HEN Oct 2021

Artist's Earth set to Dazzle at Birmingham Venue, Millennium Point

Sustainability

Event Suppliers

Contents

Midlands in Focus

Explore some of the many venues and suppliers the Midlands has to offer for conferencing and events. Starts page 20.

Unique Venues

Find out what makes a venue truly unique. Starts page 34.

Competition

one-day hire of a mobile big screen courtesy of LEDhouse.

A Warm Welcome OCT / NOV 2021

The vibe from recent industry events has given us all a well needed boost, while many tread carefully, and understandably so, there are definite signs of recovery, with support and backing slowly coming through such as the government backed insurance scheme. But transport and staffing remain big challenges, and in our latest edition we speak key industry personnel about the current landscape. We delve into the Midlands as CHS Birmingham finally comes to town, with a quota of venues and suppliers ready to do business including Millennium Point, our front cover venue, and, at a time where venues need to stand out, we look at an eclectic range of unique spaces.

Health and Wellbeing

North visits the cusp of northern Scotland for some remote team building and venue ideas.

Senior

Publisher

Sustainability is always on our agenda, we look at the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, and we catch up with Diversity Ally Co-founder Gabby Austen about how the organisation is tackling the lack of diversity in the industry. Plus, we discover how vaccine passports could shake up the larger events scene in Scotland and Wales.

Lots of great regular features, news and interviews, and a chance to win LED screens for your event!

Tell us what you think on our socials, guest bloggers always welcome too.

Elliot Landy.

North in Brief

VisitBritain Awards £200,000 to Help Kickstart the UK Events Industry

Applications for VisitBritain’s Domestic Support Fund, an initiative that was designed to help kickstart the recovery of the UK events industry, saw £200,000 awarded to 29 UK events, including College of Mental Health Pharmacy Annual Conference, Association of CardioThoracic Anaesthetists and Critical Care Annual Scientific Meeting and British Stainless Steel Association Conference.

Kerrin MacPhie, Head of Business Events, VisitBritain, said: “We are very pleased that this targeted fund has been able to support so many events at such an integral time in the sector’s recovery. We are committed to growing events in the UK and the fund has provided timely and valuable support as the sector gets back to doing what it does best, delivering world class events.”

While the Domestic Support Fund has now closed VisitBritain’s Business Events Growth Programme remains open to continue to support the development of the UK’s events sector.

Meetings Industry Association Releases Updated Contract Guidance

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has updated its contract and cancellation guidance to help mitigate the impact of ongoing COVID-19 concerns on future bookings and ensure venues are protected.

The new guidance has been laid out in tandem with legal experts Mishcon de Reya. The latest version of the guide details all the actions venue operators should take to ensure they are totally transparent, and their cancellation policy is both fair and reasonable.

Jane Longhurst, outgoing Chief Executive of the mia, said: “Things have obviously moved on since we published our initial guidelines for contracts in May 2020 and then revised them in January 2021, so we were keen to ensure that the sector remains armed with the latest best practice guidance.

“Our advice remains that we strongly recommend a specific COVID-19 clause is used in all contracts. Having worked with the legal team at Mishcon de Reya, the sector can rest assured that the one provided within our document is safe to use.”

Events Industry Council Asks Industry to Help Tackle Discrimination

The Events Industry Council (EIC) is asking event professionals to take part in the first phase of its newly-launched Equity Acceleration Plan as it looks to tackle discrimination in the events industry.

This first phase will focus on establishing a benchmark by which to measure progress for the industry through a survey to determine the current state of diversity and inclusion within the industry. The results of this benchmark will inform the subsequent phases on the plan, a long-term project that will regularly measure the impact of interventions and make recommendations for further work.

The survey will give respondents the opportunity to share some of their personal experiences and opinions on what is needed to improve the sector.

Amy Calvert, CEO of EIC said: “With over 10.3 million direct jobs and over 1.5 billion participants in our sector, and as an industry that at its heart fosters human connection and collaborations, we have

the opportunity and responsibility to be a catalyst for meaningful and measurable change. The Equity Acceleration Plan will enable us to support event professionals to create more diverse and inclusive environments, develop career pathways, and ensure representation in leadership and supply chains by providing the learning and resources intended to reach and support our community.”

AEV Announces New Board Members

The Association of Event Venues (AEV) held its AGM on 23rd September and has recently announced a number of appointments to the AEV Board.

Paul Michael, Commercial Director of Coventry Building Society Arena, and Carlo Zoccali, Venue Director of Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre were both appointed to the board for the first time, as was Nick Waight, Managing Director of P&J Live.

Rachel Parker, AEV Director, welcomed the new board members, saying, “Paul, Carlo and Nick embody significant venue wisdom and experience, and I’m confident they will conduct their duties as board members with their customary brilliance and expertise.”

3D Virtual Events Platform Vii Events Teams Up with Catch the MICE

Award winning 3D virtual events platform Vii Events has announced that it has partnered with Stuart Mitchell, Managing Director of Manchester-based representation consultancy Catch the MICE, to head up its business development and client support in the UK and Ireland.

Stas Zaslavsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Vii Events said: “Catch the MICE will be our exclusive partner for the UK and Ireland, becoming our local representatives and providing vital support to our customers in this important region for our business. We recognise that entering the virtual events market is daunting and it’s the service and understanding of the event industry that is going to differentiate. Not only will they be assisting us with business development, but they also support event planners through the event delivery process also providing a range of innovative virtual, hybrid and live meeting and conference solutions for event planners.”

Stuart Mitchell, Managing Director of Catch the MICE commented: “From my first encounter with Stas and the Vii Events team I was struck by the quality of their 3D events platform, which is arguably the best in the class. Catch the MICE is excited to assist event organisers, as we embrace virtual events and navigate our way back to live events. I am thrilled to be part of the solution and to support the Vii Events team with their vision.”

Hero to Zero

Through the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, the industry aims to link events communities worldwide to tackle what is one of the biggest collective challenges we face today.

Sustainable development has long been a focus for the events industry. Connected to programmes like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Guidelines, sector specific initiatives have addressed everything from waste management and energy conservation to local sourcing and hiring practices. The principles of sustainability are now firmly embedded within industry practices and client expectations.

Now that focus is intensifying even further with the realisation that we need to accelerate our actions in response to the threat of climate change, not only to secure our own future but to support the many other sectors we rely on for our existence. Engaging now means being a part of a global collaboration for action –and failing to act risks being left behind.

The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) has recently launched a new initiative, Net Zero Carbon Events, to connect the events industry globally to the rapidly growing movement towards net zero by 2050. This November, world leaders will meet in Glasgow at COP26 to present how

their countries will achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 in order to deliver on the Paris Agreement. In advance of this meeting, for profit and non-profit organisations from across all sectors are setting forth their own pathways towards this goal, and the ultimate goal of net zero by 2050.

The Net Zero Carbon Events initiative aims to bring together a wide range of industry stakeholders to jointly communicate a commitment to tackling climate change and develop common methodologies for measuring the industry’s direct, indirect and supply chain greenhouse gas emissions. It seeks to construct an industry-wide roadmap towards net zero by 2050, and emissions reductions by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement, with support and guidance on key issues. On a collaborative level, it seeks to build relationships between suppliers and customers to ensure alignment and common approaches to establish common mechanisms for reporting progress and sharing best practice.

Born from a discussion with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change secretariat, the project arises from the work of an organising task force initiated by JMIC members including The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, the International Association of Convention Centres (IACC) and the International Congress and Convention Association. Industry leaders who have already pledged their support hail from the US to Europe and even China, including UK representatives ExCel, Reed Exhibitions and Scottish Event Campus.

The group is inviting all interested parties to join the journey towards a collaborative commitment we can all act on: “The events industry has a special role to play in tackling climate change,” said JMIC President James Rees. “We provide the meeting places and marketplaces to work on solutions to the climate crisis. At the same time, we have a responsibility to minimise our impact. We are inviting organizations from across the events industry – venues, organizers, exhibitors and suppliers – to join this collaborative effort to drive the events sector towards net zero.”

Netzerocarbonevents.org

IndustryOpinion

Conventions have always been about getting the right speakers, to share new thinking and discussion, great education and networking; and we have it all in abundance. This year, we're also investing in production, so guests get more than just a Zoom, and can enjoy a really interactive and engaging experience that they are a very real part of, despite not being in the room.

Theresa Villiers, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events will headline the NOEA annual convention this year, taking place digitally on 24th November. The MP and advocate for the events industry will be joined later in the day by Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health, Liverpool, who was

heavily involved in the test events earlier this year.

Both Theresa and Matt will be holding question and answer sessions with delegates attending the event as NOEA looks to continue its theme of #BuildBackBetter, and address how a more stable events industry can be created post-pandemic. As part of this, there will be a specific session on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, continuing the association's action in this area.

From 1st to 9th December, we at the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) will deliver more than 25 sessions of content to association, conference, meeting and event professionals, at our hybrid Festival of Learning.

The event will also be hosting specific sessions that look at the here and now of the events industry, including a discussion around the changing roles of local

The Great Outdoors Watch and Learn

Tom Clements, President of the National Outdoor Events Association, reveals details of the organisation’s annual conference, set to go online this November.

The first six days will be delivered virtually, while on the final day, we’ll be offering a fully hybrid experience – online and in-person at ExCeL – culminating in the annual ABPCO Excellence Awards.

Our content will focus on four key themes identified as the most important to association managers, professional conference and event organisers and their supply chain partners: future and innovation, marketing, CSR and career development.

The festival would not be possible without the input and ideas of our many industry leading speakers and content providers. Their sessions provide the foundation on which we are building the festival and without them this event would not be possible. We would also like to thank our event partners EventsAir, ExCeL and Outsourced Events for their time, resources and creative support in bringing this learning experience together for association professionals, conference organisers and their industry partners.

ABPCO has consistently evolved and provided extensive support for our members throughout the last year – reflecting the fact that we always have been and continue to be a close-knit community. As chairs of the association, we wanted to deliver something new that would provide an in-depth learning

Noea.org.uk

authorities, and what the industry can learn from heritage events. The event itself will be streamed, on a high production platform which NOEA is hoping to take beyond ‘just a Zoom call’, and reward delegates with real value from the content.

Abpco.org

Our speakers represent how far up the food chain NOEA has been operating this year and it’s critical that we get these ‘friends of events’ in front of our members to talk about their thoughts on how we, as an industry, can build back better.

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers Co-Chairs Michael Smith and Barbara Calderwood announce the organisation’s upcoming seven-day festival of learning.

experience to not just our members but the wider industry – in fact for anyone working in the association and conference sector. The event will be the culmination of extensive research, hard work and planning – and we look forward to delivering this inspiring and insightful content.

Discover

Cranmore Park, a venue with a difference.

Cranmore Park is a purpose-built conference and exhibition centre centrally located in Solihull in the West Midlands, with convenient local road, rail and air links and free onsite parking.

A spacious and professional venue, Cranmore Park offers a range of flexible spaces for training courses, interviews, meetings, conferences, seminars and exhibitions. The meeting and conference rooms are fresh and modern with an abundance of natural light and essentials such as integrated audio-visual equipment and free wireless internet throughout.

The events team at Cranmore Park work closely with clients to tailor the space to their needs and budget, and ensure each event runs smoothly: “Cranmore Park has been the perfect venue for our first post-lockdown conference,” said Robert Handy, founder of Independent Gyms. “From the outset the team were hugely helpful as we formulated our plans, advising on set-up details we’d not even considered. The day itself ran like clockwork, the venue was set up ready to go and the team were on-hand throughout the day for any issues. We have big plans for future events at Independent Gyms and these will all be held at Cranmore Park!”

To discuss your event requirements, contact Cranmore Park’s events team on 0121 713 4450, email info@cranmorepark.co.uk or visit Cranmorepark.co.uk

With events and hospitality now getting back on track, the focus is increasingly on how we can learn the lessons of the last 18 months. For events businesses, this means building health into risk assessments and taking precautions (such as wearing masks and encouraging vaccinations) to minimise the risks of these viruses being passed around which is, after all, only sensible given the cost of staff sickness to business. Indeed, given the current workforce shortages our industry is suffering, this will be even more important going forward. We also have to be prepared for future pandemics, which is why the Events Industry Forum (EIF) has now

Catch the MICE Director Stuart Mitchell discusses the ever increasing virtual debate.

The pandemic storm, which we all expected to be over in six months, raged and raged, and each time the skies lightened, the dark times seem to relentlessly come again and again. Far too often event planners rearranged their in-person events, with many of these having to be replaced at the last minute by virtual events.

But is this the way to view virtual? As a backup for the in-person event? Absolutely not. This short-term approach will soon eat up that pot of autumnal event gold and leave it empty for the new year.

As we strategise for 2022, event planners need to ensure they plan for virtual events to be a well thought out element of their overall event strategy. After all, virtual events will reach a far higher volume of delegates than those precious smaller in-person events.

Unless you have a significant budget for on-site event production, truly hybrid events cannot be delivered effectively. It’s better to plan smaller in-person events and then follow up with a virtual delivery, utilising content from the event and delivering it in a virtual-friendly manner to a larger remote audience. This takes planning, but can be achieved with significantly reduced costs, not only for the company, but also importantly for the planet.

2022 will be the year when our sector redefines itself, with virtual playing a key role as we move forward. Watch out for the sunshine and follow that virtual rainbow – it has the potential to deliver you a hefty pot of well-needed event gold.

For advice about virtual platforms contact Stuart Mitchell at Catch the MICE on 07771 946 614 or email Stuart@CatchtheMICE.com

On Good Authority

Jim Winship, Secretary of The Events Industry Forum explores the need for organisers and their local authorities to be on the same page.

turned its COVID guidance into a chapter of the Purple Guide.

However, we also need to look beyond this at ways we can build on the networks we have developed to create a more positive and consistent approach to our future relationships with the government and, particularly, local authorities. A persistent grumble from those organising outdoor events has been the inconsistent approach of different local authorities.

As a result of the work the EIF has been doing through the pandemic, we are now talking to a number of government bodies about how we can work with them better going forward. We are exploring whether the Purple Guide can be brought within

the Primary Authority Scheme, which would mean that we could work with one authority to establish consistent interpretation of the guidelines.

