Meeting planners reacted strongly to the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights. Over 40 percent said state abortion legislation would influence site-selection decisions. But Iceberg partner Destinations International has been on a mission to convince groups that travel boycotts simply do not work. From Northstar Meetings Group…
One year since exhibitions returned after the UK’s COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, EN guest editor Phil Soar explores who the true “heroes” of the pandemic have been. He looks in particular at the roles played by venues that became National Health Service “Nightingale” field hospitals, and finds some encouraging causes for hope. From Exhibition News…
Legacy is an accelerator of culture, and events are an excellent catalyst for legacy. In September, VisitBritain launched a new legacy and impact toolkit in partnership with Iceberg partner #MEET4IMPACT. Journalist Mike Fletcher examines the business of legacy planning after the launch of this toolkit. From IBTM…
The seventh edition of GED (Global Exhibitions Day) on 1st June 2022 celebrated the manner exhibitions and face-to-face business events drive the global economy. GED this year focused on facilitating growth and recovery, and was marked by the Messe Frankfurt team during IMEX (pictured), amongst many others. From Exhibition World…
Three German cities are among the top ten destinations chosen for large international meetings, according to new figures in Northstar Meetings Group’s Convention Cities Index. Frankfurt tops the list, with Cologne fifth and Hanover eighth. The update is the third publication of the index, which was launched in 2020. From Association Meetings International…
A new report into the economic impact of business events to the UK’s West Midlands has revealed that delegates spent £2.3 billion in the region in 2019. Around 105,000 meetings took place, contributing 14.5 million delegate days in the West Midlands. 65,000 full-time equivalent posts are supported by the region’s business tourism. Fom Conference News…
Join the your fellow members at the ICCA UK and Ireland chapter meeting. Open to ICCA members.
The NEC Group is to redevelop its Birmingham campus and create 14,000 square metres of new outdoor event space, to be run alongside its other venues on the site. NEC Group said the building work would create around 3,500 local jobs and also a greener and more sustainable campus. From Exhibition News…
A new research report published by Cities Restart called The Importance of International Conferences and Business Events to Restarting City Economies has revealed that spending on international conferences and business events for the UK is estimated to have been worth £19.4 billion in 2019, but following the interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, by 2026 is forecast…
The UK has announced an insurance scheme for events, the government joining with Lloyd’s as a “reinsurer”, to make sure commercial insurers can offer products event planners require. The scheme will support gatherings like music festivals and business events, covering risks of cancellation under any pandemic restrictions. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The UK government’s full Events Research Programme report was finally published following mounting pressure from the industry and MPs. Phase I recorded only 28 COVID-19 cases across nine pilot events with 58,000 participants. The Liverpool business event pilot chosen, Change Business for Good (pictured), saw no transmission cases. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
The World Congress on Railway Research will be taking place at ICC Birmingham, following a global bid process. On behalf of the UK’s rail industry, the RSSB and the University of Birmingham will jointly stage the meeting in June 2022. Birmingham is a key hub across both current and forthcoming railway networks. From Conference News…
Ten well-known UK exhibition organisers have been describing their thought processes and plans for 2021. Several talked about how their teams had risen to the multiple challenges of keeping the lights on and their businesses ticking over. There was also real consensus of opinion about key learnings and outlook going forward. From Exhibition News…
The owner of one of the UK’s largest convention centres is set to make 450 redundancies after reporting “almost zero revenues” due to the coronavirus pandemic. NEC Group, which owns ICC Birmingham and other venues including the National Exhibition Centre, is planning to cut its workforce by 55 percent. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
In an effort to kickstart the market, associations and prominent leaders in the sector have joined together to create and support UKickstart Event 2020 in September. The multi-hub free-to-attend live and virtual event is the first big national face-to-face gathering of meeting professionals since lockdown. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Venue managers across the UK have welcomed the announcement that business events are to resume this autumn, subject to the successful outcome of pilot events. The ACC Liverpool Group, ExCeL London and the NEC in Birmingham are among those responding. From Association Meetings International…
The UK’s Conservative Party will be hosting its annual conference at Birmingham in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The event has alternated between ICC Birmingham and Manchester Central since 2008. Both used to be Labour heartlands, which shows the legacies that come from targeting a specific destination. From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…
ExCeL London has become an emergency hospital, called NHS Nightingale, with the conference and exhibition centre being put into service to treat the expected surge in coronavirus patients. Other UK venues are also being prepared as ancillary hospitals: Birmingham’s NEC, Manchester Central and Glasgow’s SEC Centre. From Association Meetings International…
It has ancient academic powerhouses with adjacent knowledge clusters like Oxford and Cambridge. It has the meetings-friendly pairing of Newcastle and Gateshead in the North, not to mention Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and of course London. England’s expertise is making it a world-class meeting destination. Photo: VisitBritain / Guy Richardson. From Boardroom…
Conference Aston Head Samantha Brown explains how the industry can meet the needs of all delegates through a new approach to venue accessibility. Delegates with sight, hearing and some lesser-known impairments need just as much consideration as attendees with restricted mobility. The value of proper training should never be underestimated. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Associations Congress UK 2019 saw the event’s highest-ever association attendance drawn to Birmingham’s ICC for two days of education, engagement and entertainment. This included sessions on strategy, events, membership and education, followed by an awards lunch. From Association Meetings International…
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