EVENTSARE

BRITAIN

A report on the size and value of Britain’s events industry, its characteristics, trends, opportunities and key issues

3

Page

Foreword 4

Executive Summary 5-12

Chapter 1 This is :OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustry 13-30

Chapter 2 Creativity is :TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscape 31-39

Chapter 3 Events are :TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustry 40-42

a) Knowledge is :ConferencesandMeetings 43-65

b) Business is :ExhibitionsandTradeFairs 66-70

c) Adventure is :IncentiveTravelandPerformanceImprovement 71-76

d) Memories are :CorporateHospitalityandCorporateEvents 77-80

e) Culture is :OutdoorEvents 81-83

f) Music is :MusicEventsandFestivals 84-89

g) Sport is :SportingEvents 90-93

h) Technology is :EventsSectorSuppliers 94

Chapter 4 Exporting is :UKTrade&Investment(UKTI) 95-99

Chapter 5 Heritage is :NationalPerspectivesfromEngland, 100-111

NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWales

Chapter 6 Green is :Quality,StandardsandSustainability 112-118

Chapter 7 Education is :Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopment 119-128

Chapter 8 Innovation is :The‘BritainforEvents’Campaign 129-132

Chapter 9 Research is :SourcesofResearchandMarketIntelligence 133-136

ontheBusinessVisitsandEventsSector

Chapter 10 Partnership is :BusinessVisits&EventsPartnership 137-143

ThisreporthasbeencompiledbyTonyRogersConference&EventServices(www.tony-rogers.com)onbehalfoftheBusinessVisits&

EventsPartnership.ItincludescontributionsfrommanyBVEPpartnersandfromorganisationsacrosstheeventssector.

Contents

4

The2012OlympicandParalympic

GamesillustratedBritain’sunrivalled

expertiseinstagingaworldclassevent,

utilisinguniqueskillsininnovation,

creativity,logisticalplanningand

presentation.

The2012GamesshowedoffBritain’s

arrayofuniquevenues,itsiconic

destinations,itsorganisational

strengthsandtheabilitytofusea

sportingeventwithopportunitiesto

highlighttradeandexportopportunities

anddrivetourismactivity.

Britainhasoneofthebestdeveloped

infrastructuresofdestinations,venues

andservicesuppliersintheworld,

offeringadepthoffacilityandexpertise

toensurethesuccessfulstagingof

eventsandaguaranteeofamemorable

experienceforthoseattending

them.Servicingbusinessvisitorsand

deliveringworld-classeventsalso

meansprovidingstimulatingcareers

andemploymentopportunities.Some

530,000peopleareestimatedtobe

workinginthesector.

Thepowerfuloutcomesfromthe2012

Gamesmustnotbeseenassimplya

one-offbenefitofaonce-in-a-lifetime

event.Everyday,throughoutBritain,

meetings,conferences,exhibitions,

tradefairs,outdoorevents,incentive

travelprogrammes,corporate

hospitality,culturalandsportingevents

andfestivalsarebeingheld.Through

theskillsofBritain’seventorganising

companies,someofthehighest-profile

eventsintheworld-frommajor

industrial,political,commercial,medical,

scientificandeducationalconferences

andtradeexhibitionstoleadingedge

motivational,cultural,sportingand

musicevents-aredesignedandstaged.

Britain’seventbusinessesareinhigh

demandtodelivermoretradeand

exports,increaseknowledge,grow

culturalappreciationandenrichthe

visitoreconomy.

Sonowisthetimetobuildonthe

successesandexperiencesof2012,

byfullyrecognisingthecontribution

businessandleisureeventsmaketo

thevitalityofthecountry’seconomy

andtheirpositiveeffectonlocal

communitiesandpeople’slifestyles.

Eventsenhancecommunitycohesion,

swellcivicprideandshapedestination

identitybyprovidingastronglocal

focusandavibrantcommunal

environment.

Thisupdateofthe‘BritainforEvents’

reportonceagainhighlightsthe

scopeandcharacteristicsofthe

sector’svarioussegments.Itidentifies

trends,opportunities,keyissuesand

challengeswhich,ifovercome,will

advanceBritain’spositionastheleading

destinationforworld-classeventsand

thatofitseventbusinessesasthe

leadersinofferingtheirimpressive

servicesaroundtheworld.

ThereportispreparedbytheBusiness

VisitsandEventsPartnership,which

bringstogethertheleadingindustry

organisationstoidentifythebenefitsof

businessandleisureevents,encourage

bestpractice,favourablepoliciesand

newinitiativesthatwilldevelopthe

sector’spotentialinahighlycompetitive

globalmarketplace.Thereportalso

underpinstheworkoftheindustry-wide

‘BritainforEvents’campaign,which

positionsBritainasthedestinationof

choiceforworld-classevents.

EventsinBritainembraceeverypart

ofBritain’seconomyandenhanceits

naturalassets.That’swhythisreport

complementsthegovernment’sGREAT

campaign.Itdemonstratesthatevents

permeateeveryaspectofBritain

commercialandculturallandscape

andunderlinestheGREATcampaign

messagethatBritainisaGREATplace

inwhichtodobusiness,tolearnand

totakepartinGREATbusinessand

culturalexperiences.EventsinBritain

providetheplatformforBritainto

showcaseitselftotheworld.

The2012GamesprovedthatBritainis

ontoawinnerwhenitbacksitsEvents

businesses.Continuedbackingofthese

businesseswillsecureevenmore

medalsforBritain.

Michael Hirst OBE

Chair - Business Visits & Events Partnership

Onto a winner!

Foreword

5

The UK events industry is worth £39.1 billion

Events account for 35% of the UK visitor economy

EventshavesomuchtoofferUKplc.

Theysupporttheindustrialstrategyof

theUKbypositioningBritainasacentre

ofcommerce,attractingcompaniesand

industriestodobusinessinourcountry.

Theyarealsoanever-increasingexport

opportunityastheygrowintonew

territories,creatinginwardinvestment

opportunities,sellingUKskills,expertise

andproductsabroad.

The events industry contributes to exports, inward investment, infrastructure development, cultural appreciation, civic and national pride and community cohesion, to the shaping of destination identity, creative enterprise, innovation, knowledge transfer, professional development, and tourism

Festivals,consumershows,sporting

eventsandotherculturalandmusic

eventsallhelptoanimatedestinations

which,inturn,drivesmoretourism,

morebusinessvisitorsandinvestors,

andstudentswishingtocometothe

UKtostudy.

Asanindustry,eventsleadtothe

employmentofsome530,000people

fromapprenticeshiplevelupwards.They

stimulatethoughtleadershipthrough

thesharingofknowledge,researchand

intelligencethatprogressesscientific

andtechnologicalunderstandingand

innovation.Theyalsobringcommunities

together,whethertheyareunitedby

acommongeography,interest,cause

orbelief.

Finally,eventsattractinternational

audiencestotheUK,whobuyour

productsandservicesand,inmany

cases,returnwiththeirfamiliesboosting

andcomplementingtheUKtourism

industry.

However,inahugelycompetitiveworld

withcompetitionforeventsbusiness

continuallygrowing,itisvitalthatthe

UKcontinuestoshowarealhunger

anddrivetowinevents,andtoensure

that,havingdoneso,eventstaking

placeonourshoresaregivenawarm

andmemorablewelcome,onethatwill

inspireboththeorganisersandthe

attendeestoreturntotheUKagain

andagain.

The Economic Dimensions of Britain’s Events SectorThesectorisworth£39.1billiontothe

UKeconomyintermsofdirectspend

byeventdelegates,attendeesand

organisers.Asubstantiallyhigherfigure

isachievedoncethewidereconomic

impacts(indirectandinducedspend

plusaccompanyingpersons’spend)

areincluded.Thetableprovidesbest

estimatesforthevaluetothevisitor

economyofthediscretesegmentsthat

comprisetheoveralleventssectorin

respectoftheirdirectspend.

The Value of Britain’s Events Sector – direct spend by segmentConferences and meetings – £19.9 billion*Exhibitions and trade fairs – £11.0 billion*Incentive travel and performance improvement – £1.2 billion**Corporate hospitality and corporate events – £1.2 billion**Outdoor events – £1.1 billion**Festivals and cultural events – £1.1 billion**Music events – £1.3 billion*Sporting events – £2.3 billion**

Total= £39.1 billion*basedonnewresearch;**basedonpreviousresearchestimates+thefigureforsportingeventsistheestimatedspendbyinboundvisitorstoBritain

toplayinandwatchsportingeventsin2008

This total does not include spend of £7.7 billion by those accompanying attendees at business events (source: ‘UK Economic Impact Study 2013’)

Executive Summary

ExecutiveSummary

6

Enterprise and EmploymentThereareover25,000businessesin

thesectorincludingeventorganisers,

venues,destinationmarketing

organisations(DMOs),destination

managementcompanies(DMCs),

exhibitioncontractors,eventproduction

companies,andawholeplethora

ofsuppliers:transportoperators,

telecommunicationsandITcompanies,

interpretersandtranslators,speciality

caterers,eventinsurancespecialists,and

manyothers.

Eventsofferarichdiversityofjobs

andemploymentopportunities,from

apprenticeshiplevelupwards,both

skilledandlessskilled,fortheyoung

aswellasthemoremature,maleand

female–includingmanyopportunities

forvolunteeringandstewarding.The

bestestimatesarethatthesector

sustains530,000full-timeequivalent

(FTE)jobs,mostlyinsmallandmedium-

sizedenterprises(SMEs).

The events sector is served by 25,000 businesses employing 530,000 people

Export Earnings

Eventsandexhibitionsareimportant

notjustforthenationalbenefitsof

expendituregeneratedandjobscreated

andsustainedthroughactivityhere

intheUK,butalsoforthe‘invisible’

benefitsoftheirexportearnings

potential.Manyoftheleadingexhibition

organisingcompaniesoperatingglobally

areUKcompanies.Additionallythe

UK’sskillsandexpertiseinthedesignof

standsandcontent(digitalmedia,film,

technicalexhibitory)areworld-leading,

leadingtheworldinthedevelopment

ofcuttingedge,business-to-business

(B2B)andbusiness-to-consumer(B2C)

exhibitionsandtradefairs.

Asignificantproportionofthetrade

transactedatUKexhibitionsisexport-

related.Theprofitsgeneratedfrom

stagingeventsacrosstheworldalso

returnsignificantexportincometo

UKPlc.

The top 10 leading event agencies in the UK have a turnover of more than £2 billion, much of which is generated outside the UK

InvestmentBritainhasanexcellenttrackrecord

ofinvestinginitseventfacilitiesand

supportinginfrastructure.

Over £1 billion of new infrastructure investment is being stimulated by events

Inadditiontolarge-scaleprojects

providingnewfacilitiesandvenues,

therearealsosizeableopportunities

tobederivedfromtheproposed

improvementsinregionalrail

connectivityandincreasedairport

capacity.

Yetthereisstillalackoflarge-scale

integratedhotelandmeetingfacilities,

suchastheyhaveintheUSAand

theFarEast,puttingtheUKata

disadvantagewhenbiddingforsomeof

thelargeconventions.

The spend by those accompanying attendees at business events is worth an additional £7.7 billion

The conferences, meetings, incentives and exhibitions segments contributed a total of £21 billion to government tax revenues in 2011, accounting for 3.6 per cent of UK tax revenues in that year*

ExecutiveSummary

* based on a contribution of £58.4 billion to GDP by business events in 2011 (source: ‘UK Economic Impact Study 2013’ - see Chapter 1 for more details)

7

Event Social ImpactsThebenefitsofmeetingsandeventsare

notjusteconomic.Meetingsandevents

haveotherpositiveimpactsonsociety,

contributingtohealthandwellbeing,

education,socialdiversity,community

spiritandcohesion,andcivicpride.

Eventshelptofosterdiversityinour

localcultureandheritage,providing

opportunitiesforfurtherdestination

expansionandgrowth.

Major cultural events are recognised as significant drivers of national and regional performance, of physical and social regeneration and of cultural development

The Legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic GamesTheOlympicandParalympicGames

areestimatedtobeworthsome£2.3

billiontoUKtourismovertheperiod

2007-2017,generatinganadditional20

percentofexpenditurefrombusiness

andincentivegroupsvisitingtheGames,

holdingmeetingsandspecialevents

andextendingtheirstayaroundBritain,

equivalenttoover£500million.

Britainhasmetafour-yeartargetto

raisemorethan£11billionofeconomic

benefitfromtheLondonOlympicand

ParalympicGamesinjustoverayear.

Thefigureincludesalmost£6billionin

additionalsalesand£2.7billionfrom

foreigndirectinvestment.

About£130millionwasraisedthrough

contractswonbyBritishcompaniesfor

theBrazil2014WorldCupandtheRiode

Janeiro2016OlympicandParalympic

Gamesonthebackoftheirexperience

ofworkingattheLondonGames.

Theeventsindustryhasinheriteda

wholenewsetofeventprofessionals

thatnowhavelocal,nationaland

internationalexperienceandexposure

undertheirbelts.Thishascreated

alarger,moremobileprofessional

skillspool,providinganinternational

competitiveadvantageforexportingthe

creativeandproductionskillsoftheUK’s

eventsindustry.

Inbound Business Visits and Events

Inbound business visits to Britain equate to 23.5% of all visits and, at £4.4 billion, 24.4% of all spend

Inboundbusinessvisitsin2012totalled

7.4million,2percenthigherthanin

2011andthebestsince2008.However,

despitemovingintherightdirection

sincethenadirofinboundbusinesstrips

in2009,thevolumeand,inrealterms,

valueofsuchvisitsremainsroughly

one-fifthlowerthanitwasin2006,

whentherewere9millionbusinesstrips

worth£5.7billionattoday’sprices.

International business travellers spend £611 per visit worth £4.4 billion annually – leisure visitors spend £583 per visit

Changing the Perceptions and Profile of Business Visits and EventsMeetingsandconferencesplayavital

roleineconomic,professionaland

educationaldevelopment.Theyshould

bethoughtofasakeycomponentof

theglobalknowledgeeconomy,rather

thanasabranchoftourism.

Business events account for 30% of the UK visitor economy

Eventsarestillessentialto

communicate,educate,inform,to

enablenetworking,tomotivateteams

andtoachievebusinessobjectives.The

taskistodemonstratetheabsolute

valueofthemeetingsandliveevents

industryasaquantifiableinvestment,

notafrivolouscost.

ExecutiveSummary

8

Corporate Meetings and Conferences

There are over 1.3 million meetings held in the UK each year

TheresurgenceofthewiderUK

economyhasbeenaccompaniedby

renewedgrowthincorporatemeetings

andconferencesascompanies

recognisetheimportanceofsuch

eventsinreachingstrategicbusiness

objectivesandincommunicating

effectivelywiththeiremployees,

customersandpartnersworldwide.

Whilemeetingswillcontinueto

experiencefinancialpressureandneed

todemonstratetangiblevalue,new

emergentindustries(e.g.neuroscience,

energy,biotechandnanotechnology)

willrequiremoreevents,whereas

others(e.g.health,finance,pharma,

government)mayengageinfewer

face-to-facemeetingsduetoregulation

andcost.

Association EventsThereareopportunitiestoenhance

theinternationalaspectsofUK

associationeventsbyencouraging

Britishassociationstobidtohosttheir

internationalmeetingcounterpart.

Recentresearchhashighlighted

thatmanyinternationaldelegates

attendUKassociationevents-one,

in-particular,hadahighpercentageas

theinternationaldelegatesattending

sawthatCPD(continuingprofessional

development)creditsfromtheUKwere

ofmorevaluethanthosefromcertain

otherpartsoftheworld.

The UK is 4th in the global ICCA rankings for international association congresses

TheUKhasalsoledtheworldin

developingconferenceambassador

programmes,amodelnowbeing

replicatedbymanycitiesglobally

asaconduittobidforandsecure

internationalassociationcongresses.

Exhibitions and Experiential EventsExhibitionsplayavitalroleinthe

UKeconomyingeneratingexports.

ManyexhibitionsheldintheUKhave

establishedthemselvesasastrongbase

forinternationaltrade.

Newtechnologyisusedtoenhance,

notreplace,exhibitions,asthereisno

substitutefortheface-to-facecontact,

customerinteractionandtheability

forthecustomerphysicallytofeel,see,

taste,smell,testandtrytheproduct.

UK exhibitions attract over 13 million visitors each year, generating £11.0 billion in spend

Exhibitionsdomorethanjustsell:they

buildproductbranding,strengthen

existingcustomerrelationships,

producehighqualityleads,educate,

haveapplicationsformarketresearch,

generatemediacoverageandareoften

usedtolaunchnewproducts.Exhibitions

playavitalroleinthemarketingmix

offeringawiderangeofbenefits.

Exhibitionsprovideacost-effective

competitiveplatformforsmalland

medium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)

topromoteandselltheirproducts

andservices,enablingmanySMEsto

establishthemselvesinthemarketplace

and,throughinternationalvisitor

attendanceatexhibitions,often

providingSMEswiththeirfirstopenings

toexportmarkets.

In 2010 over 265,000 exhibitors participated in events, 20% from outside the UK

Theexhibitionindustryiscontinually

endeavouringtoincreasethe

‘internationality’ofitsshowsinorderto

enhancetheopportunityforexhibitors

toincreasetheirexportmarkets.

In 2010 exhibitors spent £2.7 billion on goods and services to demonstrate at events

Incentive Travel and Performance ImprovementIncentivetravelisawell-established

sectorofbusinesseventsandfor

internationalmarketstheUKisoneof

themostpopulardestinations.However,

visitornumbersaregreatlyinfluenced

year-on-yearbythestrengthofthe

poundinrelationtoothercurrencies

andbyissuessuchasperceptions

ofsecurityandtheease/costofvisa

processing.

ExecutiveSummary

9

Itisdebatablewhetherincentivetravel

asamarketsegmentwilleverhitthe

dizzyheightsofthe1990swhengroups

of300-400participantswerenot

unusual,especiallywithinthefinancial

servicessector.Inthesemoreaustere

andregulatedtimes,theaveragegroup

sizeisnearer40-50participants.It

seemslikelythatthesame,orsimilar,

numbersofeventswillcontinue

outboundfromtheUKbuttheywillbe

marketedmoreas‘conferences’than

pureincentives.

Thereisanenduringappealtohosted,

grouptravelasanincentivewhich

suggeststhatthisparticularservicewill

continuewithincertainnichemarkets

andbeservicedbyspecialistoperators

forsomeyearstocome.Growthislikely

tocomefromunregulatedmarketssuch

aselectronicsandITratherthanthe

formermajorsectorsofpharmaceutical,

financialservicesandautomotive.

Corporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsIngeneral,thecorporateeventsand

corporatehospitalitymarketremains

robustdespitesomeverynegative

mediacoverageofcorporate‘excess’

atatimeofeconomicdifficulty.

Thesegmentremainsresilientand

companies,eventhoseinthefinancial

servicessector,stilldependoncorporate

hospitalityasameansofdeveloping

loyaltyandincreasingmarketshare

withtheirclientsandasacoreactivity

forrewardingandmotivatingtheirown

staff.

Overthenextfiveyears,aseriesof

majorsportingandbusinessevents,

bothone-offandregularlyoccurring

eventsincludingtheGlasgow

CommonwealthGamesin2014,the

RugbyUnionWorldCupin2015,Royal

Ascot,Wimbledon,theFarnborough

Airshow,willcontinuetoofferimportant

opportunitiesforcorporatehospitality

andcorporateentertainment.

Outdoor EventsOutdooreventscoverabreadthof

activityfrommajorfestivals,music

events,agriculturalshows,sportingand

charityeventsthroughtosmallvillage

andcraftevents.Fromthebeginning,

outdooreventshavedrawnlarge

gatheringswhetherlocal,nationalor

international;andthisisanincreasing

trendfollowingtheOlympicsin2012.

Thevisitorfromabroadisattractedto

amyriadofeventsintheUK,manyof

thembeingsteepedintraditionand

history.

The UK is now recognised by Europe and the USA as a world leader in outdoor events, with many UK companies exporting their expertise

Theworldofoutdooreventshas

developedintoahighlyprofessionaland

qualitystandardindustrymadeupof

localauthorities,showorganisers,event

managementcompanies,promoters,

venueowners,togetherwithsuppliers

ofequipmentandservices,and

consultants.

Music Events and Festivals

6.5 million music tourists spend £1.3 billion annually

Majorculturaleventsarerecognised

assignificantdriversofnationaland

regionalperformance,ofphysicaland

socialregenerationandofcultural

development.Arangeofannualfestivals

andpromotionaleventsshowcase

excellenceinthecreativeindustriesand

provideaniconicfocusforthevisitor

economy,makingBritainthenatural

destinationchoiceandaninternational

hubforworld-classevents.

‘Music is an industry that is an international success story and we should go on backing it. It’s not just the exports that it provides for this country. It’s not just the people it employs in this country. It’s the massive and growing music tourism, people coming to Britain to listen to great acts.’

(DavidCameron,UKPrimeMinister).

ExecutiveSummary

10

TheUK’smusicfestivalsandthe

extensivetouringprogrammesof

internationalactsattractmassive

overseasinterestandforeignvisitors

totheUK.Alongsideinboundtourists,

manymusicloversintheUKalso

travellongdistancestowatchtheir

favouritebandsandartistsperform.

Thisisinternationalanddomesticmusic

tourismworking–andworkingwell.

Over 400 folk festivals take place in the UK annually worth over £100 million to local economies

Sporting EventsSportstourismhasbeencentraltothe

growthinglobaltravelandtourism

duringthenewmillennium.Sportalso

hasaroletoplayinhelpingtoaddress

widersocialissuesencompassedbythe

millenniumdevelopmentgoals.Itcan

helptoaddressgenderinequalityand

assistswiththedevelopmentoflifeskills

suchasleadership,decisionmaking,

organisationalandmanagementskills.

Sportcanalsoactasaneffective

mediumforconveyingeducational

messagesrelatingtohealthissuessuch

asHIV/AIDSawarenessandmalaria.

Theeconomiesofcities,regionsand

–inthecaseofmegaeventssuchas

theOlympicGamesorFIFAWorld

Cup–entirecountriesareincreasingly

reliantoncombiningsportandtourism

tojump-starteconomicandsocio-

economicchange.Touristsengagedin

sportstourismarehigh-spending,stay

longerthanothertouristcategories,and

oftenstimulateotherformsoftourism.

Theirdirectbenefittoadestinationis

cash–theirindirectbenefitcanbeyears

offollow-ontourists.

Events Sector SuppliersTheeventindustryishugelydiverse

anditsrequirementforsupplierscovers

anenormousbreadthofprofessions,

fromstagingandstructurestowater

managementandwasterecycling.

Thisdiversityofevents,togetherwith

theuniquedemandsofsomevenues

particularlyforoutdoorevents,has

requiredthedevelopmentofspecialist

skillsinmanyareasandtheUKindustry

iswidelyrecognisedasaworldleaderin

someofthesesectors.

Byitsnaturetheeventindustrytends

tobehighlyentrepreneurial,which

encouragesinnovation.However,the

lastdecadehasseenitalsobecoming

increasinglyprofessionalinitsapproach

withagreatdealoftimebeingdevoted

byeventorganisersandsuppliersto

developingprofessionalstandards

acrossthemarket,fromspecialist

guidelinesfortheerectionoftemporary

structuresandstagestoinformation

forthoseorganisingeventssuchasthe

‘PurpleGuide’.

Winning Business for Britain

a) TheMinisterialBidSupportInitiative

TheMinisterialBidSupportInitiative

hasanimportantroletoplayin

demonstratingamorecohesive

approachandinconveyingcrucial

messagesabouthowcommittedBritain

istodaytowinningbidsformajor

internationalevents.

AccesstoGovernmentministerial

supportformajorinternationalcongress

bidsisbeingcoordinatedthrough

VisitEnglandworkingcloselywiththe

DepartmentforCulture,Mediaand

Sport(DCMS).Forfurtherinformation:

www.visitengland.com/business

• £2.2 billion – the total of direct and indirect spend generated by music tourism in 2012

• 41 per cent – the proportion of live music audiences that are music tourists

• £657 – the average spend by overseas music tourists while in the UK

• 24,251 – the number of full-time jobs sustained by music tourism

ExecutiveSummary

11

b) UKTradeandInvestment’sEvents

Alliance

InJuly2013UKTradeandInvestment

(UKTI)publishedanoutlinestrategyfor

theeventssectorincludingtheEvents

Allianceinitiative.UKTIwillworkwith

eventorganiserstoincreasethenumber

ofUKandoverseastrade-relatedevents

supportedbyUKTradeandInvestment

from75to300coreeventsoverthe

succeeding18months.Coreeventsare

eventswhichhavemajorsignificance

fortheindustrysectorandarepartof

theannualUKTIprogramme.Further

information:www.ukti.gov.uk

Quality, Standards and SustainabilityTheeventsandmeetingsindustry

hastrulyembracedtheconceptof

continuousimprovementandmade

aclearcommitmenttoraisingquality

standards.Itisnowacceptedthat

opportunitiestomonitorandmeasure

qualitystandardsexistacrossall

elementsofeventsandmeetings

delivery,frominitialcontacttoservice,

facilities,equipment,foodandoverall

experience.

