Insight: Issue 144 | Wed 12 July

You cannot be serious!

So Wimbledon’s in full swing, and as the top seed in the game of serving up deucey events goss, we’ve got some aces up our sleeve.

On Centre Court today: Staffing the stage: apprenticeships are ready to grow your business; Las Vegas lights up with dome billed as world’s largest video screen; Your sustainably-minded event gifting and lead-generation solution is here, and it’s not “SWAG”; Eight million visitors enjoy FIX8GROUP’s AV lift experience; “Sustainability becoming a greater priority for planners,” says TBOE

Staffing the stage: apprenticeships are ready to grow your business

In a recent article by Conference News, Richard Waddington, Lead at Event Apprenticeships, talks the business of how we can tackle the ‘chronic skills shortage’ facing the sector by harnessing the power of apprenticeships. He argues that due to the lack of awareness, understanding and investment amongst events head honchos regarding apprenticeships, untapped talent and potential is falling by the wayside.

Here’s a couple of Richard’s key takes:

Changing mindsets and working together

“If we fail to invest in the future, we’ll forever be chasing our own tails. The solution lies in working together and making investments in apprenticeships, fostering a more inclusive and diverse industry.”

Expanding opportunities and retaining talent

“Future apprenticeships can focus on management and leadership training, equipping individuals with the skills needed to run teams and handle strategic responsibilities. This comprehensive approach ensures a continuous pipeline of talent within organisations and throughout the industry.”

 Las Vegas lights up with dome billed as world’s largest video screen

Sphere and loathing in Las Vegas…

The Las Vegas skyline is now home to a colossal animated dome, known as the MSG Sphere. Billed as the world’s largest video screen, the gargantuan structure features a 580,000 sq ft fully programmable LED screen named the Exosphere. During pre-launch testing on the Fourth of July, the screen illuminated with captivating visuals such as a 300ft eyeball, stars and stripes, a moonlit sky, and a spooky Halloween pumpkin. With a construction cost of $2bn and a capacity of more than 18,000 people, the Sphere kicks things off on Sept 29 with U2’s ‘UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere’.

Check it out. It’s massive.

Your sustainability-minded event gifting and lead-generation solution is here, and it’s not “SWAG”

Remember that viral article calling for an end to cheap event swag? Well, it got people thinking – maybe event profs need to be more mindful of the freebies we hand out at events. 

Luckily, there’s a new digital gifting platform on the scene.

That’s where Unwrapit comes in. It’s a handy new way to offer eco-friendly gifts instantly. Event planners can create a personalised and sustainable gift experience that strengthens brand relationships (as well as harnessing valuable data to drive ROI). Recipients have a fun and interactive experience, with an extensive choice of gifts. The best part? No logistical headaches or last-minute troubles. Unwrapit can be used in various ways at events, thanking attendees, engaging speakers, and even as a lead generation tool. Unwrapit is a BCorp and 1% for the Planet member – so get in touch with the Unwrapit cohort and book a demo pronto!

Eight million visitors enjoy FIX8GROUP’s AV Lift Experience

Going up?

Since its launch, more than 8 million lucky punters have enjoyed the uplifting AV experience of Edinburgh’s St James Quarter shopping centre’s elev8 installation. The FIX8Group designed lifts showcase a stunning 33.1 million pixels, making for a pretty impressive total of over 65 trillion pixels over the past two years. Displaying marketing videos, 2D animations, audio experiences, and fully immersive 3D worlds, the pioneering tech is the ideal way to promo the centre’s huge range of facilities (including 80,000sqm of retail space and over 30 restaurants). With content easily updated, this new bit of elev8 kit is could well be a game changer for shopping centres, hotels, cruise ships, and sports stadiums.

“Sustainability becoming a greater priority for planners” says TBOE

The Business of Events (TBOE) just dropped its 2023 International Planner Sentiment Report, giving us some precious info into what event buyers in the UK, Europe and North America are prioritising when selecting a venue or destination. The report shows that throughout 2022, sentiments have stayed pretty steady, but skills, equity, and sustainability are getting more attention this year – and they’re only increasing in importance.

We’ll run through a couple of key highlights:

• ‘Sustainability is tracking on average 1.5 points higher across all regions, although remains lower within the North American market.’
• ‘North American planners again regard safety and security the highest importance of all three regions compared to 2022, ranking it 10, although the UK is tracking higher, perhaps due to the debate surrounding the forthcoming Protect Duty legislation in the UK’
• ‘Cost and value for money remain high across all buyer markets’

Speaking on sustainability, Martin Fullard of TBOE said: “Sustainability is tracking 1.5 points higher in all regions than in 2022, although North America is lagging behind the UK and Europe. Although, safety and security is ranked far higher among US planners.”

That’s game, set and match for this week.

Swing by next week and engage in some more news worthy antics.