform the barn into a semi-permanent event space. But there was just one problem. During the week it was a working barn, complete with horse muck and hay bales, playing home to the family’s riding school: “We have to rebuild this space every week for the weekend – but we love it! A lot of our crew are used to supplying festivals on a regular basis, but haven’t worked for so long that when I turned round and said: ‘guys, we might have to do this every week for god knows how long’, they jumped at the chance! It just goes to show, the industry simply wants to work.”

The capacity of the barn pre-COVID was 275, but to meet guidelines, Dean had to cut that down to 100: “The government are extremely concerned about ventilation in event spaces; that is their main angle when they're assessing. With older buildings, all you can do is keep the doors open, but new-build venues which have really good ventilation are allowed larger capacities.

“But 100 people was the most many comedians had performed to in eight months – and not only did it give us the chance to pay them a decent wage, but helped us support the Leeds event suppliers and technicians who were out of work.”

When Dean approached Leeds Safety Advisory Group with his plans, they graded the event space ‘one’, the assessor’s most COVID-secure rating: “Because it's a covered barn with a 35ft roof, an open side plus wooden slats that can let air through –the ventilation specs were exactly what they were looking for.”

A stage has been built, lighting invested in, and great pains taken to host a licenced bar on-site – and much of the time, Dean is using materials from around the farm to construct this novel space: “It’s like going to a club before COVID – a little bit colder I’ll admit –but we want to make this work. With winter approaching, we want to incorporate things

like heaters, but first and foremost, we’ve ensured everyone can attend safely.”

The company has stocked up on temperature guns, hand sanitising stations and has shortened the usual three hour shows to minimise guests standing up, walking around and gathering: “I'm very aware that although it hasn’t deterred some, a high percentage of people want to go out but just don't feel safe, and we have to accommodate that if we want to see venues filling up again.”

The space is being launched as a comedy venue, but the barn door is quite literally open to anybody wanting to put on an event: “We're trying to build something from nothing to create an experience for everybody. If others can come and use it, whether that’s for comedy, theatre or any other type of artistic performance, then even better. I’m making phone calls to venues 200 miles away that I know cannot afford to open their doors, to offer them a monthly night at the barn, so they can keep their business afloat. This is a time when everyone should be scratching each other’s backs.”

Conscious of Leeds being uncharted territory for the agency, he was careful to approach the situation in the most political way possible: “What we didn’t want to do is just plant our flag in their turf. We knocked on doors and said: ‘listen, if you want to jump on board, let's all work together on this.’ As

long as the ticket sales continue, we’ll carry on. But I've told every venue in the area, that once comedy is back up and running, we’d ratchet down our activity so we’re not taking their bread and butter.”

Dean has teamed up with local promoters, employed local people and stocked local produce at the bar. For venues wanting to use the space, the ticket split falls in their favour with Garden Gigs only taking what is needed to cover wages and setup, with zero profit being made: “The Henry family own the licenced bar, so they’re getting a drink, we’re getting acts on stage and local people are getting business, so everyone's winning.”

“We’ve been lucky enough to have Adam Rowe open for us back in September, Mick Ferry last month and we’re looking at bringing a whole host of established Netflix and HBO comedians, as well as upcoming talent, so we can hopefully continue to give everyone a little bit of work.”

The acreage of the land the Henrys have generously made available has encouraged Dean to approach local businesses, such as street food stalls and retailers, in a bid to restore the fortunes of struggling local businesses: “What we have to do right now is follow the guidance, which is not easy at the moment. But in time, businesses will want to rebuild and if we can get footfall here every week, then there’s opportunity for everyone in the community.”

Recipe for Success

H&E North gets a flavour of how hotel hospitality has fared, as three venue caterers with an appetite for ingenuity reveal the survival schemes they have cooked up.

Craig Sherrington is the Executive Chef at Lumley Castle Hotel, a four-star venue in County Durham which regularly hosts conferences, celebrations, luxury dining and leisure breaks.

We’ve had to be totally dynamic and flexible around circumstances that forever seem to be in flux. Coming out of lockdown in July, we had wind in our sails and things were looking hopeful. Then came the restrictions that have ultimately slashed our revenues. We’re now operating with just over half the chefs we had pre-lockdown.

Initially, due to staff shortages, we had the same menu everywhere in the hotel, including our restaurant, bar, drive-through

Martin Hollis is Executive Chef of the five-star Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa in St Andrews, a seaside town in Fife renowned around the world as ‘the home of golf’.

The resort’s usual summer guests come from the international golfing market – so without them, there has been a decline in visitors, affecting not just us, but the whole of Scotland. As a business, we had to look at how could we attract the local market to stay at the hotel.

We have been offering attractive staycation packages that have really helped to raise occupancy levels. In response to changes, we streamlined the menus in the Road Hole Restaurant, using it as the main dining area and

and for room service. Kitchen preparation has been hugely reduced giving us more time for enhanced training and product development in other areas.

We’ve been ticking over with intimate weddings and small business meetings but we’ve been able to move the majority of our large-scale events into 2021/22, so we fortunately haven’t suffered a massive loss of forward business.

How we serve food and drink has obviously changed; we’re constantly wiping down and reporting constantly that cleaning has been completed – every table in food and beverage areas is designated clean or used with disposable tent cards. Contact points with the guest are also reduced, so we’re not laying napkins or topping up wine and we still have no cruets on tables and all of our menus and wine lists are now single-use.

As a hotel restaurant, we’ve adjusted quite quickly and effectively to the 10pm curfew in England. We currently sit at Tier 2, but if we did move to Tier 3, the impact is negligible as we will simply move our alcohol service into the restaurant.

We created the Lumley Drive Thru, a takeaway service which proved popular and was a nice additional source of income. We are in the midst of a project to convert some

amalgamated the menu with Sands Grill, so we can offer a taste of what the resort has to offer when we are able to operate properly again. Our breakfast service has changed to a serviced breakfast as opposed to a buffet offering and this has increased our staffing levels but has enhanced the guests’ experience.

We recently catered for a couple of weddings which went really well, even though they were restricted to 20 people and two households per table, with no alcohol, music and singing allowed –not what a wedding should be. Instead of shared platters of canapes, all the guests received their own plate and were seated so they could not socialise among themselves. Any form of shared service has turned into an individual service, which in some ways has enhanced the experience.

of our bedrooms into luxury office space and we’re also looking at a new spa facility, which will enhance our leisure offering when we hopefully fully reopen in spring 2021. There is a degree of ingenuity required by hoteliers in these times and I suspect businesses that lack vision and agility will be hardest hit.

Lumley Castle Hotel.

Lumley Castle Hotel Executive Chef, Craig Sherrington.

Executive Chef of Old Course Hotel, Martin Hollis.

Charlie Eedle is Group Revenue and E-marketing manager at Ramside Estates, which runs three hotels in the North East – Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, Hardwick Hall Hotel and Bowburn Hall Hotel along with The Impeccable Pig restaurant with rooms in Durham and bars in Newcastle. The company also runs Ramside Outside Catering, which supplies festivals, awards ceremonies and private celebrations.

Everything from our conference and events business, weddings, large-scale outdoor events and festivals were cancelled when COVID-19 hit, which meant that there was no external catering business at all from March through to June.

When we were allowed to open the hotels and restaurants in July, that massively helped the other side of the business and Eat Out Help Out was a huge success – every night was virtually like a Saturday night.

Recognising that the events business was unlikely to pick up again in the foreseeable future, we organised our own Summer Sessions at Hardwick Hall Hotel. We created a socially-distanced programme of outdoor events with some elements of outside catering – for example we ran a Sunday afternoon big band concert where we were able to supply afternoon tea as part of the VIP packages.

In terms of catering external events, we supplied the bars at the very first outdoor event in the country which took place when

We did have a small conference in September, which was challenging to organise as some aspects of a normal meeting are not permitted, with social distancing, sanitising and how to serve lunch having to be taken into consideration.

Fortunately, as we have bedrooms, we can still generate revenue though restaurant sales to residents only. During the recent ‘circuit-breaker’ here in Scotland, we had a ban on alcohol being served indoors, the reduced sale of which has impacted on our revenue and the guest experience – part of enjoying a good meal is having a nice wine to accompany it! In response, we have created an extensive list of mocktails which has been well-received by our guests.

There has been tremendous financial support through the furlough scheme, and it has enabled the resort to bring staff back when required and flexible furlough as well. Also, the reduction on VAT has been good. As a business we decided to pass this onto the

the restrictions were first lifted at a concert in Newcastle. At the moment, there are no other events in the pipeline, but we are currently looking at ways to create family and socially-distanced events for Christmas.

The new restrictions are a bit of a knock to the public confidence and it also puts the

trade into a very difficult position. People are being encouraged not to go out, but at the same time hotels are allowed to stay open, so that means they can’t apply for any support. Many of the decisions and messages aren’t really clear enough and that makes it hard for both operators and the public to understand what is expected. To ensure that we meet the regulations we have our own health and safety advisors who ensure we are complying with all the guidelines while we work with local councils and the relevant statutory bodies.

For many people, it has now become a real fight for survival – the furlough scheme and VAT and rates holidays have absolutely helped save jobs and kept businesses going. We just have to make sure that we’re prepared and can adapt to whatever happens, while at the same time look at ways we can make it work under these current circumstances.

guests, making our rates look competitive and leading to an increase in occupancy.

Hopefully, there will be more support for the hospitality sector as it engages with and

contributes to so many different industries. Without it, the knock-on effect will be devastating for farmers, growers, producers, distributors, and manufacturers – the list is endless.

Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa.

Ramside offered a taste of normality at a socially-distanced outdoor concert.

Charlie Eedle from Ramside Estates.

MARQUEE HIRE

On a High Note

Vocal coach and soul-singing diva Sharon Stacey reveals her top tips for harnessing the power of your voice to nail your next event.

Sharon Stacey is an experienced musical director, running vocal workshops with businesses across the UK, as a fun, accessible alternative to traditional team building activities. Sharon believes the power of the human voice is one of the most effective tools to boost wellness and connect people from different walks of life.

So Sharon, how have you adapted your work over the past months?

In-person vocal workshops are currently on hold unfortunately, as you can't really hold a musical workshop over Zoom because of the audio latency – that half-second delay turns choirs into cacophonies! So I’m moving things in a different direction towards the vocal health and public speaking aspects of my practice that lend themselves better to virtual formats.

In the current climate, 99% of communications are now delivered virtually, but many listeners are a little ‘Zoomed out’ or work in distracting home environments, making it even harder to focus on your message. But virtual meetings and events are going to be here for a while, so understanding how your voice can resonate over a digital platform is crucial.

What was the inspiration behind the workshops?

I always remember a keynote session at a business expo, where the mic completely cut out and the PA went down. The speaker was trying her best to deliver the workshop to 50 people on her own steam, but she just couldn't project her voice. Being a singer and professional vocal coach for 16 years, I’m used to getting the best out of people’s singing voices, but that made me think there was a real need for professionals in the events sector to get the best out of their voices too.

Many careers within the industry rely heavily on the human voice, and hardly anybody is taught a basic understanding of how it works and how to leverage it, and I think that’s a real shame. You have to ask: what could vocal health be costing your business? But it's not just potentially losing out on pitches or miscommunicating with your event staff, but a case of health and wellbeing.