Such a move could have major benefits. Firstly, it would establish this guidance (which is already supported by the Health and Safety Executive) as the standard for all local authorities to follow and, secondly, it would provide a third-party arbitration mechanism for when there were disagreements over interpretation.

Such a radical change will no doubt take months of discussion, but whatever the outcome, we are now at least talking in an environment where all involved recognise that things could be better.

Winter is Coming

As the Winter Gardens Blackpool conference and exhibition centre nears its spring launch, we discover the work that has gone into the £28 million investment set to cement the town’s longstanding reputation as a beacon destination for northern corporate events.

The Grade II listed Winter Gardens Blackpool is preparing for completion of its new £28 million conference and exhibition centre, designed to put the town back on the conferencing map. Funding has included £15 million from the government’s Growth Deal, £7 million from Blackpool Council, and £2.9 million from the Coastal Communities Fund, to crown the existing hub of 11 distinct venues, all under one roof, offering over four acres of connected conference, meeting and exhibition space.

Constructed across two floors with mezzanine areas, visitors to the conference and exhibition centre are swept upstairs on escalators to vast floorplates which can be divided into a versatile selection of spaces. While the conferencing facilities are state of the art, an exposed brick wall reminds visitors they are within touching distance of the Victorian Winter Gardens complex. Combining Blackpool’s heritage with forward-thinking progress to create a unique delegate experience, the centre has been designed to seamlessly connect with its older neighbour, with access on a single level from the Empress Ballroom to the Floral Hall, as well as connections to the Opera House.

With a floor capacity for 430 delegates on the ground floor and 1,200 on the first, the whole Winter Gardens complex is actually equipped to welcome up to 7,000 visitors. The primary meeting space on the first floor can be divided into four rooms using acoustically treated sliding walls, which can be retracted to transform the room into an open space for a grand gala dinner catered by the on-site kitchens. A smaller convention area on the ground floor can be similarly divided, while break-out rooms offer an opportunity for more intimate gatherings.

A control centre for broadcasters has been installed to cater for virtual event elements, alongside a raft of cutting-edge technology, including superfast fibre broadband and

audio-visual equipment. Suppliers are well catered for with the construction of an undercover loading bay with capacity for two articulated trucks to unload exhibits and staging straight into the conference centre or onto the back of the Opera House stage, while a vehicle lift can carry a four-tonne transit van to the upper floors.

Michael Williams, Winter Gardens Managing Director, maintains the investment is already attracting conference organisers back to Blackpool: “We are going to have a 21st century conference centre with all the modern facilities and technology available, but people can walk through to the Empress Ballroom and the other rooms in the Winter Gardens and see the link to that heritage as well.

“Connectivity with the rest of the Winter Gardens has been key throughout the design and building process. That’s why we have left in a feature brick wall to the Empress Ballroom balcony, which has been restored and repointed. The idea is people can relate to where they are, to that 120year tradition which is just behind the wall. That will be part of our unique selling point.”

Work began in 2018, and though disrupted by the pandemic, a November launch date is currently on track. While Michael believes there is a fresh appetite for conferences and in-person meetings, he admits important lessons have also been learned: “One thing COVID has taught us is that we have to be able to do things differently. If some international guests cannot travel, they can still attend the conference remotely due to the technology we have put in. Clients can hold hybrid conferences for delegates anywhere in the world.”

Proposals are also already in motion for further investment to enhance the location of the conference centre, with planning permission recently granted for a five-storey

160-bedroom hotel including an enclosed bridge linking the second floor of the hotel with the new development. While Blackpool Council’s £20 million Levelling Up Fund bid includes new convention and retail opportunities within the Olympia area of the Winter Gardens. One of the first major events the conference centre will host is The Conservative Party Spring Forum in 2022, which heralds the first time the Conservative Party has hosted a major conference in Blackpool in 15 years.

More than just a new venue, Michael sees many compelling reasons why the town should feature on event professionals’ shortlists for an eclectic variety of events and exhibitions: “For starters, we have the existing Winter Gardens complex featuring 11 distinct venues. Combine that with £500 million of transformational investment the resort has enjoyed over recent years, including high-speed train services, an extended tram network linking the station to the promenade, and an addition of 900 premium hotel rooms to the town’s existing offering.

“This wealth of new amenities, accommodation and transport links creates an amazing package to take to market. As the UK’s most well known and loved seaside town, it’s a place which continues to delight existing clients and wow new prospects, with a fantastic track record in delivering major events well for over a century.”

Wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

New Faces

H&E North takes a look at the hottest new venues available for hire across the area.

Blackpool Conference and Exhibition

This massive 2.400sqm structure is the first major development to happen at Winter Gardens Blackpool since 1939. Purpose built as an events venue, the space is split over two floors, with an exhibition space on the ground floor and a conference space with a capacity of 1,200 delegates on the first floor. It is also possible to use the space in other venues throughout the Winter Gardens complex, should your event require, giving a total capacity of 7,000. This behemoth venue is ideal for large scale events such as exhibitions or trade shows.

Wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Sixes Manchester

If you’re looking for something a bit different in a venue, Sixes is a cricketthemed restaurant and bar newly opened in Manchester, which offers corporate event facilities. The venue offers a range of food and drink packages which include a selection of canapés, burgers and drinks, dependent on the package. Delegates can also try their hand at cricket in the private batting nets. Sixes can accommodate 200 delegates standing and 120 seated.

Sixescricket.com

Cairns Farm Estate

This 500 hectare country estate was built in 1869 and still contains a working organic sheep farm. The estate sits nestled in a valley within the picturesque Pentland Hills Regional Park near Edinburgh. The newly designed event space can hold up to 130 guests seated theatre-style, and the estate can offer outdoor catering options including gourmet barbeque and a hickory hog roast.

Cairnsfarmestate.co.uk

Halfmoon Farm

After holding several events for family and friends, the owners of this Rutland Water based farm realised that they could offer their venue out for corporate events. The farm sits in the middle of 1.5 acres of open land with views of the nearby reservoir. The area is known for its stunning sunsets, when the weather permits. The venue can accommodate 180 delegates and offers a rustic charm to any event held there.

Halfmoonfarm.co.uk

De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre

This University of Nottingham based conference centre has recently undergone a £2 million refurbishment to coincide with the venue’s 35th anniversary. The refurbishment saw the venue’s atrium area remodelled to create a collaborative space. The refreshed meeting rooms and banqueting spaces saw the installation of cutting edge audio-visual technology, including a video wall. The refurbishment also features artwork created by a local Nottingham based artist. The centre can accommodate between 10 and 1,000 delegates and sits next to the 202 bed Orchard Hotel.

Meetinnottingham.co.uk

Woodstock Weddings and Events

Only 12 minutes from York city centre Woodstock is a former horse stud. Now converted into a unique venue, the 12-acre setting offers a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The venue has a capacity of 50 to 300 delegates and can offer outside seating in the courtyard, complete with water feature. Woodstock has two bars on-site, including a courtyard stable bar, and can work with their selection of trusted catering partners to provide food and drink for events.

Woodstockweddingsandevents.co.uk

Maldron Hotel Manchester City Centre

The newly opened Maldron Hotel in Manchester contains two separate meeting rooms complete with a breakout room fully stocked with both sweet and savoury snacking options. The venue also serves its own Red Bean Roastery coffee and is able to provide lunch catered by the onsite Grain & Grill restaurant. Maldron offers competitive day delegate rates, and special accommodation rates for multi-day events.

Maldronhotelmanchestercitycentre.com

Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge

Designed for only the most intimate of events, this hotel in Edinburgh contains two meeting rooms each with a capacity of four delegates, as well as coworking spaces downstairs with “furiously fast” Wi-Fi. For events requiring larger spaces the central bar area and downstairs coworking area are available for private hire. All spaces are decked out in Moxy’s signature quirky style and will see delegates surrounded by modern wooden design. Marriott.co.uk

Nottingham Castle

This magnificent 17th century ducal mansion reopened earlier this year after a three-year long, £30 million refurbishment project. Built on the site of the original medieval castle, the mansion has a spectacular view of the city. The castle contains four separate events spaces, the largest of which, The Long Gallery, can accommodate up to 280 delegates. Based only 10 minutes away from Nottingham city centre, the venue is easily accessible by car or public transport.

Meetinnottingham.co.uk

MOXY EDINBURGH FOUNTAINBRIDGE

EAST MIDLANDS CONFERENCE CENTRE

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE

CREDIT: TRACEY WHITEFOOT AND NOTTINGHAM CASTLE TRUST

Leeds is a city fuelled by independence.

From bespoke retailers and craftspeople to creatives and cooks, the city is a host to unique venues and radical innovators at the forefront of tech, healthcare, culture and sport.

To celebrate the return of in person events, Conference Leeds in partnership with its independent venues is having a month-long celebration showcasing everything that the city’s independent and unique venues have to offer and the exceptional event experiences they can provide.

Situated in the bustling and vibrant city centre of Leeds, Aspire is gaining momentum as the hot-spot of all things events. Located in the city’s financial district the venue boasts 13 premier spaces and is supported by its knowledgeable and professional staff.

Aspire is built on the original Leeds General Infirmary site and was formally the Yorkshire Penny Bank designed by G.B Bulmer in 1894. The venue’s heritage is still evident today in the fantastic Director’s Office and Boardroom that have been beautifully restored. Duke Studios

Duke Studios provides meeting and event spaces to anyone looking for something different. The interesting, creative, and unconventional spaces will help you achieve your desired meeting goals.

Alongside an inspiring environment, all our event spaces come equipped with the most up to date technology.

Situated at the front door of Duke Studios is Sheaf St, the onsite bar and in-house catering. Sheaf St serves a selection of fresh comfort food made with top quality local produce, delicious coffee and an eclectic drinks menu.

Horizon Leeds is an award-winning conference and meeting venue and prides itself on a customer centred approach. With an abundance of natural daylight, spaces for 2 to 250 delegates, Horizon offers flexible delegate packages as standard.

Horizon is leading the way for digital events with its virtual and hybrid streaming studio boasting a multi camera set up, professional level sound and lighting equipment and high-speed internet connecting delegates no matter where they are based. Part of the NHS Confederation the revenue generated is reinvested to support the Confederation’s work to represent the NHS.

Leeds Conservatoire offers great facilities for you and your delegates and is able to host a wide range of meetings and conferences. Their flagship concert hall is a stunning space to host an event for up to 350 people. The Rooftop Bar with views across the city, is great for catering, or as a flexible conference and exhibition space in its own right.

Their dedicated events team will work with you from the initial planning stage to help bring your event to life and with a range of equipment at your fingertips your event will look and sound first class.

Northern Ballet www.northernballet.com

Northern Ballet is a unique city centre venue that not only offers world-class dance facilities for its two resident companies, Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre, but also provides an exceptional location for entertaining, for business and for events.

Their award-winning eco-friendly building comfortably hosts events of all types for up to 230, from intimate meetings and private dining, to conferences and performances. Hosting events in the fully equipped theatre provides benefits including specialist lighting, sound and projector systems along with technical support.

The Studio www.studiovenues.co.uk

Situated just a hop, skip and jump away from Leeds Train Station, The Studio Leeds offers 11 individual event spaces each with panoramic views of the city and beyond.

Delegates can be at their most creative experiencing welcoming, well-equipped, bright and imaginatively designed rooms, fitted with all the technology required for a productive day. The Studio believes that their guests should always be at ease and that a key part of their experience is the welcome they receive, not forgetting the food which is freshly prepared on site with an equal level of care, creativity and sustainability.

Shine is an extraordinary Leeds-based venue, situated in a beautifully converted Grade II listed building just minutes from the city centre. Drenched in natural light, choose from rooms which can host 2 to 150 people. Make your event unforgettable with inspiring locally sourced food which is organic where possible.

But that’s not all. Hosting your meeting here makes a positive change in the world. This is a venue with an integrated social impact business model which raises aspirations and creates opportunities for women exoffenders, entrepreneurs, local children, and artists.

The Terrace is a unique meeting, conference and event venue, located just a few minutes’ walk from Leeds Train Station. Offering a variety of well-appointed and versatile meeting and event spaces with Hybrid capability and a capacity of up to 150 delegates, their spaces are designed to encourage collaboration and innovation. Complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and direct access to the impressive roof terrace, this is guaranteed to bring the wow factor to your event. Refreshments breaks can be taken in either the breakout lounge or on the outdoor terrace. The Mansion www.dine.co.uk/venues/ the-mansion/

THE ULTIMATE SUBURBAN STYLE VENUE! In 2009 The Mansion was lovingly restored to its former glory.

This fabulous 1820’s Regency Grade II listed building with its colonnaded grand entrance and unrivalled views overlooking the Upper Lake of Roundhay Park, nestles perfectly amidst 700 acres of beautiful parkland.

Be a part of The Mansion’s private and public celebrations, feted by royalty and celebrity for its elegant architecture and exceptional hospitality. Thackray Museum of Medicine

Hosting your event at the UK’s largest independent medical museum is guaranteed to get your guests talking! With a newly refurbished conference centre boasting four spacious meeting rooms, seating a maximum of 120 people and state of the art AV facilities, Thackray is the perfect place for your meeting, conference or celebration.

Located on the edge of the city centre, it’s easily accessible with parking onsite. What’s more, you can tailor your booking with an inspiring range of food and drink options and even add a talk, tour or object handling session to make your event truly unique.

Food for Thought

The Hotel,

Restaurant &

Catering trade show gives us an insight into event catering trends and how they’re going to affect the industry in 2021 and beyond.

For more than 86 years the Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) trade show has stood at the forefront of catering innovation, welcoming thousands of visitors every year to experience the newest and best of the catering industry. Every year HRC brings together hundreds of catering professionals to showcase the talent of the sector, and now, its team has given us a peek into the trends that are going to make the future of catering.

Buffet away

One of the most noticeable differences in post-COVID catering is the demise of the humble buffet. Both caterers and their clients need to consider the ongoing challenges of mass catering during a global pandemic, with event attendees much less likely to accept a culinary smorgasbord that has been sitting out uncovered. Expect conference lunches to have more catering staff on-hand (if they can find them during the current staffing crisis) to make certain elements of the menu to order. Expect, too, an unfortunate increase in packaging, as sustainability and safety continue to fight for supremacy.

