Insight: Issue 139 | Weds 07 June

Hot topics and sweltering stories

Feeling the heat? Fear not. We’re here to cool you down with a refreshing glass of ice cold events exclusives.

So what have we got this week for ya?: Scottish Cites Flying High in ICCA Rankings; Live Group rebrands; National events strategy would be box office hit for the UK; ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace; The Meetings Show outlines plans to reduce carbon footprint

Scottish Cites Flying High in ICCA Rankings

Caledonia for the win.

Glasgow and Edinburgh have emerged triumphant as the UK’s top event spots after London, according to the latest ICCA rankings. The report landed on May 23rd, declaring Glasgow in 27th position globally, hosting 54 international association meetings, with Edinburgh ranked 30th at 52 meetings. Beating cities like Washington DC, Tokyo, Geneva, Dubai, and Sydney to the top spot, it’s fair to say Scotland’s smashing it big time. These rankings show a renewed demand for face-to-face meetings in the post-pandemic era.

Top job!

Live Group Rebrands

Live Group’s rebrand has dropped. And it’s looking mighty fine…

The fresh new look aims to encompass the agency’s audience-first vision, as well as reflecting its evolution since the company’s beginning way back in ’75.

Explaining that the dot represents a single audience member, Chief Strategy Officer of Live Group, Stephen D Pickett, gives us some more insight into the new branding: “The logo has been designed with softer lines and sense of fluidity to represent that person’s journey as they engage in an experience, such as an event.”

He continues: “The graphic wave-like design you can see on the website is made up of lots of little dots, each one representing an individual member of an audience. The way it flows and looks like it’s in continuous motion – never static – mirrors each individual audience members’ journeys as they navigate through an environment.”

National events strategy would be box office hit for the UK

In a recent article by Exhibition News, UKEVENTS chair, Chris Skeith argues that the events sector is in need of government-set incentives similar to that of UK’s Film and TV industry in order to drive event organisers, promotors, venues, the vast supply chain, and Local Authorities towards a robust and sustainable industry. He retains that we cannot rely on one-off events like the Coronation and Eurovision (however successful) if we want to keep a populated calendar of events.

So how do we do it? By taking a look at the Film and TV biz, Skeith suggests the creation of a co-ordinated national strategy.

The UK Government has provided significant support to the Film and TV Industry, including tax incentives and funding through the Regional Growth Fund. Organisations like the British Film Commission and BFI receive government backing to promote the UK as a prime filming location and assist international productions. The events sector could benefit from a firmer cross-industry approach. The UK Government also established a Film Infrastructure Fund to develop new studios and facilities. Targeted support at the early stages of event planning is crucial for sustainable programming and economic benefits. Referencing the positive impact of government support on the creative industry is essential for future planning.

This is a rallying cry – it’s time for the UK Treasury to get on it!

ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace

It’s time to broach the subject. AI. 

Unfortunately, there’s jobs that are going to be hit the hardest.

Business Insider gives us the lowdown on what experts predict are the top 10 at highest-risk of replacement. Here it goes…

Tech jobs (Coders, computer programmers, software engineers, data analysts)

Media jobs (advertising, content creation, technical writing, journalism)

Legal industry jobs (paralegals, legal assistants)

Market research analysts

Teachers

Finance jobs (Financial analysts, personal financial advisors)

Traders

Graphic designers

Customer service agents

Jump over to the article and check out the whys and wherefores.

The Meetings Show outlines plans to reduce carbon footprint

In collab with strategic sustainability partner isla, The Meetings Show has its sights set on reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and going full on net-zero by 2050.

In order to do this, TMS is harnessing the power of isla’s platform TRACE, a pioneering new service that assists in the measurement and minimising of carbon emissions. Data on travel, waste, catering, and energy will be collected at this year’s show and analysed to inform a comprehensive Event Impact Report.

Various environmentally sound measures have already been put in place for 2023’s show, including the ditching of single-use furniture, the reduction of printed materials, as well as the incorporation of a plant-based menu at the central lounge bar.

Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director of The Meetings Show, TEAMS Europe and Business Travel Show Europe, comments: “We are committed to minimising our environmental impact and promoting sustainability. We recognise that sustainability is a complex topic, and it is through collaboration and knowledge sharing we’ll create meaningful change. With everyone’s support we can make faster progress and so I hope all suppliers and visitors will be forthcoming with relevant data to move forward.”

The Meetings Show 2023 will be held at ExCel London between 28-29 June.

We’ll call it a day for this week y’all.

Check back in with us next week for more tantalising industry gossip.