I’ve been helping public speakers, sales directors and team leaders, whether they’re speaking to hundreds or small teams of staff, to keep vocally healthy while keeping audiences attentive and engaged by what they say and how they say it.

I actually started my training with newly qualified teachers, because one of the first things to go is your voice as you're forced to adapt to loud classroom environments. Finding ways to project your voice safely equally applies to event profs too – events can be loud!

It’s a really powerful thing to have that longevity to do your job efficiently, so you’re not so vocally tired, and have the practical tools to help you leverage the power of storytelling and most importantly, deliver that story with lasting impact.

So, how can we use our voices more effectively?

My sessions are very practical where we use excerpts from a client's script or speech. I cover basic physiology to help people find a healthy tone – voice placement, breathing, projection – all these techniques help voices feel looser and lighter with less vocal strain in the throat, while keeping speech authentic as possible. I also cover varying pitch so they don't sound monotone, which isn’t particularly engaging! I’m also a bit of a troubleshooter. You know when you feel a bit of a sore throat coming on, but you still have to nail that presentation? I give people the tools to make it through.

In a situation where nerves might creep in, breathing is fundamental. Having that understanding of how to use diaphragmatic breathing gives you the authority and the steadiness in clarity and tone. Getting a handle on the speed and duration of sentences is also incredibly important when you're nervous, as you tend to speak quicker and slowing sentences down gives the audience a chance to digest your message. Let’s not forget about the power of pauses – by emphasising certain words you can really drill home what you're saying.

Tell us more about how you can help…

My voice coaching programme, Vocal Coaching for Leaders is for spokespeople, CEOs and professional speakers who want to make sure their delivery is up to the task. Within that you've got three packages: the Speaker Impact Programme – a series of 45-minute one-to-one sessions, either online or in-person, with dedicated time to practice your own scripts, on which you receive personalised notes and a tailored practice plan after each session.

Then we have Perfect Delivery, a 90-minute coaching session learning about flexibility, clarity, tone and authority – it's a great energiser to help you feel confident and ready to deliver.

The third package is Key Confidence, a really good value one-off 45-minute workshop where we cover a lot of ground, distilling my top five tips to get the best out of your voice. It’s perfect for those who want to make an impression, have an important keynote speech coming up, or want to be heard in challenging environments.

The package I offer workplaces is called Protecting and Projecting – a one-off 60-minute vocal health workshop which can accommodate large teams and can be followed up with more targeted sessions with key personnel.

I appreciate how vocal training might be quite nerve-wracking for some, because the voice is so intimate. So an online team building session where people can be on mute suits those teams who don’t want to bare all in front of colleagues, or those who want a fun, beneficial virtual group activity, but might be suffering from Zoom fatigue.

FYI, if you have pets, they will join in our vocal session, or look at you like you've gone stir-crazy, so just be ready for that!

Sharonstaceymusic.com

North In Brief

HBAA Chair Co-launches Virtual Events Directory

In response to the industry-wide shift to virtual events, HBAA chair and Founder of Wolf and White, Lex Butler, and Max Fellows, Founder of Elevate Mentoring and MF Consultancy Ltd, have launched virtualeventsdirectory.co.uk.

The new platform, set to be officially launched in late-November, will act as a central hub and marketplace for buyers to connect with suppliers servicing the virtual and hybrid events market and will also host a free knowledge and learning section.

“The impact of the latest government announcements is still being fully comprehended but there is no doubt the return of in person live events will not happen in any meaningful way until H2 2021,” said Lex Butler. “This news further stimulates the migration to digital which shows no sign of slowing. An estimated 64% of brands are planning to integrate virtual platforms into their event planning even when live events fully return.”

Max Fellows said: “The only thing that is certain at the moment is the need for business agility and industry change, and with change comes innovation and new suppliers. We want to encourage this and help educate and connect brands with these new businesses and accelerate the recovery of the industry.’’

Talent Bank Helps Industry Professionals Back to Work

The Hospitality Partnership was established in October in response to the challenges the industry is facing. It has created a talent bank of experienced industry professionals as many companies look to source alternative sales and explore different ways of working while reducing costs.

The Hospitality Partnership matches approved industry partners and associates with an employer’s needs, giving industry professionals who have been made redundant job opportunities, while making the hiring process easier for employers. The group aims to outsource key roles like sales and business development, PR, social media, revenue management, financial control, training, reservations, food and beverage services, and venue finding.

Jan Denning, founder of The Hospitality Partnership, said: “Seeing so many of my contacts, colleagues and industry friends losing their jobs, I knew I wanted to do something to help. The business offers an opportunity for those people looking to work for themselves, but with a greater support network, by being a part of this new ‘go to’ resource talent bank."

Smart Key Card Supplier Undercuts Major Providers

Hotels, fitness companies, football clubs and local councils are among the clients who have benefited from discounted smart chip key cards and wristbands provided by The Keycard Co.

Lock manufacturers will encrypt their software systems to encourage clients to purchase the key cards they supply. The Keycard Co sources hard-to-find cards from the same factories, yet charges a fraction of the price.

Nick Roberts, Founder of The Keycard Co, said: “Many leading hotels will go through 10,000 key cards a month. The lock manufacturer will often charge up to £2 per card, whereas we can offer them for as little as 50p. We don’t offer a set price list – we find every client the best market price at the time and pass that saving on. We serve most major lock systems and work with the needs of your business to provide the right solution for you.”

Using cutting-edge radio frequency technology, the cards can be programmed with up to 16 different smart actions – from granting access to specific areas within time periods, (ideal for ensuring hotel guests adhere to check-out times), paying for goods with pre-loaded funds, and much more.

Silicon radio-frequency wristbands have proved popular with hotel spas and trade shows, a simple access solution which also allows hosts to track the wearer, from footfall hotspots, entry and exit times, to purchase habits, providing a valuable and secure data set. Plus, all cards and wristbands can be fully-branded with customisable print designs.

The Keycard Co has seen demand rise for single use cards and wristbands as users become mindful of the risk of coronavirus transmission – just another way this gamechanging business has helped its clients through challenging times.

For more information, email nick@thekeycardco.com.

AV Matrix Pivots to Virtual Events

Live events production company AV Matrix has geared itself up to deliver virtual events in response to the overwhelming shift to online formats. Specialising in multi-layered virtual conferences, it now brings its extensive arsenal of broadcast-quality equipment to clients, shooting pre-records or transmitting online events in their offices of its Wetherbybased studio.

“This time last year we were up and down the country serving hundreds of events without fail,” said AV Matrix Founder Mark Parker. “Until we can get 1,000 people back in a room getting drunk and having fun, we’ll be using our equipment to help our clients communicate virtually.

“A corporate body with an important message to deliver to staff, suppliers or customers using an inbuilt laptop camera and microphone with no lighting and backdrop doesn’t send the right message. When you invest in your delivery, it instils confidence in the people you're speaking to and can be achieved extremely competitively compared to what it might have cost in a live events environment.”

AV Matrix offers a range of flexible packages, from one-man shoots to 12-strong production teams using studio cameras, sound equipment, lighting and backdrops for studio-quality broadcasts. It also offers costeffective branded video communications platforms for a professional broadcast interface. With major virtual travel and corporate award shows for some of the UK’s biggest names in its diary, AV Matrix is thriving in its new niche.

Av-matrix.com

Zero-plastic Refill Retailer Offers

Venues Sustainable Supply Route

Across all commercial sectors, including hospitality and events, there are ways in which venues and individuals can make a positive change to turn the tide on single use plastics. We just need to think differently.

That Refill Place offers an alternative supply route for venues, with ranges including cleaning products and health and beauty lines, eliminating single use plastics that are so harmful to our environment.

Owner Ashley Harbour explains: “Rethinking how products can be sourced differently is key – just two to three small changes can make a significant impact. Whether it be liquid hand soap in public areas, or shampoos, body lotions and bath soaps in guest bedrooms, removing singleuse plastics is so achievable and will send a positive message to your guests and local communities. I can supply both bulk products such as detergents in containers which are returnable and refillable and also single items, including a wide range of plastic-free health and beauty products for guest bedrooms, spas and leisure areas.”

That Refill Place offers an alternative wholesale route for a more environmental way to source these essentials.

Contact Ashley 01625 326101 or visit Thatrefillplace.co.uk to find out how easily this can be achieved.

- Carol

Crystal Clean Audio

Silent Noize Events is

We’ve all heard of silent discos, where headphone wearing partygoers dance to the DJ of their choice on a silent dancefloor. Pioneering Birmingham-based AV supplier Silent Noize Events has given corporate events the same silent treatment. Audio can be sent to selected headsets simultaneously, and in multiple languages too, meaning a number of seminars and workshops can be hosted in the same space. Now it is making the process easier and more COVID-secure with its new state-of-the-art app and sanitising stations. We speak to Director Duncan Strain to find out more...

Hi

Duncan, so tell us about the idea behind the app?

The app is something we’ve been looking into for a while, but the pandemic really gave it a kick up the backside! We

believe it’s the right time to launch, because planners are preparing to make up for lost time in 2021 and are keen to use technology to help them adapt to the new normal.

Even after a vaccine is found, the health and safety landscape is set to remain a challenge for the foreseeable. As an event planner, you've got to embrace it, and we feel the app is a great solution to help prove you're taking delegate safety seriously.

We’re in the process of getting sanitising rails up and running to instil confidence in shared headsets, but we felt an ideal solution to work alongside our physical offering would be to develop an app that delegates can download on their phone and tune into using their own headphones. Users can pick which seminar they want to listen to and simply press play to hear live what they would normally hear over the speakers or through our headsets.

works on a licenced basis, calculated on number of users and maximum number of streaming hours. A company could hire the app for an evening brand launch, where they will only need to use it for an hour’s presentation, and they will only have to pay for that hour, making it an extremely flexible option.

We even offer a range of tiers – if an event organiser wants to use it simply for audio purposes, they can have the most basic platform, but if they want to go further, it’s completely customisable and can be fully branded with as much information as they need.

How does the app work?

With the app, you've still got the benefits of better quality audio, multiple breakout spaces in the same room and reducing noise levels on the show floor so exhibitors can communicate clearly, all while minimising the potential for COVID-19 transmission.

Has

it proved

popular so far?

We’ve been bringing the silent seminar concept to conferences and exhibitions for over five years, and we’ve seen a significant rise in uptake. With COVID regulations restricting how many delegates we can host in a single space, the need for smaller individual seminars has never been more key.

We have just installed the app at a university for seminars taking place in a large hall separated into small bubbles of students. But we’re also set to bring it to a congress next year with over 6,000 delegates across two days, so the sky really is the limit in terms of scale.

Clients have found the app to be a particularly cost-effective solution in the current climate, reducing staffing and sanitising costs, while appreciating the peace of mind that comes with one less risk of delegates contracting the virus. Pricing

Delegates can head to both the App Store and Google Play Store to download the app which is tailor-made to each event. Every event has its own tab accessible by a password distributed by organisers, and once inside, users can access live schedules, panellist information and sponsorship collateral which can link directly to a landing page, offering great potential for additional revenue. It even offers data capture, allowing you to collect and safely encrypt email addresses, names and numbers.