The ‘AIM’ (accredited in meetings) accreditation is driving the industry to become more competitive and accountable, deliver great value and help clients consistently achieve ROI

Ataninternationallevel,therehave

alreadybeenanumberofsignificant

developmentsdesignedtointegrate

sustainabilitycriteriaandactivitiesintoa

widerangeofbusinessevents,including

thepublicationofformalStandardsto

provideguidanceonsustainableevent

management.

The UK-driven Green Standard ISO20121 has been exported around the world as a benchmark of best practice

The event industry’s ‘purple guide’ puts the UK at the forefront of events health and safety worldwide

Education, Careers and Professional DevelopmentEventsindustrytradeassociations

havediscussedbettercollaboration

andinitiallyidentifiedtwoeducation-

relatedactivitiesthattheindustrycould

providecollaboratively:cross-industry

internshipsandtrainingprogrammes

specificallywithandforstudents;

andbettercommunicationforboth

academicsandstudentsontheofferings

ofindustrytradeandprofessional

associationsthroughthecreationofan

onlinehub.

Educationandcontinuingprofessional

development(CPD)areessentialto

beaheadofthenextnewideaor

technology-tobeabletoseethe

opportunitiesandbenefitsforevents.

Eventscouldbeleadingthewayin

newdesignandnotrelyingonfilmand

theatretodothisforthem.Theopening

andclosingceremoniesoftheOlympics

andParalympics2012demonstrated

howthecreativeindustriesareas

muchapartoftheeventsindustryas

oftheirown.Nurturing,developingand

releasingtheseinitiativesarewhatwill

keepBritisheventsGREAT.

The events sector creates engaging careers, for young and old, male and female, skilled and less skilled, across all cultures. It maximises a wide range of creative, technical and personal talents to produce inspirational and world-changing events

AnInstituteofEventManagement

isbeingestablishedtoprovidean

opportunityforindividualswhoalready

workorwishtoworkintheEvents

Sectortogainprofessionalrecognition

andtoenhancetheirprofile,skills

andknowledge.Theaimisforthe

Institutetoofferaroutetoprofessional

development,accreditationofcourses

andabodyofknowledge.

ExecutiveSummary

12

Working in PartnershipTheBusinessVisits&EventsPartnership

isanumbrellaorganisationrepresenting

leadingtradeandprofessional

organisations,governmentagencies

andothersignificantinfluencersinthe

businessvisitsandeventssector.

TheBVEPexiststo:

• garnerthecohesiveopinionofthese

stakeholdersandcollectivelyinfluence

anddeveloppolicies,practicesand

strategiesthatsupportandgenerate

growthinthesectorand,

• raisesectorawarenessthroughclear

communicationsofthesocialand

economicbenefitsofthebusiness

visitsandeventssector.

ThePartnershipseekstoprovidea

cohesivepointofviewfortheentire

businessvisitsandeventssector.

TheBVEPworkswithprominent

sectorleadersincludingitspartners,

governmentdepartmentsandagencies

toinfluenceanddeveloppoliciesand

practicesfavourabletothegrowthof

businessevents,andtradeandcreative

enterprisethroughbusinessvisitsand

events.

Ithasthesupportoftheleadingtrade

andprofessionalorganisationsand

governmentagencieswithashared

interestintheeconomicbenefitand

growthofconferences,meetings,

exhibitions,tradefairs,incentivetravel,

corporatehospitality,ceremonies,as

wellasotherbusiness,sporting,cultural

andfestivalevents.

ExecutiveSummary

• Association for Conferences and Events

• Association of British Professional Conference Organisers

• Association for Events Management Education

• Conference Centres of Excellence

• Eventia-IVCA

• Events Industry Alliance

• Events Industry Forum

• Hotel Booking Agents Association

• International Congress & Convention Association

• International Special Events Society

• London & Partners

• Meet in Ireland

• Meetings Industry Association

• Meeting Professionals International

• National Outdoor Events Association

• Northern Ireland Tourist Board

• Professional Convention Management Association

• Tourism Ireland

• VisitEngland

• VisitScotland

• Visit Wales

• Supporting Government Bodies: - Department for Culture,

Media & Sport - UK Trade & Investment - VisitBritain

AccesstofullinformationonBVEPanditspartnerorganisations,

andtothefull‘EventsAreGREATBritain’report,isviathewebsite:

www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com

Chapter 1This is Overview of the UK Events Industry

14

Following the success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the events industry in the UK has never been in a better place to build on the global perceptions of the UK as an events destination. It is in a prime position to take on the world of event management and creativity outside our own borders.

Thebarhasbeenraisedinhowwe

respondtoeventbriefs,withsuppliers

andvenuesconstantlyrisingtothe

challengeofproducingeverbetter

andmorecreativesolutionstomeet

clientobjectives.London,forexample,

hasseenapop–upcultureflourishing,

withnewplacesandspacesbeing

used;andacollectivedesiretowork

acrossanumberofstakeholdersto

ensureeventscometofruitionandare

successfullyexecuted.Inthewordsof

TracyHalliwell,DirectorofBusiness

Tourism&MajorEventsforLondon&

Partners:‘We also find ourselves asking “How can we do something?” much more often than the too oft uttered “….can’t be done!” of the past.’

Governmentandwiderbusinessgroups

arebeginningtoseethevalueandthe

broadereconomicbenefitoftheevents

industrytotheUKeconomy,andwe

arecollectivelyworkingtoovercome

barrierstodoingbusinessforthe

future:AirPassengerDuty(APD),visas,

transportissues,allarewidelydebated,

andwithoneloudvoice.Events,whether

meetings,associationeventsortrade

exhibitions,underpinsectoralgrowth

intheeconomy,attractforeigndirect

investment,andpromoteexpertise

andknowledgetransferopportunities.

Festivals,consumershows,sporting

events,businessnetworkingsessions

andotherculturalandmusiceventsall

helptoanimateadestinationwhich,

inturn,drivesmoretourism,more

businessvisitorsandinvestors,and

studentswishingtocometotheUK

tostudy–whetherthatbeinthearea

ofeventmanagementorinother

disciplines.

Thereasonsforstagingbusiness

eventsincludeopportunitiesto

createanddisseminateknowledge,

stimulatelearning,enhancebusiness

performance,fosterpersonaland

professionaldevelopment,increase

sales,andtoaddressmajorsocietaland

environmentalchallenges.

EventshavesomuchtoofferUKplc.

Theysupporttheindustrialstrategyof

theUKbypositioningBritainasacentre

ofcommerce,attractingcompaniesand

industriestodobusinessinourcountry.

Theyarealsoanever-increasingexport

opportunityastheygrowintonew

territories,creatinginwardinvestment

opportunities,sellingUKskills,expertise

andproductsabroad.

Asanindustry,eventsleadtothe

employmentofover530,000people

fromapprenticeshiplevelupwards.They

stimulatethoughtleadershipthrough

thesharingofknowledge,researchand

intelligencethatprogressesscientific

andtechnologicalunderstandingand

innovation.Theyalsobringcommunities

together,whethertheyareunited

byacommongeography,interest,

causeorbelief.Finally,eventsattract

internationalaudiencestotheUK,who

buyourproductsandservicesand,in

manycases,returnwiththeirfamilies,

boostingandcomplementingtheUK

tourismindustry.

The2013economicimpactstudyof

theUK’smeetingsandbusinessevents

segmenthasnowputsomemore

quantifiablefiguresbehindthemeetings

industry,andthese,togetherwith

studiesintoothersegments(exhibitions,

musiceventsandfestivals,forexample,

allreferencedfurtherinthisreport)can

onlyhelpingainingwiderrecognition

andsupportforthesector,enablingus

tobidfor,solicit,createandwinnew

eventsforthefuture.

However,inahugelycompetitiveworld

withcompetitionforeventsbusiness

continuallygrowing,itisvitalthatthe

UKcontinuestoshowarealhunger

anddrivetowinevents,andtoensure

that,havingdoneso,eventstaking

placeonourshoresaregivenawarm

andmemorablewelcome,onethatwill

inspireboththeorganisersandthe

attendeestoreturntotheUKagain

andagain.

The economic dimensions of Britain’s events sector

Amajor2013studyintotheeconomic

impactofthemeetingsandbusiness

eventssegmentoftheUK’sevents

industry(‘TheEconomicImpactof

theUKMeeting&EventIndustry’),

undertakenbyLeedsMetropolitan

UniversityonbehalfoftheMPI

Foundation,foundthat,in2011,1.3

millionmeetingswereheldintheUK.

Justunder£40billionwasspentby

thoseattendingthesemeetings,and

thesegmentgeneratedmorethan

£20.6billioningrossvalueadded(GVA)

and£58.4billioningrossdomestic

product(GDP)in2011.Abreakdownof

thevolumeofmeetingsheldinthefour

countriesoftheUKisshowninTable

1.1,whileTable1.2providesdetailsofthe

numbersofmeetingsheldinseveral

majorcities.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

15

Thesamestudyrevealedthatthedirect

spendingassociatedwithUKmeeting

organiserswas£24.7billionin2011.Of

thisspend,£6.4billionwasfundedby

registrationfeespaidbydelegatesand

attendees.Morethanhalfofthedirect

spendingwasonvenuehire,equipment

andproduction,foodandbeverages

andadministration.Table1.3provides

amoredetailedbreakdownofmeeting

organisers’directexpenditureand

demonstrateshowsuchactivitybenefits

aplethoraofotherindustries(such

asadvertising,insurance,printingand

transportation).

Table1.1 Meeting Volume by Home Country

Country Meetings %

England 1,118,827 86.0

Scotland 86,524 6.6

Wales 75,802 5.8

NorthernIreland

20,447 1.6

Total 1,301,600 100.0

Source:‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&EventIndustry’(MPIFoundation–www.mpiweb.org/ukeis)

Table1.2

Meeting Volume by City

Country Meetings% of home

country

London 362,500 32.4

Cardiff 47,376 62.5

Edinburgh 28,553 33.0

Belfast 14,436 70.6

Liverpool 19,020 1.7

Source:‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&EventIndustry’(MPIFoundation–www.mpiweb.org/ukeis)

Table1.3

Direct Spending by Meeting Organisers

Spending categoryAmount

(£, million)%

Venuehire 4,052 16.5

Foodandbeverages 2,848 11.6

Equipment/production 3,115 12.7

Technicalcosts 1,494 6.1

Administration 2,454 10.0

Advertisingandpromotion 746 3.0

Keynotespeakers/trainersandothersponsoredattendeeexpenses

454 1.8

Insurance 305 1.2

Otherfacilitycosts 262 1.1

Meetingmanagementcompany/destinationmanagementcompany

155 0.6

Printing 403 1.6

Temporaryagencystaff 1,470 6.0

Touroperatorservices 735 3.0

Registration 142 0.6

Companystaff(foodandbeverages,travel,accommodation)

441 1.8

Audio-visualandstaging 1,445 5.9

Entertainment/décor/giftsandawards 489 2.0

Shipping 107 0.4

Delegatematerials(delegatebags,give-aways)

164 0.7

Transportation 1,200 4.9

Accommodation(organisationpurposesonly,non-delegate)

1,516 6.2

Corporatesocialresponsibility 40 0.2

Maintenanceandrepairs 265 1.1

Energyandotherutilities 110 0.4

Other 204 0.8

Total 24,616 100.0

Source:‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&EventIndustry’(MPIFoundation–www.mpiweb.org/ukeis)

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

16

Theeconomicimpactsofthelivemusic

eventssegment,specificallyconcerts

andfestivals,alsounderlinethepositive

benefitsaccruingtotheUKeconomy

throughthecreation,promotionand

stagingofevents.Researchundertaken

byUKMusicandpublishedinOctober

2013asareportentitled‘WishYouWere

Here’,foundthefollowingimpactsoflive

musicevents:

• £2.2billion–thetotalofdirectand

indirectspendgeneratedbymusic

tourismin2012

• £1.3billion–theamountspentdirectly

bymusictourists

• 6.5million–thenumberofmusic

tourists

• 41percent–theproportionoflive

musicaudiencesthataremusic

tourists

• £657–theaveragespendbyoverseas

musictouristswhileintheUK

• 24,251–thenumberoffull-timejobs

sustainedbymusictourism.

FurtherdetailsofUKMusic’sresearch

aregiveninChapter3.

EmploymentThereareover25,000businessesin

thesectorincludingeventorganisers,

venues,suppliers,destinationmarketing

organisations(DMOs),destination

managementcompanies(DMCs),and

others.Thebestestimatesarethat

thesectorsustainsatleast530,000

full-timeequivalent(FTE)jobs(source:

People1st’s‘LabourMarketReviewof

theEventsIndustry’–January2010).

AnOfficeforNationalStatistics(ONS)

paper,‘EmploymentCharacteristics

ofTourismIndustries’(March2011),

indicatesthatthereare27,800people

employedas‘conferenceandexhibition

managersandorganisers’.Thepaper

saysthatthereare2.7millionpeople

employedintourismforwhomthisis

theirmainorsecondjob(185,000of

thesearesecondjobs),althoughone

millionofthemainjobsintourism

industriesarepart-time.Ofthetotal

of2.7millionmainorsecondjobsin

tourism,695,000arein‘cultural,sports,

recreationalandconferenceactivities’.

486,000(ofthe695,000total)have

‘employed’statuswhileafurther

203,000are‘self-employed’(with6,000

describedas‘other’).

TheMPIFoundation’s‘TheEconomic

ImpactoftheUKMeeting&Event

Industry’(July2013)estimatesthat

themeetingsandbusinessevents

segmentsustained423,445full-time

equivalent(FTE)jobsin2011.Among

tourism-relatedindustries,meetings

activitiessupported133,228FTEjobsin

accommodationservicesforvisitors,

whilsttherewere14,755FTEsin

meetingsorganisationsand18,399FTEs

inmeetingsvenues.Table1.4provides

furtheranalysisofthenumbersofFTE

jobssustaineddirectlybymeetings

activity.

Table1.4 The Number of Direct Meetings Full-time Equivalent Jobs (in 2011)

Industries Direct FTE jobs

Tourism-related Industries

Accommodationforvisitors 133,228

Foodandbeverageservicing 54,607

Railwaypassengertransport 15,585

Roadpassengertransport 45,951

Waterpassengertransport 273

Airpassengertransport 6,605

Transportequipmentrental 1,772

Travel/reservationagencies 15,711

Sport,recreationandcultureactivities 25,025

Meetings-specific industries

Meetingsorganisations 14,755

Meetingsvenues 18,399

Otherconsumptionproducts 87,006

Total 423,445

Source:‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&EventIndustry’(MPIFoundation–www.mpiweb.org/ukeis)

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

17

Tax RevenuesThemeetingsandbusinessevents

sectorcontributedatotalof£21billion

togovernmenttaxrevenuesin2011,

accordingtotheMPIFoundation’s‘The

EconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&

EventIndustry’,accountingforabout

3.6percentofUKtaxrevenuesinthat

year.Figure1.1illustratesthepercentage

oftotaleconomicimpactofdifferent

taxesbymeetingactivities.The

contributionstoincometax,taxeson

productsandcorporationtaxesaccount

formorethan60percentofthetotal

economicimpactoftaxrevenues.

Export EarningsEventsandexhibitionsareimportant

notjustforthenationalbenefitsof

expendituregeneratedandjobscreated

andsustainedthroughactivityhere

intheUK,butalsoforthe‘invisible’

benefitsoftheirexportearnings

potential.Manyoftheleadingexhibition

organisingcompaniesoperating

globallyareUKcompanies:Haymarket

Exhibitions,EMAPCommunications,

UnitedBusinessMedia,Reed

Exhibitions,forexample.Additionally

theUK’sskillsandexpertiseinthe

designofstandsandcontent(digital

media,film,technicalexhibitory)are

world-leading,withplayerssuchas

Imagination,RapierandLandsitting

attheforefrontoftheUK’sexport

ofcreativeskills.Thesearealltrue

internationalplayersleadingthe

worldinthedevelopmentofcutting

edge,business-to-business(B2B)and

business-to-consumer(B2C)exhibitions

andtradefairs.Theprofitsgenerated

fromstagingeventsacrosstheworld

returnsignificantexportincometo

UKPlc.

Britainhasanunparalleledreputation

intheeventarenaandpossessessome

oftheworld’smostsuccessfulevent

managementcompaniesandstrongest

suppliersoflogisticsandcontentfor

events:companiessuchasGrassRoots,

Motivcom,UniversalWorldEvents,

GeorgePJohnson,andConcerto

Group.Thisresourceisresponsible

forstagingmanyoftheworld’smajor

internationalcongresses,highprofile

sportingevents(suchastheopening

andclosingceremoniesoftheOlympic

Games),festivals,popularandclassical

musicconcerts,infactthefullgamutof

business,culturalandsportingevents.

Muchofthisactivitytakesplace

outsidetheUKandaddssubstantially

totherevenuesgeneratedfromthe

internationaleventssectorforthe

Britisheconomy.Asurveyofthemajor

UKeventagenciesby‘Conference&

IncentiveTravel’magazine(published

June2013)foundthatannualturnover

ofthetoptenleadingagenciestopped

£2billion,muchofwhichisgenerated

fromeventsheldoutsidetheUK.

17%

19% 21%

16%

24%

3%

TaxesonProducts

TaxesonProduction

IncomeTax

Employee’sNIC

Employer’sNIC

CorporationTax

Source:‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUKMeeting&EventIndustry’(MPIFoundation–www.mpiweb.org/ukeis)

Fig.1.1

The Composition of Total Contributions to Different Taxes in 2011

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

18

CASE STUDY

Maximising the Benefits of Major Events

Usingmajoreventstosecuredirect

economicimpacts,beyondtourism,for

anyHostNationisnoteasy.Itishighly

unlikelythat,asaresultofvisiting

anevent,acompanyCEOwilldecide

immediatelytorelocatehisbusiness

totheHostNation!However,eventsdo

havethepotentialtohavesignificant

positiveeconomicimpactsovera

numberofyears.Hostingguestscan

establishrelationshipswhichcanbe

builtontosecurefutureinvestments;

localsupplierscanbenefit,bothinthe

shorttermandthroughestablishing

relationshipswhichmayreaplong

termbenefits.Linkstomajorevents

canbuildprofileforHostNations,Host

CitiesandHostVenues.Entertaining

boththeAmericanandChinese

Ambassadorsduringthe2010Ryder

Cup(inNewport,Wales–seeChapter

5)ledtoreturnvisitstoWalesbyboth

partiesearlyin2011,allowingboth

highprofilegueststoparticipatein

valuablecompanyvisitsandbusiness

discussionswhileWales’profilewas

stillhigh,internationally.

PointingtoWales’emergingevents

strategy,officialsobservedthatthe

prestigeofTheRyderCupwouldhelp

raiseWales’standinginoverseas

marketsbeingtargetedbyinward

investmentteamsoverseasand

commentedthattheirexperiencein

dealingacrosstheprivateandpublic

sectorwouldhelpdeliver,notonlya

successfulevent,buthelpensurethe

bestlongtermimpactfromit.

Source:FinalReport–RyderCupWales2010Ltd

InvestmentBritainhasanexcellenttrackrecord

ofinvestinginitseventfacilitiesand

supportinginfrastructure.Some

examplesofsignificantcurrent

investmentsatdestinationand

venuelevelindicatethescaleofsuch

investments,andinclude:

• EdinburghInternationalConference

Centreexpansion-£30million–

completed2013

• Telford’sConventionQuarter

development-£250million

• ExpansionoftheACCLiverpool-

£40million

• The12,000-seatHydroarena,

Glasgow,£125million,partofa

£6billioninvestmentinGlasgow’s

infrastructureinpreparationforthe

2014CommonwealthGames

• £10millioninvestmentinBailbrook

HouseHotel,Bath,a10-month

restorationprojectcompleted

September2013

• £6.9millionconversionofthe

LilleshallNationalSportsCentre,

Shropshire,toconvertitintoa

conferencecentre

• £26millionrefurbishmentofThe

Belfry(hosttomoreRyderCupgolf

matchesthananyothervenue)

• Plansforanew£200million

exhibitioncentreinAberdeento

openin2017

• Anew£17.5millionconferencecentre,

CollegeCourt,attheUniversityof

Leicester

• £1billioninvestmentintoDundee’s

240-hectarewaterfrontarea,

includingthenew£45millionV&A

museumwhichwillhave1,500sqm

offlexiblegalleryspaceandareasfor

meetingsandevents

• £17.5millionredevelopmentatLondon

venueWellcomeCollection.

Otherexamplesofinvestmentprojects

andexpenditurearetobefoundinthis

Report.

Yetthereisstillalackoflarge-scale

integratedhotelandmeetingfacilities,

suchastheyhaveintheUSAand

theFarEast,puttingtheUKata

disadvantagewhenbiddingforsomeof

thelargeconventions.This,however,is

anissueforEuropeasawhole,notjust

fortheUK.

Investmentdoesnotjustmeanspending

moneyonthephysicalproductand

supportinginfrastructure.Itisalsoas

importanttoinvestinpeopleandin

relationshipswithexistingandpotential

customers.AnOxfordEconomicsreport,

‘TheRoleofBusinessTravelintheUS

EconomicRecovery’,commissioned

bytheUSTravelAssociation(and

publishedMay2013),showsthat

companieswhichspentthemost

onbusinesstravelthroughthelast

recessionarepostinghigherrevenues

andprofilethanothers.Incontrast,

companieswhichreducedbusiness

travelspendingweremorelikelytosee

adeclineinprofits.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

19

Thereportrevealsthat,forevery

dollarinvestedinbusinesstravel,

UScompanieshaveexperienceda

$9.50returnintermsofrevenueand

$2.90inprofits.In2011,USbusinesses

spent$214billionondomestictravel,

surpassingthehistoricpeaksetin2007.

For2012,businessesareestimatedto

havespent$225billiononUSdomestic

travel,about5percentmorethanthe

previousyear.Thereportsaysthat

businesstravelexpendituresgenerated

1.9millionjobs,$59billioninpersonal

incomeand$35billionintaxrevenues

in2012.

Exhibitions and experiential eventsExhibitionsplayavitalroleinthe

UKeconomyingeneratingexports.

ManyexhibitionsheldintheUKhave

establishedthemselvesasastrong

baseforinternationaltrade.Itis

estimatedthatthe‘WorldTravelMarket’

exhibition,heldatLondon’sExCel

venueinNovember2013,generated

£150millionofexpenditurefortheUK

economy–and£2billionofbusiness

wastransactedattheeventitself!

TheBritishFashionCouncil’sLondon

FashionWeek–heldoverfourdaysin

September2013–wasthoughttohave

generatedafurther£100millionforthe

capital’seconomy.

Recentresearch(www.facetime.org.uk)

confirmsthat,beforeanexhibitionor

similarliveevent,36percentofpeople

sayattendancemakesiteasiertodecide

tobuy,butthisrisesto76percentafter

experiencinganevent.Theresearch

alsoshowedthat,beforeattendingan

event,28percentofvisitorsbelieve

“experiencingabusinessfirst–hand

makesitmorememorable”–afterthe

event,thisrisesto65percent.

Newtechnologyisusedtoenhance,

notreplace,exhibitions,asthereisno

substitutefortheface-to-facecontact,

customerinteractionandtheability

forthecustomerphysicallytofeel,see,

taste,smell,testandtrytheproduct.

Moreorganisersarelookingtoincrease

thenumberofpublicshows.Public

showsareseenasbeinginformative,

aswellasprovidingmarketingand

salesopportunities,brandbuilding

andentertainment,allofwhichaddto

customervalueandexperience.

Theexhibitionindustryiscontinually

endeavouringtoincreasethe

‘internationality’ofitsshowsinorderto

enhancetheopportunityforexhibitors

toincreasetheirexportmarkets.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

20

CASE STUDY

Corporate Launch of Shell V-Power Nitro+ Fuel

SummaryExperientialeventagencyTROwere

taskedbyShelltolaunchtheirnew

highperformancefuel,V-PowerNitro+,

tothreedifferentbusinessaudiences:

retailers,forecourtattendantsandthe

press.Inahighlypricesensitive

market,itwasabsolutely

keyfortheseaudiencesto

understand,andbeexcitedby,

thecompetitiveadvantageof

thispremiumnewfuel.