Similarly, canapés are likely to be placed on individual plates or trays reducing the level of individual contact with the products. On a positive note, both of these new developments allow for a higher quality final product and more awareness given to dietary requirements, preferences and allergies.

Vive la plant

It wasn’t so long ago that picturing a plant-based menu conjured up images of an experimental pea soup and a sadly lessthan-satisfying mushroom-based burger.

Now it’s one of the fastest growing trends in the world of food and drink. In the consumer world, big name brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Oatly are normalising the plant-based diet with quality, tasty products, and catering companies are seeing a steady rise in customers opting for vegetarian options. Prominent venue 8 Northumberland Avenue saw a 24% growth in the demand for meat substitutes between 2011 and 2015, a trend which has continued

in the years since, with more delegates than ever observing vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.

A study of over 94,000 cafeteria meal choices by the University of Cambridge found that doubling the vegetarian options – from one-in-four to two-in-four – increased the proportion of plant-based purchases by between 40 to 80% without affecting overall food sales, an option sure to pique the interest of venues and catering companies alike.

Natasha’s Law

The start of October 2021 saw Natasha’s Law come into effect, an amendment to the Food Information Regulations which states that food partly packed at the same place that it is sold will need to adhere to Natasha’s Law if the packing is done before the customer orders it.

The law requires that all packaged food displays a full ingredient and allergen list on the packaging. The new law was sadly prompted by the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to an undeclared ingredient in a prepacked meal.

It’s perhaps not a change that will apply to the majority of corporate events, but it may change the way in which catering companies and venues approach corporate lunches and similar services.

Going green

Sustainability, or environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) as the trendy kids might call it, has been on catering trend lists for years. An increasing number of event planners are asking for details of a venue’s sustainable practices and in particular the approach to food waste and waste disposal, and an increasing number of venues and catering companies are comprehensively equipped to answer this query with hard data.

With COP26 taking place in Glasgow this November and the UK firmly set on its path to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, this trend isn’t going anywhere.

Learn more about the topics covered in this piece on HRC Connects, the new digital platform for Hotel, Restaurant & Catering. The trade show returns to ExCeL London on 21st to 23rd March 2022.

Be a Part of It

The events industry is beginning to get back on its feet, the autumn season seems truly underway, and despite the widespread difficulties in building back teams, logistics challenges, and increased costs of some raw materials and import/export issues, there is a sense of possibility and pragmatic optimism in the air.

This industry and the supplier sector in particular needs to continue to build on the resilience it has developed during the pandemic. ESSA has done much to help its members during the crisis, from a steady flow of updates, progress, advice and resource sharing, to shaming local authorities into releasing much-needed ARG funds to members and other businesses. And we want to do more, but like every association, we are only as strong as our members.

The Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) board launched its strategy for the future in the midst of the pandemic. By design, the key elements of this strategy were put in place to help our members approach the aftershocks of the pandemic

and the evolving post-Brexit commercial landscape. The board has specific members assigned to lead the association's action on five core principles: leadership, value, representation, unity and improvement. In our columns, you've already heard from Martin Cairns and Lou Kiwanuka on value and leadership, and from me on representation. But before you hear from board members Hannah Jardine and Marija Erzen, I wanted to interject with an important call to action.

This year at its AGM, ESSA ratified its new membership structure, offering choice and opportunity to smaller firms, sole traders, startups and freelancers to be involved and feel the full support of the association. We are offering associate and individual tier memberships for qualifying event industry suppliers and service partners. We want to build membership as we emerge from the pandemic, providing an umbrella for the hundreds of individuals and SMEs that are so essential to our industry, but remain under-represented when industry decisions get made.

From printing companies to joiners and electricians, from stand builders to soletrader software developers – if you have a stake in any part of the event industry, ESSA can give you the advice, connections, resources and platform you need to succeed. But more importantly, we want to give every person and company the leadership, representation, community and value they need and support their continued improvement. The pandemic decimated our calendar of events, meetings, and opportunities to get involved, but I am happy to say we will be running our full conference at Arena MK, Milton Keynes, on 2nd December, where members and future members are welcome to join us. Don't just work in the event industry, be a part of it.

Essa.uk.com

Venues on Instagram

Claire Fennelow, Executive Director of Event and Visual Communication Association (EVCOM) discusses the importance of Instagrammable events.

All of us have been a part of the rise of social media. Some love it, some hate it, but no-one can ignore its importance as a communications tool for events. Attendees are starting to expect Instagram-worthy moments in venues – exciting backgrounds, beautiful styling and unique visuals from every direction – they want to be able to take a selfie and have something gorgeous and unique behind them.

And this is not just a millennial fad applicable only to weddings and parties, it’s a vital consideration when it comes to corporate organisers choosing a venue, because Instagram-worthy moments create marketing opportunities. If guests love what they are seeing, they’ll post it, which means more potential attendees and event organisers seeing your venue. You could build a whole social media strategy around the right venue, creating a space that people want to be in and that people want to document once they are.

Some venues don’t need much help to get there, with beautiful views and architecture making them instantly Instagram-ready. But with the right dressing, any venue can create a visual experience that its delegates want to share with the world. On top of that, social media gives us the ability to reach new audiences, people who aren’t on our mailing lists, who have a passion for our industry but haven’t come up through the usual channels. Social media can be an opportunity to engage a more diverse audience with your venue and your event hosts.

Charlotte Gentry, our Board Chair here at EVCOM and Founder of Pure Communications Group weighs in: “Creating engaging posts on social media is crucial now to the brand awareness of any supplier. Showing engaging video content is the best way to showcase a venue, illustrating the way in which a venue is set up prior to an event taking place. We recently produced an event for a big insurance firm, and took some video footage of the night with the saxophonist playing against the backdrop of St Pauls Cathedral, and we had the biggest engagement from it over a lot of other content we post!”

Evidently, you can use the aesthetic and unique elements of your venue to increase engagement and increase attendee numbers. And it’s something every venue and event organiser, needs to consider when choosing and dressing venues in our social media world.

Evcom.org.uk

The events industry is a bright vibrant community full of supportive and enthusiastic professionals, but is it lacking in diversity? Gabby Austen Browne, Cofounder of Diversity Ally, an organisation taking ownership of the events industry’s approach to tackling its lack of diversity and inclusion, says yes: “We are an incredibly homogeneous group of professionals and as an industry we massively lack diversity. A survey carried out in 2020 covering Europe, the US, UK and Asia showed that just 3.5% of those who work in the events industry are Black people, 6.3% are Asian and we employ just 2.4% of those with disabilities compared to the UK average of 18%.”

Ensuring a diverse workplace is not only an ethical concern but a practical one as well: “We are unique as an industry in that we have the opportunity to influence all the sectors we cover by demonstrating DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion) best practice. Whether we are delivering a political party conference, a music festival or a travel expo, we can demonstrate how to deliver diverse content, how to create accessible spaces and inclusive environments with a diverse range of people that represent the society we live in.

“There are also the stats that demonstrate having a diverse team and leadership

Next Steps

We caught up with Diversity Ally Co-founder Gabby Austen Browne to discuss diversity within the events industry.

brings many benefits such as more diverse management teams having 19% higher revenues. And companies with strong gender and ethnic diversity are 15% and 35% respectively more likely to outperform their competitors. Not only is it good for humanity and society, but diversity is also good for business.”

With the industry in the midst of a recruitment crisis, diverse hiring is more important than ever: “Because those from diverse backgrounds were not encouraged or welcomed into the industry in the first place, I think we are going to have to do a lot to attract them now unless we demonstrate a real commitment to diversity and inclusion, commit to developing talents from all backgrounds, pay people equally and delivering work that is meaningful where possible and demonstrates care, compassion and most of all equality.”

Tackling such a large and persevering issue as a lack of diversity can seem daunting, but Gabby has suggestions for how organisations can start: “First of all, organisations should educate themselves on what diversity and inclusion really entails; it doesn’t just mean hiring a Black person. Set internal goals around diversity and have a strategy to commit to and follow.

“The industry can also develop or take part in initiatives that encourage attraction, retention and training and development of people from diverse backgrounds like the REACH scholarship program, which I am on the working group for. The REACH scholarship is a new university scholarship initiative to encourage people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds into the events industry.

“At Diversity Ally, we provide education and training, consultancy and deliver events for the events MICE and hospitality industry. Workshops can cover inclusive leadership, creating inclusive workplaces, how to have conscious (and sometimes uncomfortable) conversations, intersectionality in the workplace, anti-racism and allyship training, understanding privilege and power and the impact of systemic inequality.

“We also offer guidance and support on how to develop diverse recruitment and inclusive hiring practices, D&I policy writing, diverse marketing and inclusive branding, developing statements of intent and client proposals and pitching to create diverse, inclusive and accessible events. “

To find out how to make your organisation more inclusive visit Diversityally.co.uk

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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Patrick Howells of Manchester-based business coaching agency

People Activation diagnoses common workplace problems and gives team building exercises to help solve them.

A harmonised workplace is essential for hitting targets and keeping businesses on track, especially during turbulent times. Many companies have felt the impact on workflow and professional relationships, and People Activation, an agency co-founded by Abi Humayun and Chris Teague in 2017, helps organisations activate their employees and create a positive impact through employee engagement experiences.

We consulted with Patrick Howells, Director of Client Engagement at the agency, to find out some common workplace problems and how best to approach them.

No pride in purpose

84% of millennials say that they are not emotionally or behaviourally connected to their jobs or companies, but the need for purpose is a fundamental human characteristic. Companies with employees that lack pride in purpose often have low staff engagement and high staff turnover, resulting in a culture that lacks trust or loyalty.

To remedy this, research tells us that companies who create an atmosphere of shared purpose can see considerable benefits – but how do you go beyond simply communicating the purpose of the organisation to motivate employees to live and breathe it?

Activity

Transport employees on a journey to a future without their main business service, through a workshop explores your company's purpose, and how employees can actively impact the business ambition in their individual roles. Dive into what it would mean to our planet and people if your business didn’t exist.

Fatigue

Being busy is something that we often wear as a badge of pride in the modern workplace. Something that we feel signifies how hard we are working, how committed we are or even how good we are at our jobs. Time is a limited resource but what we fill it with matters, not just that it is filled.

Activity

Step out of your office and wander around with a ‘walkshop’. Try to be conscious about what you are attracted to and what you are not. Which kind of buildings do you like? Can you notice any small details that you hadn’t spotted before? What kind of styles draw your attention?

Share back what you have noticed with a wider group. This will give employees a break and a moment of mindfulness to get in touch with their surroundings.

Poor sharing culture

Creating a sense of belonging in the workplace is essential. This means encouraging a culture where everyone feels part of a tribe. When we don’t feel connected to others, we lose sight of how working together can make a difference. Failing to connect with those around us actually threatens our wellbeing and makes us function less effectively at work.

Activity

Get employees together and have them tell their life stories in just three minutes and help them get to know each other better. Three minute stories aim to connect people on a personal level, creating relationships that run deeper than just work.

Friction in the workplace

The workplace can often become a competitive space – but it is always best to create an environment where people can express themselves and participate actively with no judgement.

A space where wild ideas are encouraged will always be better for your business –where teams can question certainties and build on the ideas of others around. Once people are encouraged to share, collaborate, and reflect, they think less about what goes on in their own workload, and more about what goes into the collective goal.

Masterminding is not just a problem-solving activity, but a team building activity too! It uses small groups of people to problem solve for each other – often creating real, tangible differences and forming lasting relationships.

Activity

Working in groups ask people to take it in turns to share a challenge they are currently facing. These challenges can be anything from professional to personal. The remainder of the group then take it in turns asking questions about the person’s challenge. The group then take it in turns to offer solutions to this person. The person is not allowed to speak during this time. They simply wait until everybody has offered solutions and say thank you. This process is repeated until everybody in the group has had a turn.

Lack of activation

All too often, businesses have an amazing product or service, but employees won’t achieve their full potential if they lack insight in how to grow and develop as individuals and within a team. Activation is the act of connecting to something personally. Side switching is a great activity to connect people to meaning and purpose. Through creative activation, you’ll bridge the gap between communication and action.

Activity

Prepare your questions and split the team in half. Inform people that one half are now the ‘yes’ side and the other the ‘no’ side. Read each of the questions aloud to the group, asking people to move to the side that reflects their answer. For example, if the question is “have you graduated from university?” the people that have done would move to the ‘yes’ side. Allow a few seconds for people to look at the other members of the group they are standing with. Recognising that they now share commonalities that can be built on and turned into deeper relationships in the future. Repeat the same process until all the questions have been answered.

Breaking Cover

With uncertainty ahead, the introduction of a groundbreaking government-backed insurance scheme has given the events industry a much-needed injection of confidence.

As the economy reopens with the lifting of restrictions, getting the right kind of insurance is acting as a barrier for some events organisers. However, the live events sector has received a boost with a governmentbacked insurance scheme worth over £750 million, which will help event profs plan events with confidence.

The government has partnered with Lloyd’s to deliver the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme as part of its Plan for Jobs. The scheme will see the government act as a ‘reinsurer’ – stepping in with a guarantee to make sure insurers can offer the products events companies need. This scheme will support live events across the UK that are open to the general public – from music festivals to corporate events. It will cover costs incurred in the event of cancellation due to the event being legally unable to happen due to government COVID restrictions.

A number of prominent insurers in the Lloyd’s market, including Arch, Beazley, Dale, Hiscox and Munich Re are supporting the scheme which will provide events companies with the option of purchasing cover alongside standard commercial events insurance, giving them the reassurance they need to plan ahead. “The events sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country, and I know organisers are raring to go now that restrictions have been lifted,” said Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak on the announcement of the scheme back in August. “But the lack of the right kind of insurance is proving a problem, so as the economy reopens, I want to do everything I can to help events providers and small businesses plan with confidence right through to next year.

“We have some of the best events in the world here in the UK – from world-famous festivals to your local fair. With this new insurance scheme, everything from live music in Margate to business events in Birmingham can go ahead with confidence, providing a boost to the economy and protecting livelihoods.”