In terms of functionality, it is dead easy for delegates and organisers. We provide your own audio technician with a tablet containing a broadcast app and all they need to do is plug it into the mixing desk and start broadcasting. From the delegate perspective, it has a really user-friendly interface – just download the app, plug in the headphones and away you go.

Every year at Confex, delegates ask us if they can take our headsets away with them and listen to seminars on the train, and we say: ‘you can try!’ But unlike the headsets, where users need to be within a 50-metre range, they are logged in remotely meaning they can listen in from the other side of the hall, or even the ocean for that matter!

Silentnoizeevents.com

Tech In

Check out these tech best buys from H&E North, ranging from the fantastically useful to the downright extravagant.

With so many of us spending so much more time at home than ever before, it is no wonder that investment in home security and hands-free gadgetry boomed in the height of lockdown. After all, implementing smart technology throughout the home can enable households to avoid commonly touched areas like TV remotes while devices such as smart locks and doorbells can ensure deliveries are securely received with no face-to-face interaction required.

Panasonic Smart Home Monitoring & Control Kit

Panasonic has entered the world of smart home technology with its Smart Home Monitoring and Control Kit KX-HN6012EW, which aims to combine ease of use with priceless peace of mind. It's designed to allow you to monitor your home using a combination of a wireless security camera and security sensors.

Whether you use it to monitor your home while you are away, or simply to switch your appliances on and off automatically, it gives you the ability to monitor and control your home from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet. You could even use it as a baby monitor, should you need to keep check of your little ones. However you wish to use it, the easy installation and simple interface means you can start protecting your home and family straight away. £199 Amazon.co.uk

HP

With global shipments of smart home voice control devices predicted to increase by 30% in 2020 as compared with 2019 according to ABI Research, gadgets that were once seen as ‘nice to have’ are now being consumed as essential items for living. H&E North takes a look at some of the most popular additions to our teched-up home offices...

Portal from Facebook

You are sure to have seen the adverts for this on TV: grandparents keep in touch with grandchildren via video calls on their Portal device or grown-up children compete for their mother’s affection by buying her Portal. Essentially, it’s a screen that you hold or display like a picture frame and can videocall your contacts on Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp. For those who want to videocall but would rather not be tied to their phone or laptop, Portal is a helpful solution. It even has a smart camera function where it automatically pans and zooms to keep up with the action of whoever you are speaking to and knows when to widen the frame for when someone enters the shot! Nifty!

10-inch: £139

Currys.co.uk

Wireless Business Slim Keyboard and Mouse

Serenity is key, and this ultra-quiet keyboard is made with low-profile keys ensuring the typing is quiet and even comes with adjustable legs, so it can be adjusted to allow for an optimal typing position. One of the greatest benefits these products have to offer is wireless capability, meaning you can use them up to 30 feet away from your computer. Plus, the wireless mouse is designed to be used in either hand (hurrah for left-handers!).

£42

Store.hp.com

MiniBrew

For the beer aficionado who wants to impress colleagues at their next virtual happy hour,, this smart home brewing kit from BeerWulf is the number one choice. The all-in-one, multi-functioning machine allows you to brew premium quality beer all the way from grain to glass at home – all you need is a water supply and a Wi-Fi connection. Easy to install and set up, there’s even an app to guide you through the whole brewing process. The results should be fresh, cold and shareable, it is exactly how beer should be enjoyed!

Starter pack incl. MiniBrew Base Station and SmartKeg: £1,173.96 Beerwulf.com

Argos Home Orion Ergonomic Office Chair

Many people would rather not spend too much money on equipment they need for work, especially when they don’t know how long they’ll be able to work from home.

The joy of this Argos Home Orion office chair is that it looks more expensive than it actually is, compared to how much you could be forking out for just a chair!

The faux leather look goes well with the chrome-and-black stand and castors, and while it isn’t the most stylish of furniture pieces, the tall back – which stretches as high as 128.5 cm – ensures good support for your back and neck. £120

Argos.co.uk

IndustryOpinion

With the association continuing to pressure government for much needed industry support, the Meetings Industry Association’s (mia) chief executive, Jane Longhurst, explains why event professionals have every right to feel accomplished.

When we were informed by government that social contact should cease back in March, we were not quite sure when we’d meet again. Fast forward to today, over a period of what has been nothing short of exceptional and the case for many currently remains the same.

Not just for our industry, but for many it’s been easy to feel deflated by the lack of clarity, future plans and foresight that we have right now, however we must all recognise just how far we’ve all come and just how hard we’ve battled through uncharted territory. We’ve all adapted, supported and collaborated to keep business moving as much as we can, keeping our colleagues and peers buoyant through every challenge, and for that we should all feel immense pride for all that we have, and will continue to achieve.

Whether an event planner, agent, booker, supplier, or working front-of-house, everyone has played their part in sustaining the industry’s determined spirit, while also

Reflect, Recognise, Re-evaluate Winter is Coming

making our voice heard by contributing to our ongoing communications with the Department for Digital, Culture and Sport.

As a not-for-profit association, our members have been paramount to our role in informing government of the industry’s plight, allowing us to provide the sector with muchneeded resources, insight, and guidance while facilitating our lobbying. Without this support such essential operations simply couldn’t and wouldn’t happen.

Throughout the last seven months, we are grateful that our members across the supply chain continue to recognise the value of our work and have shown their commitment by renewing their membership. And, amidst such uncertainty for many, it is fantastic to see that we continue to welcome new members who are recognising our work and how they too are benefiting by being part of the mia.

When supporting the mia the small membership fee goes straight back into

The outdoor events industry, which provides entertainment for millions each summer, is on the verge of collapse following the lockdown this year.

Already some 50% of the full-time workforce has been made redundant. In addition, thousands of freelance operators and part time employees have had little or no income this season.

In all, outdoor events employ some 589,000 people, according to research by Bournemouth University and generate over £39 billion in spend, much in local community businesses where events happen.

We have made a direct appeal to government for a period of targeted financial support as fears grow for businesses large and small the length and breadth of the country that rely on outdoor and indoor

supporting you, your colleagues and those who are in desperate need of support, while we continue to provide benefits such as free application to AIM Secure and free use of our miaTrustedTrace tool to ensure that we deliver the utmost value.

While we can’t be certain of what is around the corner, we can be certain that we will remain committed to fighting for muchneeded government support and clarity. We remain as determined as ever to safeguard the prospects for our beloved industry to ensure that we can come back stronger than ever.

Mia-uk.org

Jim Winship, secretary of The Events Industry Forum believes the £30 billion outdoor events sector is on the brink of ruin over the winter months.

events for their survival.

Representing a wide range of events familiar to many such as agricultural shows, firework displays and music events, we’ve highlighted the fact that all such events rely on a common supply chain providing basic infrastructure seen at all such events.

Whether it be public address systems, security, fencing, right down to portable toilets, companies providing these items have undergone a devastating year. Without some support these businesses will not survive which will threaten the viability of events for 2021 and beyond.

What we are asking for is a time limited support mechanism to cover the basic overheads of these businesses until the next season. Compared to the funding of other industry sectors, a relatively small amount is needed to secure the future of this sector until the next season.

Many businesses in this sector are small independent companies, or even sole traders, and we know that some support covering the winter period from November

to March would on one hand guarantee their survival and the preservation of Britain’s vibrant events programme, but if properly focused and time limited it would not present the Treasury with a huge cost. Given the gross valued added of this industry is estimated at £30 billion, the £151 million support we estimate that is needed to keep the sector going over the winter is small compared to the contribution we can make to rebuilding the economy in the long term.

Outdoor events are widely recognised as being a factor that will help the UK’s recovery. Economic impact research shows that many outdoor events bring considerable revenue into businesses around them, from hotels and restaurants to shopping centres, all of which need help. Furthermore, the research by Bournemouth University shows that these events make a positive contribution to community spirit –something we are all going to need as we come out of this pandemic.

Eventsindustryforum.co.uk

Safety First

COVID-19 is still an indefatigable opponent, but as we understand more about the virus and how it spreads, Geraldine Giddings, Senior Producer for theatrical entertainment company Cirque Bijou gives her top 10 tips for bringing back outdoor events safely, without losing the fun and creativity.

Cirque Bijou has been making shows for indoor and outdoor spaces for 20 years, having created hundreds of performance and large scale spectacles for clients internationally, from rock and roll performances in stadiums to opening ceremonies, festival finales, commissions for TV and high-end corporate events.

1. Clear communication is a top priority. Build up trust with your audience before the event by explaining in advance how things will work. Include specific details about ticket collection, pre-ordering of refreshments, exits and entrances, distancing, masks and toilets. Be clear about how the event organisers will look after the audience and also about what the audience’s responsibilities will be.

2. Manage audience numbers by hosting the event in a pre-defined space and ensuring tickets are pre-booked, even for a free event. This could be a tent or marquee, a fenced off area or by holding the event within a location that is not otherwise accessible to the public. If all audience members have pre-booked and registered online, then you already have the contact details you need for track and trace.

3. Consider audience movements. Audiences will require staggered entry times to avoid them all arriving at once and one-way systems through the event, to collect refreshments and access the toilets. An event will need extra stewarding to manage safe audience flow.

4. Bubble up. Audiences can watch the show in bubbles marked out on the floor. Be creative about this to make it part of the event rather than an intrusion. American rock band Flaming Lips took the idea of bubbles to a fun and literal

Flaming Lips fans were provided plastic bubbles from which to watch the band in concert.

conclusion to create an unforgettable event.

5. Safe rehearsals. Cast and crews will need to bubble too to safeguard against the potential for the entire team needing to self-isolate at once. Guidelines need to be issued to all team members in advance. Props and equipment are to be designated to the people that need to use them, not shared and must be thoroughly cleaned in between uses.

6. Ensure understudies are on standby. Ask your cast, crew and other event staff to certify on a daily basis that they are not displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. In reality you will need to prepare for absences due to the need to isolate, wait for test results, or care for other family members. Make sure you have a large pool of backup staff available so that your show can still go on.

7. Embrace the PPE. Whoever said PPE needed to be boring was wrong. Stewards, cast and other event staff can wear fun themed and branded masks as part of costumes or clothing that will get them noticed. Production Club’s prototype futuristic PPE suits were designed for clubbing during a pandemic and could really bring an

Ken Rankin from Blue Yonder Events discusses how his health and safety expertise saved one of London’s premier arts festivals from the brink of cancellation…

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF) celebrated its 25th year in 2020 with plans in place and a program arranged. COVID-19 struck, raising the question: could the event go ahead safely? The initial response was no.

Planning meetings took place with the team investigating sources of information working with local authorities to understand the virus and examine the possibility of the festival going ahead.

Ken Rankin attended the World Health Organisation’s Public Health Preparedness for Mass Gathering Events course, providing a means

Drink and vape-friendly PPE suits designed by Production Club for enjoying the nightlife during a pandemic.

event to life. They need to be protected and to protect others but that doesn’t need to mean a team of event staff in hazmat suits.