TROdevelopedthreeseparate

launcheventstailoredtothe

audiences’specificneeds,

interestsandavailability,to

ensuremaximumattendance

andapositiveresponsetothe

launch.

Internal AudiencesTROwantedacreativeroutethat

instantlyexcitedtheaudienceand

madethemfeelpartofsomething

special.Soitdevisedthecreative

tagline“Ourbestjustgotbetter”

anddevelopedthecontentfrom

astandpointofteamworkand

performance.

Retailer ConferenceTogivetheeventa‘wow’feel,the

launchwassetintheroundwith

20projectionscreensimmersing

theaudienceinrichinspirational

content,andexcitingthemabout

thepossibilitiesofthenewV-Power

Nitro+fuel.Theproductbenefitswere

explained‘fromthehorse’smouth’by

Shellscientistswhohaddeveloped

thefuel.Aswellasacomprehensive

overviewofthemarketingstrategy,

theaudienceweretreatedtoan

intimateQ&Asessionhostedby

JakeHumphrey,withOlympicmedal

winnersKatherineGrainger,TimBailey

andEtienneStott,andtheHeadof

EngineeringatFerrariF1,DaveSalter,

takingpart.Theeventwasagreat

successwithverypositiveretailer

feedback.

Forecourt Attendant Training DayDropoutratesaretraditionallyhigh

withthisaudience,soremoving

barrierstoattendance,andincluding

funandexcitingcontent,were

essentialconsiderations.TROran

trainingdaysatgo-karttracksinfive

differentcities,reducingtraveltime

considerably.Withatrainingworkshop

inthemorning,theaudienceenjoyed

acompetitivego-kartsessioninthe

afternoon,highlightingbothteamwork

andperformance,aswellasbeing

greatfun.TheeventwasShell’smost

successfultrainingdaytodatewith

over90percentattendance.

Press LaunchTROneededtofirmlypositionV-Power

Nitro+asahighperformancefuel

so,workingcloselywithJCPR,they

teamedupwithFerrariF1todeliveran

exciting,hands-onlaunchevent.Held

atBatterseaPowerStation,TRObuilt

abespokeracecircuit.Aftersome

handlingandperformancetrainingby

Ferraritestdrivers,attendeescould

testoutthenewfuelracingaFiat

500aroundthetrack.Theycouldalso

enjoya‘hotlap’inaFerrariwithF1

driverGiancarloFisichella.TRO

hadShellscientistsonhandto

explaintheproductbenefitsand

anF1Ferrarisimulatorforthose

attendeeswhohadreallycaught

theracingbug!Theeventwas

incrediblysuccessfulwith90

percentattendance,£970,000

worthofPRgeneratedanda

totalreachof8,721,259.

Byunderstandingthatithad

threedistinctaudiences,and

splittingthelaunchactivity

accordingly,TROwereableto

deliverthreehighlysuccessfulevents

thatfedintooneverystrongoverall

newproductlaunchforShell,inthe

B2Bsector.

www.tro-group.com

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

21

Event social impactsThebenefitsofmeetingsandeventsare

notjusteconomic.Meetingsandevents

haveotherpositiveimpactsonsociety,

contributingtohealthandwellbeing,

education,socialdiversity,community

spiritandcohesion,andcivicpride.

Eventshelptofosterdiversityinour

localcultureandheritage,providing

opportunitiesforfurtherdestination

expansionandgrowth.Formore

informationonthebroaderimpacts

andbenefitsofevents,visit:

www.eventimpacts.com

The legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic gamesAnarticleinTheTimesnewspaper

(16/11/13)statesthatBritainhasmet

afour-yeartargettoraisemorethan

£11billionofeconomicbenefitfrom

theLondonOlympicandParalympic

Gamesinjustoverayear.Thefigure

includesalmost£6billioninadditional

salesand£2.7billionfromforeigndirect

investment.About£130millionwas

raisedthroughcontractswonbyBritish

companiesfortheBrazil2014WorldCup

andtheRiodeJaneiro2016Olympic

andParalympicGamesontheback

oftheirexperienceofworkingatthe

LondonGames.UKTrade&Investment’s

BritishBusinessEmbassybeganthe

Olympiclegacydrivein2012byhosting

aconferenceand17businessevents.

AreportfromCrewsaders

(www.crewsaders.com)entitled

‘LessonsLearnedfrom2012:Mega

EventsandtheUKEventsIndustry

SupplyChain’(publishedFebruary

2013–thereportisfreelyaccessible

ontheBVEPwebsite)highlightsareas

whereimprovementscanbemade

forthestagingoffuturemegaevents,

especiallyindemand-sideforecasting,

thecreationofgovernmentand

industrypartnerships,communications

withthesupplychainandwithstaff.

However,itdescribesthemyriadpositive

outcomesasthelegacydividend,and

concludes:

‘In terms of manpower, the events industry has inherited a whole new set of event professionals that now have local, national and international experience and exposure under their belts. This has created a larger, more mobile professional skills pool. This can lead to an international competitive advantage for exporting the creative and production skills of the UK’s event industry.

Productivity enhancements through implementing new internal and external management and working practices have created efficiencies in the supply chain for the future. This also creates international as well as individual competitive advantage. Added to this, the fact that many suppliers now hold state-of-the-art equipment that can also be exported to any part of the globe also adds to the UK’s competitive advantage on an international stage.

Through the creation of partnerships with organisations that had previous international mega event experience, the transfer of knowledge of that experience to the UK events industry has created a confident industry that can execute quality creative events in any place and in any format around the globe.’

Domestic business visitsAccordingtothe‘GreatBritainTourism

Survey’,domesticbusinesstravelgrew

by3percentin2012,withthenumber

oftripstakenrisingtothehighest

levelsincethecurrentsurveybegan.

Spendingroseaheadofvolumewith

6percentgrowth.Table1.5showsthe

volumeofbusinesstripsin2012tothe

tenmostpopularEnglishdestinations;

Table1.6showsthespendonbusiness

tripsbydestination.

Table1.5

Business Trips – Trip Volume

Trips (Thousands)

1 London 3248

2 Manchester 885

3 Birmingham 874

4 Leeds 420

5 Sheffield 314

6 Bristol 290

7NewcastleuponTyne

273

8 Northampton 208

9 Liverpool 202

10 Portsmouth 182

Source:GreatBritainTourismSurvey2012

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

22

Table1.6

Business Trips – Spend

Spend (£ millions)

1 London 954

2 Manchester 244

3 Birmingham 188

4 Leeds 112

5 Bristol 60

6NewcastleuponTyne

53

7 Sheffield 51

8 Liverpool 44

9 Northampton 44

10 Exeter 40

Source:GreatBritainTourismSurvey2012

Inbound business visits and eventsInboundbusinessvisitsin2012totalled

7.4million,2percenthigherthanin

2011andthebestsince2008.However,

despitemovingintherightdirection

sincethenadirofinboundbusinesstrips

in2009,thevolumeand,inrealterms,

valueofsuchvisitsremainsroughly

one-fifthlowerthanitwasin2006,

whentherewere9millionbusiness

tripsworth£5.7billionattoday’sprices

(source:VisitBritain’s‘Foresight’Issue

110,December2012).Table1.7illustrates

thefactthatnotonlyhastheamountof

businesstourismtakingplacedeclined,

sotoohasitsrelativeshareofthe

overallinboundtourismmarket,having

seenitsshareofvisitsfallfrom28per

centin2006toabout23.5percentin

2012,whileintermsofspendingthe

declinehasbeenfrom30percentto

24percent.Thisindicatesthatother

segmentsofthemarket,suchasholiday

trips,havebeenmoreresilientthan

hasbusinesstourismsincetheglobal

financialcrisistookhold.

TheInternationalPassengerSurvey

recordsjourneypurposeinformationin

alittlemoredetailthansimply‘business

tourism’andtheresultsfor2011canbe

seeninTable1.8.Therewerealmostsix

millionvisitsforroutine‘business/work’,

withsuchtripsgenerating£3.3billionin

spending.Thenumbersvisitingatrade

fairwerefarsmallerincomparison,

butnonethelessaccountedformore

than£200millionofspendingin2011.

Morethanonemillionvisitsweremade

toBritainin2011inordertoattenda

conferenceorlargemeetinginvolving

20+people,resultinginsome4.6million

visitornights.

Table1.7Relative Importance of Inbound Business Tourism to Britain

Relative Importance of Inbound Business Tourism to Britain (% share of visits and spend)

% of Visits

% of Spend

2006 27.6% 29.7%

2012(estimate)

23.5% 24.4%

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

Table1.8Visits, Visitor Nights and Spending by Trip Type

Visits, Visitor Nights and Spending by Trip Type

Visits (000s) Nights (000s) Spend (£m)

Business/Work 5,954 25,642 3,315

VisittoTradeFair 215 875 214

Conference20+People 1,069 4,601 862

LookingforWork 55 2,506 111

AuPair 11 1,336 13

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

23

Fig.1.2Duration of Stay (number of visits)

4,500,000

Nil nights 1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15+ nights

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

Fig.1.3Seasonality (number of visits)

Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

AscanbeseenfromTable1.8,allthe

majorcategorieswithintheinbound

businesstourismmarketresultintrips

thattypicallylastaroundfournights.

Figure1.2showsthat4.2million

businessvisitsin2011lastedbetween

oneandthreenights,while1.5million

fellintothe4-7nightscategory.Ofnote

isthefactthattherewerejustfewer

than900,000‘nilnight’businesstrips

fromoverseastoBritain.

Oneofthemanybenefitsofhavingan

inflowofbusinessvisitsfromoverseas

isthatthisensuresdemandfortourism-

relatedbusinessesthroughouttheyear,

withtherebeingonlymodestamounts

ofseasonalityinthevolumeofbusiness

tripsasisclearfromFigure1.3.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

24

Britainattractsinboundbusinessvisits

fromrightaroundtheglobe.Tables1.9

and1.10revealthetopsourcemarkets

foroverseasvisitorstoconferencesand

tradefairsrespectivelyin2011.

Thisissueof‘Foresight’maybeaccessed

freeofchargeat:http://bit.ly/VPcSJL

AnewreportontheUK’swidertourism

sector,‘Tourism:jobsandgrowth–

theeconomiccontributionofthe

tourismeconomyintheUK’,published

byDeloitte(November2013)and

commissionedbyVisitBritain,calculates

thatinternationalvisitorsgenerated

£24billionof‘export’earningsin2013,

whichinturnmeant£6.7billionoftax

revenuesfortheExchequer.Thereport

predictsthat,to2025,therewillbe

aboveaverageGDPgrowthintourism

drivenprimarilybyinternationalvisitors

–inboundtourismisprojectedtogrow

by6.1percentperannumtoreach

totalrevenuesof£57billionby2025.It

suggeststhattourismisnowworth£127

billiontoBritain.

Changing the perceptions and profile of business visits and eventsWestillneedtoincreaseunderstanding

andrecognitionofthevaluethat

conferences,meetingsandevents

generateintermsofprofessional

development,knowledgetransfer,

investmentgeneration,technical

progressandalltheotherareasthat

definewhytheseeventshappenin

thefirstplace.Inreality,meetings,

conventionsandexhibitionsare,inthe

wordsofapaperentitled‘Understanding

theValueoftheMeetingsIndustry’

publishedbytheJointMeetingsIndustry

Council(JMIC)in2008:

primary engines of both economic and professional development, key vehicles for not just sharing information – something that, in many cases, can be done just as effectively on the Internet – but building the kind of understanding, relationships and confidence that can only be achieved on a face-to-face basis.

TheJMICpaperdescribes‘threecritical

areasofinterfacewhichthemeetings

industryhaswiththebroadereconomy,

whetherthatbeatagloballevelorin

thecontextofanindividualcommunity’.

Thefirstoftheseistheeconomicrole,

describedearlierinthischapterand

inotherchaptersofthisreport.The

secondisthebusinessdevelopment

role:

which reaches far beyond the immediate effects of event-related spending. For a start, meetings, conventions and exhibitions attract business audiences that wouldn’t necessarily otherwise visit a particular destination, and who are more likely to be investors and decision-makers than other types of visitors. In this way, events serve to expose the host city and its investment opportunities to a whole new audience – a process that can rival even the most highly evolved economic and investment development programmes mounted by the business community. At the same time, they provide a vehicle for local business and professional groups to host colleagues and create a showcase for local products and services, all key elements in the economic development process.

Table1.9Top Markets for Visits to Conferences of 20+ People

Market Visits (000s)

USA 168

Germany 125

France 88

IrishRepublic 63

Netherlands 59

Italy 41

Belgium 40

Spain 38

Denmark 34

Switzerland 32

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

Table1.10Top Markets for Visits to Trade Fairs

Market Visits (000s)

IrishRepublic 33

France 20

Germany 19

USA 19

Italy 15

Spain 13

Netherlands 12

Denmark 7

Sweden 7

Russia 6

Source:VisitBritain/‘Foresight’IssueDecember2012

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

25

But,thepapersuggests:

above all, there are the benefits associated with the community enhancement role – because these are the ones that most directly impact the largest number of people in a community. For a start, meetings and conventions create access to a wide range of professional development opportunities for local residents by making these more accessible to those in the community. Major, or even regional, gatherings bring what is often world class knowledge and expertise within the grasp of local businesses and professionals, improving overall knowledge in ways that would not otherwise be possible. When such gains are made in areas such as the medical or research fields, the benefits to the rest of the community can be very profound in terms of how they improve the overall quality of life.

But even without this effect there are ways that the community benefits in a very tangible way from the meetings, conventions and exhibitions taking place there. For a start, it justifies and in large part finances the development of facilities that can then be used for the community’s own events and celebrations. But, best of all, the arrival of non-resident delegates means a lot of new tax revenues from outside of the usual local tax base which can and will be applied to supporting ongoing community services.

Thepaperconcludes,however,by

describinganevenmoreimportantrole,

onewhichgoestotheheartofwhat

meetingsareallabout,whichis:

The importance they have in bringing together diverse interests and cultures to address common challenges. Meetings, conventions and exhibitions not only support professional, research, technology and academic development – the pivotal activities that underpin global progress – but they also help build networks and bridge cultural differences that threaten world order and advancement. The simple fact is, meetings are vehicles for finding solutions to global issues – and that is something we will have no shortage of in the years ahead!

TheJointMeetingsIndustryCouncilhas

publishedtwomorepapersproviding

anin-depthrationaleforthebenefitsof

conferences,meetingsandexhibitions.

Thepapersare:

• AMeetingsIndustryGuideto

Community&GovernmentRelations

• SpeakUp!AGuidetoCommunicating

IndustryValue

Theycanbedownloadedfrom

theJMICwebsite:

www.themeetingsindustry.org/

AconferenceorganisedbyJMICand

heldduringtheEIBTMexhibitionin

Barcelona(November2013)focused

onaddressingthecommunications

challengesfacingthemeetingsand

businesseventssector.Itmadeaseries

ofrecommendationsforfutureactionin

termsofwhatarethecriticalissuesand

whatdothekeymessagesneedtobe

inordertogaintractionwithaudiences

thatareimpactingandwillcontinueto

impacttheindustry’scollectivefuture.

Therecommendationsincluded:

• Theimportanceofhavinga

consensusandconsistentindustry

messagedeliveredasa‘singlevoice’

inplaceofscatteredinitiativesthat

onlyservetoconfusekeyaudiences

• Afocusonsocietalbenefits(medical,

academic,economic)astheprimary

valuesarisingfromtheindustryin

placeofrelyingonpurelyfinancial

measures

• Theimportanceofaddressing

governmentandcommunitypriorities

inordertoengagetheirinterest

• Aneedtobuildagreaterleveloftrust

andenhancerelationshipswithinthe

industryitselfinordertocreatea

basisforjointaction

• Ashiftoffocusontodeliveringnew

initiativesthatcanbedevelopedon

acooperativebasisinplaceofsimply

revisitingpastinitiatives

• Theimportanceofclearlydefining

whatisneededtosupportindustry

developmentaspartofthemessage

andofprovidingsolutionstoaddress

this

• Theneedtoengagewithmainstream

mediamoreeffectivelybyrecognising

theirprioritiesandbyshapingmore

newsworthyindustrymessages,and

• Arequirementtomaintainan

ongoing,consistentcommunications

/advocacyeffortinplaceofonly

periodicinitiatives.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

26

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG)AnAllPartyParliamentaryGroup

(APPG)forEventshasbeenestablished

underthechairmanshipofNickde

Bois,MP.Thefunctionofthegroupisto

provideadialoguebetweengovernment

andtheorganisations,associationsand

businessesthatmakeupthewidescope

oftheUKeventsindustry.TheAPPG

representstheinterestsoftheindustry

throughtheachievementof:

• Greatersupportformarketingand

biddingformoreinternationalevents

tobeheldintheUK

• Promotionofthevalueofexport

earningscreatedbytheindustry

• Theimportanceofgreater

engagementwithnationalandlocal

politicians

• Supportforanew,all-embracing

EventIndustrySafetyGuide(the

‘PurpleGuide’–seeChapter6)to

includeoperationalguidelines

• EnsuringthattheEventsSector

achievesalastinglegacyfromthe

2012Olympics.

Overthelastfiveyears,withthearrival

ofthe2012OlympicandParalympic

Games,theQueen’sDiamond

Jubileecelebrations,theincreasing

popularityofoutsideeventsand

festivalsandtheforthcomingarrival

oftheCommonwealthGames,the

Grouphasworkedwiththeindustry

tobestconfronttheopportunitiesand

challengesitfaces,andtodetermine

howgovernmentcansupportitsgrowth

inlinewithitsownGrowthAgenda.

In2013theAPPGinitiatedaninquiry

intothe‘InternationalCompetitiveness

oftheUKEventsIndustry’,theresultsof

whichwerepublishedinDecember2013.

Thekeyfindings,recommendationsand

conclusionsaresummarisedbelow.Itis

interestingtonotethat,inthewordsof

theinquiryreport:

‘Notwithstanding the impact that the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee had on the public and audiences from around the world, these events do not represent the wide diversity of events that take place on a daily basis; managed by professionals and attended by visitors and delegates from across the world. Nothing we found from the inquiry challenged or undermined the claim of the UK’s reputation to be the world leader in the creation, staging, and production of events, be they business (brand activations, conferences, conventions, large meetings, exhibitions), cultural and music festivals, sporting events or other indoor and outdoor public events and fairs.’

Key Findings• Theindustryrecognisedthatitcould

beakeydriverofthegovernment’s

‘growthagenda’byattractinghigh

growthindustriestotheUKand

stimulatingthediscussionasto

whytheUKisopenandhungryfor

business.Thegovernmentcould,it

wasdetermined,helptheUKevents

industrytoachieveitsaspirations

ofgrowingfromitspresent£36bn

toaprojected£48.4bnby2020.In

returnthissectorcouldhelpfuelthe

widergrowthagendaforthenation

byengagingwiththekeybusiness

sectorsthroughthestagingof

internationalevents

• Themajorityofevidencegivenfrom

withintheindustrywasnotasking

forfinancialsupportforthesector

butforthereductionofinterventions

thatdecreaseitsinternational

competitiveness

• Barrierstogrowthwereexacerbated

bythepoorpositioningofthe

businesseventsindustrywithin

somesectorsofgovernmentand,

whilstindustryitselfwaseffectively

representingitselftogovernment

whereitwaspossibletodoso,itstill

operatedinsilosandamorecoherent

industryeffortwasalsoneeded

• Notwithstandingthecommittee

receivingevidenceofsubventionby

internationalcompetitordestinations,

itwasclearthattheUKproductisso

strongandattractivetointernational

eventorganisersthat,despitethelack

ofthissubventionfunding,andthe

obviouscompetitivedisadvantage

thiscreates,theUKcontinuestowin

majorbusiness.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

27

Key Recommendations

Government• Across-departmentalapproach

shouldbeestablishedtorepresent

thebestinterestsoftheUKevents

industry.Itshomeshouldremain

withinTourismattheDepartmentfor

Culture,Media&Sport(DCMS),butit

willalsohaverepresentationfromthe

DepartmentofBusiness,Innovation

&Skills(BIS).Theprincipalfunction

ofBISistobreakdownthebarriers

createdbyunintendedconsequences

oflegislationorregulation.DCMS

shouldchairaformalsub-committee

withinvitedstakeholdersfromthe

HomeOffice,BISandDepartmentfor

CommunitiesandLocalGovernment

(DCLG)

• Aspecial‘EventsVisa’shouldbe

createdthatwillprovideamore

positivewelcometoinfluentialevent

partiestravellinginternationallyinto

theUKandprovidepre-approved

businesstravellersand‘eventtourists’

withamorepleasantentryintothe

UK.Thishasbeenauthorisedforthe

CommonwealthGamesbutshouldbe

extendedtointernationaltradeshows,

consumerandbusiness-to-business

events

• Afeasibilitystudyshouldbesetup

toreviewthetaxraisingpowersof

localgovernmenttoraiseincomefor

capitalexpenditurethatdemonstrates

anetbenefitreturnforthelocal

communitywiththesupportofthe

localcommunitybydemocratic

consent.TheLocalismAct2012allows

councilstoraisefundingfromlocal

taxpayerssubjecttoapprovalbylocal

referendum.Itisnotclearwhether

thesepowerswouldincludemajor

infrastructureprojects–however,

theprincipleisclearlypositively

establishedbygovernment.A

feasibilitystudyshoulddetermine

thescopeoftheeconomicimpactof

anyinvestmentand,therefore,the

practicalityofraisingpublicfunding

acrossmorethanonejurisdiction,for

example

• TheTreasuryshouldinclude,within

futureeconomicimpactstudies,the

impactoftaxationwithintheevents

industryandspecifically,butnot

exclusively:

-TheimpactofAPD(AirPassenger

Duty)ontraveltomajorbusiness

andconsumerevents

-TheimpactofVATonbusiness

eventsuccess

• TheBusinessVisits&Events

Partnershipandthe‘Britainfor

Events’campaignshouldbefully

recognisedbygovernmentasthe

centralandfullyrepresentative

voiceoftheUKeventsindustry.

Representativesfromcountrylevel

destinationmarketingorganisations

(DMOs),withthepossibleinclusion

ofVisitBritain,shouldbeincludedon

thePartnershiptosharelearningand

bestpracticeacrossUKdestinations

alongsidetheeventsindustry’smany

tradeassociations

• Stepsshouldbetakentostrengthen

localauthoritiesthatdonotcurrently

offerastrongandcoordinated

destinationmanagementservicein

ordertobothsupportexistingevents

andhelpthemtowinmoreeventbids

• Localauthoritiesshouldworkclosely

withbusinessesandorganisations

concernedwiththeeventsindustryto

developaregion-specificapproachto

subvention,notlimitedtopurelyfiscal

supportbutprovidingalongterm

andsustainablesupportforreturning

eventsbusiness

• Acommunicationprogrammeshould

becreatede.g.aconferenceshouldbe

producedanddeliveredinpartnership

withtheeventsindustryandaimedat

localauthoritiesinordertopromote

thebenefitsoftheeventssectorin

localdestinations,andtoprovide

informationandadviceonsubjects

suchase.g.licensingandregulation,

healthandsafetyetc.

Industry• Sharingbestpracticeisnotevident

acrossthesector.Destinationsuccess

storiesshouldbesharedthroughout

theUKeventsindustrysothatothers

canbenefit.Thiscouldbecoordinated

throughe.g.BVEP/BritainforEvents

and/orcountrylevelDMOs,andcould

include:

-ScottishExhibition+Conference

Centre(SECC),GlasgowCity

MarketingBureau(GCMB)and

VisitScotland

-Internationaldestinationsuccesses

e.g.Vienna,Barcelona,Lisbon

• Industryregionalpartnerships

shouldbeformedwithlocaland

regionalauthorities.Whilstthereis

evidencethatforwardthinkinglocal

authoritieshaveexaminedthereturn

oninvestment(ROI)ofinvestingin

theeventsindustryandsubsequently

investedwhereappropriate,such

engagementwiththeindustryis

patchworkacrossthecountryand

oftenonaninformalbasis

• Industryshouldfullyembracethe

MinisterialSupportBidinitiativeand

closerrelationswithUKTI,including

thenewlyformedUKTIEvents

Alliance,toensurestrongerpitches

formeetingandconventionbusiness

(seeChapter5forfurtherinformation

ontheMinisterialBidSupport

Initiative)

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

28

• Sustainabilityandapprenticeships

areakeypartofthegovernment

agenda,bothasastakeholdertothe

industry,butalsoaspotentialbuyer.

Theseareasshouldthereforebe

morewidelyembracedbytheevents

industry

• Asingleprofessionalauthority,funded

bytheindustry,withrepresentatives

fromleadingbodies,couldhelp

ensureaunified,coherentand

consistentrelationshipisbuiltwith

government,localauthoritiesand

regulatorybodies.Thiscouldbea

betterresourcedBVEPtoensurethe

industryspeakswithonevoice.

