Insight: Issue 146 | Wed 26 July

Events Newsenheimer

In the week where Barbie & Ken went toe to toe with the man who invented the Atomic Bomb, theres been a whole lot of industry gossip that’s defo worth catching up on.

So what’s going on?: Manchester Central increase 21% on previous quarter; VisitBritain joins The Business of Events Think Tank; Hotels and meeting venues are “accelerating” sustainability efforts; Eventit and Catch The Mice release ‘The State of the Industry Report 2023’; and MCI Group publishes 2022 Sustainability Report.

Manchester Central increase 21% on previous quarter

Manchester Central smashed it in the quarter between April – June 2023, with over 139,000 visitors attending 38 events, marking a 20.6% rise from the previous quarter and 39,000 more than 2022. And that’s not all – the venue bolstered the Greater Manchester economy by a whopping £47m during this period, up £8.8m compared to last year.

But here’s the rub. While large-scale events like BIBA Conference and DTX Technology Conference boosted hotel occupancies, spend per delegate decreased by £3 to £14 due to the cost of living crisis and economic uncertainties.

The venue’s CEO, Shaun Hinds, said: “The past quarter has re-established our importance to the city-region’s economic growth. We continue to move through the remainder of the year with a strong financial bottom line, providing us with confidence despite the current economic climate.”

Top job, R’kid!

VisitBritain joins The Business of Events Think Tank

VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency, has joined forces with TBOE as an official partner for its 2023 program, building on their already five-year strong collab. With a focus on demonstrating that business events offer more than just economic growth, VisitBritain also houses The Business Events Growth Programme, which aids over 150 events in 19 cities across the UK, giving a hand to sectors like technology, creative services, and medical and life sciences.

Paul Black, head honcho of Business Events at VisitBritain, said: “VisitBritain’s partnership with The Business of Events is a vital opportunity to further shine a spotlight on the dynamic and evolving business events sector, raising awareness of its enormous economic and societal contribution as well as its desire to drive change. The Business of Events has provided invaluable research which has had huge significance on our sector, working alongside key senior leaders and our nations to impact the future of the Business Events industry.”

Hotels and meeting venues are “accelerating” sustainability efforts

Smashing news! Environmental sustainability boffins Greengage Solutions have made some nifty finds through their recent analysis of searches conducted on their ECOsmart database. Lucky for us in the events trade, they’ve put together a handy list of key trends – trends that point towards the acceleration of sustainability efforts by hotels and meetings venues in response to overwhelming customer demand.

Here’s a wee breakdown of what they found:

1. Over 80% of ECOsmart venues are monitoring energy and water usage, aiming to reduce consumption while maintaining customer satisfaction.

2. With 17% of vehicles now electric, Greenage has recorded a significant increase in enquires for venues with 20+ EV chargers. In a bid to offset costs, venues are entering into partnerships with EV charger providers.

3. Bookers are choosing venues that prioritise staff welfare and actively contribute to the local community.

4. Venues are promoting customer involvement in sustainability by offering dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, encouraging reusable water bottles, and supporting tree-planting initiatives.

Eventit and Catch The Mice release ‘The State of the Industry Report 2023’

Last Friday, events stalwarts Eventit and Catch The Mice dropped their ‘State of the Industry Report – 2023’; a report chock full of useful info that will help direct and support industry pros in these transformational times for the sector.

The report follows a 9 stop regional roadshow throughout the UK, that brought together more than 250 events profs for cross panel sessions with open discussion about current trends and the challenges facing the sector. The sessions followed Chatham House rules, meaning for a trusted, legally binding environment for sharing personal experiences during and post-pandemic.

The report uses the info garnered throughout the tour to inform handy tips and tricks on how to set about event planning in 2023 and beyond.

Stuart Mitchell, Managing Director of Catch the MICE, speaks on the Eventit collab: “Working with EVENTIT and our sponsor partners has been an absolute pleasure and it’s been enlightening, not only to re-engage with industry colleagues, but also share the challenges and successes that they have experienced over what has been a roller-coaster of a journey in recent years. I was pleasantly surprised and heartened by everyone’s open and honest candour and willingness to share. The regional intimate format worked perfectly, maximising everyone’s time, minimising travel costs and delivering not only education, but also providing vital networking opportunities. We look forward to continuing this journey via our MICEClub.”

MCI Group publishes 2022 Sustainability Report

Way back in 2007, MCI Group became a proud signatory of the UN’s Global Compact, and since then have proven their dedication to people, the planet, and their performance. 2023 marks 15 years of the group’s pursuit of sustainable growth, carbon neutrality, and diversity, forging ahead on their journey to zero by actively contributing through board membership and task forces like Operations and Food & Food Waste. What’s more, the MCI Group achieved ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications, proving their unwavering commitment to Information Security and Data Privacy. MCI Middle East is now ISO 20121 certified for sustainable events management too, following MCI France’s lead.

CEO of the MCI Group, Sebastien Tondeur said: “Being genuinely sustainable isn’t just about making the best possible choices while working with our clients. It’s about ensuring every action we take betters us as a group and enables others to have better opportunities for themselves.”

That’s all for just now

Catch up with us next week for s’more live events tomfoolery.