8. Make it fun. While the audience needs to feel safe and supported, nobody wants to feel ordered about. Why not engage a friendly compere to head up your audience announcements? That way COVID safety can become as integral and creative a part of the event without feeling like an administrative add-on.

9. Time to plan. Risk assessing, planning audience logistics, looking after cast, crew and event staff, and planning clear methods of communication will take extra time, resources and budget. Make sure you have time to do it right.

10. Be responsive. The best outdoor events take risks, but never with audience or performer safety! You need to monitor the national guidelines and be ready to adapt your event to the changing situation.

to identify areas requiring further thought. A suitability of use checklist created, sites visited and findings shared. COVID-secure planning began, and risk assessments were written.

The pandemic is another hazard requiring thought and robust planning to protect the public. A report was presented to the board and GDIF was given the go-ahead. All the necessary controls were put in place at each event including track and trace before this was made a mandatory requirement.

The festival was a bright light during dark times with 21,500 visitors spread across three weekends this summer – proving that robust planning , clear communication and a consistent approach will allow events to go ahead safely.

Contact Ken Rankin on 07432 214607 to discuss your event in greater detail, or visit Blueyonder-events.co.uk.

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Meeting the Challenge

H&E North caught up with Jack Marczewski, Event Director at The Meetings Show to discover how the group took one of the UK’s largest events virtual in a matter of days.

Hi Jack, tell us about the challenges The Meetings Show faced this year.

The Meetings Show 2020 was scheduled to run as a live event at Olympia London in June, but it became apparent by April that we would not be able to go ahead with it at that time, so we took the decision to postpone it to October. Due to the show usually hosting buyers and exhibitors from around the world and travel restrictions continuing, we worked on making the event a hybrid one. However, the government’s announcement in September delaying the start of events after 1st October meant we had to make the event fully virtual if we wanted it to continue.

The biggest challenge was adapting to a fully virtual event in 34 days. Thankfully, we had already chosen a flexible platform, which helped, but the move evidently meant lots of extra work by our team to convert all aspects of the show to virtual. It was a challenge we met head-on and managed to overcome in record time because of the amazing support and trust shown by the industry.

Where do you feel the exhibition excelled as a virtual format?

The first virtual edition of the show was a huge success. We had 250 confirmed exhibitors from around the world who made valuable connections with almost 2,000 pre-qualified buyers over three days through the Swapcard AI matchmaking platform. There were over 4,000 video appointments with over 52,000 messages exchanged on the platform, so we are incredibly happy

Keynote Andy King spoke of going ‘above and beyond’ to make the doomed Fyre Festival work.

with the number of people we were able to connect during this time.

As with our live event, we also hosted an insightful education programme featuring some of the industry’s biggest speakers, culminating with a keynote speech by event planner Andy King of Fyre Festival fame. We were thrilled to see that not only were the sessions well-attended (more than 700 people listened to Andy King) but engagement was high too. The chat function on Swapcard enabled attendees to ask questions and share their thoughts in a way that they wouldn't necessarily do if they were watching speakers live. I think this is where the show really excelled in a virtual space.

The engagement was instant and clear to see. We've since received many positive comments from exhibitors and buyers who appreciated being able to connect with other members of the meetings and events community from wherever they were in the world.

What advice do you have for similar events looking to move online?

I think before you start looking at all the available virtual solutions, you need to boil down your event to its core values and ask why the event exists so you can build a strong brief to go to potential suppliers with. You can't just pick up a live show and turn it into a virtual one as there are many aspects of a live show that can't be replicated successfully in a virtual world.

There are a lot of intuitive products out there and naturally, when someone presents their product, they will try and steer you towards a solution that they offer. It's easy to lose sight of the core reason for the event and get excited about the fancy add-ons, but you must remain true to the reasons why you would normally be putting on your event.

Once you are confident that the core values are met by a platform, then you can start looking at how you can enhance the virtual experience. I would also suggest not getting too hung up on bolting on loads of new aspects to the event, purely because it is now virtual. The user journey is key in virtual and often, the more that is going on, the clunkier the user journey will be.

Is there a future in hybrid events for The Meetings Show, or was this a temporary stopgap until normality resumes?

I think there is a future in hybrid events for all exhibitions. One thing that has become evident is there is so much a live event offers that a virtual one simply cannot. However, we have all now seen the potential of reaching new audiences who are unable to be involved in the physical show but have just as much need for education and exhibitors.

Organisers are always looking to get more connections at their shows and there is massive potential with hybrid in doing this, so you will not only see The Meetings Show continue to develop and refine this process, but the wider industry too.

The Meetings Show Event Director, Jack Marczewski.

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The Road to a Restart

The global events industry has been waiting in anticipation for the results of the ground-breaking Restart-19 research project. The surprising results have thrown new scientific light on the risks posed by mass indoor events and how we can hope to avoid them as the sector pushes for a restart.

As cultural mass gatherings across the world remain on hold, researchers in eastern Germany recruited 1,500 volunteers for a “coronavirus experiment” in the form of three test concerts performed by singersongwriter Tim Bendzko at an indoor stadium in the city of Leipzig. The Restart-19 project, which was conducted back in August, received €990,000 from the federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in an attempt to “identify a framework” for how major indoor sporting and music events could be resumed “without posing a danger to the population.”

While some German states, such as Saxony and Brandenburg, relaxed social-distancing restrictions early-on in the pandemic, to the extent that medium-sized indoor concerts were allowed to go ahead during the summer, concerts with more than 1,000 attendees remained banned across the country until the end of August. Speaking to H&E North, Harald Kötter, Director of Public Relations & Trade Fairs Germany Division, said: “the German exhibition industry had a quite successful restart in September. But on 28th October, the German Federal

Government together with the Federal States determined a so-called ‘lockdown-lite’ during November which includes event and exhibitions. This also means that only very few events will take place in December and we expect the next exhibitions will be organised beginning from mid-January.”

To stop the Leipzig experiment from becoming the source of a new outbreak, the 1,500 healthy volunteers, aged between 18 and 50 – only a third of the expected number – were tested 48 hours before the concert started, with those who could not show proof of a negative test at the door denied entry. At the 12,000-capacity seatingonly Quarterback Immobilien Arena, which regularly hosts sporting and cultural events, they were asked to act out three different scenarios.

The first of the day’s three concerts aimed to simulate an event before the pandemic, attendees entering through two main entrances before taking their seats. The second, “optimised” scenario involved greater hygiene and some social distancing,

attendees entering through eight entrances to facilitate less mingling, and every second seat on the stands was to be blocked. In the third strictly socially-distanced scenario, only half the number of spectators were allowed to enter and were seated 1.5m apart.

Scientists equipped members of the audience with a matchstick-sized contact tracer, a small tracking device which collected data on their movements and proximity to others. Inside the venue, they were asked to disinfect their hands with a fluorescent hand-sanitiser – designed to not just add a layer of protection but allow scientists to scour the venue with UV lights after the concerts to identify surfaces where touch transmission of the virus was most likely to occur. Vapours from a fog machine helped visualise the possible spread via aerosols, which the scientists predicted through computer generated airflow simulations. The data was evaluated over a period of several weeks and on 29th October, the findings and corresponding science-based recommendations were published.

An overview of the key results:

• The total incidence of prolonged contact was relatively low during the performance and can be considerably reduced through hygiene practices.

• A higher incidence of contact occurred during admission to the venue and in the breaks.

• Poor ventilation can significantly increase the number of people exposed to a risk of infection.

• Around 90% of the study participants were not put off by the idea of wearing a mask and were willing to continue to do so in order to be able to experience such events again.

• If hygiene practices are adhered to, additional impacts on the pandemic as a whole are low to very low.

Dr. Stefan Moritz of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg University, who led the study, said: “The results are consistent with our hypothesis that the contact which does occur at an event does not involve all participants. Therefore, events could take place under specific conditions during a pandemic. The most important finding for us was understanding how crucial it is to have good ventilation technology. This is key to lowering the risk of infection.”

Based on their findings, the researchers derived the following recommendations:

• Event venues require ventilation technology that provides a regular exchange of air.

• Hygiene practice must continue to be in place for as long as the pandemic persists, ideally with compulsory use of face masks and hygiene stewards to ensure compliance.

• The seating plan and thus the number of guests should be adjusted based on recent local coronavirus statistics.

• The venue should be accessed through several entrances to direct visitor flows and waiting areas should be moved outdoors.

• During the event, food should be eaten in designated seating areas to prevent crowding and long periods of contact at dining outlets.

Professor Michael Gekle, Dean of the university’s Faculty of Medicine, said: “We would like to thank all of the participants who took part – they generated the data which we can use to make science-based political decisions, and that will also benefit others around the world who would like to resume indoor concerts or events.”

Commenting on the findings, Germany’s Minister of Science, Professor Armin Willingmann, said: “The coronavirus pandemic is currently intensifying throughout Germany. This reality makes what we learn from Restart-19 all the more valuable. The events industry in particular must be equipped with the knowledge and strategies it needs to be able to responsibly organise concerts, festivals and trade fairs despite coronavirus.”

Scientists thanked singer Tim Bendsko who, together with his band, made a live-concert experience possible: “It was really enjoyable,” said Bendsko. “At first, I thought the masks would make for a very sterile atmosphere, but there was a surprisingly good vibe and I was amazed that the audience in Leipzig knew so many of the lyrics!”

Despite it being a carefully controlled study, the concert was a step towards normality which could he believed could help bring the event industry back from the brink: “I hope that the results will enable us to play concerts in front of real audiences again soon – the events industry is heading for a major disaster and we urgently need to find solutions.”

North In Brief

Industry Leaders Warn 75% of Event Businesses Could Fail Before February

Over 525,000 jobs are at risk in the UK’s £84 billion events and experiences industry and three out of four companies could fail to survive beyond next February, the government has been warned. As the UK national lockdown was announced, the Events Industry Board trade body laid bare research to ministers on the impact faced by around 774,000 sector professionals.

The findings included:

• 77% of events and exhibition businesses have paused trading completely at some point since lockdown.

• Businesses experienced an average 89.5% year-on-year fall in revenue in August.

• Four out of 10 firms have between 75% and 100% of staff on furlough.

• 80% of events and exhibition firms were ineligible for the grants to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses based on rateable value and only 27% were able to access The Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

• 44% of events and exhibitions companies do not believe they have the financial resilience to survive until the end of November, rising to 76% by the end of February 2021.

The enforced restrictions on the UK’s events industry contrasts with the approach in other developed nations where business events have been allowed to go ahead, resulting in the significant loss of business to international competitors. Since March, 845 major exhibitions have been cancelled, amounting to £8.6bn of lost economic impact. With no road map in place for events to resume, it is forecast the UK will lose £31 billion in visitor spend if business events do not resume before the middle of 2021.

EventWell Appoints Stuart Mitchell to Support UK Fundraising

EventWell, the mental health and wellbeing voice of the event industry, welcomes Stuart Mitchell to support its UK Fundraising, which will support event professionals who need vital help at this critical time.