ConclusionsItisclearthatUKevents,whilstoften

thevictimofeconomictrends,isan

industrythatholdsglobalrespectfor

itscreativity,peopleandthequality

anduniquenessofitsvenuesand

destinations.UKeventandexhibition

agencieshavegrowninternationally

andrepresentsuccessstoriesforthe

exportationoftheUKcreativesector.

TherecanbenodoubtthattheOlympic

andParalympicGames,alongsidethe

Queen’sDiamondJubileecelebrations,

contributedtothisreputationaswillthe

forthcomingCommonwealthGames14

andRyderCup14inScotland.

Balancedagainstthispositivereputation

comesanegativeperceptionofcostand

allevidencegivenbyeventorganisers

citedpriceasakeyissueinnotselecting

theUKoverotherinternational

destinations.

Inshort,however,thisisacompetitive

industryandthequestionshould

thereforebe,howcanitbemademore

competitiveandhowcangovernment

supportitsgrowth?Itshouldbenoted

thattheroleoflocalauthoritieshere

isparamount.Thisisa‘destination’-

ledindustryand,whilstnational

representationcreatescosteffective

andcoherentumbrellasupportforlocal

DMOs,itwillbetheindividualandmore

localiseddestinationswhogainmost

fromincreasedactivityinthisindustry.

Prospects of the Growth Agenda

Evidencegiventothisinquiry

demonstratedthattheseeventsplay

aroleinthegrowthagendaofthis

government.EventsimpactonUK

tourism,theyplacetheUKasacentreof

businessexcellence,scientificknowledge

andresearchanddevelopment.

Astrongexamplegivenwasthearrival

ofTheEuropeanSocietyofCardiology

toLondonin2015,bringing35,000

delegatestoExCeLLondon.Notonly

willthisimpactpositivelyonlocal

businesses,itpositionstheUKasa

centralEuropeanauthorityonthe

subject.

Fromaninfrastructurepointofview,

thisindustryalsobenefitsfromprivate

investmentaswellaspublic,andmuch

ofthedevelopmentsofvenueshavenot

impactedonthepublicpurse.

Government Intervention

Muchofthediscussionsthattookplace

withinthisinquirylookedtofocuson

howgovernmentcouldsupportthe

industrytoachieveitsaspirationsof

growingfromitspresent£36bntoa

projected£40.8bnby2020.

Themajorityofevidencegivenfrom

withintheindustrywasnotaskingfor

financialsupportforthesectorbutthe

reductionofinterventionsthatreduce

itsinternationalcompetitiveness.This

includeduncompetitiveratesonVAT

forinternationalbusinessesbringing

largeeventstotheUK,toAPDand

costimplicationsfordelegatesand

eventtourists.Thesubjectofthe

SchengenVisawasalsoraisedin

termsofprovidingabarrierformajor

internationaldelegationsarrivingfrom

China.

However,itshouldalsobenotedthat,

whilstthisinquiryfullyacceptsthe

disadvantageoftaxationandvisa

restrictions,theUKtourismeconomy

remainsvibrantandingrowthand

businesstourismandeventshas

theopportunitytocontinuetogrow

regardlessofchangesintheseareas.

Evidencealsopointedatareaswhere

governmentcouldsupporttheindustry,

byusingministerialandcivilservant

timeandenergytolendsupportto

thewinningofinternationalevent

businesstotheUKandthat,through

localauthorities,couldcontributetoa

better‘welcome’totheUK.Theinquiry

acceptsthatpracticalratherthanfiscal

measureshaveboththebestchanceof

successandcanbeimplementedquickly

withmoreinstanteffectfortheindustry.

Where does the Industry sit within Government Departments?

Oneoftheareasidentifiedasabarrier

tothisgrowthwasuncertaintyover

wheretheeventsindustryshould

sitwithingovernmentdepartments

andwhichdepartmentsshouldcarry

responsibilityfortheindustry.Atthe

moment,businessvisitsandeventssit

withinTourismintheDepartmentfor

Culture,Media&Sport.However,given

thecontributionstheindustrymakes

tobusiness,education,researchand

development,astrongargumentwas

presentedforittositwithinotherareas

ofgovernment.

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

29

Raisedwithinthisdialogue,however,

wastheneedfortheindustrytohavea

naturalchampionandthedangerthat

itwouldsitbetweentoomanydifferent

sectors.

How does the Industry represent itself?

Ithastobenotedthatitisinthisarea

wheretheeventsindustryismost

inconsistent.TheUKeventsindustryis

vastandcoversawiderangeofdifferent

kindsofevents,acrossamyriadof

differentsectors.Itwaschallengedthat

theindustryneedstorepresentitself

morecohesivelytoensureitpresentsa

unitedvoicetoallitsstakeholders,not

justtogovernment.

Inpreviousyearsthiscoherent

voicewascoveredbyVisitBritain

andtheBVEP(forgovernmental

communication).However,asaresult

oftheComprehensiveSpendingReview

(CSR)in2009,VisitBritainpulledout

ofbusinesstourismandnolonger

representsthesectorinany

meaningfulway.

Thisinconsistencywasfurther

demonstratedthroughevidence

submittedbyJohnPenroseMPwho

raisedthesubjectoftheMinisterialBid

SupportinitiativewheretheDCMSput

inplacearesourceforeventorganisers

torequestministerialsupportformajor

eventbids.Sinceitsintroductionin

2011,onlyoneofficialrequesthascome

fromtheindustry.NB.Thishasrecently

beenrectifiedwithVisitEnglandtaking

responsibilityfortheinitiativewithgood

earlysuccess(twopiecesofconfirmed

businessandincreasedindustry

requestsforministerialsupport).

Itwasagreedthattheexistenceofthe

BusinessVisits&EventsPartnershipwas

apositivemovefortheindustrybutthat

moreorganisationsshouldsupportand

engageinthepartnership.

Consistency of the UK Event ‘Product’

Oneoftheareasthatcausedinterest

amongsttheinquirywasthatofthe

differinglevelofunderstanding,interest

andqualityfromdestinationsacross

theUK.WhilsttheUKdoesloseoutto

internationaldestinationsformajor

eventsbusinesses,itwasinterestingto

seeGlasgowandEdinburghcitedby

panellistsasexcellentexamplesofbest

practice,whilstotherdestinationswere

notsosophisticated.

Green and Sustainability Issues

Itwasalsonotedbytheinquirythat

outsideofevidencesubmittedbya

particularorganisation,therewasvery

littlementionofthesustainabilityand

environmentalimpactoftheindustry.

ThisisdespitetheUKpositioningitself

asgloballeaderinthisareaonthe

backofthe2012LondonOlympic&

ParalympicGames.TheUKestablished

theISO20121accreditationthatisbeing

exportedtotheGamesinBrazil,again

underliningtheglobalrespectforthe

UKindustry.

Thisisanareatheindustryneedsto

addressquickly.Theveryessenceof

face-to-facemarketingencourages

peopletotravelbothdomesticallyand

internationally,andtheindustryshould

makestepstopresentasectorthatis

awareofbothitsnegativeandpositive

impactsontheenvironment.

Subvention

Anareadiscussedatlengthduring

theinquirywassubvention;theact

ofsupportingmajoreventbidsby

purchasingvenuespace,ancillary

services,entertainmentortravel

fordelegatesaspartofanincentive

packagefromdestinationstomajor

eventorganisers.Theinquiryfound

thatthisisanareawheretheUK

isuncompetitiveandthatother

internationaldestinations(Paris,Vienna,

Lisbon)areableto‘buy’eventbusiness

aheadoftheUK.

Regardlessofthis,itwasclearthatthe

UKproductissostrongandattractive

tointernationaleventorganisersthat,

despitethelackofthissubvention

funding,theUKcontinuestowinmajor

business.Infact,itwascommentedby

onewitnessthatsubventionmonies

wouldbebetterspente.g.buildinga

centralLondonInternationalConvention

Centreinstead.Itwasalsosuggested

duringtheinquirythattheactof

subventionwasariskyoneinthelong

term,asgovernmentmoneywasnot

alwaysguaranteedandthattakingaway

suchsupportwouldimpactimmediately

onbidwins.

ThefullAPPGinquiryreportmaybe

accessedat:

www.businessvisitsandevents

partnership.com

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

30

CASE STUDY

Eventia-IVCA Achieves Breakthrough Agreement on TOMS

Thiscasestudyhighlightsthe

importanceoflobbyingandpatient,

behind-the-scenesnegotiationto

achievelegislativeimprovementsfor

theeventssector.

InSeptember2013itwasreported

(www.myvenues.co.uk–26/9/13)

thattheEventia-IVCARegulation

Committeehadachievedasignificant

breakthroughagreementwithHer

Majesty’sRevenue&Customs(HMRC)

onVATaccountingforevents.Until

thattime,agenciesmanagingevents

thatfellwithintheambitoftheTour

OperatorsMarginScheme(TOMS)

accountingwererequiredtopay

VATonthefullamountofthetravel

element,despitetheirVAT-registered

clientsbeingunabletorecoverthe

VAT.Thishadcreatedanunfairness

andanomalycomparedwithVAT

accountinginotherpartsofthe

EuropeanUnion,puttingUKagencies

atacompetitivedisadvantage.

Negotiationsover18monthswith

HMRCenabledEventia-IVCAto

announcethat,fromSeptember2013,

itwouldbepossibleforagenciesto

issueVATinvoicesonthe‘nonTOMS’

element(knownas‘in-housesupplies’)

ofanevent.Thisoverturnedmany

yearsofHMRCpractice.

Commentingontheagreementwith

HMRC,BrianKirsch,Eventia-IVCA

RegulationCommitteeChairman,said

‘We are delighted to have reached this milestone agreement with HMRC. It sounds very dull and technical, but this change will be of immediate benefit to agencies wanting to compete in the European market, and who want to account for VAT correctly.’

TheEventia-IVCARegulation

Committeecontinuestoworkwith

HMRConotherTOMSissues,including

whetherminorTOMSelementsinan

eventcanbedisregarded,andmore

fundamentallywhetherbusinessto

business(B2B)transactionsshouldbe

inTOMSatall.

www.eventia-ivca.org

OverviewoftheUKEventsIndustryCHAPTER1

Chapter 2Creativity is The Global Competitve Landscape

32

Television news items featuring the competition between cities across the world to host major sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup have familiarised us with the notion that success in bidding to stage these events can only be achieved through lengthy, sustained, expensive, and high-profile activity. Images of bidding teams assembling weighty bid documents and support materials, often running to hundreds of pages, reinforce the research, hard work and professionalism needed to stand any chance of success. Scenes of elation on the part of the successful bid teams are balanced by the desolation of those who are unsuccessful, their disappointment the only fruit of what may have been a bid campaign lasting years rather than weeks or months. Fortunately, there are relatively few events demanding this scale of bid activity, although the principles underlying such activity are equally applicable to bids for whatever size of event.

Itisundeniablythecasethatwelivein

aglobalmarketplaceandcompetition

fromotherdestinations,bothcitiesand

countries,growsfiercercontinually.

Chapter1inthisReportdescribessome

substantialinvestmentsintheUK’s

physicalproductdesignedtoattract

majoreventstotheseshores.Other

partsofthisReportdescribeadditional

formsofinvestment(inqualityand

standards,educationandtraining

andskillsdevelopment,marketing,

innovationandcreativity,forexample)

beingmadetostrengthenandsecure

theUK’s‘offer’inthishighlycompetitive,

dynamicinternationalindustry.

ABVEPpaper‘OpportunitiesforGrowth

intheUKEventsIndustry:Rolesand

Responsibilities’(publishedOctober

2011anddownloadablefromtheBVEP

website)statesthat:

‘The UK is considered generally to be an expensive destination with a fragmented convention industry but we should seek to build on the key strengths that are inherent in the UK events industry. These include geographic location, quality and variety of venues with exceptional green credentials, the English language and Britain’s strong science and medicine pedigree.’

Withintherelatedfieldsoftravel

andtourism,therewasbothgood

newsandbadnewsaboutthe

UK’scompetitivenessintheWorld

EconomicForum’s‘Travel & Tourism

Competitiveness Report 2013 – Reducing

Barriers to Economic Growth and Job

Creation’(publishedinMarch2013).

ThegoodnewsisthattheUKimproved

itspositionfromseventhtofifthin

termsofouroverallcompetitiveness

(outof139countries)–thisshows

continuousimprovementinthefour

yearssince2009whentheUKoccupied

11thposition.Table2.1showstheUK’s

competitiveperformanceinanumber

oftravelandtourism-relatedcategories,

manyofwhichalsoimpingecloselyon

thebusinessvisitsandeventssector.

The Global Competitive Landscape

Table2.1UK Competitive Rankings in Travel and Tourism (out of 139 countries)

Category 2011 Ranking 2013 Ranking

Overallcompetitiveness 7 5

Policyrulesandregulations 13 8

Prioritisationoftourism 49 40

Tourisminfrastructure 19 22

Affinityfortourism 86 45

Ticketpricesandairportcharges 134 139

Visarequirements 22 46

Effectivenessofmarketing 43 21

Attitudetowardsvisitors 74 55

Source:WorldEconomicForum’sTravel&TourismCompetitivenessReport2013

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

33

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

TheTourismAlliancesuggeststhat

theserankingsprovideevidencethat

theOlympics2012andassociated

marketingactivitieshavehelped

toimprovetheUK’sinternational

competitiveness.Itadds,however,

that,whiletheGovernmenthasgiven

greaterprioritytotourism,thereare

stillsignificantproblemswithtaxation,

airpassengerduty(APD),visas(butsee

alsolaterinthischapter)andtheUK’s

tourisminfrastructure

The nature of Global CompetitionCompetitionfromothercountriesand

destinationscantakemanyforms,from

highermarketingbudgetstogreater

levelsofinfrastructureinvestment,

frommoreclient-friendlypolicies

andlawstoamoreprofessionaland

bettersupportedapproachtoevent

bidding.Oneortwoexampleshelpto

putthescaleandnatureoftheglobal

competitionforeventsbusinessinto

context:

• Hugeinvestmentshavebeenmade

andcontinuetobemadeinfacilities

andinfrastructurebymanycountries.

InthePersianGulf,AbuDhabiand

Dubaihaveledthewaywhile,inQatar,

theQatarNationalConventionCentre

wasopenedin2011atacostofUS$1.2

billion(approximately£700million).

Omanwilladdtothecompetition

fromthisregionwhenitopensthe

newOmanConvention&Exhibition

Centrein2016(seecasestudyon

page41)

• InJanuary2013,theMaltaTourism

Authorityannouncedanewannual

subventionfundof€100,000to

attractinternationalassociation

meetings.Associationsmustmeet

variouscriteriatoreceivefinancial

help,butacontributionof€10,000

willbeavailabletothosethatqualify

• Malaysiaaimstoincreasebusiness

tourismarrivalsfrom1.2million

to2.9millionby2020andhasa

conferencesubventionbudgetof

US$7.5millionayeartohelp.Totally

fundedbycentralgovernment,the

MalaysianConvention&Exhibition

Bureau(MyCEB)operateswitha

budgetofUS$15millionofwhich50

percentisdevotedtothesubvention

programme.

• Theglobalnatureandgrowthofthe

internationalconferenceandevents

sectoriswelldemonstratedbythe

evolutionofoneoftheindustry’s

majortradeshows,IMEX,whichis

heldinFrankfurtinMayeachyear.

ThefirstIMEXwasheldin2003

and,inthatyear,119countrieswere

representedasexhibitors;by2011

thisnumberhadincreasedto160

countries.In2003therewere5,624

visitorstotheshow(includinghosted

buyers)drawnfrom80countries.

In2011therewere8,944visitors

drawnfrom86countries.Whilejust

ninecountriessupplied77percent

ofthesevisitors(Belgium,France,

Germany,Italy,Netherlands,Russia,

Spain,Switzerland,UnitedKingdom,

USA),afurtherfivecountriessupplied

over100visitorseach:Austria,Brazil,

China,Poland,andSweden,clearly

demonstratingthestrengthofthe

businesseventssectoringlobally

disperseddestinations.

• TheUnionofInternational

Associations(UIA)publishesannual

rankingsofinternationalmeetings

heldin185countriesaroundthe

world.Whilenotallofthesecountries

areactivemarketersintermsof

winningsuchmeetingsbusiness,

manyareandthisnumberincreases

constantly.Thetablesbelow,from

boththeUIAandICCA(International

Congress&ConventionAssociation)

illustratetheUK’smarketshareinthis

sectorofmajoreventsbusiness.

UIA Country and City Rankings 2012TheUKhasenjoyedsignificantsuccess

inattractingmajorsportingevents,

describedfurtherinotherpartsof

thisReport,butcomparativedatais

notavailabletoshowhowsuccessful

theUKhasbeeninsecuringevents

againstinternationalcompetitionfor

manyoftheotherindividualsegments

ofbusinessvisitsandevents.Thereis,

however,wellestablishedresearchinto

thestagingofinternationalassociation

andinternationalgovernmental

conventionsandconferences,published

annuallybytheUnionofInternational

Associations(UIA)andtheInternational

Congress&ConventionAssociation

(ICCA).WhiletheUKhasdifferent

rankingsinthetwodatasetsfor2012

(differentcriteriaareused–seebelow),

bothsuggestthatthereisstill‘roomfor

improvement’.Recommendationsfor

achievingsuchimprovementsarelisted

laterinthischapter.

TheUnionofInternationalAssociations’

(UIA)rankingscovermeetingsunder

threeheadings:

i) ‘A’Heading–Meetingsof

InternationalOrganisations

•organisedorsponsoredby

‘internationalorganisations’i.e.

internationalnon-governmental

organisations(NGOs)and

intergovernmentalorganisations

(IGOs)includedintheUIA’s

YearbookofInternational

Organisations

•withatleast50participants,or

numberofparticipantsunknown

ii) ‘B’Heading–OtherInternational

Meetings(3days)

34

•meetingsnotorganisedor

sponsoredby‘international

organisations’butnonetheless

ofsignificantinternational

character,notablythoseorganised

bynationalorganisationsand

nationalbranchesofinternational

organisations

•atleast40percentofthe

participantsarefromcountries

otherthanthehostcountry

andatleast5nationalitiesare

represented

•lastingatleast3days,orof

unknownduration

•witheitheraconcurrentexhibition

oratleast300participants.

iii) OtherInternationalMeetings(2

days)

•meetingsnotorganisedor

sponsoredby‘international

organisations’butnonethelessof

significantinternationalcharacter,

notablythoseorganisedbynational

organisationsandnationalbranches

ofinternationalorganisations

•atleast40percentofthe

participantsarefromcountries

otherthanthehostcountryandat

least5nationalitiesarerepresented

•lastingatleast2days,orof

unknownduration

witheitheraconcurrentexhibitionorat

least250participants.

Thetablebelowcombines‘A’and‘B’

meetings.Outofatotalof349,089

meetingsintheUIAdatabasewhich

meetthecriteriaforinclusioninthe

UIA’s‘InternationalMeetingStatistics

fortheyear2012’(publishedJune2013),

10,498tookplacein2012,and6,298are

scheduledfor2013orlater.

ICCA Country and City Rankings (2012)TheICCArankings(publishedMay

2013)covermeetingsorganisedby

internationalassociationswhichtake

placeonaregularbasis,attracta

minimumof50participantsandrotate

betweenaminimumofthreecountries.

ThisyearICCAidentifiedmorethan

11,500eventswhichtookplacein2012.

Table2.2Top International Meeting Countries and Cities in 2012 - UIA

Number of meetings per country Number of meetings per city

Ranking Country No. of meetings Ranking Ranking No. of

meetings

1 Singapore 952 1 Singapore 952

2 Japan 731 2 Brussels 547

3 USA 658 3 Vienna 326

4 Belgium 597 4 Paris 276

5 RepublicofKorea 563 5 Seoul 253

6 France 494 6 Tokyo 225

7 Austria 458 7= Barcelona 150

8 Spain 449 7= Copenhagen 150

9 Germany 373 9 Madrid 149

10 Australia 287 10 London 119

11 UnitedKingdom 272 11 Stockholm 113

12 Italy 262 12 Budapest 107

13 Canada 228 13 Sydney 103

14 Netherlands 177 14 Helsinki 102

15 Denmark 175 15 Lisbon 93

16 Switzerland 166 16 Geneva 90

17 Sweden 165 17 Berlin 89

18 Norway 164 18 KualaLumpur 88

19 Finland 160 19 Istanbul 87

20 China 155 20 Kyoto 84

Source:UnionofInternationalAssociations–www.uia.orgEmail:uia@uia.orgforfurtherinformation

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

35

Accordingtothe‘AMEX2013Meetings

Forecast’,thetoptenEuropeancities

formeetings(basedontheirclients’

preferences)positionLondonasthe

mostpopulardestination-these

willbemostlycorporateratherthan

associationclients.Thefullrankingsare

showninTable2.4

Table2.4Top European Cities for Meetings and Events Based on Number of Meetings Hosted

1 London

2 Paris

3 Amsterdam

4 Barcelona

5 Brussels

6 Nice

7 Berlin

8 Frankfurt

9 Rome

10 Munich

Source:AMEXMeetings&EventsDestinationAnalysis,November2012

Table2.3ICCA country and city rankings measured by number of meetings organised in 2012

Number of meetings per country Number of meetings per city

Ranking Country No. of meetings Ranking Ranking No. of

meetings

1 USA 833 1 Vienna 195

2 Germany 649 2 Paris 181

3 Spain 550 3 Berlin 172

4 UnitedKingdom 477 4 Madrid 164

5 France 469 5 Barcelona 154

6 Italy 390 6= London 150

7 Brazil 360 6= Singapore 150

8 Japan 341 8 Copenhagen 137

9 Netherlands 315 9 Istanbul 128

10 China-P.R. 311 10 Amsterdam 122

11 Austria 278 11 Prague 112

12 Canada 271 12 Stockholm 110

13 Australia 253 13 Beijing 109

14 Switzerland 241 14 Brussels 107

15 Sweden 233 15 Lisbon 106

16 RepublicofKorea 229 16 Bangkok 105

17 Portugal 213 17= Helsinki 100

18 Argentina 202 17= Seoul 100

19 Belgium 194 19 BuenosAires 99

20 Denmark 185 20= Budapest 98

20= Rome 98

Source:ICCAData(www.iccaworld.com)

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

36

Buyers’ Expenditure on EventsResearchconductedforthe2012EIBTM

tradeexhibitionheldinBarcelonain

November2012,entitled‘IBTMEuropean

Research’,rankedtheUKinsixth

positionamongthetoptencountries

inEuropeforeventsexpenditure.The

1,037respondentsfortheresearch

wereprimarilyagencies/thirdparty

intermediaries(77%),withcorporate

buyers(14%),not-for-profitorganisation

buyers(4%)andothercategories(5%)

makinguptheothercontributors.Table

2.5showsthefullrankingsandalso

detailstheaveragespendoneventsin

therespectivecountriesbythebuyers.

Thefiguresonspendwereextrapolated

fromanaverageof262delegatesper

event.Intermsofthemostpopular

countriesbyvolumeofeventsin2011-12,

theUKwasrankedthirdafterGermany

andFrance.Theotherpositionswere

occupiedbySpain(4th)andItaly

(5th),followedbyPoland,Portugal,

Switzerland,SwedenandTurkey.

Theneedtospendwiselyhasledto

theuseofnewdestinationsthatare

perceivedtoofferbettervaluefor

money,suchasCroatia,Slovenia,

EstoniaandAlbania.Sixty-threepercent

ofbuyerswerepredictingincreaseduse

ofnewdestinationsin2013.

Intermsoffuturetrends,thesurvey

highlightedtheimportanceofthe

US$150billionChinesemeetings

market.Thefindingsalsoshowedthat

CIVETScountries(Colombia,Indonesia,

Vietnam,Egypt,TurkeyandSouth

Africa)wouldbeloominglargeon

internationalmeetingsbuyers’radarsin

comingyears.

VisitBritain support for the events industryInOctober2013VisitBritainoutlinedits

commitmenttoaddvaluetoexisting

activitiesbynationalbodiesaspart

ofdeliveringits‘GoldenStrategy’for

theperiod2012-2020.Thestrategy

acknowledgesthatbusinesstourism

remainsasignificantcomponentof

internationaltourismtotheUKandis

performingstrongly.Itstatesthatevents

boostBritain’simageandbusiness

travellersareareadyaudiencefor

activitywhichpromotesanextensionof

theirstayinBritainforleisureactivity.

Thereportalsohighlightedthepotential

ofthesectortogrowthecurrentevent

attendeeexpendituresof£36billionto

£48billionin2020,allfromanindustry

thatconstituted24percentofall

overseasvisitstoBritainin2012and

accountsforsevenmillioninternational

businessvisitors.

