Insight: Issue 154 | Wed 20 Sept

The Event News World Cup

That’s right, the forwards of all things events news are back – and we’re here with a scrummage full of epic tries, drop kicks and up and unders.

So what are we tackling this week: The mia is set to challenge perspectives at its inaugural summit; VisitBritain showcases business events sector; OVO Hydro Begins 10th Anniversary Season; Business events sector’s importance raised in UK parliament and at reception for ‘ambassadors’; How to digitally safeguard event attendee and vendor data

The mia is set to challenge perspectives at its inaugural summit

Next month, the Meetings Industry Association is hosting its first miaSummit, and it’s all about giving a boost to the business meetings and events scene. Kicking off with an address by Tourism Minister Sir John Whittingdale, attendees eagerly anticipate juicy insight into government support plans. The event’s game changing agenda challenges conventional wisdom by emphasising the need for an entrepreneurial mindset and reducing reliance on emails for improved customer service. The summit will also dive into issues like sustainability, economic conditions, Martyn’s Law, intergenerational diversity, serving up some useful industry know-how along the way.

Mia’s Chief exec Kerrin MacPhie comments: “Listening to the feedback from our ongoing industry engagement, we’ve carefully curated our line-up of expert and thought-provoking speakers to challenge the status quo across all disciplines while delivering what our sector needs to know right now. Delegates will leave with tangible takeaways, which will subsequently be outlined in a post-event report, making it even easier to implement in their own organisations.”

VisitBritain showcases business events sector

The UK’s national tourism tour de force, VisitBritain, recently held its debut ‘Ambassador Reception’, paying homage to city sector and academic ambassadors who bring in international business events to Britain. The big event at the Institute of Directors united 50 attendees, including British representatives, city ambassadors, industry stakeholders, and officials from the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport. Kicking off proceedings, British Tourist Authority top dog Nick de Bois CBE and Minister of State Sir John Whittingdale emphasised the crucial role of ambassadors in securing business events and their bolstering economic and social impact.

Nick de Bois gave his two cents on the significance of the event: “It is important that we come together to recognise the enormous value of our world leading business events sector and the critical role our cities and ambassadors play in bringing new events to Britain. The sector not only drives visitors and investment to Britain but also facilitates innovation, expands our business sectors and shares thought leadership on global issues.”

OVO Hydro Begins 10th Anniversary Season

Glasgow’s own Scottish Event Campus (SEC) marks the 10th birthday of the OVO Hydro with HYDR10, a celebration of the past decade at the arena. It began with a short film projecting top moments onto the exterior, accompanied by Gerry Cinnamon’s ‘Ghost.’ The next month will see the likes of Shania Twain, Busted, and New Order hitting the stage. What’s more, HYDR10 features a special podcast series, a commemorative photo exhibit, and a fan competition. OVO Hydro, formerly known as SSE Hydro, has seen over 10 million visitors through its doors since 2013, and ranks among the world’s busiest venues. Last year, it received ‘A Greener Arena’ certification from A Greener Future.

SEC director of live entertainment Debbie McWilliams said: “As we are poised to reach this milestone, we couldn’t be prouder of the success of the OVO Hydro. It has been an outstanding decade of music, comedy, and sport. The venue has gone from strength to strength, year on year and is firmly placed as world-class in the global entertainment industry.”

Business events sector’s importance raised in UK parliament and at reception for ‘ambassadors’

On the 14 of September, Theresa Villiers MP posed a big question to the Secretary of State for the Department of Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch MP.

Villers lays it on the line: “As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events, can I highlight the huge benefits this sector brings us in terms of promoting trade, exports and inward investment. So, will this department do more to promote the UK worldwide as a great place to bring international events and business meetings and conferences?”

In response, Badenoch replied that Villers had “a very good point. The events industry is often overlooked, and yet it is a great export opportunity. These are some of the things that I’m going to be raising with the Board of Trade, which is meeting next week. And it is about promoting the very best of British internationally and I think that events is one of the areas that we can take a closer look at.”

This was a point that equally stressed by speakers at this month’s ‘Ambassador Reception’, helmed by VisitBritain.

How to digitally safeguard event attendee and vendor data

Large-scale events like trade shows, exhibitions, and conferences handle humungous volumes of sensitive data, including attendee info, payment deets and financial records. Unfortunately, these events often become sitting ducks for cybercriminals on the hunt to exploit this data. Robust digital security is top priority to safeguard attendee and vendor data.

Here’s the thing – events are not immune to cyberattacks, and breaches can jeopardise attendee data, finances, and reputations. To protect against threats, thorough testing of registration and badging systems is crucial. Cyber controls for onsite personnel should be reviewed, and compliance criteria set for vendors.

So what’s essential? Data encryption, limited access, and proactive assessments. Strong authentication measures, including multi-factor authentication and regular updates, further bolster that all important security factor. It’s time to make hay on prioritising cybersecurity, so events can protect sensitive data and maintain trust and reputation.

That’s full time this week events fans.

We’ll see you next week for the next round.