Stuart Mitchell, Managing Director of Catch the MICE Limited, started his career in event hospitality catering at the Oval Cricket ground and later became National Operations Director for Compass Group UK. He then moved into luxury hotel sales, working with the corporate and agency M&E market before setting up as a consultant to support venues and hotels to grow their sales and manage their operation and

commercial margins. Over the past decade, Stuart has headed-up charity fundraising teams at festivals and outdoor events and supported business development within the exhibition sector.

“Colleagues who work in the events sector are a certain breed of people and have stamina, pride and tenacity in their blood,” said Stuart. “They thrive on adrenalin, but when that stops, the downs and lows can lead to dark times. Live events was the first sector to close and will probably be one of the last to reopen. I have seen our industry torn apart during this period; good people are struggling, both mentally and financially, I can’t just sit and watch.”

Tapestry Launches Virtual Studio and Events Platform

Tapestry has delivered live conferences, events and award shows for over four decades. Since then, its offering has expanded to include a digital presence, with a bespoke virtual events platform to complement its new in-house studio.

A team of experienced professionals is on hand to assist you with your event – Tapestry has expertise in creative design, production services and project management available to help you film and stream your online events in a professional and secure setting. The Stirlingshire-based studio situated in the heart of Scotland has been developed with colour-changing staging, a moving lighting package and a curved LED screen wall designed to show off company branding and imagery, ensuring hosts have a professional backdrop for important company announcements, awards shows and live performances.

Tapestry has designed its broadcast platform to be secure and visually engaging with fully customisable graphics and userfriendly interface. On logging in, audiences are presented with simple navigation to different areas of the event, for example an auditorium, expo hall, networking area and helpdesk.

In a further effort to replicate physical events, there are opportunities in each section of the platform for interaction between delegates and presenters, whether that be through moderated Q&A, polling and gamification, or through social channels, instant messaging or secure embedded video-conferencing.

To find out more visit Tapestryvirtual.events or email info@tapestry.events.

UK Holiday Resorts Benefit from Boom in Domestic Holidays

UK consumer spending continued its recovery across the summer months driven by growth in dining and travel expenditure, according to Cardlytics’ latest State of Spend report, which tracks consumer spending across 22 million UK bank accounts.

The rise of the domestic ‘staycation’, driven by travel restrictions and consumers less willing to go abroad, saw spend on holiday resorts like Centre Parcs, Butlins and Sykes Cottages jump by more than half (51%) at its peak in mid-July. Following year-on-year increases in July (+39%) and August (+4%), growth continued into September (+5% for the first week).

The dining industry saw significant increases in spend driven by the Eat Out to Help Out scheme resulting in dramatic growth, particularly in casual dining (+126% month-on-month) and pub dining (+111%). Sales began falling in September once the scheme ended, and with the 10pm curfew and tier restrictions in place, the embattled sector may face challenges ahead.

Duncan Smith, Commercial Director, Cardlytics, commented: “The popularity of staycations this summer has been a major help for many brands across sectors. While clearly external factors impacted this behaviour, travel and leisure companies will be hoping in the long run that they’ll be able to hold on to some of these new customers once travel restrictions across tiers are lifted.”

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Hi Liam, tell us about Ultimate, and your work in the events industry!

We look after a loyal customer base in the commercial sector by covering a broad spectrum of AV, electrical and security installation requirements, from fitting automation systems in boutique hotels to providing full boardroom meeting systems in conference centres. But what we do best is provide venues with complete solutions to help them stand out from the competition. Being able to add more value to the customer is something that’s going to be key for venues as the market becomes even more competitive once we emerge from the pandemic.

From our base in Grimsby, we go anywhere we’re needed across the UK, covering virtually everything in house with our team of full-time electricians and AV engineers. We have plenty of experience between us – I've got over 16 years in AV and another 15 in the electrical industry – so we know what works and what doesn’t.

As we’re qualified electricians as well as AV experts, it allows us to provide full turnkey packages – we can take care of all the installation and integration without any need to involve another contractor, which always makes the process a little bit smoother and more cost-effective for our clients.

So what sets you apart for our event planners?

We know what our customers like, but we’re always looking at new and innovative ways to take businesses forward. We've been able to find good manufacturers to work with and built good relationships with them over the years to help us stay at the cutting edge of technology, which means we can pass on the savings and knowledge to clients.

We don't sell products, we sell a service –we don’t encourage clients to buy a load of kit they will never use, we look at their

Electrifying Events

Liam McCann, Managing Director of Lincolnshire-based AV installer, Ultimate Electrical & Security Ltd, explores why venues should use this time wisely to futureproof their AV solutions in preparation for the new normal.

requirements and pick the right equipment for their needs based on their budget. Even if you had £1 million to spend, if you only needed £100,000 worth of tech, that is all we would quote you for.

From an electrician’s perspective, where a traditional AV provider might not see the full picture, we can look ahead to futureproof your systems. We say you can never invest too much in physical infrastructure – it’s far more economical to install additional cabling to begin with, rather than realising six months down the line you have to rip out the nice wooden panelling you’ve just installed to make your upgrades work. We always try and give our installations the backbone to be ready for whatever the future holds, making them far more cost-effective in the long-run.

What’s been happening lately?

We’ve recently tackled several boardroom renovations, helping hotels and events venues transform their underused spaces to cater for live event streaming and video conferencing. We offer AV and lighting solutions for professional production values, while increasing the resilience of internal networks to avoid embarrassing Wi-Fi dropouts. The quality of broadcast makes a big difference to your corporate image, it shows clients and staff you take your business seriously, plus it gives you a good opportunity to reinforce your corporate identity with branded backgrounds.

A setup that is proving extremely popular right now is Control4, creating a personalised

integrated smart system to automate and control connected devices including lighting, projectors, speakers and interactive smartboards from one easy-to-use interface. For example, in a conference suite you might have a 10-inch touchscreen built into the wall with one preset called ‘meeting’, which dims the lights and fires up the projector and speakers accordingly. It's really user-friendly –you literally push a button and you’re ready to present using multiple inputs for different devices catering for those in the room and the virtual audience you’re streaming to.

How has the AV landscape changed over the course of the pandemic?

I don’t think events venues are going to disappear, I just feel they’re going to be used in slightly different ways. We’ve been in conversation with many hotels which are taking this opportunity over lockdown to upgrade their facilities and set themselves up for the future. What we’ve seen most during the past months are venues sagging under the weight of Zoom users, creating a demand for increasing the resilience of internal Wi-Fi networks. We've recently helped a live concert venue undertake a major investment in sound and lighting ready for next year when they can provide live entertainment again. Away from the event side of things, many hotels are opting to make things a little bit more special for their guests, investing in technology to make their bedrooms smarter.

Not every venue will be in the position to invest heavily, but those making the right move to use this time wisely for upgrades will certainly set them apart when the market recovers.

Ultimateelectrics.co.uk

With many looking to 'holistay' closer to home this winter, H&E North discovers the best Yorkshire escapes to

help you limit the spread without limiting your horizons...

Hall in One

If you are looking for a place to yourself, plus ample room for your support bubble, then Grassfield Hall near Pateley Bridge in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales goes above and beyond. Set in three acres of picturesque grounds, it could be yours for a long weekend or midweek getaway.

There are eight beautifully individually styled double bedrooms and luxurious en suite bathrooms, providing a restful and luxurious pitstop for winding down after exploring the wonderful cycling and walking routes near Harrogate and Ripley and Grassington. There is even the option of using its on-site hot tub to really loosen those tired muscles (or to accompany a glass of prosecco or two!)

At around an eye-watering £800 a night, it is certainly not for a cheap, last-minute escape, but for a clean, spacious and memorable venue for creating family memories once more, Grassfield Hall is a grand choice.

Grassfield-hall.co.uk / Yorkshireescapes.co.uk

Escape to God's

Along for The Ride

Love cycling? Then why not stay in charming glamping pods set among landscaped gardens in gorgeous countryside just outside the historic city of York. Enjoy a great night's sleep at York Holiday & Cycle Stop, a comfortable and peaceful accommodation in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside.

The glamping site is less than two miles from National Cycle Network Route 66, and seven fantastic routes start right from its site, but it's not just for cycling enthusiasts! As the winner of Lateroom's 2017 award for Best Countryside Hotel in UK, York Holiday & Cycle Stop is a warm and cosy stay whatever the weather or your planned activities.

Its glamping pods contain either two single beds or a king-sized, with a heating system, full insulation, an electric kettle and free Wi-Fi. What makes it extra suitable for a cycling party is that each pod comes with a cycle storage container and a cycle wash area. It’s the ideal start or end point for a riding holiday and is the only place to stay in the region that caters expertly to the needs of cyclists.

Yorkcyclestop.co.uk

Photo: Jessica J Photography

Photo: Jessica J Photography

God's Own Country

All Aboard!

Resting in the heart of the thriving seaside town of Whitby in North Yorkshire lies the tastefully converted historic Grade II listed Engine Shed. This superb groundfloor apartment is a charming nod to the Harry Potter films – with the decor enjoying a striking red colour palette to commemorate the famous Hogwarts Express, which was depicted in the film series using the 5972 Olton Hall locomotive.

The Engine Shed has 11 apartments to choose from, but the Olton Hall suite, which accommodates up to five people, boasts contemporary styling with an open-plan living space combining a kitchen, living and dining area within the converted engine shed. Each apartment at The Engine Shed enjoys a unique interior design in order to reflect the famous train the apartment is named after.

For those arriving by car, there is undercover parking and even two electric car charging points – a rarity within this coastal location. Enjoying a central position within the seaside town of Whitby, this apartment is ideal for a family trip to the coast.

The superb location means that you are a whalebone’s throw away from a selection of independent pubs, restaurants and cafés, as well as winding alleyways lined with quirky shops and quaint attractions. Such attractions (depending safety precautions and revised opening times) include the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, the Dracula Experience and of course, Whitby Abbey.

Whitbyengineshed.net / Sykescottages.co.uk

Fever Pitch

Part boutique hotel, part country manor house, The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa is for those who are seeking to get away from it all this autumn. Located in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park in the market town of Helmsley, the hotel’s secluded location and AA Rosette award-winning dining, helps this hideaway ooze exclusivity for all who visit.

The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa provides a haven for people to retreat from the pressures of recent times and take some

time to indulge their bodies and relax their minds. Named as one of Tatler's 101 Spas of the World, the Verbena Spa relaxation lounge is defined by plump cushions, sofas you sink into, and views across the south facing terrace garden. Though its famed Heat Experiences such as the sauna are currently closed, with the bedrooms all given an extensive makeover during lockdown, and the jacuzzi and swimming pool now open for guests, there are still plenty of reasons to book a stay.

Fevershamarmshotel.com

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Work Happy

With a second lockdown in progress a nationwide poll has revealed some of the many concerns faced by people working in our industry. The study of 2,000 UK hospitality and events workers commissioned by Feel Good Contacts highlighted issues related to communication exacerbated by working in isolation from home.

Despite months of Zoom meetings, 21% of employees are still uncomfortable with being on a video call, seeing and hearing themselves on screen and being in a virtual room full of people staring at their face. Over a fifth don’t want to talk on the phone and would rather send an email, while 21% are anxious about working with difficult colleagues, and it’s not just internal relations that are a concern, 27% are nervous about dealing with antagonistic client and customers.