InapaperpresentedtotheBusiness

Visits&EventsPartnership,VisitBritain

definesitsroleandpositioningin

growingbusinessvisitsandeventsas:

1. Providingsupportformajorbids,

asandwhenappropriatetodoso.

Workingwithbiddingpartners,this

willbethroughlettersofsupportand

theprovisionofin-kindmarketing

promotion(e.g.media,digital,retail

andsocial)

2. UsingVisitBritain’soverseas

officestoprovideinsights,trade

engagementandbidsupport

in-markettoassistthepromotion

ofbusinessvisitsandevents,and

businessextendertravel

3. Profilingincentivetravelwhere

opportunitiesexistaspartofa

strategytobuildtheluxurymarket

4. ‘EventsareGREATBritain’has

providedanexampleoftheway

inwhichtheGREATcampaign

canbebroadenedtoaddress

businesstourism,havingbrought

togetherVisitBritain,theGREAT

programmeteam,andthesector.

Thisoffersanexampleforfuture

partnershipworking.Thereare

furtheropportunitiesforVisitBritain

toworkwiththesectortoexploit

theinvolvementofUKTrade&

Investment(seealsoChapter4)and

theForeign&CommonwealthOffice

withtheGREATcampaign

Table2.5IBTM European Research among Buyers

Buyers’ Top 10 Countries in Europe for Events

Average Spend $US

Monaco 207,823

Malta 195,972

Germany 183,903

Poland 183,571

Ireland 179,244

UnitedKingdom 178,969

Russia 172,852

France 170,029

Spain 164,020

Turkey 154,902

Source:IBTMEuropeanResearch

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

37

5. Continuetobeactiveinpressingfor

improvementstotheUKvisaregime.

Inaddition,theindustryandthe‘Britain

forEvents’campaignwillseektowork

withVisitBritaintogrowtheoffering

ofbusinessextenders’programmes

andpre-andpost-eventvisits,through

tie-upswiththeVisitBritainonlineshop

aswellasco-ordinatingwithVisitBritain

andUKTrade&Investmentona

corporateprogrammeusingelementsof

theGREATprogrammeandVisitBritain’s

“You’reInvited”campaigntoencourage

UKbusinessestoinvitetheiroverseas

contactstoholdmeetingsandevents

inBritain.

BVEPhaswelcomedthepositive

contributionthatVisitBritaincanmake

totheeventsindustry,commenting:

‘Thereisagreatdealofexcellentwork

beingdoneatcountry,regionandcity

level,buttheresourceofthenational

tourismorganisationforBritainwith

itsstrongnetworkofoverseasoffices

andinvaluablemarketinsightsshould

addmoreopportunitiestoattractmore

eventsandattendeestoBritain.’

Subvention and bid support for UK eventsTheextenttowhichtheUKandUK

destinationsmaybeplacedata

competitivedisadvantagebecause

ofthelevelsofsupportofferedby

keycompetitorswhenbiddingto

attractmajorinternationalevents

wasassessedinareportentitled

‘SubventionandBidSupportPractices

forInternationalConferencesand

EventsinBritain’,publishedbyBVEPin

2011(andavailableforfreedownload

fromtheBVEPwebsite).Thereport

alsogaveanindicationofthecosts

andmissedopportunitiesresulting

fromfailedbids.Itincludedindustry

andstakeholderrecommendationsfor

howtheUKcould/shouldrespondto

suchcompetitivechallengesthrough

newpoliciesandtypesofpractical

supportthatwouldhelpUKdestinations

andvenuestoincreasetheirsuccess

ratiosfrominternationaleventbids.It

providedimportantguidelinesonhow

todevelopacohesiveapproachtoevent

biddingbylocalandcentralgovernment

agencies.Manyoftherecommendations

arestillrelevantin2013-4,andthese

aresummarisedbelow(togetherwith

updatesonprogressmade).

Thekeyobjectivesandusesfor

subventionareasfollows:

1. Toattracthighyield,highspend

internationalconferenceslinkedto

UKareasofexpertiseinindustry,

commerceorscienceandmedicine,

toboosttheeconomyandbenefit

inwardinvestment

2. ToenableUKcitiesanddestinations

tobecompetitivewithinthe

internationalconferencemarket

3. Toattractadditionalinternational

conferencesthatmaynotbe

attractedwithoutsubvention,

therebyboostingUKlevelsof

internationalconferencestobe

moreinlinewiththoseofother

majorEuropeanandinternational

destinations.

Itisclearfromtheresearchwhich

underpinnedtheSubventionandBid

SupportPracticesreportthattheUK

andUKdestinationsareatacompetitive

disadvantagewhenbiddingformajor

internationalconferencesandrelated

events.Competitionfromnewand

emergingdestinations,aswellasfrom

existingkeycompetitors,willonly

increaseintheyearsahead.Ifweareto

arrestandreversetheUK’sslidedown

theleaguetableoftopinternational

conferencedestinations,wemust

faceandaddressthecommercialand

competitiverealitiesinwaysthatenable

ustomaximiseourchancesofsuccess.

Thisisnotjustaquestionofmoney

(subvention).Wecanandmust:

•improvetheotherformsofsupport

thatweoffertointernational

associations

•beinnovativeandcreative

•adoptamoreeffectivejoined-up

approach

•anddemonstratearealhungerto

winmoreinternationalconference

andeventsbusiness.

Thelegacyfromstagingsuchevents

isnotjustinthedirectandimmediate

economicimpactgenerated.Itisalsoin

thelong-termbenefitstheyprovideand

intheirabilitytopositiontheUKatthe

veryforefrontofknowledgeexchange

intheemergentknowledgeeconomy,in

professionaldevelopmentandtechnical

advancement,inemploymentcreation,

andinnewinvestment,innovationand

technologytransfer.

Wealsoknowfromearlierresearchthat

upto40percentofbusinessvisitorsto

theUKcanbeexpectedtoreturn,often

withtheirfamilies,asleisurevisitors,

extendingandincreasingtheeconomic

benefitsarisingfromtheirinitial

experienceasaconferencevisitor.

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

38

Recommendations

1. The Events Industryshould

continuetoraisenationalandlocal

governmentunderstandingofthe

benefitsanddirectandindirect

valuethataccruefromhosting

internationalconferences,business

andculturaleventsintheUK

2. The Events Industryshould

encourageandincreasenational

andlocalgovernmentcommitment

toprovideinkindsupportforevent

bids,especiallywhenthequalifying

eventisbeneficialtoeconomic

growth,scientificandindustrial

advancement,inwardinvestment,

employmentandexports,either

nationallyorinthehostdestination

3. The Tourism Unitat the

Department for Culture,Media

&Sportshouldpublishand

disseminateacrossgovernment

departmentsaMinisterialSupport

InitiativePapertoincludethe

timelyprovisionofsupportletters,

assistanceonbidsandattendance

atevents

4. The National Tourism Agencies,

supported by UKTI,shoulddevelop,

throughanationwidebusiness

tourismforum,anationalbid

supportbestpracticepaperto

facilitateinformationsharingand

identifylocalsupportacrossleading

conferenceandeventdestinations

5. Tourismrepresentative bodies

currentlyengagedinVATreviews

shouldincludethepotentialof

reducedratesofVATfororganisers

ofinboundinternationalcongresses

andmoregenerallyonconference

servicesandvenuehirefor

internationalevents

6. The UK Borders Agencyshould

introducespecialeventvisasfor

attendeesofbusinesseventsand

conferenceswherethereareover

2,000overseasdelegates.

It is encouraging to record that, in October 2013, a Ministerial Bid Support Initiative was launched to provide more timely and better coordinated support for international event bids from government ministers. Further details are given in Chapter 5.

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

39

CASE STUDY

The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre

Followingthehugeinvestmentsin

businesseventsinfrastructurein

AbuDhabi,DubaiandQatar,further

competitionfromthisareaoftheworld

willbestimulatedbydevelopments

inOman.Scheduledtoopenin

late2016,TheOmanConvention&

ExhibitionCentre,underconstruction

onagreenfieldsitenearthecapital

Muscat,willhaveamainauditorium

abletoaccommodate3,200,

while14meetingrooms

willaccommodatefrom70

to360people–anditwill

belocatedwithinafully

supportedconventionhub.

TheCentrewillbejustfour

kilometresfromMuscat

InternationalAirport.The

fullyintegratedprecinct,1.8kilometres

fromoneendtotheother,willalso

houseonefive-star,twofour-starand

twothree-starhotels,making1,000

roomsintotal,acommercialprecinct

andashoppingmall.Allaredesigned

tomeetUSGreenBuildingCouncil

LEED(LeadershipinEnergyand

EnvironmentalDesign)certification.

Theprecinctoverlooksanature

reserveandawater-filledwadi(valley)

whichprovideawonderfulhavenfor

Oman’sbirdlife.

TheOmanConvention&Exhibition

Centreisalreadyreachingoutto

internationalmeetingplannersina

movetobuildawarenessandpromote

theunder-developmentvenue—andthe

SultanateofOmanitself—forlarge-

scalemeetingsandevents.

Thevenueoperator,AEGOgden,

togetherwiththeMinistryofTourism,

hasbeenactivelytargetingkey

decision-makersworldwide.After

promotingtheOmanConvention&

ExhibitionCentreatglobalindustry

tradeshows,adelegationfromthe

OmanMinistryofTourismandvenue

representativeshasundertakenthe

firstinaseriesofexclusiveclient

eventsinParis,Geneva,Brussels

andLondonin2013.Thedelegation

includedOmanEmbassyAmbassadors,

DirectorsoftheMinistryofTourism

andtheirrepresentativesineachcity

location,aswellasOman’sleading

sportsman,AhmadAlHarthy,the2012

PorscheCarreraCupGreatBritain

Pro-Am1Champion.Morethan80

clientswiththepotentialtobring

65,000conventiondelegatestoOman

attendedthesepresentationsinkey

Europeanmarkets.

Oman’sDirectorGeneralofTourism

Development,MrSalimAlMamari,

said:

‘Many of these (client) decision makers are looking for something a little different and unique to ‘globalise’ their conventions and, at the same time, grow their membership. Oman ticks both of these boxes.’

Figure2.1Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre

TheGlobalCompetitiveLandscapeCHAPTER2

Chapter 3Events are The Composition of the Events Industry

Events support…

42

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCHAPTER3

This chapter examines in detail the individual segments that make up the events ‘industry’, looking at their key characteristics and trends, volume and value data, issues affecting future growth, etc.

Thebusinesstobusiness(b2b)sector

canbecharacterisedasextremely

dynamicandanarenathatembracesa

widespectrumofliveeventsproviding

creativeandvaluablesolutionsfor

corporatecustomers.Solutionsthat

showeventsarenowusedverymuch

asexperientialbrandexperiences

deliveringpowerfulandeffective

marketingandcommunication

messagesrightacrosstheboard.

Theeventsorganisedrangefromoff-

siteboardmeetingsandcompanyAGMs

toassociationmeetings,largescale

medicalandscientificsymposia,major

productlaunchesthroughtoopening

andclosingceremoniesforworldwide

events,suchastheOlympicGames.

However,theeventssectorisnot

confinedtobusinesstobusinessevents.

Therearealsobusinesstoconsumer

(b2c)eventsaswellasanarrayof

leisureeventsrangingfromsportsto

musictootherculturalevents,both

indoorandoutdoor.

Thesectorcouldnotfunctionwithout

themyriadofsupplierswhodeliver

productsandservicestoensure

thateventsarestagedsuccessfully

andprofitably.Thedifferenttypesof

suppliersarealsodescribedinthis

chapter

43

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £19.9 billion

Definition and BackgroundIncommonwithotherindustries,the

conferenceandmeetingsindustry

comprises‘buyers’and‘suppliers’.The

buyersinthiscaseareconference

organisersandmeetingplannerswho

buyor,moreaccurately,hireconference

venuesandrelatedservicesinorderto

stagetheirevents.

Mostpeoplewithintheconference

industryrefertotwobroadtypesof

buyer:‘corporate’and‘association’.

Therearealso‘publicsector’buyers

whomayberegardedasadiscrete

group,ratherthanbeingsubsumed

withinthe‘association’category.

Thereisalsoacategoryofrisk-taking,

entrepreneurialconferenceorganiser

(sometimesknownascommercial

conferenceorganiser)whoputs

togetheraconferenceandhopesto

beabletoattractsufficientdelegates

fortheeventtobeprofitable.Allofthe

abovemayalsoemploytheservicesof

variouskindsof‘agency’orintermediary

toassisttheminthestagingoftheir

events.

Theterm‘corporate’isusedtodescribe

conferenceorganisers(oftencalled

meetingplanners)whoworkfor

corporateorganisations.Corporate

organisationsarecompaniesestablished

primarilytogenerateaprofitand

thusprovideafinancialreturnfor

theirowners,whetherthesearethe

proprietorsofafamily-runbusiness

ortheshareholdersofalargepublicly

quotedcompany.

Theterm‘association’organiseror

buyercoversthoserepresentingawide

rangeoforganisations,including:

• Professionalortradeassociations/

institutions(whosemembersjoin

becauseoftheiremployment)

• Voluntaryassociationsandsocieties

(whosemembersjoinprimarilyto

furtheraninterestorhobby)

• Charities

• Religiousorganisations

• Politicalparties

• Tradeunions.

Associationsareformedandoperate

atdifferentlevels.Manyarepurely

nationalandrestricttheirmemberships

andtheiractivitiestooneparticular

country.But,andperhapsincreasingly

inourglobal,shrinkingworld,these

nationalassociationsareestablishing

linksandrelationshipsatacontinental

leveltoformbodieswithmemberships

andspheresofinfluenceatthiswider,

regionallevel(e.g.theEuropean

Federationof….ortheAsianAssociation

of….).Inothercases,trulyinternational

associationsexistwhosemembersare

drawnfromallcornersoftheworld.

Thepublicsector(sometimesreferred

toas‘government’)hasmuchin

commonwiththeassociationsector

(andindeed,forresearchpurposes,

isoftensubsumedwithindatafor

theassociationsector),covering

organisationssuchaslocalauthorities,

centralgovernmentdepartmentsand

agencies,quangos,educationalbodies,

andthehealthservice.

Thefourthtypeofbuyerisone

whoseroleisessentiallythatofan

entrepreneuroperatingwithinthe

conferencesector.Inotherwords,

someonewhoidentifies‘hottopics’in

thebusinessoracademicworldand

thenplansandproducesaconference

atwhichthetopicscanbepresented,

discussedanddebatedbyhighprofile

speakersandexperts.Theentrepreneur

aimstosellplacesattheconferenceto

anyoneinterestedinpayingtoattend.

Thesupplierstotheconferenceand

eventssectorincludeamultiplicityof

organisations,rangingfromconference

andeventdestinationsandvenuesto

specialistagenciesandcontractors,

accommodationproviders,transport

companiesandamyriadofniche

operators.

Additionalinformationonthestructure

andcharacteristicsoftheconference

andmeetingssegmentofeventsis

giveninthefirsteditionofthe‘Britain

forEvents’report,availableforfree

downloadfromtheBusinessVisits

&EventsPartnershipwebsite(www.

businessvisitsandeventspartnership.

com).Thissecondeditionwill,therefore,

focusonthecurrentandemerging

trendsfacingthesegment.

Key Sectors of the Economy for Meetings and ConferencesWhilemeetingsandconferenceactivity

istobefoundinallindustrysectors,

thosewhichhavetraditionallybeen

prominentingeneratingsuchactivity

include:

• oil,gasandpetrochemicals

• medicalandpharmaceuticals

• computing/ITand

telecommunications

• automotivemanufacturingandother

manufacturing

• financialandprofessionalservices

• food,drinkandtobacco

• travelandtransport.

A) Knowledge is : Conferences and Meetings

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

44

Newindustriesandtechnologies

expectedtobeimportantdriversof

futuremeetingsandconferences

include:

• Creativeindustries,art,architecture

&design,marketing,media,film,

photography,musicandthearts,

publishing

• Renewableenergy

• Robotics

• Biotechnology&specialistsciences

• Electroniccurrency&finance

• Education–distancelearning–

virtualuniversities

• Security.

Oneoftheemergingtrendsinrecent

years,andonealmostcertaintogrowin

thefuture,isthestrategybeingadopted

bymanyUKcities(alongwithmany

overseasdestinations)toaligntheir

biddingforeventswiththestrengths

oftheirparticularlocaleconomy.For

example,London&Partners(London’s

destinationmarketingorganisation)

hasnowsetitssightsongrowingfour

specificindustries:technology,life

sciences,thecreativeindustries,and

financial/banking/businessservices.

Throughinwardinvestment,ithopes

tomakeLondonaworldleaderin

thesesectors–andanintegralpartof

itsstrategyincludesattractinghigh

profileinternationalevents.Tracy

Halliwell,DirectorofBusinessTourism&

MajorEventsforLondon&Partners,is

quotedintheSeptember2013issueof

‘Meetings&IncentiveTravel’magazine,

assaying:

‘We have taken the four sectors London is already strong in. If we can attract more events in that space we’ll get more support from the city to bring them in. Meetings and events can support foreign direct investment and growth in these sectors, have a take-up effect on study and create and support new jobs. We know our enquiries brought £100 million to £120 million in economic benefit in the Olympic year and we have a target of 8 to 10 per cent growth this year.’

InFebruary2013Birmingham

announcedthatitwasconsidering

takingpoliticalconferencesoffits

agendapost-2014infavourofhosting

eventsmorealignedwiththecity’s

economicgrowth,anddesignedto

maximiseinvestmentopportunities

witharangeofevents.SirAlbertBore,

LeaderofBirminghamCityCouncil,said

atthetime:

‘Looking beyond 2014, we are aiming to attract events in sectors the city is also targeting for investment. These events will bring industry leaders and decision makers to Birmingham, creating opportunities for us to showcase the city’s offer as a business destination. This will ensure that events held here act as a catalyst for the city’s economic growth.’

InManchester,StevenSmall,Headof

BusinessTourismatVisitManchester,

writes(September2013,‘Conference

News’):

‘In the North West we understand the value of business events, not only as a direct contributor to the local economy, but as a way of highlighting the region’s strength in key academic and industry sectors. These events attract leading academics, industrialists, business people and entrepreneurs and are a great way to showcase the region and help attract investment and trade.’

Corporate and Association Meeting PerspectivesAnnualresearchamongbothUK

corporateandassociationmeetings

buyersisundertakenbyTheRight

SolutiononbehalfofCATPublications

andpublishedasthe‘BritishMeetings

andEventsIndustrySurvey’(www.

meetpie.com/bmeis).Thelatestedition,

with2014initstitle,waspublishedin

November2013.Therespondentsfrom

theassociationor‘notforprofit’sector

weremadeupasfollows:

• 65%professionalandtrade

associationsandinstitutions

• 12%governmentorpublicsector

organisations

• 23%othernot-for-profitorganisations

suchascharities,politicalparties,

religiousgroupsandtradeunions.

Someofthekeyfindingsoftheresearch

include:

Volume of Events Anticipated to August 2014

Theaveragenumberofevents

organisedinthetwelvemonthsto

August2013bythoseintheassociation/

notforprofitsectorwas37,significantly

upfromtheaverageof29ofthe

previousyear,andforthecorporate

sectorwas48,alsoupfromtheprevious

year’saverageof43.Figure3.1shows

theanticipatednumberofeventstobe

organisedinthetwelve-monthperiodto

August2014.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

45

Types of events held

Therearedifferencesinthetypesof

eventorganisedbut,forbothcorporates

andassociations,themostfrequent

typeofeventheldwastheirannual

conference,closelyfollowedbytraining,

presentation/communicationeventsand

managementmeetings-verysimilar

resultstotheprevioussurvey.Figure3.2

givesfurtherdetails.

Number of delegates attending events

Associations

Theaveragenumberofdelegates

attendingthemainannualconference

fortheassociationsectorwas437in

2012-3,slightlylowerthantheprevious

year’sfigureof443.Theirmeannumber

ofattendeesatregulareventswas145;

alsolowerthan204previously.However,

mostassociations’‘other’eventsarefor

fewerthan200people.

Corporates

Althoughonly9percentofcorporates

saidthenumbersofdelegatesattheir

eventshadreducedintheprevious

twelvemonths,themeannumberof

delegatesattheirannualconference

was378,slightlylowerthan393forthe

previousyear,andforregularevents

was127,alsolowerthan151inthe

previousyear.Themajorityofeventsare

forfewerthan200people,with56per

centsayingtheireventswereforfewer

than100delegates.

Fig.3.2Types of Event Organised

Experiential event

Incentive event

Fund raising event

AGM

Product launch

Awards event

Team building

Sales conference

Training

Staff conference

Management meeting

Presentation / communication

59.5%

48.6%

57.8%

43.7%

47.7%16.7%

26.6%43.7%

42.2%

30.2%

34.7%

3.2%

13.1%27.6%

28.4%

7.2%

25.6%

23.6%

34.7%

16.6%

13.1%3.6%

16.6%2.3%

17.1%

15.3%

30%20%10%0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40% 50% 60% 70%

Annual conference

Associations

Corporate

Fig.3.1Volume of Events 2013-4 (12 months to August 2014)

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

More

28.6%

66.8%

4.5%

27.9%

66.2%

5.9%

Same Less

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

Associations

Corporate

46

Percentage of residential events

Themeanpercentageofeventsthat

wereresidentialforthenot-for-profit

sectorwas26percent,andforthe

corporatesectoraverysimilarfigureat

27percent.91percentofassociations

and83percentofcorporatessaid

thepercentageofeventsthatwere

residentialhadstayedthesame.Just4

percentofassociationsand9percent

ofcorporatessaidthepercentagehad

increased.

UK destinations used for events in 2012-2013

Sincethesurveybegan,Londonhas

beenthemostuseddestinationfor

bothcorporateandassociationsectors,

withBirminghamandManchester

remaininginthenumbertwoandthree

positions-verysimilarresponseswere

receivedforthe2014survey.Glasgow

wasinfourthpositionandLeedsin

fifthwithEdinburghinsixthposition.

Cambridgewasatnumber7,clearly

showingtheinfluenceofuniversitieson

associations’destinationselectionwith

influentialacademicsandambassadors

andtheincreasingbenefitsofitsstrong

technologysector.Nottinghamsawa

risetonumber10positionfrom15the

previousyearandCoventrywasupto9

from14thepreviousyear.

Associationslisted82otherdestinations

withthosemostfrequentlymentioned

includingReading,Leicester,

Loughborough,Dundee,Northampton,

StratfordonAvon,Sheffield,Inverness

andWarwick.Corporateslisted63

otherdestinationswiththemost

frequentincludingLeicester,Reading,

Southampton,Telford,Portsmouth,

IpswichandDundee.

Figure3.3rankstheUKdestinations

usedmostoftenforevents,illustrating

thepercentageofrespondentswho

hadheldeventsineachlocation.

Respondentshadoftenheldeventsin

manylocations.

Influences on destination selection

Theimportanceofcolleagueandpeer

grouprecommendationsinthechoice

ofeventdestinationswasconfirmed

bytheresearch.Figure3.4revealsthat

over50percentofbothcorporateand

associationorganiserssaythatthey

makeaselectioninconjunctionwith

colleagues.Despitetheuseofsomany

differentdestinations,uptoathirdof

associationandcorporateorganisers

saidtheyoptforadestinationthey

haveusedbefore.Associationsare

morelikelytobeinfluencedbyan

advisorycommitteeyetlessthan

10percentsaytheyareinfluenced

bytheirPCOoreventmanagement

company.Interestingly,fewerthan5

percentsaidthatsubventioninfluences

theirdecision,despitetheincreasing

presenceofsubventioninsucha

competitivemarket.Ambassadors

influencearound4percent(N.B.they

canbemoreinfluentialforinternational

associationdestinations).

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

47

Fig.3.3UK locations used most often by event organisers

Torquay

Jersey

Eastbourne

Blackpool

Belfast

Harrogate

Bournemouth

York

Newcastle / Gateshead

Brighton

Aberdeen

Oxford

30%20%10%0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Cardiff

Liverpool

Nottingham

Coventry

Bristol

Cambridge

Edinburgh

Leeds

Glasgow

Manchester

Birmingham

London

Corporate

Associations

78.3%

75.0%39.7%39.4%

34.8%

25.0%

23.4%

26.1%

23.9%

25.0%

21.2%

22.8%

16.8%

18.5%

16.8%

17.4%

16.3%

18.5%

17.4%

17.9%

16.8%

15.2%

13.6%

13.6%

13.6%

13.0%

38.0%

25.5%

26.4%

22.6%

21.2%

19.2%

18.8%

16.3%

21.2%

17.3%

17.8%

17.3%

17.3%

15.4%

15.9%

14.4%

14.9%

15.4%

12.5%

10.6%

10.1%

10.1%

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

48

Key factors influencing venue selection

AsshowninFigure3.5,access,location

andprice/valueformoneyarethetop

influencingfactorsinvenueselection

whilearecognisedbrandplaysalmost

nopartwhatsoeverinthechoiceof

venue,despiteleadinghotelchains

focusingsostronglyonthemarketing

ofbrand.Thecapacityofconference

facilitiesisconsideredmoreimportant

thanthequalityandhasovertaken

availabilityinimportanceandfreeWi-Fi

isconsideredmuchmoreimportant.

