Insight: Issue 135 | Wed 10 May

The King of all Bulletins

We’re back, and after a full weekend of pomp, pageantry and a little Lionel Richie, we’re here to hit you up with the best in events news expose – in all its majesty

What’s in store this week: Captivating drone display at King’s Coronation concert; UK Government publishes draft legislation for Martyn’s Law; VisitScotland Business Events commits to support The Business of Events for fifth consecutive year; Brexit red tape gets thumbs down from UK’s AV industry; Co-Op Live joins European Arenas Association; and has hybrid changed small meetings and events forever?

Captivating drone display at King’s Coronation concert

Here’s one thing you won’t forget about.

As part of the new King’s celebratory coronation concert, a spectacular drone display was projected over the crowds at Windsor Castle on Sunday.

The stunning display was complete with giant whales, owls, rabbits and tigers – what better way to accompany a rousing rendition of Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t you forget about me’?

UK Government publishes draft legislation for Martyn’s Law

The UK Government has published its draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, which aims to outline counter-terrorism activities for events at venues. The bill is in remembrance of 29 year old Martyn Hett, who was sadly killed along with 21 others in the 2017 Manchester Arena attacks.

The draft sets out two tiers for premises: the standard tier, for those with a capacity of 100 or more, which requires ‘low-cost’ activities such as terrorism protection training, and the enhanced tier, for those with a capacity of 800 or more, which mandates more rigorous measures, such as appointing a designated senior officer to review venue security. The bill also introduces a regulator with the power to inspect and enforce the requirements for each tier. Non-compliance penalties range from £10,000 to £18m.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat comments: “This is a significant step forward for Martyn’s Law and our ability to further protect the public. I welcome the committee’s scrutiny to ensure that this legislation is proportionate while enhancing our national security.”

VisitScotland Business Events commits to support The Business of Events for fifth consecutive year

VisitScotland Business Events and TBOE are calling it official.

VisitScotland Business Events has been named as an official partner for The Business of Events’ 2023 programme (the second this week), marking a 5 year stint of continued support for the Policy Unit and Think Tank. Uniting Scotland’s national tourism organisation with TBOE’s huge global reputation cements the country’s status as a perfect destination for meetings and events that drive social and economic change.

With an array of international climate and renewables focused events including the World Energy Council Executive Assembly and COP26 already under its belt, Scotland has recently confirmed hosting duties for the 2026 world Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow.

Speaking on the new collab, Martin Fullard, Director, News & Content, said: “To have the support of VisitScotland Business Events is of critical importance to the work carried out by The Business of Events. The events industry falls under the tourism remit and is therefore a devolved department. Having VisitScotland, and their insight, on board gives us far greater reach across the UK.”

Brexit red tape gets thumbs down from UK’s AV industry

According to the May edition of AV Magazine, the UK’s separation from the EU is continuing to take its toll on the industry.

The mag spoke to AV head honchos including Craig Storey, UK CEO of Lightware Visual Engineering, Ken Morrison, sales director at Sennheiser and Sam Nankivell, director at 2B Heard, who weighed in on the pros – of which there weren’t many – and cons of the consequences of Brexit.

We’ll hit you up with a few key takes.

Storey highlights the potential for new trade agreements: “The UK can now negotiate new trade agreements with non-European countries, which could open up new markets for AV products and services,”

Sennheiser’s Ken Morrison disagrees: “Moreover, getting equipment to the UK in a timely manner to meet deadlines has become more difficult. The additional obstacles and bureaucracy involved may also discourage some European manufacturers from prioritising UK needs, as it is simply more challenging to ship products to the UK than within the EU. Overall, it seems that Brexit has brought more difficulties than benefits to our business and others in the industry.”

Nankivell points out the challenges that have arisen with importation and working in the EU: “Brexit has slowed down importation procedures of goods coming to the UK (such as K-array deliveries) and created over-complicated paperwork. There are big problems for live tours of UK shows within the EU, as the time AV professionals spend on holiday in EU countries is now counted against the three months that we are allowed to work there in a given year.”

Hop on over to avinteractive.com for the full convo.

Co-Op Live joins European Arenas Association

Manchester’s Co-OP Live is the latest venue to join The European Arenas Association’s 37 member strong cohort. With a capacity of 23,500, the UK’s forthcoming largest indoor entertainment venue is the fifth new arena to join the pack since the association realigned its vision back in 2021.

Welcoming its newest member, EAA president Olivier Toth said, “Co-op Live is setting the standard for the modern arena to deliver a safe, sustainable and inclusive entertainment environment for all stakeholders and we are very pleased they are joining us in our efforts to build a better and stronger industry.”

Has hybrid changed small meetings and events forever?

“Covid-19 has forced a radical shift in working habits – mostly for the better.” The Economist

Is this really the case?

Reflecting on a recent sit-down with Adele Garrick, manager of events and thought leadership at Mastercard, and Carla Hallmark-Jones, head of events at NESTA, Adam Simpson, director of marketing and US sales lays down the 5 C’s of Hybrid.

Here’s a quick roundup:

Communication

To address potential communicative issues during meeting, allow15 minutes beforehand the start to test cameras, broadcast signals and sound and use polls at various points, either in person or online, to gauge levels of agreement.

Co-ordination

Hybrid working has made collaboration and diary coordination more difficult. Finding space for meetings is a challenge as companies look to downsize their office space.

Connections

Building professional networks is challenging with limited in-person activities. In-person graduate on-boarding and inductions allow for valuable connections and help with employee retention.

Creativity

In-person problem-solving and brainstorming are much better due to fluid discussions and spontaneity. At etc.venues, dedicated spaces with various layouts have been created to help encourage creative thinking.

Culture

Amazon CEO Jassy believes in-person is crucial for positive company culture. Planners play an essential role in hybrid events conveying culture, requiring senior management buy-in, and appreciating coordination and creativity.

That’s it in a nutshell for this week y’all.

Check back in next time for some more hot-off-the-press industry exclusives.