In a climate of uncertainty felt more keenly in our sector than most, industry professionals are suffering from increasing levels of anxiety, with 28% of respondents scared about losing their job as the UK plunges into economic recession for the first time in 11 years. With such worries, it’s understandable that one eighth of respondents are too nervous to ask for extra support with a heavy workload and just over one tenth are anxious to seek help with a difficult task. Just under one seventh said that in the current climate, they would

As we’re back to working at home through lockdown, a new study shows hospitality and events management professionals are feeling increasing levels of anxiety. H&E speaks to the experts to help you overcome your workplace worries for a happier and more productive you.

dread facing their boss in a performance review and over one sixth said that they would be too nervous to ask for a pay rise.

Acacia Johnson, Human Resources Advisor at Feel Good Contacts, commented: “With job losses on the increase, even the most productive workers do not feel immune. Understandably, feelings of self-doubt plague employees. With this attitude, some people are working extra hard to deliver over and above what is expected of them to keep their job safe. Others are keeping their heads under the parapet; they don’t want to be noticed, voice their opinions and get the blame if anything goes wrong.”

Business psychologist Jan de Jonge explains: “Neither approach is ideal. By playing it safe, you are stifling creativity and innovation and not producing your best work. You’re more likely to fail by resisting than engaging. Instead try to adopt a growth mindset and see challenges as a way to develop, rather than as a threat. If things go wrong, use it to create opportunities to learn and develop.”

Every generation in recent times has faced similar problems – in the 1990s, we all had to gradually adjust to the all-encompassing culture of the mobile phone, making us accessible from afar at the push of a button. Now it feels like the working population is suddenly compelled to be visible online,

representable, on-cue and on-message, but Jan believes this ‘always on’ approach won’t help you to perform any better in your job in the long-run: “If you’re checking your emails 24/7 to stay ahead of the game, you won’t be coming to work feeling fresh and raring to start the day, plus you will always be distracted.

“It’s worth remembering that if you always reply to emails immediately, the sender will think you have nothing better to do. So, ask yourself: will anyone care or even notice if you take some time to respond? This approach is better for your health. In fact, studies have found that people who were allowed to check their Inbox only three times a day had lower levels of stress compared to those who were allowed unlimited access to email.”

Workplace anxiety is nothing new, but the rapid shift to virtual working practices has placed an increased strain on workplace relationships and individual employee wellbeing, at a time where our industry is feeling more isolated and uncertain than ever. Sometimes it’s easy to forget technology is meant to make our working lives more productive, not less – so let’s take a step back and focus on what made us want to be part of this incredibly rewarding industry to begin with.

Here are a few more of Jan’s top tips from his Work Worries Toolkit…

Zoom, Zoom on

the wall,

who’s the most relaxed of them all?

Even though it can be awkward seeing your face on screen and hearing your voice, it’s not always possible or professional to switch off the camera. When presenting, instead of looking at yourself (and worrying about your appearance), try looking directly at the camera. Your team and clients will appreciate the eye contact. Remember you might not be the only one feeling anxious about being on a video call; the other participants might be feeling the same way as you.

The brain likes breaks

We’re well aware of how damaging screen time can be to your health and productivity. Recent evidence suggests that an ideal stint of uninterrupted work lasts for around 50 minutes after which you ought to give yourself a time-out away from that desk of just under 20 minutes. Get some fresh air and have your sandwiches on a park bench or patch of grass. If this is not possible, then find a location away from your computer screen and don’t look at your phone! Do this, and you will feel refuelled and rested, and you’ll be much more productive in the afternoon.

It’s good to talk

While it is impossible in this digital age to completely escape from the screen, there are small changes you can make which will make a difference to your wellbeing. Instead of firing off emails (which have the benefit of being quick and easy), try picking up the phone and talking to your colleagues or clients. Phone calls add a layer of information and meaning, and you can clarify things quickly and avoid the misunderstandings which are so common with texts and emails.

Money Talks

H&E North examines why a luxury offering could be key to helping venues bounce back from the brink.

As the pandemic continues to rock the industry, luxury venues have been among the hardest hit. However, in many respects, luxury venues are uniquely placed to weather the storm. Whether that’s through better equipped facilities, a reputation for higher standards, or enhanced capacity to adapt, they may just have what it takes to coax reticent visitors through their doors. As the old adage goes, the cream may well rise to the top.

Scott Brown, Director of Sales in the north for INNSiDE by Melia – Meliá Hotels International’s “superior” segment of its global portfolio – feels the luxury hotel sector is uniquely challenged given the segmentation of its customers: “Generally group bookings make up a significant portion of their occupancy and if no groups over 30 can travel this rules out the majority of MICE business. In terms of the transient travel, corporates are either unable to travel or strongly advised not to and while leisure travellers can book, with limited cultural, sporting or dining options available then this is also stripped back considerably. The remaining travellers are those that need to travel and when travel is stripped back to its absolute necessity, then a luxury option is often not preferred.”

Maria Pajares is Managing Director of Mason Rose, a PR agency with 25 years’ experience working with luxury hotel and travel brands across globe. As venues across England strap-in for a nationwide lockdown for the month of November, she speculates what this could mean for an already challenged sector: “The trials and tribulations of a travel and hospitality sector in lockdown are sadly more than familiar to us all – limited or zero business, changing regulations, cashflow, staffing and jobs, not to mention the impact on morale and mental health.”

However, she believes luxury venues have used their amplified resources to respond with more speed and creativity to the crisis compared to their budget competitors:

“Luxury hotels and venues already had high levels of cleanliness and have therefore been considered a ‘safe’ option for both leisure and corporate gatherings or escapes. While there was already an appreciation of this high level of hygiene among both corporate and leisure customers, many of these venues have uploaded detailed reinforced hygiene reports on their website which offers great comfort and security to users.”

Among the aspects unique to a luxury offering which have helped the industry pull through is the sheer space and abundance of private facilities. Where many hotels in the budget sector have been forced to close their communal spaces, such as indoor pools and spa areas, luxury hotels with private en-suite facilities have been able to maintain their luxury offering and uphold distancing where others simply can’t: “Hotels with separate accommodation have been able to offer the space and privacy that many have been looking for. Prior to the pandemic, we were witnessing an increase in desire for privacy and more and more hotels building standalone villas on their grounds – the current situation has only enhanced this further.”

Melia’s INNSiDE hotels are just one of the luxury brands which have adapted to the changing demands of the market. “We have certainly worked on our pivot!” says Scott. “We now offer ‘Workation’ packages for those who need a safe, isolated space to work. The current English lockdown notwithstanding, large outdoor heated spaces such as our new terrace at the INNSiDE Manchester lounge and grill certainly helps those who want to enjoy a cocktail or bite to eat, alone or as part of a business meeting do so safely and within regulations.”

Many venues are similarly welcoming a new type of customer, as with one of Maria’s overseas clients, Adriatic Luxury Hotels in Dubrovnik. This new target market is the international business person seeking to book an extended stay: “Croatia has become one of the first countries in the world to put in place a digital nomad visa for exactly this purpose. We have heard from various hotels in different parts of Europe that they have been welcoming corporate guests for extended stays, combining an escape with the potential to work, given the ease with which business can be conducted from a luxury hotel with high speed Wi-Fi and all the latest technology that may be required.”

As many of us seek something to look forward to in order to get us through these

Hotel & Lake House is just one of the luxury venues finding creative solutions to restrictions, developing private villas with exclusive use of spa facilities.

dark times, Scott considers luxury venues to be far better placed to capitalise on the resurgence of bookings once the end of the pandemic is in sight: “I think that ultimately the desire for a luxury experience, somewhere to escape, to relax, to dine, to enjoy will be even more needed following the challenges we have all faced. I really do see a pent-up demand for people to get back to enjoying fulfilled experiences and hotels in the luxury category certainly offer that.”

Maria sees many venues using this opportunity to rethink how their businesses can come out of this even stronger: “The whole community has looked to the future, focusing on issues such as reconfiguring spaces and experiences, rethinking brand messaging and tackling sustainability. While there is no doubt the next six months will continue to be extremely challenging for so many of us working in the industry, we believe that we have come together as a community like never before. We believe that the luxury travel market will bounce back, and perhaps as a more refined, considered version of its previous self.”

heated outdoor space for safer meetings and events.

Gilpin

Gilpin Hotel & Lake House.

INNSiDE Manchester’s new terrace at the Hideout Lounge and Grill offers

INNSiDE Manchester’s new terrace.

Just one of the COVID-secure meeting spaces created as part of resort’s multimillion-pound renovation programme.

The Bedfordshire conference, events and training centre has partnered with Maddison Media, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of staged events, to launch a virtual platform as part of its new hybrid events offering.

The platform has a vast range of interactive functions that seamlessly integrate those who are taking part virtually with those at the venue to ensure that speakers and delegates can make the most of the event content and networking opportunities.

Among the many features are polling, chat and Q&A, simultaneous captions

Best of Both Worlds

Bedfordshire’s triple COVID-secure accredited Wyboston Lakes Resort has launched a hybrid events solution designed to allow event organisers to combine the successful elements of a live conference with all the engagement strategies of a virtual format.

and translation, data and video capture, bespoke graphics, chat windows, private messaging and unlimited ‘virtual’ speakers and a sponsor area. Delegates can also register and pay for event passes through the platform.

On offer are three new hybrid event packages that will enable organisers to book face-to-face events – currently permitted by the government for up to 30 people in a meeting room – at the resort’s spacious, modern and COVID-compliant venues, while also engaging a larger audience online.

Wyboston Lakes Resort is recognised as a COVID-secure venue following recent accreditations from three prestigious organisations for health, hygiene and safety standards. Certifications include the AIM Secure Accreditation from the Meetings Industry Association, the Safe, Clean and Legal badge from Quality in Tourism and recognition from the AA COVID-19 Confident scheme.

“With current restrictions around large events, hybrid makes them possible, bringing

teams, clients and suppliers together,” said Louisa Watson, Director of Marketing.

“We wanted to create a hybrid events solution that not only replicates but enhances the event experience. We can run a variety of events in a seamless hybrid format offering a bespoke service that always delivers results.

“Hybrid events are perfect for today because they are safe, infinitely flexible, enhance green credentials by reducing travel, reduce risk and help to keep costs under control – just what organisations need now as they maintain communication and engagement through events ”

To find out more about the resort’s three new hybrid event packages, visit Wybostonlakes.co.uk

Hybrid Events

Mixed. Merged. Mingled.

With the current restrictions surrounding large events, Hybrid makes them all possible bringing teams, clients and suppliers closer together once more.

Still running great, safe events...

If you’re anything like us, it’s likely that your itching to get planning your next meeting or event. Now you can start planning, and no matter how large or small, with Hybrid it’s all possible.

Simply put, hybrid is a new way to do old tricks. Blending two worlds into one...

The blended approach to meetings features both ‘’live’’ in-person participants, and ‘’virtual’’ online participants, offering them both great engagement and experience through a seamless platform.

We work with Maddison Media who are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of staged events and who have established a well-earned reputation for reliability, delegate experience and high standard of work. So you can be sure that your Hybrid event will be both safe, and successful.