Technologies used to help with event organisation/promotion

Thesurveyresultsemphasisehow

importantsocialmediahasbecomefor

eventorganiserstocommunicatewith

delegates.Corporatesincreasedto64

percenttheiruseofsocialmedia(from

40percentinthepreviousyear)and

associationsincreasedfrom56percent

to77percent.TwitterandFacebookare

beingmorewidelyusedbyassociations

thancorporates,probablytoencourage

greaterattendanceattheirevents.

Onlinecontenttoextendaudiencereach

isbeingusedbyaround35percent

ofcorporatesandassociations.New

technologiessuchascrowdsourcingare

showingverylowlevelsofusage.Figure

3.6givesfurtherdetails.

Print and digital media consulted regularly

Theprintedmeetingsindustrytrade

magazinesarepopularwithboth

corporateandassociationorganisers,

althoughupto36percentsaidtheydid

notreadany,anincreasedfiguresince

2012-3.Thisismostprobablydueto

increaseduseofdigitalmediaasshown

bythepopularityofEventmagazine.

co.ukandmeetpie.com.Meetings and

Incentive Travelisthemostwidelyread

publicationbycorporateandassociation

organisersfollowedbyConference and

Incentive Travelinsecondplace.Figures

3.7and3.8givefurtherdetails.

Fig.3.4Influences on destination selection

My selection in conjunction with colleagues

A known destination we have used before

Advisory committee choice

Our third party supplier e.g. PCO, event management company,

venue finder

Invitation or influence from renowned experts (ambassadors) in

our field/ industry

Subvention / financial incentives from the destination

62.6%

33.5%

52.4%

28.2%

8.8%

8.8%

4.4%

2.7%

7.8%

3.9%

4.4%

25.7%

30%20%10%0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40% 50% 60% 70%

Corporate

Associations

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

49

Fig.3.5Factors influencing venue selection

30%20%10%0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40% 50% 60% 70%

Convention bureau as an intermediary

Marketing campaign that caught your attention

Recognised brand

Leisure facilities

Internal / external perceptions of the venue

Quality of bedrooms

Compliance with your industry criteria

Staff awareness of needs

Reputation

Relationship with venue staff

Dedicated technical support

Technical capability and expertise of staff

Cleanliness of venue

Quality of food

Quality of service

Previous experience of venue

Quality of conference facilities

Free WiFi

Availability

Capacity of conference facilities

Price / value for money

Location (area of country)

Access (road, rail links)

Corporate

Associations

61.5%60.9%

63.7%58.9%

54.7%

32.4%

25.7%

17.3%

24.6%

14.5%

19.0%

13.4%

10.6%

2.2%

3.4%

5.6%

8.9%

5.0%

10.6%

5.6%

58.0%

44.9%

24.2%

21.3%

19.8%

19.3%

18.4%

13.5%

9.7%

8.7%

8.2%

6.8%

6.8%

6.8%

6.3%

5.3%

0.5%

0.5%

0.0%

1.1%

5.6%

1.1%

4.8%9.5%

1.9%

1.4%

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

50

Fig.3.6Technologies used in event organisation

20%0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40% 60% 80% 100%

Holograms

Crowd sourcing

Location aware software e.g. Foursquare

Cloud computing to assist with event managment

Electronic RFP products e.g. StarCite, Cvent

QR codes (specific matrix barcodes) for meetings management

Apps for providing delegate information

None

Smartphones / tablets handed out for delegate use

Audience response systems

Webinars while conference is taking place

Video conferencing

Online content to extend audience

Social media to communicate before / during / after the meeting

Corporate

Associations

64.0%

35.4%

21.3%

20.8%

20.8%

16.3%

15.7%

15.2%

14.6%

5.1%

4.5%

2.8%

76.7%

34.5%

13.1%

8.3%

16.5%

6.8%

13.1%

11.2%

18.0%

5.3%

1.5%

0.5%

0.5%

0.5%

0.0%

1.1%

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

51

Fig.3.7Use of print media – Publications read

Fig.3.8Use of online media

Meetings & Incentive Travel

None

Conference & Incentive Travel

eventmagazine.co.uk

None

meetpie.com

Event

citmagazine.com

Conference & Meetings World

conference-news.co.uk

Conference News

International Meetings Review

Other

conworld.net

44.0%

47.4%

38.9%

28.0%

38.2%

56.8%

32.7%

25.1%

30.9%

26.9%

27.4%

10.9%

21.1%

8.6%

27.6%

5.5%

12.6%

11.1%

15.4%

4.0%

27.6%

4.0%

2.3%

0.0%

8.0%

0.50%

35.7%

20.6%

20%

20%

0%

0%

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

Source:BritishMeetings&EventsIndustrySurvey2014(www.meetpie.com/bmeis)

40%

40%

60%

60%

Corporate

Associations

Corporate

Associations

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

52

CASE STUDY

G8 Summit – Lough Erne Resort, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

NorthernIrelandremainedfirmlyintheglobalspotlightwhenithostedtheG8

summitinJune2013.LoughErneresortinFermanaghwasthevenueforthis

prestigiousevent.TheSummitbroughttogethertheheadsofeightoftheworld’s

mostpowerfuleconomies.Thevisitofsomanyworldleaderswasheraldedasa

voteofconfidenceinNorthernIrelandfromtheworldpowersandwasanother

bigstepforwardfortourism.Theaccoladewasresoundingand,inthewordsof

PrimeMinister,DavidCameron:“Northern Ireland didn’t just deliver a great G8.

It delivered the most peaceful G8 ever”.Globalmediabroadcastsuchpositive

mediaexposurearoundtheeventwhichsurelyhelpedtochangetheperception

ofthecountryinternationally.

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/david-camerons-speech-at-the-northern-ireland-investment-conference

Newresearchamongeventvenuesand

venuefindingagenciesbytheHotel

BookingAgentsAssociation(HBAA)and

ConferenceCentresofExcellence(CCE),

publishedinSeptember2013under

thetitleof‘Measuringup’,confirms

thepredominanceofthemajorcity

destinationsasthefavouredlocations

formanybusinessmeetingsand

events.AfterLondon,themostpopular

destinationchoiceswereBirmingham,

Manchester,EdinburghandBristol.

Theresearchalsofoundgrowing

optimismaboutprospectsforthe

meetingssector,withsome80per

centoftherespondingorganisations

claimingtobe‘moreoptimistic’about

futureprospects.However,respondents

dididentifyanumberofchallengesfor

themarket,including:

• Weakeconomicgrowth,coupledwith

inflationandariseinbusinesscosts

• ProcurementandRFP(requestfor

proposal)processes

• Structuralissues

• Technology-basedissues.

‘Measuringup’suggeststhatthe

sectorswhichwilldrivefuturegrowth

arefinancial,pharmaceuticaland

government.Thelastofthesemay

seemsurprisinginthelightofthe

severesqueezeonpublicsector

budgets,althoughonevenuegroup

respondentsaidthattheyhad

seen‘…public sector spend shift to

consultancies/private sector providing

outsourced services to the public sector’.

AnotherBVEPpartner,Eventia-IVCA,

hasundertakenannualsupply-side

researchamongmeetingandevent

venuessince1993.Publishedasthe‘UK

EventsMarketTrendsSurvey’,the2013

researchrevealsthatsome1.3million

businesseventstookplaceintheUKin

2012,onaparwiththe2010and2011

totals.Therewereanestimated85.5

milliondelegatesaccountingfor140

millionbusinesseventdays.Theaverage

eventdurationwas1.6days,butmost

events(61percent)lastedadayorless.

Otherkeyfindingsfromtheresearch

were:

Whiletheaveragenumberofevents

pervenueacrossallvenuetypeswas

373(similartothethreepreviousyears),

therangewasfromanaverageof528

eventsatdedicatedconferenceand

trainingcentresto205eventsatmajor,

purpose-builtconventioncentreswhich,

bytheirnature,tendtostagefewerbut

largerevents.Figure3.9givesfurther

details.Theoverallmarketshareby

venuetypeisillustratedinFigure3.10,

whichshowsthathotelsaccountedfor

59percentofalleventsorganised,

followedbyunusualandmulti-purpose

venueswhichheld23percentmarket

share.

Thegrowingconfidenceinthemeetings

andconferencesmarketrevealedby

otherresearchprojects(seeabove)is

reinforcedbytheincreasedproportion

ofresidentialeventsbusiness(and

hencegreaterinvestmentbyevent

owners)reportedbyvenues.Figure

3.11highlightstheproportionsofevent

businessthatinvolvedanovernightstay

inthedestination(butnotattheevent

venueitself),oranovernightstayat

theeventvenue,ornoovernightstay.It

showsagrowthfrom30percentin2011

to37percentin2012intheproportion

ofeventsthathadaresidentialelement.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

53

CASE STUDY

Liverpool Welcomes Thousands of Delegates

Inthetwelve-monthperiodto

October2013,Liverpoolexperienced

abumperyearforinternational

conferences,welcomingmorethan

13,000internationaldelegatestothe

city.Thedelegatesattended22events

whichgeneratedsome£24millionin

economicimpactfortheLiverpool

cityregion.Amongtheeventswere

Eurospine,aconferenceandexhibition

whichattracted3,500delegatesover

fourdaysandtheEuropeanSociety

ofGynaecologicalOncologywith

3,300delegatesoverthreedays,both

eventsbeingstagedatACCLiverpool.

Elsewhereinthecity,meetingsincluded

theEuropeanNetworkforTranslational

ResearchinOvarianCancer,held

atLiverpoolWomen’sHospital;the

InternationalSymposiumonthe

FundamentalsofComputationTheory,

stagedattheUniversityofLiverpool;

andtheCongressoftheEuropean

OrganisationforCariesResearch,

heldattheHiltonLiverpoolhotel.In

2014,LiverpoolwillstagetheUK’s

InternationalFestivalforBusiness2014,a

globalshowcaseofgreatBritishindustry

comprisinghundredsofworld-class

eventsandtakingplaceinLiverpooland

thecityregionover50daysinJuneand

July.TheFestivalisexpectedtoattract

250,000visitorsfromacrosstheglobe,

andbring£100millionofinvestment

intotheUKeconomy.

Fig.3.9Average number of events per venue (by venue type)

Conference / training

Academic

Hotels

All venues

Unusual / multi-purpose

Purpose built

528

438

416

373

224

205

Source:Eventia’s‘UKEventsMarketTrendsSurvey2013’

Venuefiguresarebasedon3yraverage

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

54

23%

12%

59%

5% 1%Hotel

Unusual/multi-purpose

Academic

Conference/TrainingCentre

Purposebuilt

Source:Eventia’s‘UKEventsMarketTrendsSurvey2013’

Fig.3.10

Share of events market by venue type

Fig.3.11Levels of residential and non-residential business (% of business)

11% 11% 11% 10% 9%

20% 26% 21% 20% 28%

69% 63% 69% 70% 63%

Source:Eventia’s‘UKEventsMarketTrendsSurvey2013’

Notovernight

Overnightatvenue

Overnightinthedestination

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

55

Fig.3.12Number of international meetings 1963-2012 in ICCA database (5 year aggregated data)

Source:‘AModernHistoryofInternationalAssociationMeetings1963–2012’(www.iccaworld.com)

0

63-67 78-82 93-9768-72 83-87 98-0273-77 88-92 03-07 08-12

10000

30000

50000

20000

40000

60000

International Association MeetingsTheinternationalassociationmeetings

sectorhasbeengrowingstronglyover

thelastyear,ashasbeenthecase

throughoutthelastfewyearsofglobal

economicuncertainty.Whyisthisso?

MartinSirk,CEOoftheInternational

Congress&ConventionAssociation

(ICCA),suggestedthreereasonsat

thelaunchofICCA’s2013TopCityand

CountryRankings(May2013):

‘Firstly, almost all international associations have a statutory duty to meet on a regular basis, and their annual or biennial main congresses have become increasingly ‘mission critical’ for their communities of members and stakeholders.

Secondly, economic strength in certain regions of the world is stimulating growth in regionally rotating association meetings, particularly in Asia and Latin America, but we now also see this trend starting to emerge in regions such as Africa and the Middle East.

And thirdly, association congresses are to a large extent driven by scientific, healthcare and technological advances, and we are continuing to live in an era where the accelerated expansion of discovery and innovation is at an unprecedented level, creating entirely new associations and events to share insight into, and develop business from, this new knowledge.’

Inapaperentitled‘AModernHistory

ofInternationalAssociationMeetings

1963–2012’(publishedSeptember2013

tocelebrate50yearsofresearching

thesector),ICCAprovidesfurther

explanationofthevitalrolethat

internationalassociationmeetings

andcongressesplayinthetwenty-first

century:

‘International association meetings matter a great deal. Not simply because of their high spending delegates, who have been shown in numerous studies to be one of the most lucrative per-capita sectors within tourism statistics, but because of their broader impact on both their host destinations and on the wider world. Knowledge transfers; inward investment; innovative partnerships; business deals and elimination of barriers to trade – these are just some of the benefits that far outweigh direct delegate expenditure. This is why every destination which has recognised the strategic importance of becoming a leader in tomorrow’s Knowledge Industry is targeting the international association meetings sector. This is why the most ambitious cities are taking steps to harness the power of intellectual capital in their universities and research institutes to recruit meetings ambassadors and advocates. And this is why we are seeing more and more central

government support for infrastructure, marketing and subvention funds that can increase their country’s share of this market and drive forward their economic development agendas.’

TheICCApaperclearlydemonstrates

thegrowthininternationalmeetings

overthepast50years.Figure3.12,

representing5-yearaggregateddata

ofthelast50years,showsthat,since

1963,thenumberofmeetingsinthe

ICCAAssociationDatabasehasgrown

exponentiallybyapproximately10

percenteachyear,whichmeansthe

numberofmeetingsdoubledeach10

years.TheICCAAssociationDatabase

contains173,432meetingstakingplace

between1963and2012.1,795(1per

cent)ofthesemeetingstookplacein

theperiod1963-1967,54,844(31.6per

cent)intheperiod2008-2012.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

56

Inthelast50years,Europeconsistently

attractedthehighestnumberof

meetingsperworldregion.However,

Europe’smarketsharehasshrunkfrom

72.3percentin1963-1967to54per

centin2008-2012.TheAsia/Middle

Eastregionhasseenariseinrelative

popularityoverthepastdecade,almost

beingacountermirrortoEurope–the

marketshareofAsia/MiddleEasthas

grownfrom8.2percentin1963-1967

to18.2percentinthelasthalfdecade.

LatinAmerica’smarketsharehasgrown

from4.2percentto10percentinthe

sameperiod.Figure3.13illustrates

thegrowthinglobalcompetitionfor

internationalmeetingsoverthepast

50years.TheICCAdatashowsthe

UKoccupyingfourthpositioninworld

rankingsoverthepast50-yearperiod,

behindtheUSA,GermanyandSpain.In

the2008-2012period,theUKhosted

2,381internationalmeetings,compared

withatotalof169international

meetingsbetween1963and1967.

OthertrendshighlightedbytheICCA

paperinclude:

• Internationalassociationmeetingsare

gettingsmaller.Theaveragenumber

ofparticipantshasdroppedfrom1,253

intheperiod1963-1967to424inthe

period2008-2012.Therateatwhich

attendanceisshrinkingis,however,

muchlowerthantherateofgrowth

inthenumberofmeetings,sothat

overthelastdecadetheaverage

attendancehasreducedbylessthan

20percentwhilstthenumberof

meetingshasdoubled

• Duetothenumbersofmeetings

growingexponentiallyinthepast

halfcentury,ICCAalsonotesatrend

ingrowingthetotalnumbersof

participants,despitetheaverage

sizeofmeetingsgettingsmaller:the

estimatedtotalnumberofparticipants

forallmeetingshasgrownfromjust

over2millionintheperiod1963-1967

toalmost22millionin2008-2012

• Thereisacleartrendtowardsregional

meetings.Theproportionofmeetings

thatrotateworldwidehasbeen

decreasingoverthepast50years

from76.5percentinthefirstfive

yearsto42.5percentinthelast

fiveyears

• Themedicalscienceshave

consistentlyfeaturedasthe

mostfrequentsubjectmatterfor

internationalmeetingssincethe

establishmentoftheICCADatabase,

followedbyscience.However,

technologytopicsareshowinga

rapidriseinimportance.Figure3.14

illustratesthesubjectmattersby

relativenumbersofmeetings

• Thereisacleartrendthat

internationalassociationmeetings

areofshorterduration.Theaverage

lengthpermeetinghasdropped

graduallyfrom6.3daysin1963-1967

to3.8daysin2008-2012.

Fig.3.13Number of international meetings per region of the world

Source:‘AModernHistoryofInternationalAssociationMeetings1963–2012’(www.iccaworld.com)

0,0%

63-67 78-82 93-9768-72 83-87 98-0273-77 88-92 03-07 08-12

80,0%

70,0%

60,0%

50,0%

40,0%

30,0%

20,0%

10,0%

LatinAmerica

Africa

Oceania

Europe

NorthAmerica

Asia/MiddleEast

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

57

Other Meeting Trends ‘A consensus is forming that, leading into 2014, meetings, events and business travel will be critical drivers assisting organisations in their efforts to reach strategic business objectives and effectively communicate with their employees, customers and partners worldwide’,saidRobDavidsonof

theUniversityofGreenwichBusiness

School,presentingtheEIBTMTrends

WatchreportattheEIBTMexhibitionin

Barcelona(November2013).Headded:

‘The mood of our industry, as reflected in the conclusions of the vast majority of surveys used in the compilation of this report, has changed to one of quiet optimism.’Thisoptimismwas

confirmedbyasecondstudy,theIBTM

GlobalResearch,whosefindingswere

presentedatthesameexhibitionby

TheRightSolution:thisfoundthat

93percentofallbuyerrespondents

predictedthattheirconferenceand

eventsbusinesswouldeitherincrease

orstaythesameoverthenext12

months.Asimilarpercentageof

Europeansuppliersalsoforecast

thattheirbusinesswouldincrease

orstaythesame.

BenchmarkHospitalityInternational,

aleadingUS-basedhospitality

consultancy,announcedits‘TopTen

MeetingTrendsfor2013’inJanuary

2013,providingausefulanalysisof

meetingtrendsintheUSAwhichwould

seemtoreplicatetrendsintheUK

andelsewhere.BenchmarkHospitality

Consultingoperates39award-winning

hotels,resortsandconferencecentres

coast-to-coastacrosstheUSAandoff

shore.Amongthetrendsidentifiedare:

1. CMP = Completely Customised

Package–expectationsare

heightenedforthecreativeand

uniquedeliveryoftheindustry’s

CompleteMeetingPackage.It’snot

thatmeetingplanningprofessionals

don’tlikepackagingorseeitsvalue.

TheyjustwanttheCMPacronym

tonowmean‘customizedmeeting

package’–customizedtotheir

uniquemeetingneedsandbudget.

GonearethedayswhenaCMPwas

onesizefitsall

2. Wireless EVERYTHING!–whether

it’sanodtogreenmeetingsor

justconvenience,notepadsand

pensaretakingabackseatto

iPadsandelectronictabletsasthe

preferredmeansoftakingnotesand

documentinglearninginthemeeting

room.Conferencefacilitiesare

respondingwithchargingstations

throughouttojuiceupconferees’

devicesduringbreaks.Meetingsare

increasinglyactivewithtextingand

tweetingexchangeswithmeeting-

relatedcontent.Smart,interactive

meetingsareheretostay!

3. Healthy Culinary Continues–but

ironicallythatdoesn’tmeanthe

Danishtraysaren’temptieddaily.

Meetingattendees,though,are

demandinghealthy,gluten-free,

sustainablecuisineandrefreshment

breakselections–evengoingsofar

astorequestanauthenticculinary

experiencereflectingthenative

cuisineofparticipants.Creative,

imaginative,andhealthyculinary

offeringsareincreasinglyrequested.

Healthy,protein-nourishedmeeting

attendeesareattentiveconferees!

4. What’s New With Meeting Room

Demand?–Today’smeeting

technologybringsastrongerneed

forsecureenvironmentsinwhich

toconductbusinessandlearning

whenoffsite.Andmeetingplanning

professionalsaredemandingthat

meetingfacilities(venues)respond

accordingly.There’sjusttoomuch

atriskinthiscompetitivebusiness

environment.Guesswhatelseis

inhighdemand–morebreakout

rooms–whatwe’vebeenhearingfor

20years!Demandforsmallerand

moreintimateattendeeinterface

isincreasingafteralengthyperiod

ofdeferredmeetings.Somethings

neverchange,includingdemandfor

morespace!

5. Teambuilding Continues Its Trend

Upwards–afteryearsofpostponed

ordeferredmeetings,many

companiesareusingteambuilding

toinspirecamaraderieandrevive

enthusiasm.Butthisisnotyour

1900sropesandobstaclecourses:

today’steambuildingisabout

scavengerhunts,earlymorning

groupfitnessruns,competitive

bowlingandculinarycook-offs.Fun,

challenginganddelicious!

6. Bonus Trend–value,value,value,

includingplentytodoonproperty

forattendees,up-to-datefitness

andrecreation,andstrongWi-Fi

signalsthroughout!It’sallexpected

today.Socialresponsibilityand

sustainabilityareimportant,butnot

game-changers–they’repartofthe

mixandnotanendinthemselves.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

58

Therenewedinvestmentbycompanies

inteambuildingisconfirmedbyfurther

researchintheUSAbyDestination

Hotels&Resortsandreportedin

‘International Meetings Review’

(November 2013). Inasurveyofmore

than180meetingplanners,92per

centoftherespondentsreported

thatteambuildingcontinuestobea

strongindustrytrend.Theresearch

alsofoundthatmeetingplanners ‘seek

out meeting spaces, as well as public

areas, that can be utilised in different

ways for varied functions, from sit-

down gatherings and ice breakers to

brainstorming sessions’.And,perhaps

notsurprisingly,meetingplanners

highlightedan‘increased need for a

more encompassing technology service,

to suit the needs of globally expanding

companies and organisations’. Thefull

researchfindingscanbeaccessedat:

www.destinationmeetings.com

CarlsonWagonLit’s‘TravelPrice

Forecast:Meetings&Events

Supplement’(publishedSeptember

2013)predictsthatMeetingsandEvents

(M&E)providerswillbesuccessful

inraisingpricesaroundtheworldin

2014ataratethatgenerallyoutpaces

expectedtravelpriceinflation,as

demandcontinuestooutpacelimited

newsupplyinmostlocationsaround

theworld.Thiswillresultinmoderate

increasesindailyattendee/delegate

costsformeetingplannersacross

theglobe,whichincludemeeting

space,bedrooms,foodandbeverage,

entertainmentandmore.Theonly

exceptionswillbeEurope,theMiddle

EastandAfrica(EMEA),whereattendee

costswillbeclosertoflatgiven

economicuncertaintythatiscausing

somehotelsandgroundtransportation

providerstoactuallylowerratesyear-

over-year.Figure3.15givesprojections

forgroupsizegrowth/contractionand

costperattendeeperdaybyworld

regionin2014.

Inparallelwiththistrend,Carlson

WagonLitsuggeststhatmeeting

venueswillreducetheirflexibilityover

termsofcancellationandattrition(the

amountthatfinaldelegatenumbers

canfluctuatefromtheoriginalbooking

withoutpenalty)clauses.

Fig.3.14Subject matters of international association meetings by relative number of meetings

Source:‘AModernHistoryofInternationalAssociationMeetings1963–2012’(www.iccaworld.com)

0,0%

63-67 78-82 93-9768-72 83-87 98-0273-77 88-92 03-07 08-12

20,0%

18,0%

16,0%

14,0%

12,0%

10,0%

8,0%

2,0%

4,0%

6,0%

SocialSciences

Education

Economics

Management

Medicalservices

Science

Technology

Industry

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

59

Fig.3.15Projections for group size growth / contraction and cost per attendee by world region in 2014

Source:‘CarlsonWagonLit’s‘TravelPriceForecast:Meetings&EventsSupplement’(2013)

Copyright©2013CWT

Group size

Group size

Group size

Group size

Cost per attendee per day

Cost per attendee per day

Cost per attendee per day

Cost per attendee per day

Asia Pacific Latin America North AmericaEurope,

Middle East & Africa

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

-3.0%

-1.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

TheSupplementhighlightsthe

keytrendsofStrategicMeetings

Management,Technologyand

Complianceforthemeetingsand

eventssector:

Strategic Meetings Management

Strategicmeetingsmanagement(SMM),

whichinvolvestakinganenterprise-

wideapproachtothemanagement

ofmeetingsandeventprocesses

andspending,willcontinuetobea

focusforthemostforward-thinking

organisationsin2014.Currently,North

America-basedcompaniesareprimarily

drivingSMMprogress,includingtheir

operationsinotherpartsoftheworld,

asareorganisationsbasedinthe

UnitedKingdom,giventheUK’svarious

regulatoryrequirements.