This is one of the only insurance schemes in the world to cover such a wide array of live events and not put a cap on costs claimed per event. The scheme will be delivered through insurers with events organisers able to purchase cover for government-enforced cancellation, alongside their standard insurance.

The scheme is now available and will run until the end of September 2022. It comes on top of the extensive support given to the cultural sector, including the £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund, which saw over 2,700 organisations set up for a summer of reopening and ensuring the survival of 3,800 cultural organisations and heritage sites across the UK. More than £1 billion in support has also been provided to the sport and leisure sectors, including a £600 million survival package for a range of sporting venues severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions.

The initiative has been welcomed across the industry, with Jane Longhurst, outgoing Meetings Industry Association Chief Executive, commenting on how the support cannot come soon enough: “Through our ongoing surveillance of the industry we’re acutely aware of the impact an insurance

indemnification scheme will have on the sector, with almost two-thirds of venues surveyed in August 2020 highlighting the need for this to be introduced.

“In the same year, almost all venues had zero cover for their lost business, of which for the average venue was a significant £2,398,600. Providing reassurance to riskaverse event organisers will be critical in the return of more recognisable booking numbers and the stimulation of the sector’s circular economy, benefitting venues, hotels, destinations, caterers and a diverse range of suppliers within the supply chain.

“The recognition of the business meetings and events sector in this scheme is total acknowledgement of the role it has in supporting the UK’s economic recovery, and we’re confident that the sector can now serve as a catalyst.”

The Host with the Most

2022 is most definitely the West Midlands’ year for event planners.

Home of the UK City of Culture 2021 in Coventry and fresh from winning the bid for the prestigious International Working Group (IWG) World Conference on Women & Sport 2026, the region prepares to host one of the biggest sporting events on the planet; the 21st Commonwealth Games.

With its cities and venues in the spotlight, the West Midlands is alive with innovation and brand-new infrastructure as it readies itself to host millions of new visitors over the next 12 months.

Being centrally located gives the area advantages in hosting world-class events across a diverse portfolio of cities and towns, and sporting, conference and events venues. And in 2021/22 the region is set to build upon this proud history of events excellence by adding new event spaces, hotels and attractions to its offering. For event organisers, the time has never been better to take another look at the West Midlands.

Conferences and Events

Birmingham, already home to world-class, multipurpose venues such as the NEC and the BCEC, has recently welcomed two new, unique spaces to the city centre: The Exchange and the eastside rooms. Opened in September, The Exchange

is the University of Birmingham’s latest conferencing venue. From large-scale conferences to intimate drinks receptions, The Exchange holds several unique, flexible event spaces, boasting a central location surrounded by some of Birmingham’s iconic attractions.

The eastside rooms, located on Woodcock Street in central Birmingham, opened in April 2021 and offers a range of individual event spaces for all occasions – the Affinity Suite, the largest space, boasts more than 880sqm of pillar-free banqueting event space, with room for 1,200 delegates.

Beyond Birmingham, Warwick Conferences in Coventry offers multi-functional event spaces for up to 1,200 guests, as well as high-quality accommodation and outdoor meeting spaces. Built on the original old station platform, the stunning Grand Hall at The Grand Station, Wolverhampton, offers room for up to 750 guests, with smaller spaces also available in this elegant, decadent events space.

Aside from the venue, finding the right host or MC can make your event. Experienced event host and co-founder of Birmingham Pride, Phil Oldershaw is well-known to the area with decades of events experience

across the region, he is guaranteed to bring fun, passion and high energy.

For sporting success, the West Midlands has some serious credentials when it comes to hosting historic sporting events with venues including Aston Villa Football Club, Edgbaston Stadium – home to the 2021 County Championship winners Warwickshire – and The Belfry.

Coming soon, Coventry Building Society Arena (previously the Ricoh Arena) is undergoing a £7.5 million refurbishment in preparation to host the rugby sevens, judo and wrestling at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, adding a new convention centre.

The modernisation offers exhibitors and organisers access to brand-new, state-ofthe-art AV and conference facilities, with over 20,000sqm of flexible event space available across numerous rooms.

Molineux Stadium, home of Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, is one of the largest venues in the Black Country. Event spaces include WV1, offering a capacity of 550, and Wolves Museum, one of the few dedicated football club museums in the country, with a breakout room suitable for intimate gatherings.

Continued on page 30

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The pandemic put a spotlight on workplace mental health, with many people within the events industry working from home, missing the offceandlive event dynamics. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Natasha Bijlani gives us her top tips for improving your wellbeing at work.

Healthy Mind

Almost every aspect of work life has an impact on our mental health, whether we notice it or not. Our professional relationships with our colleagues, our workload, even the foods we choose to eat at work, all have an effect. Stresses from any area of our lives can cause ways of thinking and emotions that become difficult to cope with. The pandemic left many of us feeling stressed and isolated, working from home in a time of uncertainty, and coming out of lockdown and back into the workplace has its own challenges for those struggling with mental health problems.

Mental health charity Mind suggests that at least one in six workers in England experience a mental health problem of some kind each year and that work is usually the biggest cause of stress in people’s lives. If we’re feeling under the weather physically, we know that our bodies need rest, fluids and good food. But what should we do when we feel our mental health slipping? With World Mental Health Day taking place recently, we’re taking a look at workplace mental health and wellbeing, with help from Dr Natasha Bijlani, consultant psychiatrist at The Priory Group.

Maintain a routine

Maintaining a routine can undoubtedly help give you a sense of purpose and productivity and offer you some distraction from stress and anxiety in the workplace. The best way to keep your mood swings under control is to look after yourself by keeping to your usual routine of sleep, diet, exercise and work.

Eat well

Make time for a nourishing lunch with adequate hydration. Food and drink can greatly affect your physical and mental health. When outside of work avoid drinking too much alcohol or eating unhealthy foods out of boredom.

Focus on yourself

Try and be sensitive, flexible and forgiving with your co-workers without losing your own sense of self or identity. Often, we can be so focused on helping other people that we forget to check in with ourselves.

Mind your environment

Emotions can be infectious and if those around us aren’t able to keep calm and cope well, we could end up getting stressed, fed up, irritable or low ourselves. It’s important for each of us, where we can, to take responsibility for our own health so that we can help keep up a reasonable level of optimism and engender a healthy workplace environment.

Spend time with others

Make time for brief conversations with co-workers about non-work related subjects. Workplace chatter and building an amicable relationship with colleagues is key to fostering a good environment and protecting employee mental health. For

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Show Time

H&E North looks ahead to the inaugural CHS Birmingham exhibition, rescheduled for 26th October at The ICC.

The Conference and Hospitality Show is a familiar event in the industry calendar, its Leeds edition attracting exhibitors from across the UK, made up of venues, hotels and suppliers of meeting products and services, along with numerous educational sessions and networking events. Its new Birmingham edition is finally with us, taking the talent, creativity and inspiration from the city and placing health and safety at the heart of the show.

The show has confirmed the high-profile attendance of some of the UK’s most recognised meetings and events brands. Hyatt, Park Regis, Resorts World and Gleneagles have all confirmed attendance. Joining the event will be award-winning

Yorkshire caterer Dine, Grand Birmingham, and Edgbaston Park Hotel, great brands for meeting and event planners attending the show.

The new arrivals also add to the confidence being felt around the inaugural Birmingham show for organisers, CHS Group. Already the exhibition has the support of the West Midlands Growth Company and is partnering with host venue ICC Birmingham, which has supported the event from its inception. As well as these venue exhibitors, it will also welcome brands including Pride of Britain, Trident Hospitality, and Venues of Excellence.

“Our mantra is confidence; for our industry, for our visitors and for our exhibitors – but this

is also a great endorsement of our show and we’re delighted to have these brands on our exhibition floor,” comments Emma Cartmell, CHS Group Managing Director.

“CHS Birmingham is part of a series of industry reopening events and comes at a time when decisions need to be made around large events. Having these brands in the room adds weight and confidence to the businesses that run them.”

Register now at Chsbirmingham.com

Strike a Pose

Pose Events Co-founder Phil Oldershaw offers H&E North readers his top 10 event planning tips to keep you successful and smiling.

Now, you may be aware from his previous H&E North features that Phil Oldershaw, veteran presenter and host known for bringing his inimitable personality to TV, stage, radio, online and live events, believes an experienced host is the glue to any event, saying: "The master of ceremonies brings everything together smoothly and can make or break an event organiser’s hard work, which they have administered to showcase their brand’s impressive image for all to see."

After years of planning and delivering on many successful events, including food festivals, Birmingham Pride, Made in Leeds Festival, City of Birmingham Business Awards and hundreds more, Phil has now collaborated with new business partner Abby Goldie, and a fantastic team of associate experts, to form Pose Events.

1. All the P's

If you’re looking to work with a leading team of expert event professionals to create distinctly stylish events with creative flair, artistic spirit, and flawless execution, then as Phil says: “The team at Pose Events understand that each event has a different purpose. Working with you to realise your wants, needs and aspirations, we can advise on a range of support at any point in the event planning lifecycle.

“Whether employee engagement or strengthening your brand image is on the agenda, the team at Pose Events will utilise their extensive events knowledge, experience and contacts to pose the important questions, resulting in an unrivalled event experience.”

The Pose Events portfolio ranges from intimate gatherings to lavish affairs. Some of its specialties include: awards and gala

POSE EVENTS CO-FOUNDERS PHIL OLDERSHAW AND ABBY GOLDIE WITH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ADAM HEARD.

dinners, brand activations, conferences, corporate events, Christmas parties, private dining, team building, office parties, celebrity experiences, live entertainment and so much more.

Here are the team’s top 10 tips on planning an event:

and experience, never be afraid to ask for help – it may well be your saviour.

8. Video, photos and socials

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘perfect preparation prevents poor performance?’ Make sure you check dates and plan in advance, giving yourself time to strategise, communicate, negotiate, book, invite and deliver.

2. Time management

Create a timeline and follow it. Give yourself time to get comfortable, book space and not get stressed. Check and check again!

3. The purpose

‘What’s our purpose?’ is the question that should be on every event organiser’s lips. Whether it’s an awards ceremony, charity dinner, fundraiser, new opening, product launch or simply a company party, having a specific, considered reason for hosting it will help to inform every aspect of your planning process.

4. If you don’t know, ask!

Whether it’s utilising a team of varied skills within your company or bringing in outside professionals that have the time, knowledge

5. The budget

Know your budget and stick to it! Events can quickly escalate in cost, especially if the industry is new to you. Set your budget and work to that, or ask for help in pricing your event. A good event organiser must deliver on many levels, so balancing your budget is key to ensuring there are no half measures.

6. Ready, steady, negotiate

Sometimes there is room to manoeuvre on price, so never be afraid to ask. The worst somebody can say is no!

7. Your image is your brand

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and once your event starts, there’s no stopping it once it goes live. Tick all the boxes, get contracts, confirm bookings, work with reliable suppliers and make sure their image reflects yours. Don’t forget health and safety, your brand reputation relies on it!

In a world of internet marketing and hashtags, capture everything and use it well. The better the quality, the stronger your brand image and longer lasting your impression. Maybe, create a hashtag for the event and let the guests promote for you?

9. Don’t fail to entertain

Don’t underestimate the benefit of good entertainment, it can raise the energy high or bring it down with a bump. A professional host should reflect your brand in the best possible light – their performance and your success are wholly intertwined.

10. Wear your best smile

If you’ve completed our first nine steps with confidence, now it’s time to have fun and enjoy what you’ve created. Whether running the event yourself or working in collaboration with an events professional – either way it’s time to make everyone smile, and that starts with your own. Good luck!

It costs nothing to have a conversation! Email hello@poseevents.co.uk or call 0121 296 4939 to have a friendly chat and discuss your ideas today

In the Stars

Birmingham venue Millennium Point is preparing to welcome an astronomical art installation by UK artist Luke Jerram.

Birmingham’s landmark city centre venue is bringing an out-of-this-world experience to event bookers and the public early next year. Gaia, an exhibition by UK artist Luke Jerram, will be making its way to the multiaward-winning Millennium Point from 1st February to 28th March 2022. The artwork (pictured on the front cover) provides the opportunity for those attending events at Millennium Point and the general public to see our planet on a large scale, floating in three-dimensions.

Measuring 7m in diameter, Gaia features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the earth’s surface on a globe, which will be suspended from the venue’s astonishing Atrium. Gaia will slowly revolve, and BAFTA award winning composer Dan Jones’ music will be played alongside the sculpture in surround sound.

This breath-taking experience will be free and open to all – giving event organisers an exciting opportunity to level up their events with a unique experience during this period at no additional cost.

Millennium Point’s Commercial Director, Rebecca Delmore said: “We are thrilled to host Luke Jerram’s masterpiece. This free exhibition will not only be a delight for the public but adds a truly unique experience to our clients’ events at no additional cost.

“We hope visitors will be inspired by the experience as it opens discussions on the beauty of our planet and why we must protect it. Our venue is committed to reducing our carbon footprint with sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, but there is so much more that can be done.”

Jerram’s Gaia inspires a sense of the overview effect, a phenomenon common among astronauts seeing earth from space. This includes a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment – a pressing concern of modern business.

A public programme pivoted around sustainability and the environment is set to be announced by Millennium Point over the coming months. The programme will be in partnership with Thinktank Science Museum and will provide visitors with a host of fun and educational free activities.

Millennium Point announced earlier this year its commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly events with a host new packages and services, including state of the art hybrid and virtual conferencing solutions for its venue and measures to reduce the use of plastic and waste from events. This followed a £350,000 refurbishment of its impressive 354-seat

auditorium, which was formerly the first IMAX in the West Midlands. The Auditorium boasts a 16m x 10m giant screen and a 10m x 3m participation stage area. Improvements also include an astonishing AV equipment upgrade including an intelligent LED lighting system with a dozen moving wash lights and spotlights.

Millennium Point features 17 versatile events and conference facilities that are a mix of both public and private spaces. It is capable of hosting a variety of events from small meetings to award dinners, esports tournaments, festivals, film screenings, and more. Its location is a short 15-minute walk

from Birmingham New Street station and its on-site 900 space multi-story car park makes it a popular choice for event organisers.