Get in touch... 0333 7007 667 sales@wybostonlakes.co.uk www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

Louisa Watson, Director of Marketing, Wyboston Lakes Resort.

Confidence is Key

H&E North speaks to Michael Begley, Managing Director of venuedirectory.com, currently operating a Safe Meeting database of over 20,000 UK venues, to discuss how corporate confidence is crucial to keeping the industry alive through the long winter ahead.

Hi Michael, at a challenging time for our beloved industry, how does the current landscape look?

We have seen volumes steadily increasing since the opening of hotels on 4th July. Regrettably, there is no consistency, with massive rises one week and dips the next. We have applied some averaging to this and fortunately the trend is in an upwards direction.

We’re still seeing small meetings dominate the 186,000 confirmed bookings, but looking ahead, we’re seeing much interest in larger events for late 2021. In the short term, I can see small meetings with short lead times being the focus of the winter months and with luck, the large meetings will restart from March 2021 onwards once the weather improves and infection rates have hopefully stabilised.

Can more be done to support from within, and from government?

Thousands of jobs and lives rely on our industry and we need to do whatever it takes to get it back on its feet. The industry is already taking bold and positive action towards supporting its community and lobbying policy makers.

The government seems to have little awareness of the sheer impact of live events and how they support other business sectors. We need to keep communicating to policy makers the importance of business events and how they differ to other live social events. Many businesses much like my own, which is an integral part of the meetings and elements industry, will sit below the radar of 99% of people, including government.

Corporate events are highly organised; when it comes to the millions of attendees, events organisers can track and trace all of them – we have all been doing it for years. What’s more, business transactions – that’s acquiring new leads, completing deals and signing contracts – take place at business events. That has all stopped now that events are not being held. Therefore, the government needs to understand that it’s not just about our industry, it’s about all other business sectors that rely on us to get business done.

What’s the future?

Although the short-term outlook is poor, I think the industry will recover in the long term. We are all Zoom fatigued and waning

from webinars. There is real pent-up demand for face-to-face interaction and one of the reasons behind this, is that it’s proving more or less impossible to create meaningful connections online.

Indeed, it’s fundamental to our human nature to meet in person with others – a clear indicator of this is the weddings market. So many weddings have been postponed in 2020 to 2021 – speaking to my industry colleagues, many had busy 2021 diaries and now they are full and bookings are going into 2022 and even 2023. My overall concern for our industry is the loss of talent – hopefully the new extension to the furlough scheme will help with this.

The Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30 campaign, what do you hope it can achieve?

In the same way that Eat Out to Help Out was designed to persuade customers to return to restaurants and pubs that served food, I felt that the meetings and events industry needed something to encourage corporate meeting planners to book face-to face meetings and conferences.

We work closely with HBAA and after discussions with the association and many other venues and agencies, a new campaign, Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30 was launched.

Don’t get me wrong, Eat Out to Help Out was a fantastic boost for all my friends in the restaurant trade and helped them enormously, but it was about discounting prices to encourage people into hospitality settings. As meeting planners know, rate negotiation is already part and parcel of booking events. The HBAA ran a survey showing that it is safety, security and flexibility on cancellation charges which are going to restore planner confidence and the Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30 initiative encapsulates this.

Has the initiative gained traction?

The campaign has been widely publicised in the trade media and the next steps will be announced imminently. Its aim is to give corporate event planners the confidence to book live meetings –an issue that was identified following the initial survey.

What many people don’t realise is that hosting and attending a meeting or event is allowed, what’s missing is the consumer confidence to do so. We need to shout from the rooftops as venues, agencies, production companies and booking platforms that events for up to 30 people can take place COVID-securely in permitted venues across England.

There is a great kitemark that has been developed for the industry to use on their own marketing channels. I’d love to see the industry lit up with this so that the key meeting planners see it and recognise that it is safe to meet. Repetition builds recognition after all, and that’s what we need to do here, flood the space with a message of confidence.

Built to Last?

As Zoom fatigue sweeps the nation, H&E North asks the experts if virtual team building activities can truly deliver the same impact as live outdoor events.

Ben Hull, Managing Director of corporate event management specialist Bright Vision Events

Typically, we would host over 200 physical team building events per year, both indoor and out for clients of all sizes right across the UK and beyond. However, when the pandemic took hold, these events rapidly ground to a halt. Rather than sit around and wait for things to return to normal we began to adapt and change, along with the rest of the world to prepare for the new normal.

The virtual revolution has been slowly building in the events industry for some time. Many of our events already featured a streaming element to allow those who couldn’t attend to take part remotely, but social distancing has simply expedited this need.

Staff can feel disconnected from their colleagues and may struggle with feelings of isolation. Many employers are now turning to us to help keep their staff engaged and increase their wellbeing by providing exciting virtual team building events. This gives their team the contact they may be missing and helps to recreate the office buzz, while restrictions to group gatherings are in place.

Since homes have become the new workplace, we have found there is a need, now more than ever, for employees to develop the skills found within team building activities such as communication, collaboration and camaraderie, and we have strived to make sure all our events deliver this.

Which is why, in the spirit of team building challenges, we set ourselves a big one. How do we move our most popular activities from muddy fields and conference centres directly into homes and offices? After months of development we are delighted to say that our most popular team building activities are now available in virtual formats. Participants can join in from the comfort of their own home, all that’s needed is an internet connection and a laptop, tablet, or smart phone, and we will do the rest. This means all the fun of our traditional team building activities, but now virtual!

Andy

Wells, Managing Director

of team building company Zing Events

Every day I speak to team leaders, heads of departments and event organisers and it is clear that they do not want to put their staff at risk – the overriding sentiment is very much ‘stay home and stay safe’. Businesses are realising they can operate as 'normal' during the pandemic, but what does seem to be a major factor is the wellbeing of their staff and that's why they are using team building to help raise morale.

We have over 20 different virtual activities on offer at the moment and are adding new ones all the time. Two of our most popular formats are the virtual escape room – which sees teams trying to break out of an augmented reality room on our app while using video conferencing to confer. The other has been virtual mixology sessions, where we send out all the ingredients and our mixologist teaches online participants the trick to shaking up a quality cocktail.

‘Zoom fatigue’ is an unavoidable part of any team building activity while we can't meet in person, but let’s face it, you’re not just listening to a business update; you are interacting with your colleagues and having fun. It’s important to pick an activity where you are physically creating something, so you’re not just looking at a screen.

Team building can be as engaging and as beneficial for staff as in-person events, but regardless of what form it takes, I think it is needed now more than ever. We are in a time where there aren't a lot of occasions happening, so bringing everyone together in a non-business way is extremely important, many of clients quote that it has really given their teams new spirit. After all, an unengaged workforce is going to be detrimental to any business.

Grant Seaman, Managing Director of destination management company Into the Lake District

I believe Zoom serves its purpose, but also reinforces everyone’s desire to get back to live interactive events. Initially back in the first lockdown, we were inundated with enquiries for online activities to improve staff morale and help with the mental health challenges employees faced working from home, often for the first time – it was a great way to keep in touch as the water cooler moments evaporated. But the fatigue soon set in and attendance at our Zoom yoga, cookery classes and quizzes soon dropped off.

Virtual formats can be engaging but like most events, it’s all about the hosts and moderators. In our opinion, live team building is the most effective way of easing feelings of isolation, fostering a sense of belonging to the organisation and re-establishing relationships. Levels of engagement are undoubtedly higher; you can’t just switch off the camera and microphone!

Online events can’t hope to match the thrill of white-water rafting, high ropes and ghyll scrambling and nothing beats the health and wellbeing benefits of being in the great outdoors. Extend these events with a night of wild camping and you have a fully immersive experience. Live events also offer the opportunity for CSR team building activities, like repairing dry stone walls, which simply can’t be done virtually. As you can imagine, here in the Lake District, there is plenty of space so social distancing for groups of 30 really isn’t an issue.

At a time when budgets are tight, it’s easy to forget that staff are your most important asset. A great business is one that continues to invest in its team. Effective team building means more engaged employees and reduced staff turnover and it doesn’t have to be a budget buster. As Richard Branson said: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

One of a Kind

The countdown to March 2021 begins as Adventure Parc Snowdonia, North Wales’ leading activities and hospitality resort, welcomes the stunning new Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia.

With unparalleled views across Adventure Parc Snowdonia’s magnificent inland surf lagoon, to the mountains-and-forests beyond, the new 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia offers event planners something a little bit special.

You can expect the warmest of welcomes with guest facilities including a destination dining restaurant and bar serving locally sourced food and drink from some of the region’s best producers. There will be quality catering options for corporate entertainment from relaxed buffets to formal dinners.

The Hilton Garden Inn includes a guestexclusive fitness centre, as well as corporate conference and meeting facilities for up to 300 delegates with a range of great value packages available. The hotel is also part of the Hilton Honors hotel rewards scheme, so if you’re a member, you can use your points to book and earn points during your stay.

Away days can help teams achieve a better work-life balance by giving them the tools they need to manage their stress and maintain positive mental health during these challenging times. Surrounded by fresh air and wide open spaces, your team will have access to Adventure Parc Snowdonia’s award-winning adventures, including guaranteed waves on a world-first inland surf lagoon, indoor activities at Adrenaline Indoors, a pump track, mountain bike hire and other exciting outdoor activities for a team building experience with a difference.

The new hotel launches in tandem with a brand-new Wave Garden Spa, offering warm indoor and outdoor vitality pools, a hammam and Himalayan salt sauna. Guests will be able to enjoy the sound of the waves in the lagoon as they unwind in the yoga studio and outdoor relaxation pods looking out to the mountains and forests beyond.

The Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia is set to be a one-of-a-kind destination hotel, offering the perfect base for corporate away days or conferences in the impressive surroundings of North Wales’ premier activities resort.

Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia at a glance…

• Opening date: 26th March 2021

• Location: Conwy, North Wales

• Bedrooms: 106

• Conference and meeting capacity: Up to 300 delegates

• Restaurant: 70 covers

A BRAND NEW EVENTS

EXPERIENCE FOR 2021

You know what? Some things did get better during the pandemic. And this is one of them: the UK’s most exciting new away-day and conference venue, launching in early 2021. Our brand new facilities include:

• Conference facilities for 300+

• Destination dining restaurant

• 106 plush bedrooms

• Wave Garden Spa

• Yoga studio

• Wellbeing packages

• Team building adventures

• Surf in the mountains

• A stunning natural setting

Book your next event at Adventure Parc Snowdonia’s stunning new Hilton Garden Inn to experience exceptional hospitality, events and adventures, delivered by an award winning team.

Grand opening 26th March 2021.

Find out more at adventureparcsnowdonia.com info@adventureparcsnowdonia.com

Returning with Purpose

Adrian Evans, Assistant Director of Conference and Exhibition Sales at ACC Liverpool explores the effect of the pandemic on multipurpose and exhibition venues.

COVID-19 has had a catastrophic effect on the exhibitions industry, and over the last seven months, like almost every other exhibition venue in the country, we have needed to take unprecedented steps including closing the campus for exhibitions during what would have been our busiest period. Our campus consists of ACC Liverpool, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and M&S Bank Arena and although we have not been able to hold any events during this time, the arena and convention centre have been operating as a logistical distribution hub for PPE equipment.

