Insight: Issue 92 (18 May)

Buckle up Event Profs

It’s time to take a ride in the veritable roller coaster that is the topsy-turvy world of events news. In this week’s bonanza, we have:

SEC hosts COP26 president Alok Sharma for six month anniversary event; National Programme provides boost for Scottish events; EICC secures nearly 20 large events; SEC invests in talent across conference division; NEC Group bounces back with first tri-venue campaign; Thousands of kilos of used coffee grounds from events to fuel biomass boilers.

Hang tight y’all….

SEC hosts COP26 president Alok Sharma for six month anniversary event

Six months on from COP26, Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC) was delighted to welcome back COP president, The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, as he hosted an event with SEC chief executive Peter Duthie. The event marked six months since the end of the COP26 UN climate change conference and the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact.

Sharma set out his vision for the second half of the UK’s COP presidency as well as updated on progress since COP26 and priorities in the lead up to COP27.

He said, “Every country must respond to the call to revisit and strengthen their nationally determined contribution (NDC). And they must do so in 2022. The Glasgow Climate Pact calls on countries to look again at their NDCs, not at some vague point in the future, but this year, in 2022.”

SEC Chief Executive Peter Duthie said,”For many organisations in Glasgow and throughout Scotland, hosting COP26 acted as a real catalyst to amplify or accelerate sustainability action. Today’s speech from Mr Sharma has only reaffirmed the urgency for us to act at pace.

“We want to leave a lasting legacy for the SEC by changing behaviour, practices and process, reducing our impact on the environment and ensuring the SEC as a venue that delivers sustainable events.”

SEC Invests in talent across Conference Division

The SEC are also happy to announce new investment in its conference division, with the announcement of three internal promotions, as well as the recruitment of two further members across its sales and marketing teams.

“As we move forward with our focus for the coming years, it is exciting to be expanding and reshaping the team to reflect how the conference and meetings market is evolving,” commented Kathleen Warden, Director of Conference Sales. “Our people have always been our greatest asset, and it is critical that we nurture and develop our talent. Stephanie, Jennifer, Ritchie, Katrina, and Jess bring a unique and special combination of expertise and energy that will augment and build on the successful conference sales team that we have here at the SEC.”

National Programme provides boost for Scottish events

The recovery of Scotland’s Events Industry continues, with EventScotland awarding more than £740,000 of funding from its National Events Programme to 65 live events.

Among the live sporting and cultural events to receive support are much-loved regulars including Fringe by the Sea, East Neuk Festival, Youth Beatz and Tiree Music Festival, as well as a bunch of exciting newcomers such as Wildwood, Out East and UK National BMX Series.

Culture Minister Neil Gray said,”It’s Great to see many of the mainstays in the cultural calendar back with live programmes and events across Scotland during the Summer of 2022. I’m also delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to support this programme with just over £740,000 in funding.”

More Government funding, more great events, more fun, more good times and more exposure for our beloved industry. It’s a yes from us.

EICC secures nearly 20 large events

More great news for the Scottish Events Industry, as Edinburgh’s EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) has announced a raft of conference wins that will bring thousands of delegates and provide millions of pounds of economic benefit in the next year.

Nearly 20 events will cover sectors including medicine and life sciences, technology and engineering, and finance and legal.

Marshall Dallas, EICC Chief Executive, said, ”The hard work of our team, in tandem with various city partners, has helped to secure this impressive line-up next year. We have a mix of returning and first-time conferences, ranging across a number of industry sectors that have been a strong fit for the EICC over the years.

It’s great news for the venue, and great news for Edinburgh.”

NEC Group bounces back with first tri-venue campaign

The NEC Group is launching an ‘Event Space Hoppers’ campaign for agencies this May, as the events industry ‘bounces back’ from the pandemic (see what they did there?)

For the first time ever, the ICC Birmingham, the NEC Birmingham and Vox Conference Venue will be featured together in a playful campaign to highlight the potential for clients to ‘hop’ between the three venues to suit their event requirements.

Donna Cunningham, NEC Group Conventions sales director, said: “We are in the bounce-back period, with a range of clients returning or coming to us for the first time.

“However, the strategy for us is to look at the spaces we have and how we can best service the client in question. Our ‘one team’ approach does allow us to be more creative in the solutions we can provide, as well as efficiencies for the client.

“We have a regional corporate client moving from the Vox to the ICC Birmingham this summer, and also a national corporate client moving from the ICC to the NEC as their corporate event now demands far greater scale, and with the NEC the possibilities are endless.”

Thousands of kilos of used coffee grounds from events to fuel biomass boilers

And finally, some super sexy sustainability news….by recycling thousands of kilos of coffee grounds, etc.venues’ latest sustainability initiative is now helping to fuel biomass boilers.

The used coffee grounds resulting from many thousands of events each year at the venues are now being processed to create carbon neutral biofuel pellets that are used to power biomass boilers.

Adam Simpson, Director of Marketing at etc.venues said, “Iain Dix, our Director of Property and Projects, who is also responsible for sustainability, and the whole team are continually looking for new ways to reduce waste and be more sustainable. This is a simple change that is helping us to achieve both at the same time.”

If that’s not a good enough excuse to get the coffees in at your next event, we don’t know what is….

As always – #EventsWithUkraine