Insight: Issue 123 | Wed 15 Feb

This week’s industry lowdown

You’re in for a treat live event news fans, because this week we’re hitting you up with more award-winning words than Harry Styles himself. Kick back and tune into some seriously toe-tapping tales, melodious musings and hit-worthy headlines.

This weeks jam packed setlist includes: UK Think Tank outlines its advocacy activity for events in 2023; NITA Launches Campaign with WHO to Reduce Hearing Loss; What does Whitehall shake-up mean for the exhibitions industry?; What’s Impacting the Meetings & Events Industry?; and, are family-friendly Conferences in Your Future?

UK Think Tank outlines its advocacy activity for events in 2023

In line with its work towards building a policy agenda ahead of the UK General Election, UK Think Tank The TBOA (The Business of Events) has launched an outline of its planned activity for 2023.

In it’s objective to strengthen the UK events sector and bolster its economic potential, The TBOA is employing a strategy of policy, advocacy, content and engagement, bringing together industry leaders with government, policy makers and influencers, as well as public sector organisations and politicians to discuss and generate ideas.

Through a series of online and in-person roundtable discussions with sector stakeholder groups, the TBOE’s new Policy Unit will meet quarterly to discuss strategic issues facing the sector and and internal and external policy initiatives.

The Policy Unit will be divided into five streams:

Creative and transactional agency
Exhibition and trade shows
Professional conference organisers and associations
Destinations
Venues

Using their findings, the Unit then plan to submit a series of reports to an Advisory Council for review; a newly established group formed of a cross section of leading figures from the events sector.

NITA Launches Campaign with WHO to Reduce Hearing Loss

Joining forces with WHO, The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has launched a campaign advocating for safe listening at venues and events.

The campaign named ‘Make Listening Safe’ has been launched with the objective of funding an industry focused training and accreditation scheme in order to do more towards safeguarding employees’ hearing from across the sector, including staff, performers, security and crew.

NTIA CEO Michael Kill discusses the impact the campaign might have:

“Losing the ability to listen to music is inconceivable, especially given that I have based my career on music and night time economy. Thousands of people across our sector suffer from hearing loss, and if we continue to dismiss the wider impacts thousands more will follow.”

“When asked if we would like to work with WHO as part of our wider UK project to educate people on hearing loss and the potential impacts and the methods of protection, we grabbed the opportunity with both hands.”

What does Whitehall shake-up mean for the exhibitions industry?

The events industry is set to be affected by the Prime Minister’s recent appointment of four new government departments. These new departments are: Business and Trade; Energy Security and Net Zero; Science, Innovation and Technology; Culture, Media and Sport.

The dismantling and restructuring means that energy is no longer linked to the business department, a detail that has the industry hoping for more emphasis on business and trade. Through the combining of these two departments, Rishi Sunak aims to “support growth by backing British businesses at home and abroad, promoting investment and championing free trade”, an endeavour which will hopefully have knock on effects for the industry.

Working across the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Business and Trade, Sunak has appointed a new business events minister, Stuart Andrew Chris Skeith. CEO of the Association of Events Organisers comments that this “presents an opportunity for the sector to be placed in a department with a pure ‘business and trade’ remit, and any change brings opportunity as each new or changing department settles on their priorities.”

In other areas, the newly formed Department for Culture, Media and Sport, lead by South East Cambridgeshire MP Lucy Frazer, no longer has a digital remit.

What’s Impacting the Meetings & Events Industry?

Post-pandemic, the meetings and events sector of the travel industry has seen a slower recovery period. Why? Findings released by Global DMC Partners’ Q4 Meetings & Events Pulse Survey showed the driving factor behind it is higher costs.

With soaring operating costs, airfares and the rate of inflation pushing budgets up and up, planners are often choosing to offset costs by hosting events closer to home, or opting for alternative means of transportation.

GDP President and CEO Catherine Chaulet give insight on some of the challenges planners are facing:

“Some survey respondents commented that they are being asked to find savings in order to deliver the best solution for the same budget, while others mentioned that they are now tasked with making budgets that were set over a year ago work in the current climate. Thanks to our far-reaching global network with boots-on-the-ground in nearly every destination, our team is able to help clients alleviate some of these current challenges.”

In better news, the survey found that 66% of planners reported an increase in attendance levels than that of pre-pandemic events. This increase has meant that many planners are putting aside the virtual alternative, and now solely focusing on in-person experience.

Other notable talking points include cancellations and rebooking policies, sustainability and MICE recruitment. Mosey on over to Travel Pulse to catch a glimpse of what’s what.

Are Family-friendly Conferences in Your Future?

The challenge of travelling to international trade shows can take it’s toll on family life. It’s often the case that these shows are three or four days long, leaving partners and guardians to do double duty, juggling work as well as taking care of the kids.

So what’s the solution? The answer may lie in bringing the family with you. If this is the case, Smart Meetings have put together a handy checklist for planners on what to look for from a venue and the benefits it could bring to attendees and their fam.

Here’s a few of our faves:

 – Choose a family-friendly destination: Look at what’s going on in the local area – zoos, theme parks and other family friendly attractions

– Ask about licensed childcare: It could be an idea to ask the hotel if they offer child care, or a list of licensed sitters in the area

– Create a kid’s camp: Art, football, rock-climbing? Kids can learn new skills along side their parents

In short, making sure they are catered for is a win-win, parents can get the education they need as well as enjoying some much needed family time – perhaps a mini holiday.

Well, we’ll call it a day for now.

Sit tight and we’ll rendezvous next week for some more stellar stories from the event game. See you then!