We are in Tier 3 of COVID restrictions at the moment, but the picture for large and small venues is more or less the same across the country. While exhibitions have been impossible since the lockdown in March, we have joined with business leaders from across the whole region to lobby the government for more support, information, and of course funding.

As part of a multi-agency group that includes Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Convention Bureau, Marketing Liverpool, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and The Royal Albert Dock, we try to find ways to get the city back up and running safely across all sectors and look to maximise the city region’s recovery.

We are active and proud members of the Association of Event Venues (AEV), which, together with the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) and the Event Supplier and Services Associations (ESSA), has been lobbying the government at the highest level for much more sector-specific support. We supported Project Confidence, organised by the associations, and worked closely with our fellow UK venues and event professionals to establish principles and practices for COVID-secure exhibitions and trade shows via the now published All Secure Standard guidelines.

Frustratingly, despite a successful COVIDsecure pilot event organised by the associations, in September the government decided that the scheduled go date of 1st October was impossible due to the progress of the pandemic, and maintained the closure of COVID-safe facilities without any definitive schedule for reopening which has added to the industry’s frustration.

In the meantime, multipurpose venues such as ourselves are standing by, ready to open for exhibitions the instant it becomes possible, and we've been extremely busy finding new homes in the 2021 calendar for the conferences, entertainment and sporting events that have had to be postponed.

Like many exhibition venues, we wanted a way to show our clients just how much work has been going on in the background to make sure we are ready for their return, so we launched our campaign to Rediscover Events at ACC Liverpool, which includes an A-Z of COVID-19 secure operational plans; key steps that we have already started to put into practice while we have been operating as a distribution hub.

Measures include providing a safe delegate journey, while working with organisers to tailor solutions to each individual event, providing virtual and hybrid content solutions, adapted food and drink experiences, one-way delegate movement systems and virtual venue tours during the planning process.

It's difficult to predict the future of this pandemic but, when multipurpose venues are finally allowed to open the doors again, confidence is going to be a vital part of revitalising the exhibition industry. So we are doing everything in our power to build and instil that confidence in event organisers, suppliers and audiences, and to bring them back to the city for 2021.

Adrian Evans, ACC Liverpool Assistant Director of Conference and Exhibition Sales.

Photo: Ant Clausen. ACC Liverpool.

Playing to the Whistle

H&E North discovers how one stadium north of the border has played to its strengths as it explores inventive new avenues of revenue in a courageous bid to keep its hospitality team afloat.

Dougie Hanley is the Stadium Manager at Falkirk Stadium, home to Scottish League One side Falkirk FC. All areas of the 8,000-capacity arena, excluding the auditorium and pitch which are overseen by the football club, fall under his remit. This involves managing 10 commercial tenants including Visit Falkirk and Business Gateway Falkirk, operating an on-site café and hosting a range of meetings and private parties in the stadium’s corporate boxes.

Up until the March lockdown, Dougie and his small team enjoyed a number of repeat

bookings, with regular corporate meeting clients returning weekon-week. When the stadium was forced to cease operations, the building was closed to external businesses other than tenants and the football squad as they resumed training in July.

“Since we've returned, inquiries for event space have dried up, as we expected them to. We've had to reduce the capacities of all our rooms. Our largest corporate box, which could host 70, now has a capacity of 22 and our smaller boxes are down from around 10 to just two if we’re to comply

with social distancing. It's had a significant impact on our business and the scale of events we're able to deliver.”

Match day hospitality was another key source of revenue, the football club procuring the service of the café to fulfil the catering for fans and corporate guests.

On a busy matchday the kitchen could be serving three-course meals to over 200 covers across the corporate boxes. That number is now zero, as Scottish sporting grounds remain empty of fans for the foreseeable future.

Stadium Manager, Dougie Hanley.

A client working on a pitch facing hot desk.

Photo: Michael Gillen

The difficult decision to furlough his entire catering, marketing and sales staff was made – only Dougie and a lean operations team remained: “There was just no way we were going to make any sales at that point. A few weeks ago, we were able welcome back the majority of our staff on flexible furlough. The first job for our Sales Director was to phone around our clientele and get the lie of the land. In terms of corporate meetings, we had the odd enquiry, but most of our regular clients are either working from home or conducting meetings remotely, so they don't have the same reasons to use our facilities.”

Situated 30 minutes between Glasgow and Edinburgh off the main M8 motorway link, the stadium’s accessibility has helped it realise other avenues of income. The British Red Cross regularly conducted first aid courses from the stadium and were one of the first to return once restrictions eased: “Our location put us in a strong position to pick up a couple of new training course providers who obviously can't work remotely due to the practical nature of their courses.”

The novelty of working in your pyjamas has long since worn off, another aspect of lockdown Dougie has tried to make the best of by offering the WFH crowd a welcome change of scenery: “We’ve seen a fair bit of interest in our hot desking promotion – we offer two-hour slots in our corporate boxes for the price of a hot drink. We have fast Wi-Fi, a waiting service and strict sanitising measures to put people at ease. Many users bolt on an extra hour or two, some will buy a lunch. It’s not a great deal of money but £10 here and there adds up. Our café is open for our tenants anyway, so it's no hardship to open up a box. We need to entice people to come in and let them know we’re open for business and if there’s a demand, we can open up our larger meeting spaces.”

Aside from the rent received as landlords, the main area Dougie is trying to drive revenue is through the catering outlet: “We have a fantastic team here and the chef is always looking at trying new things. We’ve always done afternoon teas, but we recently relaunched the offering, tweaking the price to get people in. He’s currently working on a Christmas afternoon tea with a fantastic idea to offer a roast turkey and trimming skewer with cranberry dip.”

The festive skewers may be an interesting quirk to coax visitors through the doors, but can Dougie and his team’s ingenuity stem the tide of punishing restrictions? “Our area has been in strict lockdown with severe curtailments to the hospitality sector for the past two months. The overriding message is to work from home and that’s what people are doing. That’s 150 members of staff

A temporary outdoor cinema screen set up in the Falkirk Stadium car park.

from our tenants who aren't coming into the café, so we’ve had to tweak our hours accordingly. Plus, Scottish government is currently restricting hospitality from opening after 6pm, so our catering offering is limited in that respect.”

For Dougie, the furlough scheme has proved a tremendous relief, however young zero hours staff helping out with match days and private parties have taken the hardest hit as the scheme wound down across Scotland at the end of October: “We always knew that back in May the real tsunami was coming once the government support dried up. Hospitality is one of those areas which has virtually been shut down. The job market is not a good place for that 18 to 24 age bracket who we predominantly see working in the sector and the government needs to extend a lifeline to these young people.”

When asked if he believes there is a viable future for the stadium while restrictions remain, the only lifeline he believes will see them through, is the potential to bring in more tenants to their lettable space. However in the short term, the waters look choppy as he tries his best to keep heads above water: “My staff ask me week-onweek if I think they will be safe, and I have to do my best to reassure them we just need to pull through this six month period. At this stage, we're not working to make any great profit, we are simply trying to break even and keep people in sustainable jobs which are going to be viable once we’re over the worst of the pandemic.”

“The great thing about my team is they've all been willing to be upskilled or reskilled in different areas to dig in and help out where they can. We've had the café operating on

finer margins and staff from all departments have been washing dishes where they need to – no job is beneath anyone. It’s given staff a different perspective on things – at the end of the day, they just want to know that there will be long term viability for the company.”

Yet there have been silver linings, as constraints drive creativity. Live outdoor events are banned currently, but the drivein format circumnavigates this restriction. Consequently, the stadium’s large car parking area has received a great deal of interest from pioneering outdoor ventures: “We welcomed a drive-in cinema over the summer, they were back with us for the Halloween weekend and we now have dates booked in for Christmas showings, so that’s been really positive. The Cineworld in our area closed down, so the hosts have seen the numbers attending the drive-in quite strong – as many as 200 cars per showing. We’ve also had enquiries from businesses looking to host corporate events, such as a construction firm which organised a health and safety day where staff watched from their cars – though I’m sure it wasn’t quite as much fun as going to the cinema!”

Dougie hopes some of the live event formats which have landed on his doorstep by way of the pandemic, will stand the test of time and pave the way for long-term bookings: “It's just trying to find new and inventive ways of kind of reselling what we've got and trying to get new business in. We just need to stay positive, we're not going to be in this pandemic forever, but navigating our way through the next six months is going to be as much, if not more of a challenge than the last.”

The victors of the CHS Awards 2020 were revealed as October’s virtual ceremony went off with a bang.

The winners of the CHS Awards 2020 were announced at a virtual ceremony hosted live on Zoom with more than 30 shortlisted entries across 10 award categories.

Now celebrating its sixth year, the CHS Awards provide UK hotels and venues with an opportunity to showcase their facilities and receive recognition for their service. The awards were co-hosted by Neil Thompson, Founder of Delegate Wranglers and Emma Cartmell, Founder of CHS Group, with headline sponsors including Delegate

Wranglers and Preferred Hotels and Resorts. Over 150 hospitality professionals joined the online awards presentation featuring live music from Mr & Mrs Grey and a cocktail making experience from Zest Mixology.

Emma Cartmell was delighted with the evening’s success: “This year has been tough on us all. So, to get together, for a wonderful joyous occasion to recognise the talent we have in our industry was amazing. The standard of entry was exceptional, and I am so pleased and delighted by the response

we have received. We owe a massive thank you to our judges who had a particularly tough job selecting winners from such an impressive field.

“It was fantastic to see so many faces within the industry dressed in black tie to celebrate the achievements and successes of others and the feedback received from attending has been overwhelmingly positive, although we remain committed to live events!”

The CHS Awards 2020 Winners

Best Mid-sized Meeting Space (capacity between 51 to 499 delegates)

Wyboston Lakes Resort

Best Sustainable/ CSR Practice

NTU Events and Conferencing

Best UK Representation Company Venues of Excellence

Best Academic or Research Institution Meeting Venue

Keele University Events and Conferencing

Best Exhibition Facility

Newbury Racecourse

Best Independent Hotel Park Regis Birmingham

Best Independent Venue British Motor Museum

Best Large Meeting Space (capacity between 500 delegates and over)

Vox Conference Venue

Best Unusual Event Space Science and Industry Museum

Rising Star Ryan Doyle, Park Regis Birmingham

North hears from a selection of the night’s winners…

Wyboston Lakes Resort

The Bedfordshire-based conference, training and leisure resort has reinforced its status as an industry-leading venue by winning the award for Best Mid-sized Meeting Space. Louisa Watson, Director of Marketing, said: “This award means so much to our team and this year more than ever. We are so delighted and enormously proud to be part of this great sector we call hospitality and events.”

Venues of Excellence

Not only winning the Best UK Representation Company, among its 47 strong consortium of venues, seven were nominated, leading to a hat trick of wins for members NTU Events and Conferencing; Keele University Events and Conferencing; and Wyboston Lakes Resort. Mandy Jennings, Executive Director, commented: “Over the last months the hospitality industry has gone through unprecedented times and this has given us the opportunity to show that by remaining positive and focused you can still achieve great things.”

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