Insight: Issue 155 | Wed 27 Sept

Heavy rain with a chance of events news

As we eagerly await the arrival of ol’ Stormy Agnes, let’s brolly up and slip into the comfortable anorak of some enthralling events newsery shall we?

So what’s been pouring in: UK’s Diversity Alliance launches ‘Safe Space’ Charter; Global exhibition market forecasted to surpass 2019 levels by 7% next year; VisitBritain expands ‘Future of Events’ educational series; AI: Shaping the Future of Conferences; and five Marketing Strategies to Increase Attendance at Your Next Event.

UK’s Diversity Alliance launches ‘Safe Space’ Charter

The UK’s Diversity Alliance is calling upon event industry leaders to up their inclusivity and safety game through the ‘Safe Space’ Charter, with four key commitments to combat event harassment and discrimination.

Here are the pledges:

1. Establish clear anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies
2. Provide staff training on how to handle reports of harassment and discrimination
3. Promote the policies and reporting procedures publicly at events
4. Commit to continual review and improvement of safe space efforts

Diversity Alliance’s founder, Gabrielle Austen Browne, comments: “As leaders and innovators in the events industry, signatories have an opportunity to take a stand against sexual harassment and discrimination. By signing the charter and committing to the pledges, organisations can publicly commit to creating inclusive events free from harassment and discrimination.”

The alliance is rallying all events orgs to make the pledge, so let’s get signing troops!

Global exhibition market forecasted to surpass 2019 levels by 7% next year

Post-Covid, the exhibitions industry has been undergoing a stellar recovery. Stax’s annual report, Globex 2023, has revealed that the global exhibition market is set to exceed 2019 levels by a 7% by 2024. The company’s latest forecasts signal significant upward trends, reflecting improvements in the wake of the energy crisis, inflation, and recessionary woes. The events biz is now thriving with face-to-face exhibitions, contributing to a brighter outlook, while China ditching it’s zero-Covid policy early also has the makings of rosier times ahead.

Globex 2023 co-editor Athan Siah says: “From a nominal perspective, the exhibition industry is close to where it was before the pandemic. This is also true when we look at organisers’ calendars and the volume of new launches in 2022-23,”

“The next important question pertains to when the majority of shows will recover to their pre-Covid scale. According to our Globex 2023 report, we forecast global NSM volumes to reach 100% of 2019 levels by 2025.”

VisitBritain expands ‘Future of Events’ educational series

Broadening its ‘Future of Events’ educational series, UK tourism top dog VisitBritain has hooked up with pro-social pioneers New Intent to roll out the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway. Making its debut on September 20, the online resource seeks to bolster DEI understanding and integration in workplaces and event planning for British partners. The Pathway offers comprehensive definitions, best practices, and practical guidance to clear the way for positive transformations in event design and organisational culture.

New Intent’s founder, Rory Archibald, says: “Embracing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not just a choice; building a brighter, more inclusive future for our industry and society is necessary. Events that embrace DEI embrace innovation and collaboration and can break down barriers that lead to enriched communities worldwide.”

AI: Shaping the Future of Conferences

Hark. The Conference Buyer’s Guide has landed.

The 2023 edition dropped by EIN last week at the Business Design Centre at an event that corralled industry big wigs together to explore AI’s profound impact on conferences, spanning content, marketing, operations, sales, and data.

Waves Connect’s Matt Coyne kicked off a discussion that saw panelists like Haydn Gush from event marketing agency Tembo spilling the beans on AI’s transformative role in event planning, from agenda curation to creative content generation. What’s more, Josh King of EMC3 shared his AI-driven sales and post-event content experiences and EIN’s Adam Parry delved into AI’s integration into event tech workflows.

However, the panel also addressed its challenges. Gush stressed the importance of mastering AI tools, while King cautioned against copywriting laziness and Parry highlighted global data privacy issues.

It’s clear to everyone that AI will offer endless event possibilities, with the power to automate tasks and enhance audience experience, but it’s important we understand how to harness it properly to leverage its potential effectively.

Download The Conference Buyer’s Guide for more.

Five Marketing Strategies to Increase Attendance at Your Next Event

On the hunt for some marketing strategy know-how?

Good marketing is a game-changer for your event. It fills the seats and is crucial for enhancing attendee experience. Whether it’s creating killer content or harnessing the power of your social channels, there are loads of handy how-to’s out there to make the most of it.

Check out MeetingNet’s 5 key practices for promoting your next event.

1. Create compelling web content
2. Spark conversation on social media
3. Engage speakers in your efforts
4. Circulate content after the event
5. Send out a post-event survey to attendees

Hop on over to the article for the full lowdown.

That’s all from us.

Stay dry and join us next week for more tasty industry tidbits.