Insight: Issue 163 | Wed 29 Nov

Events News a-go-go

Roll up, roll up, it’s time for the greatest and most comprehensive events news round-up this side of the River Clyde….

Leading the line this week, we have: Hopin Events becomes RingCentral Events; Silent Conference Headphones: a game-changer in audience engagement; Live Industry Welcomes Business Rate Relief Extension but Concerns Remain Over VAT; IMEX’s Natasha Richards confirmed as keynote for VisitScotland Business Events’ annual conference; and Huge transparent LED display ‘redefines DOOH’ in Scotland.

Step inside and let’s get started, shall we…

Hopin Events becomes RingCentral Events

RingCentral, a global enterprise cloud communications provider, has transformed Hopin Events into RingCentral Events, offering immersive and personalised international event experiences.

The platform integrates AI-infused capabilities for organisers and attendees, facilitating smarter event experiences. Key features include native registration, analytics, mobile app, check-in, badge printing, lead retrieval, 40+ app and data integrations, custom branded event pages with templates, scaling options, and AI-based features for content creation and organisation.

“The world of events has dramatically changed over the past few years, and businesses have an opportunity to approach events in new and inventive ways that deliver unprecedented levels of engagement,” said Kristen Koenig, head of channel and business partnerships, RingCentral Events.

“RingCentral Events will include AI-infused capabilities to drive smarter event experiences for both organisers and attendees.”

Silent Conference Headphones: a game-changer in audience engagement

Who doesn’t love a silent disco? Well, say hello to their little friend Silent Conferences, which, through their groundbreaking headphone technology, are revolutionising audience engagement at events.

In this fascinating article by Tom Stirling, Silent Conferences’ marketing manager, he highlights the impact of background noise on concentration and information absorption and offers a quietly effective alternative.

Silent Conference headphones provide an immersive listening experience by delivering pristine audio directly to each participant, overcoming issues like sound distortion and limited coverage associated with traditional loudspeakers. They prove effective in multiple settings, such as breakout rooms, trade shows, product demonstrations, and pavilions, offering dedicated channels, clear communication for exhibitors, enhanced product explanations, and immersive audio experiences. The headphones result in increased audience satisfaction, making them a valuable tool for event organizers.

Interested? Find out more here:https://silentconference.com

Live Industry Welcomes Business Rate Relief Extension but Concerns Remain Over VAT

The live events industry has responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, welcoming the extension of the 75% business rates for leisure, hospitality, and retail, but expressing concerns over the absence of a reduction in VAT.

While LIVE, Music Venue Trust, Association of Independent Festivals, and Night Time Industries Association applauded the freeze on business rates, NTIA CEO Michael Kill voiced worry about the impact of the national living wage increase.

However, MVT CEO Mark Davyd said the potential cancellation of this relief presented the possibility of an additional £15 million in pre-profit taxation falling onto a grassroots sector, which has seen more than 100 venues have closed in the last 12 months.

Davyd said, “It was essential to keep this relief in place and we are pleased that our presentations to Treasury were listened to and acknowledged by this outcome. We hope that this further extension into 2025 for this relief will provide the necessary window of opportunity for the government to complete the full review of Business Rates on Grassroots Music Venues which it committed to in January 2019.”

Davyd also welcomed to uplift to minimum wage: “The grassroots sector is notoriously undervalued and underpaid, from the artists performing through all levels of roles and staffing, up to and including the venue operators themselves – in 2022, the average grassroots music venue operator paid themselves £20,400 per annum, delivering 66 hours of work per week at a rate of £6.43 per hour. An uplift to fees and wages across the sector is long overdue. We look forward to working with the Chancellor, HM Treasury and DCMS to identify the necessary funding which can deliver this statutory increase to minimum wage and extend the scope and scale of it so that everyone in the Grassroots Sector can be adequately rewarded for their work.”

IMEX’s Natasha Richards confirmed as keynote for VisitScotland Business Events’ annual conference

VisitScotland Business Events has unveiled the program for its annual conference, “Journey: The Business Events Conversation,” scheduled for December 6, 2023, at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh.

The one-day event aims to connect global business events leaders with Scottish sector representatives, exploring how such events can drive socio-economic change. Keynote speakers include Natasha Richards from IMEX Group discussing the future of the sector, and Anna Abdelnoor, CEO of Isla, leading a session on industry sustainability.

Discussions will cover the role of business events in VisitScotland’s tourism vision, and sessions on transformation and positive impact with Scottish venues, charities, and organisations. The event concludes with a sponsored drinks reception by SITE Scotland.

Neil Brownlee, Head of VisitScotland Business Events, said,“Events such as ‘Journey: The Business Events Conversation’ are crucial to gaining knowledge from those on the front-line and advancing conversations into clear actions to drive forward change. It is also an opportunity for our Scottish partners to hear about the great work undertaken from organisations closer to home and how they can support and get involved with helping our local communities. I am looking forward to hearing from our speakers and to the ideas and conversations that are born from this event.”

Huge transparent LED display ‘redefines DOOH’ in Scotland

And finally, the largest transparent LED display in Scotland, measuring 166 sq metres, has been installed by Pioneer Group and GEM Display at the Omni Centre entertainment complex in Edinburgh.

The centre, which boasts a glass curtain facade, offers a range of activities including a cinema and an escape room. GEM Display is known for its expertise in LED display technology, having previously provided a transparent LED display for the St Stephen’s shopping mall in Hull.

The transparent LED not only delivers clear advertising images, but also enables the Omni Centre to uphold optimal internal lighting levels while offering visitors a view of the outside world.

Stefan Hohmann, GEM Display Media’s chief executive, said Pioneer provided “unparalleled service” and a “remarkable end product”.

Mediabridge, an agency orchestrating an advertising launch for Lotus Cars, described the transparent LED display as “stunning”.

“The project not only achieved our goals, but positioned GEM as a leader in the digital out-of-home media sector,” says Hohmann. “The positive response from stakeholders, measurable results and valuable lessons learned contribute to the overall success of the project, paving the way for GEM’s continued growth and innovation in the industry.”

It’s time to call it a day Folks…

Until next week, be excellent to each other.