Rebecca added: “It’s been a tumultuous time for the events industry. Bringing Gaia to Birmingham is a statement that now it’s time to get back to business, and that is just the beginning of what our landmark public building and award-winning venue has planned for 2022.”

The Millennium Point team received praise in 2020 for their quick and robust response to COVID-19. This later resulted in the venue being chosen as one of the first NHS mass vaccination centres early this year. Now the venue returns to its focus of delivering high quality events for paying clients and hosting their own exciting programme of public activities.

The venue is no stranger to supporting the local region, however. All profits made from commercial activities that take place at the landmark building are donated by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support the growth of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider regions.

Projects include grants of up to £20,000 to local schools and educational not-forprofits; annually funding a STEM-related undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University and providing rent benefits to STEM tenants such as the Thinktank Science Museum and Birmingham City University. Over the past five years the charity has given more than £5 million to improving STEM education in the West Midlands.

For information on the Gaia exhibit and hosting events visit Millennium Point’s brandnew website Millenniumpoint.org.uk, email events@millenniumpoint.org.uk, or call 0121 202 2200.

Continued from page 20

Taking a Culture Trip

In 2021, Coventry became the UK City of Culture, obtaining significant funding to transform the city. As well as one of the most technologically advanced cities, having rolled out a 5G network, Coventry has re-established itself as a base for the arts, commissioning new public artworks and hosting the Turner Prize for the very first time outside of London, at the iconic Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

If you’re looking for historic grandeur, the 19th century Wolverhampton Grand Theatre boasts an impressive auditorium for meetings and events; The Auditorium has capacity for 1,200 across three tiers, with smaller function rooms available, also boasting the Art Deco style of The Grand.

Brand new to central Birmingham is Forum, the newly upgraded major music venue, with a 3,500 capacity for events and entertainment whilst featuring a custommade sound system.

Alongside Birmingham’s canals, the historic Roundhouse underwent a £3.6 million makeover and reopened in July 2021, transforming the unique venue into a cultural hub that offers tours, exhibitions, and office space.

Accommodation For All

The eagerly awaited Grand Hotel Birmingham opened its doors in May 2021 after a £45 million restoration project, combining spectacular modern features

with the original Victorian architecture. The hotel has 185 bedrooms, an extraordinary grand ballroom with capacity for up to 350, modern board rooms, and multi-purpose spaces for drinks receptions, private dining and more.

Formerly the headquarters for the Coventry Evening Telegraph, The Telegraph Hotel opened its doors in May 2021 after a £15 million transformation. The 88-room hotel features a rooftop bar, an authentic 1950s restaurant bar and lounge, and an event suite for up to 160 delegates.

Connected to Birmingham’s eastside rooms, Aloft Hotel has 195 guest rooms alongside a cocktail lounge and a 120-seater restaurant, situated within walking distance from the iconic Bullring shopping centre.

Event Expertise

In 2022, the Convention Bureau at West Midlands Growth Company celebrates its 40th birthday. It works alongside event organisers, offering expert guidance and insight, and invaluable support to ensure that both organisers and delegates receive the best possible welcome and experience. The Bureau provides industry professionals with a range of free services to deliver a successful event in the region such as accommodation booking, venue location and social programme planning.

For more information, call 0121 202 5100, email bcb.conferencesales@wmgrowth.com or visit Meetbirmingham.com.

MOLINEUX STADIUM, HOME OF PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FC.

BIRMINGHAM’S HISTORIC CANAL-SIDE ROUNDHOUSE COURTYARD.

An East Midland’s based Event Management company

Inception Events began in 2010 and since its Inception has organised 1000’s of events for clients across many industry sectors.

Our services include free venue finding, full or pre event management and on-site support in the UK and around the globe. We work closely with our clients to create and deliver unforgettable events.

A lot of companies don’t have a dedicated Events team; the annual conference, quarterly sales meetings, product launches and Christmas parties fall to staff that already have a full work load. This is where Inception Events can become an extension of your company and take away that added pressure and concentrate fully on your events.

To ensure we are kept up to date on new openings of hotels and venues in the UK and overseas we have regular meetings with hoteliers and suppliers at our office in old Hemel Hempstead. We attend industry meeting forums, trade shows and visit destinations.

This then enables us to offer you a wide range of options & solutions with confidence, rather than one of your team looking for a hotel on a search engine. We pride ourselves on our knowledge, experience and reputation within the industry.

Whether it’s a venue find for a small board meeting in Manchester, an awards dinner in London, a sales incentive in Croatia or a multi-day conference in Portugal we can organise everything from Inception to completion or hand over the reins to you at contract stage if you prefer.

We can also provide event management support including full liaison with the hotel or venue, registration, creation of information packs, arranging and coordinating AV, transportation, activities, merchandise, branding and printed materials.

Donna Hodges – Managing Director

Lucie Battenti – Senior Events Manager

Looking Forward

Four

months out of lockdown,

we speak to Butlin's Head of Conferences and Events, Nick Tipper, to take a look at how venues are moving forward.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has hit the events industry hardest. Being the first to close and the last to open has left many event venues in a difficult position of trying to maximise revenue while keeping expenditure down. While lockdown restrictions eased, the stops and starts on the road to recovery left many event organisers hesitant to make large bookings, putting venues in a precarious situation. Now, four months on, event venues are beginning to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

“Our business is predominantly a leisure business, so we were fortunate that we continued to operate after restrictions were reduced for our leisure guests,” said Butlin’s Head of Conferences and Events, Nick Tipper. “That wasn’t the case for many venues. We were operating at around 60% of our normal capacity. In July, we were able to return to full capacity. However, what lockdown meant for the conferencing and events side of our business is that we had to put a pause on that completely. Many venues were completely shut down and weren’t able to operate. We just stopped that side but continued to operate for our holiday makers, giving some people some much needed family time.”

The pandemic has created problems which both venues and the industry at large are still facing: “I was at The Meetings Show and spoke to quite a number of different organisers and agents who have been working with venues, just to get an insight into where the industry currently is. One of the big challenges they’ve been having is around recruitment.” As many events professionals lost their livelihood during the pandemic, they found it necessary to leave the industry to find work in other sectors and haven’t come back post-lockdown. This has left some venues in a position that even if there is an interest in holding large events at

their facilities, they are challenged to find the staff to accommodate the booking.

However, things aren’t all doom and gloom. With the vast majority of those living in the UK now double vaccinated, and more willing to attend larger events, many venues are feeling more confident to offer services that they haven’t yet reopened post-lockdown: “Obviously, we’re back at full capacity now for our general business,” Nick told us. “And recently we’ve just re-launched the conference and events side of things. We have three resorts, with Skegness as our northern flagship. All of our venues can accommodate anywhere between five and 400 delegates. We have a new agency called Front who are supporting us, so we have a new creative approach.”

What’s more, event bookings seem to be returning to their pre-pandemic levels, with Butlin's reporting that while it’s too early to say if the types of events and the aspects they contain are the same as they were before the pandemic, it’s seeing similar levels of enquiries as before, with bookings for as many as 400 delegates.

While a holiday resort might seem to some an unusual place to hold an event, there are a lot of advantages to these kinds of venues: “In the current circumstance where many organisers aren’t wanting to take delegates abroad, we’re a really viable UK venue, and we have the advantage of having everything

site as our accommodation facilities, which is really convenient for both delegates and event planners. We’re feeling really confident as we move into the new year that we’re able to offer some really good conferencing.”

It may be an uphill struggle, but venues are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

under one roof. All of our event facilities are on the same

IndustryOpinion Stepping Up

Since taking the helm of the Meetings Industry Association (mia) in 2004, I have always held an underlying passion for business meetings and events. Whether for the people, their skills and relentless passion, or for the sector’s mindset of constant improvement and the progression of its standards. The evolution over the course of the last 17 years leaves me feeling both immensely proud and, in all honesty, accomplished.

Included within my tenure as the mia’s Chief Executive is, of course, the sector’s response to the pandemic, which, while it will forever be recognised as one of our darkest times, only embodies the spirit of the industry and the sheer determination and dynamism of its people.

While I can’t say I’ll look back with fond memories of those times, and we are not yet fully in the clear. I will forever be grateful and inspired by the sheer effort and perseverance that has got us to a point

Striking an equilibrium between business as usual and the wide-ranging effects of the pandemic has been a tough balancing act for agencies and venues in the UK business events, meetings and accommodation industry.

Now is the time to reset customers’ expectations that we are an industry in recovery. It is a perfect storm of Brexit and COVID recovery as global supply chain issues and staff shortages continue to affect many businesses in our sector. With the recent petrol crisis, for example, we all witnessed the widespread impact a shortage of drivers can have across the economy, with events included. All our resources – financial, human, food and beverage supplies – are under pressure.

of recovery. Although I will be stepping down in November, I will very much still be involved with the industry and the mia as a Non-Executive Director and look forward to supporting the delivery of its new and exciting 18-month strategy.

Whether providing government with a deeper understanding of the industry’s needs, performance, and economic position, or delivering first-class resources to reinforce sector standards, under new CEO, Kerrin MacPhie’s leadership, the mia will remain committed to playing a proactive, hands-on role in supporting the future of organisations across the entire events landscape.

In addition to driving standards, providing education, support and stability, this will also include a focus on maintaining and utilising government relations that have further successfully evolved throughout the course of the pandemic. As a result, I’m delighted that the Minister for Tourism, Nigel

Back to Reality

HBAA Consultant Executive Director Juliet Price, believes customer expectations must be realigned with our reality while recruitment is a major issue.

Recruitment remains a major issue that needs fixing fast. While we can switch catering menus and adjust prices here and there, there is no simple alternative when we are missing many front-line service and operations staff, both in venues and agencies, and the shortages are at multiple skill levels, too. The shortfall has been caused by a high number of redundancies. Many of those on furlough did not wait around to see if they still had a job at end of the scheme. Understandably, they got new roles elsewhere, new careers even, often outside the industry in new sectors that are perceived as offering more job security.

Many business owners are having to upskill their teams and retrain staff from other departments to fill gaps in their workforce.

With the announcement that Jane Longhurst will step down as Chief Executive of The Meetings Industry Association in November following 17 years in the post, the industry spearhead herself looks ahead to the future of the business meetings and events sector as it begins its recovery.

Huddleston, will be opening our upcoming Ignite conference on 4th November 2021.

To equip the sector with foresight to navigate the ongoing evolution of the industry, we felt it was essential to focus on the ways in which organisations can fuel their recovery. Following Nigel Huddleston’s address, a series of pioneering futurists will take to the stage to reveal how venues can attract more bookings, understand the latest consumer needs, forecasted recovery scenarios and the future of wide-ranging event elements, from sustainability and people, to the future of foodservice.

In what will be one of my final events serving as Chief Executive, I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with faces old and new, as we finally begin to straighten back the path to better business.

Mia-uk.org

Everyone is doing their best to deliver, with sales staff working in housekeeping and serving at events to cover the gaps. The government’s Kickstart Scheme has helped, but it will take time to yield results. For now, customer expectations must be realigned with our reality. It has never been more important to be transparent, optimistic, yet realistic.

One and Only

If you’re organising an event, you’ll no doubt be looking for a venue that’s a little out of the ordinary. The UK is awash with extraordinary and quirky spaces making fantastic backdrops to all kinds of different events, from smaller intimate parties to large-scale corporate events for thousands.

The right venue can elevate an event from run-of-the-mill to an experience that delegates will remember forever. Event organisers often aim to switch up the pace and find venues that will really stand out from the crowd. With so many venues out there, each one claiming a different USP to the rest, what is it that makes a venue truly unique?

Looking Good

The appearance of a venue is vital to the delegate experience – it is the first impression that attendees will get of the event. Arriving at a venue which has some flair sets a far different tone for the event than arriving at a regular conference centre. A unique appearance also gives delegates something to talk about as an icebreaker. Many conference delegates will spend a lot of time in meeting rooms and exhibition halls that all look the same, so any visual change of pace will be a welcome one.

Adapting to Survive

A venue that can truly adapt itself to your event is a rare find. Paul Sparks, Director of Sales and Marketing at Newark Showground, said: “The versatility of our venue is what makes us different. We don’t offer a hotel experience or a standard conferencing experience but will flex to the customer’s requirements. Most venues require you to work within their confines. What we do which makes us unique is we ask our clients to tell us about their event and then we work our infrastructure around that.” This flexibility allows event organisers to have control over the particulars of an event and improves delegate experience.

Adding Excitement

Many unique venues are often centred around specialist activities which set them apart from the crowd as destinations in their own right. Conference facilities which also

offer activities for teambuilding purposes abound, think distillery, surfing or even cooking. Having a stress-relieving activity is a great way to ensure that your event doesn’t feel monotonous and will have attendees thinking fondly of it far in the future.

Making History

With I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here back in Wales this year, there has been a sharp rise of historical buildings being made available for private bookings. Events can take place in castles, stately homes, and even crumbling ruins. A venue with a rich history adds flavour to any event and gives delegates something to make small talk about. Not only do historical venues have a colourful past to delight your attendees, they’re also gorgeous and add atmosphere to your experience.

Put On a Show

A venue with a particular showpiece, such as a striking landmark, feature, or some claim to fame gives event organisers something to centre décor around and is something to flaunt on invitations, possibly boosting attendance. A unique feature that makes the jaw drop is likely to stick in your delegates minds for years to come and make your event an occasion to remember.

NEWARK SHOWGROUND

CULZEAN CASTLE, SCOTLAND

THE CUTLERS HALL

Passing the Buck

As vaccine passports have been mandated in Scotland and Wales –with England on the fence – in a bid to avoid winter closures, we outline what's expected of venues and organisers when it comes to adhering to government guidance, and discover how the industry is responding.

It has been a rocky few months for NHS vaccine passports in the UK, with the nations divided as to their implementation, and venues and events organisers having widely criticised the scheme for being “unworkable”. In England, Health Secretary Sajid Javid kicked off the government flip-flop when he announced back in July that businesses and large events would be “encouraged” to use the NHS COVID Pass in “high risk settings”.

