Incredible Impacts, from Iceberg partners the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA) and BestCities Global Alliance, has awarded three associations which have left legacies of social impact and public engagement with their meetings. This year these covered water, brain health and the health benefits of playing football. From Conference & Meetings World…
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 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…
Manchester’s EventCity conference and exhibition venue has announced its closure and pulled the plans for its new centre. The UK venue had been planning to close and relocate to a new site (pictured). Owners Peel Group however now say EventCity will cease trading completely from March 31st 2021. From Exhibition World…
UK eventprofs have drawn attention to the critical state of the industry by lighting venues and other landmarks across the country in red. ICC Wales participated, and in London workers wore red shirts and lined the entire Southbank from Westminster to Tate Modern, all as part of the “Red Alert” #WeMakeEvents campaign. From Exhibition News…
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…
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…
In 2017 Iceberg partner European Cities Marketing, in partnership with Toposophy, published eight bold statements in The Future of DMOs: The ECM Manifest that set out a vision for what DMOs (destination marketing organisations) could and should become. The final of these statements warned of ‘‘The New Normal’’, a world in which ‘‘crises of every kind have…
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…
The plans for a new UK conference venue close to Manchester Airport have been approved. The updated EventCity venue will be built on the site of former indoor football pitches at TraffordCity leisure park, replacing the existing venue nearby. That will remain in use until its replacement opens next Spring. 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…
Throughout its history, Manchester has played host to many global breakthroughs, including the first stored-program computer and the splitting of the atom. These days it is rising in positioning as a global conference destination, the value of its international association events almost doubling between 2011 and 2017. From Boardroom…
Manchester venue EventCity has just submitted a request to relocate to a new site in TraffordCity. The project aims to bring city centres closer together and to grow business tourism. Marketing Manchester recently announced the goal of increasing tourism by 40 percent, bringing in a further £345 million over five years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
When tourist visitors to a city greatly outnumber the resident population, it’s not hard to understand locals feeling crowded, some to the point of revolt. But is overtourism an issue for the meetings industry? What have selfie-stick wielding hordes that descend seasonally on top destinations have to do with business events? From PCMA…
Manchester Central saw 31 percent growth in exhibition revenue during 2018, thanks to a rise in the total number of shows hosted (37) and a repeat rate of 86 percent from 2017. High-profile new events included The Northern Business Exhibition. Repeat clients included IP EXPO. 2018 also saw investment in new facilities. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
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Fiona launched not for profit Positive Impact in 2005 to provide education and collaboration opportunities to create a sustainable event industry. She was the youngest female to chair an ISO standard when, in 2012, ISO 20121 a management system for event sustainability was created. In 2014 Fiona received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for services to…
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association, organiser of the largest and oldest sector congress in Europe, is moving its event to Manchester from 2021. The bid, secured by Manchester Central in collaboration with Marketing Manchester, is thought to be worth £110 million to the local economy over three years. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…
Marketing Cheshire has partnered with local organisations to deliver a new concept for business events. “Brilliant Science” is promoting the UK as a world leader in the field for international association events looking to make the most of the region’s scientific heritage and venues. Delegates will be offered tours of relevant facilities and attractions. From Boardroom…
The 19th century city landmark and event space Manchester Town Hall has closed as part of a £328m refurbishment. The “Our Town Hall” project will take until 2024 to complete. The iconic venue is Grade I listed, 140 years old, and according to a spokesperson for Manchester City Council, “showing its age”. From Meetpie.com…
The ill-fated speech of British Prime Minister Theresa May may have won the main headline (see Opinions), but the recent Conservative Party Conference is believed to have boosted Manchester’s economy by £30 million. In 2015 business tourism brought in £810 million to Greater Manchester. Business events are estimated directly to support 21,900 local jobs. From Meetpie.com…
Manchester Central is now celebrating ten years since becoming an exhibition and conference centre. The venue’s new CEO Shaun Hinds has clear views on its next decade, in terms of industry disruption, the evolution of meetings and events, extending the conference experience beyond the event itself, and in the use of technology. From the editor’s blog at Meetpie.com…
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