Thatsaid,SMMwillproliferateeven

furtherin2014,asmoreandmore

companiesrecognisethemany

benefitsitprovides,frommaximising

budgetstominimisingrisk.Centralised

sourcing,includingmeetingvenues,

contractreview,andimplementation

oftechnologyareallgreatplacesto

beginwhenembarkingonanSMM

programme,asthesearetypically

manageabletoputintoplaceand

deliversignificantbenefits.

Technology

Meetingsmanagementandevent

registrationtechnologieshavemade

significantadvancesinrecentyears,but

moreprogressisneededtoimprove

globalconsistencyoutsideNorth

Americaandtoprovideseamless

integrationwithothertechnology

platforms.Adoptionofonline

meetingregistrationandbookingis

commonplaceinNorthAmericaand

EMEAandwillcontinuetogrowinLatin

AmericaandAustralia,buthasstalled

throughouttherestofAsiaPacificdue

totheupfrontinvestmentrequiredby

organisations.

Meetingplannerswillcontinueto

beincreasinglyinterestedinvirtual

meetingsandhybridmeetings(which

combinesomein-personattendance

withvirtualcomponents)in2014,either

tolimitgroupsizesortoreducemeeting

durationonsite.Theuseofmobileapps

forlargermeetingshasgainedtraction

aswellandwillcontinuetoproliferate

throughout2014.

Compliance

CWTsuggestthatexamplesof

inappropriatemeetingsandevents

spendingcontinuetodominate

mediaheadlinesaroundtheworld.

Thepharmaceuticalindustryisnow

subjecttoincreasedregulationofits

activities,andotherindustriesare

certainlynotimmunefromfuture

governmentattention.Allofthishas

madethesubjectsofcomplianceand

ethicsasystematicrequirementfor

organisations.Thegoodnewsisthat

therearemanythingscompaniescan

dotoprotectthemselveswhenitcomes

toconductingtheirmeetingsandevents

appropriately.Theseinclude:

• workingwithreputable,long-

establishedpartnerswhohavetheir

own,strictinternalrequirementsand

reportingstructures,whichwillalso

applytoanypartneragenciesused

throughouttheworld

• clearlyarticulatingthepurposefor

everymeetingoreventheld,and

aligningthemoneyspentwiththe

accomplishmentofthosegoals

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

60

• implementinganSMMprogrammeto

ensureallspendingisaccountedfor

andsupervised

• continuingtobringasmuchmeeting

andeventspendundermanagement

aspossible,whichfreesupto25per

centofthebudgettoinvestinbetter

delegateexperienceorotheractivities

withoutoverspending.

Ambassador Programmes

Most,ifnotall,majorcities,arefocused

ondevelopinginternationalbusinessas

thisisseenasacatalysttodrivingnot

onlythevisitoreconomybutalsothe

knowledgeeconomythroughspecialist

eventsthatcanraiseawarenessof

thedestination,justbyvirtueofbeing

hosted.Suchinternationalbusiness

canalsobringinwardinvestmenttoa

destinationasthereisnowafocuson

thelegacybenefitsforthedestinations

selectedbyworld-leadingevents.

Averyclearroutetomarketisthrough

Ambassadors,keyindividualswho

haveastrengthinaspecificsector,are

membersoftheboardofinternational

associations,andmayhavebeengiven

fundingtodevelopkeysectorsof

strengthwithinadestinationthrough

researchactivity.Manydestinations

acrosstheUKhaveAmbassador

Programmes,forexample:

Glasgow – as at September 2013 Glasgow had 1829 active ambassadors with 18 ambassadors working on 11 conferences. Figure 3.16 shows the proportion of active Glasgow ambassadors by discipline

Edinburgh – 500+ with a robust process for contacting members each year for suitability

Manchester – has a broad programme very focused on academia, being the largest university research city in UK

Liverpool – its programme has been in place for many years and is looking to develop stronger links with the three universities in the city, in addition to working with corporates in key areas of strength

Cardiff – focus is not purely academic, includes corporates

Aberdeen – Team Aberdeen launched September 2013 is an initiative between two universities, the destination marketing organisation and the major venue

NewcastleGateshead – has a mature programme.

TheGANG(GreatAmbassadorNetwork

community)Group,comprising

AmbassadorProgrammemanagers

fromacrosstheUKandIreland,meets

regularlyanddiscussesissuesand

trendsacrossthenetworkviaLinkedIn.

Currentdiscussiontopicsinclude:

• Delegatenumbersareaconcernfor

someAmbassadors:numbersneedto

berobustforaneventtobeasuccess

andatrendhasseennumbersstay

staticatbest,yetcostsincreaseyear

onyear(e.g.FoodandBeverage)and

so,overall,theeventscostmore

• Ambassadorsarebecoming

increasinglycommercialintheir

approachtohostinganevent-thisis

atatimewhenuniversitiesaremore

commercialthaneverbefore.

3%

10%

71%

16%

Academic

Corporate

Medical

Other

Source:GlasgowCityMarketingBureau

Fig.3.16

The proportions of active Glasgow ambassadors by discipline

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

61

Aprofitisnow‘expected’butmany

Ambassadorsareanxiousabout

volunteeringtohostaneventand,

therefore,takingfinancialriskand

sothereisanincreasedpropensity

torecruitaprofessionalconference

organiser(PCO)tomanagebudgets.

Someuniversitiesareaskingtheirstaff

tosubmitaplantobidforconferences,

includingallfinancialaspects,before

beingallowedtoproceed

• ManypotentialAmbassadorsare

beingtaskedwithincreasedteaching

andresearchschedules,thustaking

upevenmoretimeresourceatthe

expenseofhostingevents

• MoreAmbassadorsareawareofcity

fundingoptions,especiallyasthey

haveexperiencedcivicreceptionsin

othercitiesaroundtheworld,andso

areaskingforafinancialcontribution

fromthedestination.Ifthis

contribution(aformofsubvention–

seeChapter2)isnotavailable,itcould

betheendoftheconversationin

respectofhostinganevent.

Onthepositiveside,Ambassadorswho

havesuccessfullyhostedeventsare

seeinglong-lastingandtangiblebenefits

fortheirorganisationasadirectresult

oftheirenhancedreputationfollowing

theconference–partoftheevent’s

‘legacy’.

ThereisnowebsiteforGANGbut

anyoneinterestedinlearningmore

abouttheGroup’sactivitiescan

contacttheGANGLinkedInnetwork

via:http://www.linkedin.com/

groups?gid=2664866&trk=my_

groups-b-grp-v

Internationalisation of UK Association EventsTheICCAUK&IrelandChapterhas

heldsomeclienteventsrecentlyto

discusstheinternationalisationof

UKassociationevents.Theaimisto

getUKassociationsthinkingabout

howtheirowneventscanbecome

moreinternational,inadditionto

‘plantingaseed’abouttheirbidding,

astheUKhost,fortheirinternational

meetingcounterpart.Theeventshave

highlightedthatmanyinternational

delegatesattendUKassociationevents.

One,inparticular,hadahighpercentage

astheinternationaldelegatesattending

sawthatCPD(continuingprofessional

development)creditsfromtheUKwere

ofmorevaluethanthosefromcertain

otherpartsoftheworld.

The Future of MeetingsSuccessfulbusinessesstudytheirpeers

toremaincurrent,developandadapt

strategiesandinnovate,butoftenthe

bestideascomefromothersectors

entirely.Andthefailuretoevaluate

trendsasevidencedbyexpertsinany

numberofindustriescancomeata

dearpricetothosecompaniesthat

wanttoremainattheforefrontofthe

marketplace.

Understandingthisneed,Meeting

ProfessionalsInternational(MPI)

steppedoutsidethemeetingspace

forPhase2ofitsFutureofMeetings

researchproject,interviewing26

expertsinotherfieldstofindouthow

trendstheyarenoticingintheirown

areaswillimpacttheeventindustry.

Allbuttwooftheintervieweesexpect

face-to-facemeetingstoremainan

integralpartofbusinessforatleastthe

nextcoupleofdecadesand,inmost

cases,believethatonlineandvirtual

connectionswillactuallyincreasethe

needforin-personevents.

Theresultsoftheresearch,whichwas

undertakenbyLeedsMetropolitan

UniversityonbehalfofMPI,are

publishedas‘FromtheOutsideIn:The

FutureofMeetings’(authoredbyJackie

MulliganandpublishedSeptember2012)

andthemainfindingsaresummarized

inTable3.1.Thefullpapertogether

withseveralsupplementarypapersand

thePhase1studyaroundtheFuture

ofMeetingscanbeaccessedat:www.

mpiweb. org/FOM.

Thepapersuggeststhat:

‘While meetings will continue to experience financial pressure and need to demonstrate tangible value, business experts concur with MPI’s Phase 1 report: As new economies and industries (neuroscience, energy, biotech and nanotechnology) emerge and require more events, others (health, finance, pharma, government) will engage in fewer face-to-face meetings due to regulation and cost.

The future will require meeting professionals to understand people, their differences and their needs in terms of face-to-face communication – and data will lead the charge. Meeting professionals can also expect more virtual and hybrid meetings and will need to innovate and focus on value. Travel affordability and sustainability will pose challenges, and while experts agree that people will continue to need to meet in person and online, the value of these meetings will need to outweigh their significant costs.’

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

62

Table3.1The Future of Meetings

Trend Overview Takeaways

Designs will be specific and flexible

Forgetmodernspaceswithslidingwalls.Meetingswillfeatureuniquespaceswithspecificareasconducivetodifferentobjectives(one-on-oneconversations,reflection,informalgatherings,presentations)

• Beclearaboutyourofferandchoices• Usespecificspacesforeffectivedesignand

outcomes• Focusonaudienceandcontenttoensurethatyour

choicesareappropriateandrelevant• Focusondistinctivenessandcharacter

Content will be free Thematerialvalueofcontentisdecreasingwithdigitization,andindustrieswillneedtofindnewmodelstomonetizeit.Meetingswilloffermorethancontentdelivery

• Customizedpricingwillmeansmallermeetings,whereper-headfiguresincreasebecauseofperceivedvalue

• Findthetruevalueofyourmeetings,andyourkeyaudience

• Usefreemiummodelstoreducetherisksforbothclientsanddelegatesandcollectperformance-basedfees

• Enhanceyourcontentbeyondtraditionaldelivery,usedigitizedformatsandcreatemoreinteraction

• Offermorecontextualizationtoaddvalue• Considerotheruniquesellingpropositions(USPs)

besidesgreatspeakerstodifferentiateyourselffromcontentthatisavailableonlineforfree

Know-how will be the new knowledge

Meetingswillneedtosupportorganizationandindividualgrowth,astheneedforcomplexknowledgegrowsinnewsectorsandoldsectorsthatfacenewchallenges

• Considernewspecialisations,suchasknowledgestructuringandinformationembedding

• Trynewlearningenvironments,improvedwaysofengagementandnewknowledgeconceptionthroughco-creation,interactionandcollaborativeevents

• Investigatenewsectorssuchasbiotechandneurosciencethatwillrequirerapidknowledgeexchange

• Viewknowledgeasknow-howandintegrateexperientiallearningintocontentdesign

Meeting professionals will delve into the heads, minds and brains of their clients

Technologies,socialnetworksandneurosciencewillproducemorecapacityformeetingprofessionalstogainandunderstanddelegatefeedback(pre-,duringandpost-event)

• Usedatatoshapeyourmeetingsandreal-timefeedbacktorespondtodelegatepreferences

• Considerwhatinformationiscrucialtoenhancemeetingsandpositiveoutcomes

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

63

Data will become more personal and less private

Overtandcovertdatagatheringwillgrow,anddataplatformswillbeincreasinglyintegratedamongthemselvesandinorganisations.Datasharingwillbecomecommonplace,andprivacyissueswillcreatecontroversies.Dataprotectionandsecuritywillthreatenthesectorandrequirecarefulmonitoringandgoodcriticaljudgement

• Investindatasecurity• Askdelegatesandclientshowmuchinformation

theywanttoshare,andassesstheiranswers• Considerwhatlevelofsecurityyouneed,and

institutepoliciestoprotectyourclientsanddelegates

• Addtechnologiesthatenableintegrationamongyourplatforms,sothatyoucanbuildbetterprofilesandmoreeffectivemeetingmanagementsystems

You will know your customers

Businesseswillseethevalueinpersonalanalyticsandinformation.Socialnetworkswillinfluencebuyingdecisions,andconsumerswillcontrolthebuyingprocess.Thevalueofpersonalinformationsharingandinfluencewillbeforsale.Consumerswillselltheirinformationtocompanies,orsimplyexpectmoreandbetterdealsinexchange

• Usepersonalanalyticstopersonalizecommunications,designandcontent;ifdelegatesseethebenefitsofsharing,theywillsharemore

• Buildbenefitsintosharing• Considerhowtobestuseanalyticalscores(for

instance,airlinesareupgradingseatsbasedonKlout.comscoresandarrangingseatsbasedonsharedinterests)

Online events will feed offline experiences

On-andoff-lineworldswillbeseamlesslyintegrated.Forpeopleworkinginpurelyonlineenvironments,theneedtorealizerelationshipswillbestronger.Meetingprofessionalswillbeworkinginbothworlds,notone

• Workinbothon-andoff-lineenvironments• Lookatindustriesthatworkinonlineenvironments,

suchasmediacompanies;theyrepresentnewdemandformeetings

• Considerhowyoucanuseofflineeventstoconnectwithwideronlinecommunitiesbefore,duringandaftereventstoenhancetheperceptivevalueof‘beingthere’

• Seesocialnetworksastheguilds/clubsofthefuture,andconsiderwhatyoucandotohelpstrengthenandaddvaluetothoserelationshipsthroughon-andoff-lineevents

“It will be old age Jim. But not as we know it”

Lowerfertilityandmortalityratesmeanmorepeoplelivinglonger.Thankstodiscoveriesinhealth,manypeoplewillbeworkinglonger,too

• Catertomanygenerationsinonespace,andbemindfulofgenerationaldifferences

• Disregardstereotypes;olderpeopleareconnected,activeandexperienced

• Avoidageism,andemploypeopleofall(legal)agesinyourworkforceandasexpertsatyourevents

People will move to urban centres as the boundaries among countries blur

Citiesincreaseindensity,andtransportsystemsimproveasmorepeopleliveincloseproximity.Boundariesblurinnationsandregionsascompaniesworkacrossborderstoservenewconsumermarkets.Innovationandproblemsolvingemergeundertheskinofnewglobalmarkets

• LookatlargepopulationcentresinChinaforhospitalityandvenuedesign

• Seizeopportunitiestodevelopfacilitiesforadhocandsmallermeetings

• Gainunderstandingofnewmarketsasbigbrandslooktoexpand

• Cultivateknowledgeofdiverseculturestosupportnewbusinessdevelopmentforyourcompanyandyourclients

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

64

Networks will steady the ship in turbulent and transitory waters

Newtribesemergethroughsocialnetworksandnewbrandloyalties,beyondlocalcommunitiesandinterestgroups,toloyaladvocatesthatprovidestabilityinincreasinglyvolatilemarketsandenvironments.Expecttheunexpected

• Lookaheadforchangeinyoursectorsandbusinessmodelsandinnovatesolutions

• Buildcontingencyplans;predictingbehaviourswillbechallenging

• Explorehowyoucangainloyalfollowingsandadvocatesandsteereachotherthroughturbulenttimes

You will think instant, short-term and quick fix

Businesseswantquickanswerstoproblemsthatarelikelytorequiretime.Becautiousaboutacceptingimmediatesolutions,astheymaynotbethebestanswers.Short-termismwillchangestrategiesandlimitinnovation.Newgenerationsandtechnologyresultinshorterattentionspansandmoreeasy-to-digestinformation

• DefineyourUSP(uniquesellingproposition),releaseshortsharpcontentorlonger,focusedmeetings

• Usevisualsandgraphicsinpresentations• Bemindfulthatquickfixesarenotalwaysthe

bestoption

You will need to consider cash, carbon, climate and crisis costs

Therecession’slessonslinger,andROIandvaluepropositionswon’tgoaway.Reducedcarbonusewillremainimportant,unlessalternativessurface.Climatechangeandincreasingsecurityfearsmeanmorefrequentprogrammechanges

• UseROImeasurementandtoolsthatexisttodemonstratethevalueofyourmeetings

• Considerscenarioswithlesstravelinyourbusinessmodels

• Investincrisismanagementtrainingandcontingencyplanstoweatherthestorms

Source:‘FromtheOutsideIn:TheFutureofMeetings’(www.mpiweb.org/FOM)

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

65

IssuesVisitEnglandiscurrently,through

RegionalGrowthFundsupport,

fundingEnglishdestinationsinterms

ofinternationalactivityinadditionto

helpingthemwiththeirmembershipof

ICCA.Thissupportisveryimportantto

givenewdestinationsaflavourofthe

opportunitiesthatexist;however,itis

onlyashorttermsolutionand,once

fundinghasgone,destinationsneed

todevelopstrategiesthatcansustain

thisactivityifthereisatruedesireto

developinternationalbusinessforthe

future.

Thereisagenerallackoflarge-scale

integratedhotelandmeetingfacilities,

suchastheyhaveintheUSAandthe

FarEast,puttingsomeoftheUKregions

atadisadvantagewhenbiddingfor

someofthelargeconventions.However,

thisappliestomostofEuropeand,with

spaceatapremiumandpublicmoney

notforthcoming,thewholeEuropean

regionisatadisadvantage.

Insomecitieschainhotelsareoften

reluctanttocontractablockacrossa

rangeofproperties,thuscreatingthe

need(andexpense)fortheagentor

enduserclienttomanagemultiple

contracts.

‘We would like to see greater resources

for the convention bureau team at

London & Partners. As London has the

capacity for hosting the larger meetings,

the impression can be given that, if they

don’t come to London, they don’t come

at all.’(ABPCO)

DespitetheVATrecoverysystemsin

place,noteverycostcanberecovered.

MostotherEUmemberstateshave

lowerconcessionVATratesfortourists

andconferencedelegates.IntheUK,

VATchargingremainsacomplex

issueforeventorganisersandcreates

difficultiesforthemwhendrawingup

budgetsfortheirevents.

Withtheexceptionofoneortwocities,

theUKisnotabletoofferlarge-scale

publicsubventionofconferences,

venuesordelegates.Subvention

supportismorereadilyavailablein

othercitiesandcountriesaroundthe

worldandcanbeadecidingfactor

astheoverallcostsofconventions

increaseandcostfactorsbecome

increasinglyimportant(seetheBVEP

paper‘SubventionandBidSupport

PracticesforInternationalConferences

andEventsinBritain’,availableforfree

downloadfrom:www.businessvisitsand

eventspartnership.com).British

‘cultural’reluctancetoavoidopen

discussionofsubventionmayalsobe

anissue.

CASE STUDY

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Relations with Glasgow Hoteliers

GlasgowCityMarketingBureau(GCMB)

hasacloseworkingrelationshipwith

thehotelcommunityinthecityand

surroundingarea.Thehotelsare

representedbytheGreaterGlasgow

HotelsAssociation(GGHA).

GCMBhasnevermissedaGGHAbi-

monthlymeetingsincethecompany

wasfoundednineyearsagoandis

includedintheformalagendawitha

GCMBpresentationateverymeeting

onthekeybusinessdriverspertinent

tothetime.Thehotelssupportthe

workofGCMBbyprovidingdetailed

day-by-dayforecastinformation,365

daysintothefutureandthishelps

shapethetacticalmarketingactivity

ofthecompany,suchasthetimings

ofspecificshortbreakcampaigns,

establishingagreeddatestosecure

majorconventionandmajorevent

business.GCMB’smarketingand

communicationsactivityisplannedin

detailusingthisdataanditsresources

allocatedaccordingly.

GCMBrunshotelmeetingsonasix-

weeklybasiscalledFlyingSquads,

specificallyforFrontofHouse,

ReservationandSalesManagers,

whenspecificbidsforconventionsand

eventsarediscussed,andrateranges

andallocationsagreed.

Specificindustryspecialistmeetings

withhotelsalsorunonabi-monthly

basisthatlookatspecificprojectssuch

as:developingasinglecontractfor

RyderCupTravelServicesforallthe

city’shotels;asingleCommonwealth

GamesContractfortheOrganising

Committee;developinginnovative

commissionatsourcesolutionsfor

eventorganisers;considerationof

specificcustomerserviceinitiatives,

suchasbespoketrainingforhotelstaff

onParkinson’sdisease,inpreparation

fortheWorldCongress.

Itwouldbeaccuratetosaythatthe

hotelcommunityinthecityisactive

andmeetingonaweeklybasiswith

GCMBdeliveringarangeofactivities

aimedatcreatingbettercustomer

solutions.

Thehotelstakepartinthinktanks,

sandpitprojectsandGCMBcanand

doesactivelycallonawidegroupof

specialiststohelpsolveproblemsand

createnewandinnovativewaysof

doingbusiness.

http://peoplemakeglasgow.com

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryConferences and MeetingsCHAPTER3

66

B) Business is : Exhibitions and Trade Fairs

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £11.0 billion

An‘exhibition’wasdefinedbythe

ExhibitionsLiaisonCouncilin1995as‘a

presentation of products or services to

an invited audience with the objective

of inducing a sale or informing the

visitor. It is a form of three dimensional

advertising where, in many instances,

the product can be seen, handled,

assessed by demonstration, and in some

cases even smelt or tasted’.

Ingeneralterms,exhibitionscan

befurtherdefinedaccordingtothe

market/visitorstheytarget:

- Trade (or business-to-business/

b2b) exhibitionsareaimedprimarily

atthoseworkingwithinaparticular

tradesector,andareforumswhere

relatedbusinessesmeetface-to-

faceinordertofulfilamultitudeof

objectives

- Public/Consumer (or business-to-

consumer/b2c)exhibitionsareaimed

ateitherthewidergeneralpublicor

focusedconsumergroups.Achargeis

oftenmadeforadmission.

- Trade/Public exhibitionsarea

combinationofthesetwoleading

exhibitiontypes;organisedto

attractbothtypesofvisitors,

theyareexhibitionswheretrade

representativesmeeteachother

face-to-face,butalsointeractwith

consumers.

Theexhibitionsectorconsistsofthree

maingroups:

•organisersoftheexhibitions

•thevenueswheretheexhibitions

areheld

•thosebusinessescontractedby

theorganisersand/orexhibitors

tosupplyservicesfor/atthe

exhibition.

Withinthethreekeysectorsofthe

events/exhibitionsindustrylistedabove,

thereareahostofsuppliertypes,

rangingfromaudio-visual,caterers,

electricians,registrationtowebsite

design.Therearecurrently135different

suppliercategoriesrepresentedbythe

membershipoftheAssociationofEvent

Organisers(AEO),AssociationofEvent

Venues(AEV)andtheEventSupplier

andServicesAssociation(ESSA).

Despitetechnologyinnovationsandthe

explosionofsocialmedia,exhibitions

andtradeshowsremainrelevantand

powerfulastheonlymarketingchannel

toofferaflexible,face-to-facebuying

experience.Theyareaprimeexample

ofexperientialmarketingactivity,with

exhibitorsabletodesignstandsand

productofferingswhichcanappealtoall

ofavisitor’sfivesenses.Yetexhibitions

mustharnessthelatesttechnologyto

ensuretheircontinuedrelevanceand

todeliveroutstandingexperiencesfor

visitorsandexhibitors–forexample,

utilisingtechnologyandpersonal

portabledevicestocomplementthe

eventofferingwillbeakeysuccess

driver.

Exhibitionsdomorethanjustsell:they

buildproductbranding,strengthen

existingcustomerrelationships,

producehighqualityleads,educate,

haveapplicationsformarketresearch,

generatemediacoverageandareoften

usedtolaunchnewproducts.Exhibitions

playavitalroleinthemarketingmix

offeringawiderangeofbenefits.

Exhibitionsprovideacost-effective

competitiveplatformforsmalland

medium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)

topromoteandselltheirproducts

andservices,enablingmanySMEsto

establishthemselvesinthemarketplace

and,throughinternationalvisitor

attendanceatexhibitions,often

providingSMEswiththeirfirstopenings

toexportmarkets.