The government initially stated that this might become mandatory if “sufficient measures” were not taken to limit infection, but soon after announced that high risk settings would be required to use the pass from the end of September and that a negative test would no longer be sufficient for entry. Yet come September the government u-turned again, stating that “mandatory vaccine-only certification will not be implemented taking into account the latest data on the state of the epidemic.” It will, however, be kept in reserve and vaccine-only passports might be introduced if pressure on the NHS becomes unsustainable over the winter, in preference to closing venues.

Upon launching consultations, some further details have been released. Testing would not be included and COVID passports would be mandated in: “all nightclubs; indoor, crowded settings with 500 or more attendees where those attendees are likely to be in close proximity to people from other households, such as music venues or large receptions; outdoor, crowded settings with 4,000 or more attendees where those attendees are likely to be in close proximity to people from other households, such as outdoor festivals; and any settings with 10,000 or more attendees, such as large sports and music stadia.” Communal worship settings, wedding ceremonies, funerals and other commemorative events, protests and mass participation sporting events will be exempt.

The plan does not, however, state how many venues it expects to be included, or set out what it estimates the costs might be to venues, with leaked modelling from

the government’s review into certification revealing that costs could be high. Some venues expressed opposition to the initial July plan, but the autumn and winter plan states that so far more than 200 events and venues have made voluntary use of certification and the NHS Covid Pass as a condition of entry.

The autumn and winter plan suggests that the aim would be to reduce transmission, stating: “There is good evidence to suggest certification will have a beneficial impact on infection rates.” Yet, it is unclear why, in that case, test results would be excluded. The internal government review, released in July, recommended against the wider use of COVID passports, maintaining that while there would be a public health benefit, it was judged that the burden – particularly on those who have not yet been offered a full course of vaccination and would therefore require repeated testing – would be too significant. But it did state that COVID passports “could provide a means of keeping events going and businesses open if the country is facing a difficult situation in autumn or winter.”

The Scottish and Welsh governments however, have since both mandated COVID passports more widely, in Scotland from 1st October and in Wales from 11th October. Both nations will require them for unseated indoor events with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor events with more than 4,000 people and any event with more than 10,000 people. In Wales a negative test result will also be accepted, but the Scottish scheme will only allow proof of vaccination.

Where vaccine certification is required, venues and event organisers need to ensure there is a reasonable system for restricting entry and will have needed to develop a compliance plan by 18th October, outlining measures in place to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. While the Scottish government offers a Covid Check app, the industry has expressed concerned about the financial burden falling to venues and organisers to provide the necessary staff and technology required to enforce the scheme.

With 280,000 QR codes having been downloaded during the scheme’s opening weekend, the Scottish government said the new vaccine passport app is functioning well. Yet with widespread reports of bugs and confusion reigning, the Night Time Industries Association described the implementation “a shambles". Sights of venues having to turn those away who were suffering issues with the app or unsure of the steps required, proved yet another hammerblow to venues struggling to return to preCOVID capacity.

Commenting on this creeping introduction of vaccine passports across the UK, Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality reflected a widely-held industry scepticism: “A scheme introducing mandatory COVID passports for certain venues and events will be unworkable, cause conflict between staff and customers and will force business to deal with complex equality rules. Operators may even be forced into a position where they have to let unvaccinated staff go, at a time when there are record levels of staff shortages across the industry.

“The hospitality sector has invested heavily to ensure customers are safe and we have proved venues are COVID secure. Introducing a scheme such as this will be a hammer blow to businesses that were closed by the government for nearly 18 months, and have only recently been able to trade viably and make progress toward rebuilding and paying off accrued debts.

“Over the past year our sector has been devastated and businesses have only known forced closure or the most severe restrictions. This policy will be devastating for businesses that remain fragile and will certainly derail recovery and cost thousands of jobs.”

While good intentions undoubtedly lay at the scheme’s heart, it appears the legal and financial burden has fallen to a struggling industry to enforce it at a time when resources are tight, and event attendance low, with little government support. Whether vaccine passports become the norm for events going forward, only time will tell.

IndustryOpinion

Going Viral

Jonny Ross, founder of Fleek Marketing offers his top digital marketing tips to help promote your events and get your brand standing out.

Video

Was the last video you created to promote your event in landscape format? Start considering vertical videos. Think about it, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube Shorts and Instagram all prefer vertical video. It's what users are getting used to, with research showing that on Facebook, vertical video is the most used and most engaging format! While we’re on the subject, are you looking to easily and quickly add subtitles? Well, check out this great little app: Getsubly.com

Podcasts

With the wealth of industry podcasts emerging, I bet many of you have thought about giving podcasting a try for yourself. It’s a great way to get your brand out there and more achievable than you’d think.

As the first real conference we’ve had since July 2019, and following an incredible 20 months of world-changing events, there’s going to be a lot to learn and talk about. The theme of this year’s conference is Disruption: The New Norm, placing the emphasis on understanding how to deal with uncertainty and rapid change – and how to make a success of it. Given the current circumstances, this is an urgent task.

I am extending you this invitation with the promise that this won’t be ‘just another conference.’ The whole industry is at a significant juncture right now, and business

Captivate.fm made it so easy for me – I’m now in the middle of editing my 43rd edition! Captivate integrates with Apple, Spotify and all your other favourite pod platforms to help you create and distribute unlimited podcasts, get advanced analytics, monetise and promote in one simple, easy-to-use dashboard.

SEO

Want your Wordpress site to rank higher on Google to attract clients? Okay, cards on the table – these plugins are only as good as the user, and I find them quite prescriptive, so don’t worry about getting green ticks on everything! But is Yoast old hat and should you be moving to Rankmath.com? From what I can see, it has superior functionality, more integrations, and advanced schema roll outs.

Vacancies

Do you ever advertise for job vacancies in your team? Well, you can improve the job seeking experience by adding JobPosting structured data to your web pages, which makes your job postings eligible to appear in a special user experience in Google Search results. Head to Developers.google.com/ search/docs/advanced/structured-data/ job-posting to find out more.

For more tips, check out The Jonny Ross Audio Experience podcast

Dealing with Disruption

The Association of Event Venues Director Rachel Parker announces the organisation’s November conference, aiming to give members the tools they need to face the new normal.

as usual isn’t on the menu. Our board chair Max Bull will welcome delegates to a full conference programme which will include the keynote address by Chris Paton, MD of performance coaching agency Quirk Solutions. Paton will open the conference exploring the unchartered territory of disruption; the perfect guide given his incredible experience. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines and advisor to the Cabinet and National Security Council on the Afghan strategy, he is an expert in planning in fluid situations, strategy, planning, change management, and how to implement change effectively.

A raft of professionals will take part in panel sessions discussing sustainability – the race to net zero and recruiting and retaining talent in a post-pandemic world. Solo sessions will dive deeper into the forthcoming

Commonwealth Games and offer an update surrounding the government’s antiterrorism legislation Protect Duty to help keep our events safe.

The last 18 months have sorely tested venues, and we need to find different ways of operating in an evolving environment. Our conference aims to equip delegates with the knowledge and inspiration to not only deal with disruption and uncertainty but to embrace it as part of their strategy. As our first full conference since before the pandemic, this year will also be an opportunity for all our members to meet each other in person again, something I know many are looking forward to.

Aev.org.uk

Sustainability is not just a buzz word for us, here at Wyboston Lakes Resort, we take our responsibility towards the environment and the e ect our business has on it very seriously.

We o er outstanding meeting and event facilities with two dedicated venues. With 403 bedrooms and 56 meeting rooms, the Resort o ers a huge range of spaces for showcases, product launches, events, training and Expo’s. Proudly independent, fiercely creative and driven by a conscience. Perfectly placed too with excellent road and rail links.

What are you thinking?

sales@wybostonlakes.co.uk www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

Greener Pastures

Celia

Gaze, Owner

of pastoral venue The Wellbeing Farm, talks mental health, sustainability, and ethical business practices.

Just outside Bolton sits The Wellbeing Farm, a versatile venue in Edgworth known as a popular wedding venue, but recently owner Celia Gaze has expanded the venue’s flexibility to include corporate event and team building facilities.

Before she was tying bowties onto llamas Celia worked in a high-powered NHS job, a stressful position which led to a condition many event profs are familiar with: burnout. After leaving this position Celia considered what it was she wanted to do next, and the answer came from a run-down farm owned by her partner. Attracted to a new challenge that took her back to basics Celia decided to dedicate her time to bringing this farm back to life, creating The Wellbeing Farm.

The farm is able to accommodate corporate parties and events with its signature rustic flair and a focus on wellbeing, as the name might suggest. Containing six separate spaces, The Wellbeing Farm has a place to suit any occasion. The Events Barn seats up to 180 delegates and can hold 300 standing and is full of natural light and ventilation. For more modest events, the Wheatsheaf Barn can seat 42 and has gorgeous views of the local countryside. Both barns have a separate bar space and there is also an outdoor pavilion and a snug onsite.

Celia has a passion for sustainability and is aiming to make sure she runs her business in the most sustainable way possible: “I’ve produced a whole website dedicated to sustainability here” Celia said. “We’ve taken all of the sustainable development goals and we’re making sure that we’re doing something for every single one of them.”

The roof of The Wellbeing Farm’s main event space is made out of three recycled army parachutes, not that you’d ever know from the look of it, while all food waste from the farm is processed into biofuel.

Far from pinning herself down to one issue, Celia is also aiming to improve the working lifestyle of hospitality employees after she worked a stint as a chef while she was unable to find anyone to fill the position postlockdown: “From that experience I realised how hard it was to be working in a kitchen. The stress and pressure I was under during that time was immense.” Celia decided to do something to raise awareness for and aid chefs who were struggling under the pressures of long days in a stressful environment, and became an ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project.

The Burnt Chef Project is a non-profit social enterprise committed to eradicating mental health stigma within the hospitality and events industry: “It’s a cause that since

discovering, I’ve been very passionate about,” Celia said. “Research shows that eight out of 10 hospitality professionals report having experienced at least one mental health issue during their career. Never has there been a more challenging time for people working in hospitality. The pressures of the industry at the centre of coping with delivery delays, staff and food shortages and wider pressures are putting even more strain on everyone’s wellbeing.”

Being so committed to ethical and sustainable business practices, it’s no surprise that The Wellbeing Farm is working towards becoming B Corp accredited. B Corp’s ethos is using business as a vehicle to improve the planet, staff conditions of employment and the local economy. Organisations who are certified as B Corp have to meet rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit, and a business run for the betterment of it’s employees, the industry in general, and the environment.

To book The Wellbeing Farm for your event visit Wellbeingcorporate.co.uk

For further information about these important initiatives visit Theburntchefproject.com and Bcorporation.uk

North in Brief

UK Launches New Travel System

Further hope for international business and events travel came as the UK introduced new, simplified travel regulations. Under the new regulations countries are now filtered into one of two categories, red or not.

The new rules also mean that fully-vaccinated passengers and under 18s returning from countries not on the red list will not need to take a pre-departure test, day eight test or enter a 10-day isolation period.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said: “We are accelerating towards a future where travel continues to reopen safely and remains open for good and the rule changes are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector. Our priority remains to protect public health but, with more than eight in 10 people now fully vaccinated, we are able to take these steps to lower the cost of testing and help the sector to continue in its recovery.”

Later in October, fully vaccinated passengers with an approved vaccine and recognised certificate travelling from a non-red list country, will be able to replace their day two test with a cheaper lateral flow test. Recognised vaccines are Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

Isla Announces New Advisory Board Members

The event industry body for sustainability, isla has welcomed a new advisory board who will guide the community for the next 12 months. It has appointed Carina Filek, global Chief Operations Officer at Elevate, Saskya Liney, Account Director at emc3 and Charlie Hepburn, Client Strategy at Identity.

Liney said she was thrilled to be a part of the isla advisory board, adding: “the goal is to make sustainability in the events industry the norm, and I hope we can use the industry as a catalyst for a bigger change in the world, helping event professionals address wider global issues around sustainability and climate change.”

With COP26 just around the corner, isla co-founder, Anna Abdelnoor added how important it is that Charlie Hepburn from Identity, the agency delivering the sustainability conference, is on the advisory board. She said: “Identity has delivered G7 and are in the process of delivering COP26. The rigorous sustainability parameters and reporting associated with this global gathering set Identity in excellent stead to really understand the complexities of climate issues within events.”

Hepburn explained that sustainability can no longer be an add-on or afterthought. “Economic, social and environmental sustainability is not a competition in today’s business environment, it must be a deeply rooted policy that is weaved into every aspect of working life.”

New Survey Highlights Importance of Food

45% of all event feedback is focused on food and beverage, according to a new survey by Lime Venue Portfolio. The survey, part of the Beyond Food Report, questioned event organisers from throughout the industry.

Jo Austin, Sales Director, Lime Venue Portfolio, said: “The survey didn’t ask if the feedback was positive or negative, but what it does show is that food is universal, it’s something everyone is happy to have an opinion on, and something that, if we get right, can have huge bearing on the quality of the event. It very much depends on the event, but the survey proves that food is both a big outlay and also one that attracts the attention of the delegate. That’s why we

need to get it absolutely right, and make sure it contributes to the event objectives, beyond just feeding the delegates."

Within the Beyond Food Report, the survey also established the importance of food within event production. It found that, in a preCOVID year, the majority of events would spend between 30% to 40% of the event budget on food, with some events spending over 70%.

Renowned Scottish Venue Hosts 250th Anniversary

InterContinental Edinburgh The George has partnered with Scottish Opera to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott with a special balcony performance of Spargi D'amaro Pianto from Lucia di Lammermoor, an opera based on Scott’s historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor. The performance was held on the anniversary of Scott’s death, and features Scottish Opera’s emerging artist, soprano Catriona Clark, and will be accompanied by pianist Toby Hession.

The hotel boasts a historical connection to Scotland’s beloved Sir Walter Scott and was originally a collection of five prestigious townhouses. James Ferrier and his family lived at Number 25, with many literary links including Sir Walter Scott, who was also a wellknown friend of novelist Susan Ferrier and was regularly entertained at the family home.

Kieran Quinn, Hotel General Manager InterContinental Edinburgh

The George said: “It is hugely exciting to host Scottish Opera at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, both to support the launch of Scottish Opera’s Sweet Sounds in Wild Places as well as commemorate Sir Walter Scott. This world-class performance is not only a nod to Sir Walter Scott, who had a personal connection to this historical building, but also highlights that InterContinental Edinburgh The George is open, following the many challenges faced by the hospitality industry.”

Report Reveals Renewed Hunger for In-person Events

According to the Cvent 2021 Planner Sourcing Report: Europe Edition, 80% of event planners across the UK and Europe are currently sourcing in-person events. Of those planners, 81% are sourcing for events to take place in 2021, and 63% are sourcing for events to take place next year.

The results suggest the industry is ready to meet in-person as planners become more confident about hosting live events. Almost half of respondents said that they are organising hybrid events.

When asked what venue offerings would most influence their venue sourcing decision for their in-person events, 30% cited hybridready meeting space and studios and 29% listed on-site production and technology expertise.

Seaham Hall Appoints New General Manager

Carlo Lulianella has been given the position of General Manager at the luxury five-star hotel, Seaham Hall. Bringing almost 20 years of hospitality experience to the role, Carlo has joined Seaham Hall following six years at Oddfellows Hotels, a pair of design-led boutique hotels, where he most recently held the position of Hotel Manager in their Greater Manchester property. Prior to this, Carlo enjoyed seven years at The Chester Grosvenor Hotel, where he was appointed as Food & Beverage Director in 2012.

Seaham Hall’s Managing Director, Ross Grieve, says: “I’m thrilled to welcome Carlo to the team as General Manager, and to benefit from his industry knowledge and skillset. After what has been an incredibly challenging time for both us and the industry, we’ve enjoyed a strong summer; it’s now onwards and upwards for Seaham Hall. Carlo will be by my side to drive the business forward and to create more wonderful and memorable experiences for our guests. Having worked with Carlo for many years, I know that he will bring a dynamic approach and innovative thinking to the hotel.”

The Path Less Travelled

With travel restrictions ever-changing, many event profs are opting to hold events at destinations in the UK, rather than travel abroad. Scotland’s NC500 route holds a wealth of unique events venues and team building ideas for organisers to consider.

Scotland is renowned for its breath-taking scenery and natural beauty, UK tourists have been exploring the north of Scotland as an alternative to travelling abroad and the popularity of routes such as the NC500 has seen increased footfall in the area. As well as its stunning scenery and history, the north of Scotland also holds some truly impressive event and team building venues.

The Black Isle

Despite its name, the Black Isle is neither black, nor an island. It’s actually a peninsula located in the north of Scotland, just above Inverness. The region is famous for its locally crafted food and drink – it’s a craft beer enthusiasts dreamland. World-renowned food and drink aren’t all this peninsula has to offer; it is also the best place in Scotland to go dolphin watching.

The Black Isle is also home to Newhall Mains, an incredible venue which was renovated from nearly derelict condition using traditional materials. Previously a working farm, the venue is how a hotel and event space which can hold 150 delegates. It even offers an exclusive package which allows you to take over the whole estate for your event.

Caithness

Caithness is located in the north-east of Scotland and contains the most northernly point of mainland Britain, Dunnett Head, as well as the most northernly village, John O’Groats. The vast wide-open landscape of Caithness is also known as the flow-lands and is one of the most archeologically rich sites in the world. The north coast offers a view out on to the rugged waters of the Pentland Firth, the towering sea stacks dotting the coastline, and the majestic sea birds that make them their home.

Nethercliffe Hotel, built in 1824, sits in the centre of Wick, just one mile from the airport. Containing a function room able to seat 60 delegates theatre-style, Nethercliffe Hotel is ideal for smaller conferences. The hotel can provide a range of catering options to suit any budget or dietary requirements, and both hot and cold buffets are available. Nethercliffe Hotel is perfect for an intimate event surrounded by classic Scottish charm.

Easter Ross

This region sits on the east coast of Scotland and is touted as the most romantic part of the route. Easter Ross is full

ALL IMAGES: PAUL STONE

of Pict history and amazing views alike. The coastline is home to herds of seals, which can be seen basking along the shore, as well as beautiful highland wilderness and forestry inland. The Pictish Trail winds through the area, allowing travellers to discover the ancient beauty of the Pict sculptures dotted through the region.

If you’re looking to wow your attendees then consider holding an event in Mansfield Castle, which sits in Easter Ross. Nothing makes the jaw drop quite like the grandeur of a castle, and Mansfield Castle offers day and overnight delegate rates for up to 30 delegates, and can offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and two course evening meal catering options, among other services.

Inverness-shire

As the name might suggest, Inverness-shire contains the cultural hub of Inverness, a lively city known for its culture. In the city you can try Scottish cuisine, check out the city’s live music scene, or take a stroll along the river. Inverness Castle sits on the edge of the city and overlooks the River Ness. While most of the castle is closed to the public, the ground and the viewing tower are open and offer incredible 360-degree views of Inverness.

The area is perfect for team building days. Activities include mountain biking over the amazing scenery, to water sports or even becoming a whisky connoisseur.

Eden Court is the main theatre and entertainment venue for the Highlands of Scotland and boasts a magnificent riverside setting in the heart of Inverness. Only 20 minutes from Inverness Airport the venue offers several different seating options including two theatres, a cinema, two studios, and seven boardrooms, and is currently taking bookings for April 2022.

Sutherland

Sutherland makes up the largest part of the NC500 and is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who travels there. Known as Europe’s last great wilderness, the north-west of Sutherland is a vast area of unspoilt mountain ranges and natural landscapes. The peaks of Suilven, Ben More, Foinaven and Arkle offer suitable challenges for budding mountain climbers, not to mention spectacular views for those who ascend.

The Tongue Hotel is a former sporting lodge nestled within the village of Tongue on the north coast of the stunning Scottish highlands. Overlooking the beautiful landscape of Sutherland, this venue sure to impress. With 19 rooms and a restaurant and bar, Tongue hotel is available for exclusive hire for corporate events.

Wester Ross

Lochs hidden in hills, mist-shrouded mountains, and magical white sand beaches, Wester Ross has it all. The region has a huge network of paths, making it an ideal place to stop for avid walkers, and those who want to get out and about in nature. The many lochs of Wester Ross make it an ideal place for fishing, salmon and sea trout being the main catch in the area, while freshwater mussels can be found in the fast-flowing rivers of the region.

If you’re looking for venue off the beaten track then Letterewe Estate is perfect. The estate is only accessible by private launch from the estate pier on the south side of the loch, making arrival a truly memorable experience. The lodge contains a games area with snooker table, atmospheric dining room with panelled ceiling and log fire perfect for meetings, farmhouse kitchen with flagstone floor and aga, and a library with open fire to retreat post-business. The space can hold 19 delegates and offers a cosy atmosphere for an event away from the city bustle.

Continued on page 50

After 17 years working in the industry, Leedsbased Audioserv has grown to be one of the finest audio service providers in Yorkshire.

Run by husband and wife Marianne Springham and Pete Rollinson, along with a core team of experienced audio technicians, Audioserv provides specialist services with the aim to deliver stunning audio to customers 24/7. Whether it’s an event in need of sound and lights or a venue needing a new system installation or repair, the expert team is on hand to help.

Audioserv offers maintenance packages to ensure systems work as they should for as long as possible, giving venues a new lease of life. The team also supports customers with noise issues, helping them to keep the neighbours happy.

The Leeds-based company provides events of any size with equipment and engineers

to make sure they run smoothly. Its systems include the immense Funktion-One, Kv2, EAW, and Turbosound, bringing audiences the best experience an audio system can offer.

To find out more call 0113 240 7986 or visit Audioserv.co.uk

Food Sorcery cookery school offers event planners a creative menu of team building and corporate dining opportunities

Food Sorcery is a cookery school and foodie event space specialising in cookery classes, private dining, corporate events and team building. Adjacent to Didsbury’s Waterside Hotel, the school offers an intimate venue available for exclusive hire for groups of up to 40; its south Manchester location offering convenient motorway access and plenty of free parking.

The room is naturally lit, and has three distinct areas, making it incredibly versatile for any event. With views over the river from the balcony, it’s the perfect location for a teambuilding event, incentive dinner or delegate reception, and the school offers a team of professional chefs, baristas, and mixologists to assist as required.

Ditch the conventional meal and have fun with colleagues, preparing your own restaurant inspired menus alongside expert chefs. While if you’re looking to improve productivity and motivation, its corporate away days aren’t your average team building experience. Chefs will guide teams as they get creative in the kitchen, tailoring the event to meet the needs of the individual business, focusing on topics from leadership development to workplace wellness. If you need to get work done or unwind postevent, conference facilities and a spa, pool and gym facilities are available on-site.

Whether you’re seeking to give your guests a learning experience or let the chefs do all the cooking, Food Sorcery offers innovative solutions for event planners.

For more information, email mark@foodsorcery.co.uk, call 0161 706 0505, or visit Foodsorcery.co.uk

Are you scoping out venues for yourself? If so, venue finding partner Kontact Events offers some pro tips…

Uncertainty

This is the number one objection we face when planning events right now. My tip here is flexibility. Ask your venues and suppliers if they have a COVID clause and get something written into the terms and conditions. Be flexible with them too.

Comfort Levels

A lot of my clients are coming across the difficulty of managing different comfort levels. Think about implementing a colourcoded lanyard system (or similar) so that people can self-select and show other guests their comfort levels at the event. Green = happy to hug. Red = I’m socially distancing, thank you very much!

Managing Expectations

We’re up against shorter deadlines, as well as staff and supply shortages. Patience is needed and you might even be chased by decision makers. If you’re doing it alone, let them know there might be delays, and always be prepared to chase yourself –organisation is required now more than ever!

I hope that helps, and I’m sure you’ll rock it! But if you’d rather have someone in your corner supporting you, or if you’d like to discuss 2022 and beyond, Kontact Chloe.

Kontact-events.co.uk

Bridget Baker Consulting helps venues level up with strategic advice that makes things happen.

Business advisor Bridget Baker formed her consultancy in January 2006, with 30 years’ experience under her belt advising the hospitality and events industry. Working across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, the consultancy conducts market demand and financial feasibility studies for hotels, conference centres, unique venues and other leisure related projects.

Whether you’re seeking funding for an existing venture or require guidance on planning for a brand-new venue, Bridget and her team offer strategic advice to build on your successes – or operational reviews – to manage those downturns. Well-versed in navigating the workings of local authorities, they boast a track record of making successful bids for the wealth of Levelling Up and Future High Street funding currently available.

With an array of leading venue and event clients around the UK, from The Sage Gateshead to Silverstone, event profs will undoubtedly recognise the recent high-profile openings Bridget helped to champion, including the new 12,000 capacity at eastside rooms Birmingham and INNSiDE by Melia Liverpool.

Bridget is tapped into the industry, and continues to be a leading commentator in her field as a fellow of HOSPA and a former elected board member of the Meetings Industry Association: “I don’t write reports that gather dust on a shelf,” says Bridget. “They make things happen – creating a wealth of opportunities that help to create jobs for our sector.”

bridgetbaker.co.uk

Continued from page 46

Brexit paperwork has also presented suppliers with further bureaucratic headaches, with new checks adding costs, complexity and delays to event supply chains, while COVID has placed additional pressure on supply lines globally. As a result, commodity and transport costs are rising for suppliers, and are understandably being passed on through higher prices to event clients, (to the extent that firms are reporting seven-fold rises in shipping costs). While changes in the level of demand for certain products – for instance computer and AV equipment with the boom in home working and virtual events – are also driving shortages and subsequently prices of key components. A prime example is the lack of microchips, with the virus having temporarily shut down key Asian ports and factories, making it tougher for manufacturers to meet soaring global demand.

In a recent survey of leading UK business groups, The Office for National Statistics shows that EU trade has plummeted since the end of the Brexit transition period, with the hospitality sector particularly badly affected. Small firms have been disproportionately hit, with some choosing to not trade with the EU in any capacity, with the looming introduction of a range of new checks on goods moving across the border.

However the government has chosen to further delay these, citing concerns about trader readiness in light of the pandemic, while also indefinitely postponing the introduction of checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. While these delays may potentially ease pressure in the short term, they provide little certainty for the future.

To counter the rising prices and delays of overseas goods, the industry has been forced to build its resilience by establishing local supply lines. With the decline in UK manufacturing, it can be a challenge to buy British, but making the effort can pay dividends. From reducing the air miles of your produce and equipment to play your part in the campaign towards net zero events, to supporting local jobs and contributing to your regional economy, it’s a positive step towards showing your brand cares.

The winter months could also bring a rise in virus case numbers, resulting in more staff absences through illness or self-isolation, subsequently posing further disruption to supply chains. Following the summer pingdemic, many hospitality firms have embarked on a recruitment drive, growing personnel to increase their resilience to future absences.

Events industry bodies have long been campaigning for recruitment issues to be addressed, as HBAA Executive Director Juliet Price maintains: “HBAA has been highlighting for many years that the UK’s reputation for high quality service in the meetings and events sector was in danger unless the imminent shortage of trained staff was addressed. The perfect storm of Brexit, pandemic-induced redundancies, COVIDrelated absenteeism, and a lack of income during previous lockdowns is creating a harsh reality for our industry.”

It is tough to predict if supply chain difficulties will worsen in the coming months. The hospitality sector has already raised concerns about how well the sector will cope with the additional demands of the busy Christmas period for events, and it remains to be seen if lasting damage has been caused to supply chains. Yet the ingenuity of our trusted industry suppliers who have remained steadfast in delivering essential services to our sector is surely to be commended. Those events firms who take vital steps to increase the resilience of their supply chains, may just help them weather the storm ahead.

RSVP

Gerard Lennox of Xitagy tells us how software innovations can add value by seamlessly managing delegate invitations.

The effects of the pandemic are easing but not yet over. Things are getting better for event venues, but they are not the same and probably won’t be for a long time. In the corporate sector, many clients and staff are reluctant to travel. For many multinational operations, the cost, time, and loss of productivity involved in travel are being reviewed. Especially as companies get used to remote working, Zoom calls and online meetings. This leads to smaller events or even no event at all.

But it is not all bad news. Human beings still love to get together, especially informally around the bar.

This means that in-person business events are not dead – just different. In the corporate events sector, there is a growing trend towards holding smaller, more focused events. This should be good news for the venues that were often overlooked simply because they could not host 300 or more delegates.

With the advent of hybrid events for conferences, sales conventions, and awards ceremonies, there are many more opportunities for the smaller, but perfectly formed, event spaces. But how can they stand out from the crowd? Easy – make your life much simpler when it comes to managing invitations, RSVPs and accommodation requirements.

Many venues have in-house event planners who help with room layout or catering. What the venue staff don’t do is manage the guest invitations and responses. This administration is often given to a PA or a junior marketing executive who has to manage it along with their normal day job.

By offering easy to use, innovate software, venues can provide, at little cost, access to an online tool that takes away most of the hassle

for you, the event organiser. As an example, the Guest Management System from Xitagy is easily configured to match clients’ brand guidelines. Simple to use email templates can be adapted to send their invitations; their guests simply RSVP online which gives real-time reporting and follow-ups.

The organiser uses the venue’s system to send different invitations to different groups of people. As an example, some people may be invited to a pre-conference meeting and dinner with the majority of people just coming for the conference. Simple but friendly client branded screens can capture all sorts of information like the names of plus-ones, as well as dietary and access requirements. Some invitees could be offered overnight accommodation and some not. Accommodation shoulder nights can be managed along with airport and train transfers.

Nearer the date, the organiser uses the system to allocate grades of accommodation to different guests and can even manage the seating plan. The days of the constantly changing rooming list spreadsheet are numbered.

There are some great reasons for venues to consider this software, and, as a planner, you can encourage venues you work with to add the software into packages for a small extra cost, making your life so much easier. If your venue has taken the big step to become corporate and hybrid event friendly, this is an easy way to really stand out from the crowd.

Gerard has been working with venues and event organisers for many years. He specialises in the application of technology to solve real world event problems. To see what he has done for others, head to Xitagy.com

On Your Marks

Debbie is the CEO of multi-award-winning event decor company Qube Events & Productions. Having executed exceptional bespoke weddings and corporate events throughout her 23-year long career, Debbie continues to bring together creative talents that include floristry, prop design, set building, AV, event planning and Christmas decor, earning the firm the accolade of Best Event Venue Stylists in the UK.

In March 2020, the world of celebrations and events changed forever. The doors closed on a world that I’d been a part of for over 23 years. I always told myself that I was in a safe industry – people are always going to get married, throw parties and celebrate business success. They are life events after all!

I could have never foreseen what we were about to embark on. It was like someone had turned off my oxygen supply. "What's going to happen now", I thought?

18 months on, one of the most challenging and incredible years of my life took place. My business survived and thankfully all my family are well, and my wonderful team and I are back out planning, designing and creating events again. The past year has definitely taught me some huge lessons, the main one being to slow down and enjoy life.

Debbie Marks of the Qube Decor Group tells H&E North about overcoming the challenges of the pandemic and reveals the launch of an exciting new brand.

I’m not great at this, as I’m always working at a million miles an hour, however I’ve definitely learnt that if I’m going to spend my time creating extraordinary experiences for my clients, then I 100% have to lead by example, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.

My day usually begins at 6am, with a gym session or walk to start the morning with a clear head. I’m a strong believer of using positive affirmations to give me a motivational boost. I never have two days the same, but as a whole, I split my week to work on the different aspects of my business. This could be supporting our events team, site visits, design consultations (lots of them!) and working on our live events.

Recently this has come to include creating marketing strategies and designing new product ranges for Qube Luxe, my lockdown startup, offering ‘luxury decor in a box’. Immersing myself in the world of e-commerce has been a huge learning curve for me, but this is my way of bringing my designs and creations to the world and helping as many people as possible create extraordinary memories.

I’m constantly learning and developing myself, so my week usually consists of some kind of training where I’m a participant. But these days it's often me doing the mentoring, with the launch of the Luxury Event Business Hub which I started during lockdown, where I support and mentor other events businesses to grow and scale into the luxury events market.

As you can see, I can keep myself busy and that’s why having a good work life balance is now more important than ever. Over the past few months, I’ve been working hard to

make sure that I have the most incredible support team around me. We have the inimitable Kim Drinkall now heading up Qube Events, our luxury decor company. Kim has been with the company for nearly 10 years and I couldn’t be prouder to have her leading our events team, which includes Steven Newall, Nicole Kennedy and Emma Wallace who has recently joined us from Lancashire Cricket Club, as well as our 12-strong staff of amazing individuals.

I'd also like to give a special shout-out to Georgia Sinclair, who undertook an internship with us as part of her Events Management degree at the Leeds Beckett University, and I'm now proud to say has joined the team as a full-time member of staff.

I’ve been working hard to bring everything together under one roof, and this is where the launch of Debbie Marks, the brand, comes into play. An exciting move for 2021 and beyond, the Debbie Marks brand is all about ‘extraordinary living’ and making the most out of life's most special celebrations. This now encompasses Debbie Marks Events – a dedicated events agency for my most elite clients planning luxurious creative weddings, parties and corporate events (decor facilitated by the Qube Decor Group of course!).

The industry has changed forever postCOVID. No more boring events, parties or dinners; we’re now living in an experiential world where our clients want more. They want to experience the extraordinary, and that’s exactly what I’m on a mission to do.

You can visit Debbie’s new website at Debbie-marks.com or reach out to her at debbie@debbie-marks.com. Follow on instagram @debbiesmarks

• All of our stages are sustainable, running on solar batteries for up to 8

• All stages can be set up in around an hour, requiring no time-consuming build on-site and making us a great option for when time is of the essence.

• We have a well-stocked warehouse should you require backline/DJ equipment etc.

• Designed and manufactured in-house, the stages come with lighting, PA and sound system built in so you don't need to worry about the essential extras.

• Unlike other suppliers, our stages arrive in one vehicle, with one crew member. This cuts our carbon footprint even further.

Stars of the Screen

Win big screen hire for the day worth £2,000, courtesy of mobile screen and AV production specialist LEDhouse.

LEDhouse is the home of LED screens and AV production. Specialising in supplying various forms of display to events across the UK, it offers a turnkey installation service with a free no-obligation quotation. Its wide range includes the latest, highestresolution products, plus creative solutions like flexi-screen to fit the tightest of spaces. Combined with media servers and control systems which can be linked to lighting and sound triggers, the team can create an amazing visual experience.

Whether discussing your needs over the phone, or by seeing the technology live in action at its central London showroom, the knowledgeable sales division can advise you on the best possible solution for a temporary or permanent installation. Whether it’s a sports stadium, shopping centre or advertising billboard, the team will visit your site and provide you with a detailed proposal of what is possible, alongside

training in use of the software to operate the screen as well as ongoing maintenance and support packages.

LEDhouse offers a flexible and rapid setup screen hire solution. These screens are available at a lower cost than its fixed screens, with setup taking as little as 30 minutes to get a screen up and a picture

displaying. Using the latest technology, technicians and installation specialists are on-hand to help enhance your event. These large indoor and outdoor mobile LED screens are ideal for sports events, exhibitions, launches and conferences, coming in a wide range of models to suit your events and space.

Every hire includes a site inspection and strategy meeting, where its team plan for all scenarios, plus the guarantee its technical crew will always be on-site for any troubleshooting. Priding itself in its attention to detail in planning and operation, you can be assured getting LEDhouse involved will impress delegates with its high impact tech and impress organisers with its smooth delivery.

For more information call 0203 808 6917 or visit Ledhouse.tech

The T7 is a handy mobile unit with a screen measuring 3.5m by 2m. Perfect for any occasion, it comes complete with speakers and the ability to be controlled remotely from the control centre.

COMPETITION

For your chance to win one-day hire of a T7 mobile screen, simply answer the following question…

Where is LEDhouse’s showroom located?

Enter online at Hospitalityandeventsnorth. com/competitions/or by post to JLife Ltd,

Unit 7, Gemini Business Park, Sheepscar Way, Leeds, LS7 3JB. Please ensure your entry includes your name, address, daytime telephone number and email address. The winners will be randomly selected on the closing date: 26th November 2021.

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

North in Brief

Newark Showground Hosts Huge Team Building Challenge

In September, after 18 months of virtual meetings and home working, Newark Showground hosted two days of team building challenges for Nimble Media, who brought together 800 delegates from the rail and logistics industries to celebrate and showcase diversity within those industries.

Gender-balanced teams from diverse backgrounds took part in an array of physically and mentally demanding challenges – from Build a Scarecrow and Haka to It’s a Knockout – promoting the business benefits of fostering a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture.

Teams of 10 competed for awards such as Collaborative Teamwork, Best Team Name (won by a A Team Called Thales), Look Beyond the Obvious and Bring on the Beans, as well as the coveted Team of The Year.

The organiser commented: “At the fourth attempt at going live following three postponed dates, it was fabulous to see real 3D people again. We are delighted with how well the events ran and the support Newark Showground’s team provided throughout the build-up and delivery of both Big Diversity events was amazing.”

Redeveloped Hilton Birmingham Metropole Announces New General Manager

Hilton Birmingham Metropole has announced the appointment of Nicola Underhill as the new General Manager. The venue, which is the UK’s largest conference hotel outside of London, will unveil a multimillion-pound refurbishment in January 2022. The refurbishments include updated conference spaces and three exciting new restaurants and bars.

“I am absolutely delighted and feel honoured to have been brought on board during such a significant time for

this landmark hotel,” said Nicola. “Having followed Hilton Birmingham Metropole’s journey closely throughout my career, I am thrilled to now make my own impact within the property and on its legacy within the events industry. The reputation of this hotel is intrinsically linked to the people, and I’m looking forward to leading our highly experienced team to realise our ambitious plans and to expand on our already strong foundations.”

Millennium Point Unveils Christmas Party Packages

Massive midlands venue Millennium Point has unveiled its glitzy Christmas party packages based on the glamour of Hollywood. The venue has two different package options: The Dinner Dance package, and the Hollywood Film Package. The packages are open to businesses with up to 200 employees throughout November and December.

The Dinner Dance Party package includes a three-course meal of festive foods, followed by live music from a DJ, all taking place next to the venue’s 39ft Christmas tree. The Hollywood Film Party package allows delegates to walk the red carpet and take pictures at a stylish photo wall, before taking a seat in the venue’s 354-seater theatre to enjoy a festive film screening of their choice. Christmas classics such as Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone and even Die Hard, are all available to watch on the big screen.

CHS Birmingham Agrees Partnership with West Midlands Growth Company

CHS Birmingham has secured a partnership with the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), an investment and tourism promotion agency. As part of the agreement WMGC will support the show’s hosted buyer programme, accommodation hub and welcome reception, and provide hosting for media at the event.

Steve Knight, Senior Business Tourism Manager at WMGC, said: “This is a real legacy opportunity for Birmingham and the West Midlands, and an event which we want to see grow here.

“The city is an established, natural home for meetings and conferences, with a strong events heritage and a very exciting future. Birmingham deserves its own exhibition, and we look forward to supporting CHS to deliver an amazing experience for

delegates, during both the show and the Meetings and Events Industry Week.”

Major Midlands Hotel Reports Phenomenal Weekend

Coombe Abbey, in Warwickshire, hosted 14 events including private dining, lunches, family celebrations and medieval banquets along with two weddings in the first week of September. The hotel reports that it is seeing bookings and staffing requirements returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Ron Terry, Operations Director at Coombe Abbey Park, said: “We had an exceptionally busy weekend clearly showing business and staffing levels are beginning to return to some form of normality post-lockdown.

“On Friday we had a lunch for 385, a wedding for 95, three private dining events, 120 afternoon teas in the restaurant, 90 diners in the restaurant and a full hotel. On Saturday there was a wedding for 250, a birthday party for 80, five private dining events, a medieval banquet for 130 and another full hotel; while on Sunday we hosted a buffet lunch for 50, two diamond anniversary parties, served 123 afternoon teas and 98 bedrooms booked. It is unbelievable. We are a million miles from where we thought we would be.”

Robin Hood Promoted Nottingham Events Industry at The Meetings Show

Meet in Nottingham teamed up with fictional Nottinghamshire icon Robin Hood at The Meetings Show to forge new connections and bring more events to Nottingham in 2022 and beyond. The aim of the bureau is to help event organisers to find and book venues in the region.

Robert Dixon, Chief Executive of Marketing Nottingham, said: “The events and conferences sector is a very important one for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, with overnight stays by business travellers bringing an estimated £471 million to the local economy each year pre-COVID. This sector has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, so as the economy starts to open up and we adapt to the ‘new normal’, attendance at flagship trade shows such as The Meetings Show provide the opportunity for us to position Nottingham as a key destination for conferences, getting our city in front of events organisers from all over the world.”

1 More Than 2 Brewery

South Tynesides only brewery and taproom. Free venue hire available with catering and music if required. Contact us for more information, and remember: don’t lick anything! chris@1morethan2brew.co.uk | 1morethan2brew.co.uk

Beanu Chocolate

Beanu Chocolate has been awarded 3 awards at the Great Taste 2021 as well as a brand new partnership to supply The Grand Hotel Birmingham. beanuchocolate.com

Decor Event Equipment Hire

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

952 212 | info@decor-event-equipment-hire.co.uk decor-event-equipment-hire.co.uk

Insideout Events

Insideout Events is a UK based exhibition stand design and build supplier working at events on a global scale.

With an office in Redditch, only 20 minutes away from the Birmingham NEC, and Manchester, we have a 18 year reputation in the events industry. For more information, see our website.

01527 517 111 | gemma@insideout.eu.com www.insideout.events

Opposite Birmingham’s New Street station, offering over 2000 square metres of flexible space, The BCEC is the perfect choice for your next meeting or event! 0121 634 6211 | meetings@hibirmingham.co.uk thebcec.co.uk

We create bespoke flower arrangements that perfectly match their surroundings to compliment and provide a real wow factor to any event, corporate or otherwise.

822 8900 | info@victoriaflowers.co.uk victoriaflowers.co.uk

with H&EN for as little as £55+VAT! Contact Adam Freedman for more information.