Intermsofseasonality,thepeak

seasonsfortradeexhibitionsare

FebruarytoJuneandSeptemberto

November,butwhenpublicexhibitions

arealsotakenintoaccountexhibitions

becomeessentiallyayear-roundactivity.

The Economic Impact of Exhibitions

A2012reportbyOxfordEconomics

into‘TheEconomicImpactoftheUK

ExhibitionsIndustry’foundthat:

• UKexhibitionsattractedover13

millionvisitorsin2010toalmost1,600

eventsacrossarangeofsectorsfor

bothtradeandpublic(consumer)

audiences

• Over265,000exhibitorsparticipated

inevents,with20percentcoming

fromoutsidetheUK.Exhibitorsspent

almost£2.7billionongoodsand

servicestodemonstrateateventsin

2010

• Exhibitionvisitorsspentover£1.4

billiononaccommodation,traveland

otherpurchases

• Eventvenues,organisers,exhibitors

andvisitorsdirectlygenerated

around£2.6billioninvalueadded

(GDP–GrossDomesticProduct)for

theUKeconomyin2010anddirectly

supportedover76,300jobs

• Thepurchasesmadebythe

exhibitionssectoranditssupply

chainsgenerated£3.8billionin

additionaloutputforUKsuppliers,

indirectlycontributinganadditional

£1.8billiontoUKvalueaddedthrough

itssupplychainandsupporting

another41,900jobsin2010

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryExhibitions and Trade FairsCHAPTER3

67

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryExhibitions and Trade FairsCHAPTER3

• Thespendingofemployeesinthe

sectoranditssupplychainssupports

further,inducedeconomicactivity,

whichhelpedtosupportafurther£1.2

billionofvalueaddedand30,300UK

jobsin2010

• So overall, the UK exhibitions sector

generated £11 billion in spending

and contributed £5.6 billion in

value added to the UK economy in

2010, equivalent to 0.4 per cent

of UK GDP. This activity supported

148,500 jobs in the UK, equivalent

to total employment in the city of

Milton Keynes and 0.5 per cent of

total employment in the UK.

Characteristics of Exhibitions

• Mostexhibitionstendtobeannual

andareheldatthesamevenueyear

onyear.Therearealsoanumberof

biennialevents,whilesomeofthe

largeinternationalshowsarejustheld

everyfouryears

• Thetimeofyearanexhibitionisheld

iscriticaltoitssuccess.Toensure

theyobtaintheirdesiredtimeslot,

organisersusuallybookthevenueat

leastoneyearinadvance

• Thetimingandvenuechosenfor

exhibitionsaretoalargeextent

dictatedbythemarketconditionsof

thetradesectorwhichtheyrepresent

• Factorsthatinfluencethechoiceof

venueforanexhibitioninclude(in

noparticularorderastheyvaryin

importancebetweendifferenttypesof

exhibitions):

1 Rentalandservicecosts

2.Capacityofvenue

3.Locationofvenue

4.Contractualrelationshipwithvenue

5.Accessibilityofvenue

International Activity and Competitiveness

ResearchbytheAssociationofEvent

Organisers,coveringtheperiodApril

2011–March2012,foundthatUK

exhibitionorganisersarethemost

activearoundtheworld.Inthatperiod,

theywereresponsiblefor1057events

outsidetheUK–thiscomparestoa

countof263overseastradefairsfor

Germaneventorganisers.

Onaverage,UK-organisedoverseas

eventsattracted200exhibitors,

equatingtoextrapolatedexhibitor

numbersofover211,000,comparedto

c.93,000forGermanorganisersabroad.

Overseaseventsrepresentavalue

ofc.£1.87billiontoUKorganisers.On

average,56percentofUKorganisers’

turnoverisattributedtoevents

organisedoverseas.93percentof

thoseUKorganisersoperatingoverseas

expectedtheiroverseasexhibition

turnovertoincreasesignificantly(71per

cent)orslightly(21percent)inthenext

fiveyears.

TheresultsofUFI’s10thGlobal

BarometerSurvey(publishedJanuary

2013)confirmthattheinternational

exhibitionindustrycontinuestogrow

withamajorityofcompaniesreporting

increasedturnoverfor2012.

UFI’s2013surveyrevealsthatindustry

concernsremainconstantwith

‘generaleconomicconsiderations’

followedby‘localcompetition’and

‘internalmanagementchallenges’at

thetop.Seventy-fivepercentofthe

organisationssurveyedincludethe

developmentofnewbusinessactivities

amongtheirstrategicobjectives.Of

significantinterestistheexpectationof

54percentofthosesurveyedtoexpand

exhibitionoperationstonewcountries.

Fullresultsofthe10thGlobalBarometer

Surveycanbefreelydownloadedat

www.ufi.org/research

Exhibition Standards and the eGuide

TheeGuidebringstogetherguidance

forachievingcommonstandardsof

health,safetyandoperationalplanning,

managementandon-siteconductfor

eventsatallparticipatingAssociation

ofEventVenues(AEV)membervenues.

Thescopeanddevelopmentofthe

eGuidefollowsextensiveconsultation

withoperationsprofessionalswithinthe

exhibitionandeventindustryinorderto

ensureanoverallapproachthatremains

broadlyacceptabletothecommunity.

Nowrecognisedastheindustry’s

bestpracticedocument,theeGuide

iscontinuallyreviewedbyworking

industryprofessionalswhorepresent

thebestadvicecurrentlyavailable,and

whothemselveshavetoworkwithin

theguidelinesintheirownprofessional

capacities.Seniorrepresentatives

fromEC&OVenues,ExCeLLondon,

NationalExhibitionCentre,Yorkshire

EventCentre,FIVE,BusinessDesign

Centre,ManchesterCentral,EventCity,

ACCLiverpool,AberdeenExhibition

andConferenceCentre,Harrogate

InternationalCentre,RicohArena,

theScottishExhibition+Conference

Centre,AlexandraPalaceandGlow(at

Bluewater)currentlysitontheeGuide

strategic committee,meetingtwicea

yeartosteertheguidancethematically

andaddressanycomplexorcontentious

topics.Anumberofadditionalvenues

alsoparticipateinthisprocessand

aregraduallymovingtowardsformal

adoptionofthedocumentthemselves.

Additionally,theeGuide technical

committeeworksallyearroundto

maintainthedetailofthedocument,

ensureconsistencyandsimplifyrules

andregulationstothegreatestpossible

extent.

68

Bycomingtogether,andproactively

seekingtoidentifywhereworking

conditionsandregulationsarecommon

(or,duetouniquesitecircumstance,

different),contributingvenuesare,

inessence,providingtheanswersto

questionsthatorganisersandsupplier

companiesmayhaveresultinginmore

efficientonsiteactivity,asmoother

operationfortheeventorganiserand,

therefore,amorepolishedproductfor

theclient,exhibitorandvisitor.

Incompetenthandstheseguidelines

shouldbeaninvaluabletool,simplifying

healthandsafetyplanningand

managementandotheroperational

issuesonthefloor.Gotowww.aev.org.

uk/eguide, www.aeo.org.uk/eguide

orwww.essa.uk.com/eguideformore

information.

FaceTime

FaceTimeisarelativelynewmarketing

bodyforthemulti-billionpound

liveeventsindustry,setuptohelp

customersharnessthepoweroflive

eventstodrivesales,enhancecustomer

relationshipsanddelivercustomer

insight.FaceTimewasfoundedinearly

2010toprovideexpertiseandguidance

formarketersandbusinesses,explaining

whyandhowliveeventsworkandhow

togettheverybestoutofthemedium.

FaceTimechampionsbestpracticein

theliveeventsindustry,buildsinsight

intothemediumthroughmarket-

leadingresearchandpromotesits

uniquequalitieswiththegoalofgrowing

thesector.Arangeofbespokecollateral,

includingtrainingguides,casestudies

(seeHammondsFurnitureatIdeal

HomeShowcasestudyasanexample),

supportresearchandtestimonials,

explainhowtomaketheverybest

returnoninvestmentfromaliveevent-

thiscanbefoundonFaceTime’swebsite.

FaceTime’sfoundingmembersare:

AssociationofEventOrganisers(AEO),

AssociationofEventVenues(AEV),and

EventSupplierandServicesAssociation

(ESSA).Itwaslaunchedwitharange

ofambassadorswhoaresupporting

thebody,actingasspokespeopleand

managingFaceTimeinitsformative

years.Collectively,theyrepresent

allareasoftheindustry,fromevent

organisersandvenueownerstoevent

suppliersandservices.

ResearchcommissionedbyFaceTime

hasinvestigatedhowpeopleviewthe

differentmediaoptions(face-to-face,

digital,TV,radioanddirectmail)intheir

abilitytodrivebusinessthroughthe

generation,persuasionandconversion

ofsalesleads.Theresearchtracked

theperformanceofeachmediuminits

abilitytodeliver:

• Qualitysalesleads

• Costeffectivesalesleads

• Longtermsalesleads

• Conversionofsalesleads

• Provisionofpersuasivecontentfor

salesleads.

Theresearchalsostudiedtheunique

qualitiesandperformanceofeach

mediumanddiscoveredthat,compared

toothermedia,face-to-facemarketing

ismorefront-of-mindforthequalityof

targetingandthepersonaltouchwhich

leadtoastrongassociationwithROI

(returnoninvestment).Headlineresults

oftheresearchreveal:

• 80percentofrespondentsagreethat

liveeventsdeliverbetterROIthan

othermedia

• 93percentofmarketersandbusiness

directorsfeelthatface-to-face

marketingisthemosteffectivemedia

channeltoconvertprospects

• 93percentofmarketersandbusiness

directorsconsiderface-to-face

marketingtobethemostpersuasive

mediachannel

• 89percentofmarketersandbusiness

directorsandbusinessownersview

face-to-facemarketingasthebest

qualitymediachannel

• Acrossallmediaplatforms,the

bestwaytoachievesalesleadsisa

combinationofface-to-facemarketing

anddigitalplatforms

• 89percentofbusinessdirectors

agreethatexhibitionsarethesecond

mosteffectivemeansofgenerating

salesleadsafteracompany’sown

website

• 87percentofbusinessdirectors

agreeitiseasiertocommunicatewith

peopleface-to-facethanonthephone

orbyemail

• 85percentstronglyagreethat

meetingprospectivecustomers

inpersonleadstoalongerterm

relationship

• 80percentagreethataperson

spendsmoremoneywithpeopleor

companiestheyhavemetface-to-face

thanwithpeoplenotmet

• 90percentagreethatapersonis

morelikelytotrustpeople/companies

metface-to-facethanpeopleonly

communicatedwithviaemailand

phone.

FormoreinformationonFaceTime,visit:

www.facetime.org.uk

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryExhibitions and Trade FairsCHAPTER3

69

CASE STUDY

Hammonds Furniture at Ideal Home Show

TheIdealHomeShowhasbeenheld

forover100years.Itisorganisedby

Media10andisstagedatEarlsCourt

ExhibitionCentre,London.Hammonds

Furniture,establishedin1926,isa

family-runfirmwhichretailsthrough

showroomsacrosstheUKandalso

hasapresenceinanother60retailers

aroundthecountry.Itspends5per

centofitsannualmarketingbudgeton

livemarketing.

HammondsFurniturelastexhibited

attheIdealHomeShowin2009and

returnedin2012toincreasebrand

awareness,totargetconsumers,

promoteitscurrentretailportfolio

and,byextension,hopefullyincrease

sales.“We were a regular exhibitor at Ideal Home Show until 2009 when a reduction in visitor quantity and suitable footfall meant the show was no longer providing sufficient return on investment for us,”saidHammonds’

mediaandcommunicationsmanager,

KirstyOakes. “However, we’ve kept tabs on the event and, at the end of 2011, Media 10 invested a lot of time demonstrating the growth and quality of visitor profile. With that in mind, along with their investment in marketing the 2012 show, we decided it was worth exhibiting again to test the waters.”

IfyoudidaGooglesearchfortheIdeal

HomeShowintheweeksleadingup

totheexhibition,thenHammonds

mightalreadybeafamiliarname.

Thecompanytooksponsorshipofthe

firstlinkthatappearedinthesearch

engine,whichpromoteditsname,

standnumberandaspecialoffer.

“We offered visitors an extra five per cent off orders taken at the show and wanted this to be known across all our show marketing,”saidOakes.The

onlinepresencewasseenasagood

waytobolsteritsattendance.Agood

relationshipwiththeshoworganiser

isalsoworthhaving:Hammondshad

aleafletwhichwasdistributedto

theirowninternalmailinglists,but

theywerealsoabletoincludedetails

oftheirshowofferintheorganiser’s

e-newsletter,whichwentoutto

600,000subscribers.

OakesandtheHammondsteamfeel

that,intheinteriorsmarket,more

andmorepeopleuseweb-browsing

asawaytoresearchideasandget

inspiration.But,withtheUSPthat

exhibitingoffers–namelyallowing

peopletotouchandhandleproducts–

Hammondsmarriedthetwotogether

toextenditsbrandawareness.

“With tangible products like ours, consumers still need to see and touch them and we treat exhibitions like a temporary store. The internet has the power to drive people to visit stores and that is how we used it,” Oakes explained. “We also used similar styling on both our website and our stand so visitors could easily recognise us.”

AsthiswasHammonds’onlylive

eventpresencein2012,thestandwas

purpose-builtandnotreusable.Itwas

56sqminsizeandfeaturedsixrooms

todemonstratedifferentproducts.

Therewerealsothreeinteractive

plasmascreensforvisitorstobrowse

theHammonds’website.

Hammondsisveryproudofits

personalisedservice,whichnormally

beginswithavisittoapotentialclient’s

home,sovisitorstotheshowcould

arrangeaconsultationonthestandif

theywereinterestedintheproducts.

ThemajorityofHammonds’marketing

spendonthisexhibitionpresencewas

spentonthestandandspace(80per

cent)andtherestwentonstaffing

costsandgeneralsundries.Thatshould

notsuggestthestaffingsideofthe

processwastakenlightly,however. “We felt it important to use our own sales staff at the show. We handpicked our experienced team from across the country and split them across different days so visitors would get fresh-faced and knowledgeable service,”Oakesadded.Eachmember

ofstaffwastoldtoactliketheywould

intheirstoreswhileontheexhibition

stand,sothattheyfeltcomfortable

whenapproachingvisitors.

OakesandtheHammondsteamwere

verypleasedwiththequalityofvisitor

thattheymetattheexhibition,but

believeitwilltakeafewweeksbefore

knowingtheexactoutcome.“Visitors at the show did seem to be serious shoppers looking to invest in their homes,”saidOakes. “I firmly believe we will be on course to meet our set targets but, as our sales process is quite lengthy, we’ll have to wait before knowing what percentage of leads turned into sales.”

Hammondstookadvantageofthe

visitingconsumerjournaliststhattook

aninterestinthembeingtheretoo,

whichhasresultedinsomeexcellent

opportunitiesforadditionalcoverage.

“The value of extra brand awareness is priceless and I would urge all exhibitors to make sure they talk to any magazine and online journalists they happen across,” addedOakes.>>

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryExhibitions and Trade FairsCHAPTER3

70

“Again, it will take time to evaluate how much coverage we will get but we are confident that our marketing costs will be recouped and then some after everything is tallied up later in the year. I’m sure we’ll be exhibiting again next year and our plan to leverage Hammonds’ attendance at the show via the online presence really helped us to reach potential clients who did or even didn’t turn up to the show. Another integrated online approach will certainly be something that will be put into the mix at future meetings about our live event attendance.”

Furtherdetailsofthiscasestudy,aswellasotherliveeventcasestudies,canbeaccessedon www.facetime.org.uk

Future Trends and IssuesExhibitionorganisingisacreative

enterpriseactivitywhich,tosurvive,

hastostayattheleadingedge

ofmarketing.Toachievethis,the

followingarebeingconsidered:

• Toenhancetheirexhibitionproduct,

anincreasingnumberoforganisers

havedevelopedconferencesand

specialistseminarsalongsidetheir

exhibitions

• Anumberoftechnological

opportunitiesforexhibitions

arebecomingavailableon

whichorganiserscancapitalise,

usingtechnologieslikeaudio-

conferencing,videoconferencing

andwebcasting

• Exhibitionorganiserssetup

websitestorunalongsidetheir

events.Athree-dayeventbecomes

a12-monthpromotionalevent.This

leadstoincreasedopportunities

forsponsorshipandadvertising

throughthewebsite,andallows

anenhancedvisitorandexhibitor

experiencethroughproviding

additionalinformationandan

extensionincommunications

• Thistechnologyalsoallowsfor

onlineregistration,whichoffersa

fasterandmoreconvenientformof

registeringforanexhibition,while

allowingorganiserscontinuallyto

updatetheirinformationandkeep

peopleconstantlyinformed

• Thenewtechnologyisused

toenhance(notreplace)the

exhibition,asthereisnosubstitute

fortheface-to-facecontact,

customerinteractionandtheability

forthecustomerphysicallytofeel,

see,taste,smell,testandtrythe

product

• Moreorganisersarelookingto

increasethenumberofpublic

shows.Publicshowsareseen

asbeinginformative,aswellas

providingmarketingandsales

opportunities,brandbuildingand

entertainment,allofwhichaddto

customervalueandexperience

• Organiserswillcontinuetosucceed

indirectproportiontotheirability

toidentifynichemarketsfornew

exhibitions,whicharetargeted

directlyforaspecificmarket

• Theexhibitionindustryiscontinually

endeavouringtoincreasethe

‘internationality’ofitsshowsin

ordertoenhancetheopportunity

forexhibitorstoincreasetheir

exportmarkets

• Theexhibitionsegmentistaking

importantstepsforwardtomeet

thedemandsforsustainability.

Actionisbeingtakentoimprove

performanceinwastemanagement

andenvironmentalissues,adopting

newtechniquestoimprove

recyclingandreduceoverallwaste

• Successfuleventexhibitionformats

arebeingclonedandrolledoutto

regionalandinternationalmarkets

• Othersectorsofthemediamixare

recognisingthebenefitsofface-to-

facemarketingandareinvestingin

themediumtocommunicatewith

theiraudiences.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryExhibitions and Trade FairsCHAPTER3

>>

71

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £1.2 billion

Definition and BackgroundIncentivetravelisatoolusedby

organisationstomotivatetheirstaff

and/orchannelpartners,withthe

objectiveofimprovingperformanceat

bothindividualandcorporatelevels.

Thistooloffersindividualsorteamsthe

chancetoqualifyforanexceptional

travelexperience,subjecttotheir

attainingpre-setgoals.

Formerindustryjournalist,MaxCuff,

definedincentivetravelinthefollowing

terms:

‘Incentive travel is that discipline of sales and marketing and management that uses promise, fulfilment and memory of an exceptional travel-related experience to motivate participating individuals to attain exceptional levels of achievement in their places of work or education.’

Whilecompanieshaveroutinelyoffered

arangeofemployeerewards,including

giftcards,merchandiseandcash

bonuses,travelhasbeenfoundtobe

themosteffectivemotivator.Itisalso

perceivedasthemostvaluable,with

rewardsranginginvaluefrom£500

to£5,000perhead.Travelrewards

aregenerallyusedbythoseindustries

producingaproductorservicethat

carriesahighprofitmargin–such

ascars,computers,pharmaceutical

productsandfinancialservices.

Companiesinthesesectorsinvest

accruedprofitfromsalestofund

incentivetravelprogrammeswhichwill,

inturn,boostsales.

Travelincentivesandmotivational

eventscompriseabusinesstoolproved

tochangebehaviour,improveprofit,

cashflow,employeeandcustomer

engagementandvariousotherbusiness

objectives.Whenproperlydesignedand

delivered,theycreateameasurable

andverifiablereturnoninvestment.

TheSiteInternationalFoundationsays

(‘IncentivesMoveBusiness’paper,June

2013)that:

‘Incentive travel programmes have been proven to increase sales, boost productivity, retain customers, hold on to top talent, increase company loyalty, promote teamwork and decrease (staff) turnover, among other results. Research into participants’ views of incentive travel programmes shows that they are highly effective in impacting staff performance. Similar research with sponsors of such programmes shows that they have positive bottom line impact and achieve other goals for the corporation.’

A2011studyintotheimpactof

motivationaleventsonthebusiness

environmentcarriedoutbyStaples

USAfoundthatincentiveprogrammes

promotea‘competitiveandreward-

orientedculture’andthatmotivational

events,whenimplementedina

creativeandefficientway,canboost

companymoraleandimprovefinancial

performance.Thestudyshowedthat85

percentofemployeesfeelvaluedwhen

anincentiveprogrammeisintroduced,

70percentsaidtheyfeltmore

motivated,and65percentmoreloyal

totheiremployer.

A2011studybytheIncentiveResearch

Foundation(‘MotivatingToday’s

Workforce:TheFutureofIncentiveand

RecognitionProgramDesign’)reported

thattoday’shighlyeducatedworkforce

respondstomoretailored,non-cash

incentiveplansthatcelebratecreativity

andpromotebestpractice.Itsuggested

thatpersonalisedrecognitionbasedon

personalperformance,innovationand

masteryofskillarekeytocapturingthe

intellectualandemotionalcommitment

ofemployees.Thestudyunderlined

that,whilesalaryremainstheprimary

pactbetweenemployerandemployee,

thepersonalisationofrewardsiscrucial

toindividualeffortandmotivation.

Andyet,atatimeoffrozensalaries,

slashedbonusesandnegativemedia

coverage,manymightassumethatstaff

motivationwasnolongerinfashion.In

fact,thereverseistrue.AileenReuter,

PracticeLead,CreativeCommunications

forGrassRoots,comments:

‘Companies that have undergone restructuring are inevitably left with staff unsure about their futures. As a result, they need to look at how to restore morale and get the best from a slimmed-down workforce. This firmly puts motivation programmes back on the corporate agenda and overseas incentives are proven to work extremely well, being seen to signal an escape from daily life and create a real sense of anticipation – which leads to all-important discretional effort.

Whilst they may seem incongruous against a background of corporate cost-cutting, a well thought through travel incentive is often self-funding and not staged for frivolous purposes. When it comes to ‘wow’ factor, this will always be on the agenda for celebratory, recognition and experiential events. These types of events need to be memorable and, in particular, recognition events need to be aspirational, which means experiences that are out of the ordinary – ones that money can’t buy.’

C) Adventure is : Incentive Travel and Performance Improvement

72

JohnFisherofFMIGroup,incentive

travelspecialistandwriter,describes

thedifferentlevelsorlayersofincentive

programmes.Hesays:

‘Most incentive schemes involve a wide cross-section of the target audience and are multi-layered in terms of reward. So it is not unusual to have a group incentive travel event at the top of the incentive pyramid aimed at the high fliers with weekend domestic events as secondary prizes, supported by retail vouchers or electronic gift cards for middle-ranking achievers who have reached the first rung of exceptional achievement. The idea is that the rewards budget should be targeted at different but achieving sections of the audience to encourage more than just the very best to ‘win something’. Incentive travel sits at the top because it is the most attractive reward. But the downside is that it costs relatively more per head than other rewards. So with a generally fixed budget there are going to be less travel winners than there are gift card winners, for example.’

Economic BenefitsThefactthathotelsdonotdifferentiate

betweenconferenceandincentive

travelgroupbookingsmakesitdifficult

totrackoccupancylevels.However,

wedoknowthatincentivegroupsare

concentratedwithinthefourandfive

starhotelpropertiesandthatthey

accountfor5-10percentofbedroom

revenueintheseproperties.

Londonisthemostpopularincoming

UKincentivedestination,followedby

Edinburgh,Scottishgolfresortsand

Stratford-upon-Avon.Manylong-haul-

originatingincentivesarebasedaround

twocentres:LondonplusEdinburgh,

forexample.Thereisagrowingtrend

forUKorganisationstousedomestic

venuessuchascountryhousesrather

thangoingabroad,bothtosave

budgetandtobeseentobeprudent,

particularlywithinthefinancialservices

andpharmaceuticalsectors.Soitisno

longeralwaystruethattheincentive

marketnecessarilyincludesanelement

ofoverseastravel.

Inadditiontoaccommodation,

incentiveparticipantsenjoytop

qualityentertainmentprogrammes

aspartoftheirreward.Theseinclude

excursions,theatretripsandlavish

diningexperiences,oftenheldin

uniquevenues.Thewidertourism

infrastructurebenefitsconsiderably

fromthesebusinesscustomers.

TheUSAremainsthelargestnational

buyerofincentivetravel,constituting

50percentoftheoverseasmarket.

OtherkeymarketsareGermany,

France,Italy,SpainandRussia;also

long-haulEnglish-speakingmarkets,

suchasAustralia,IndiaandtheFar

East.InthecaseoftheFarEast,the

numberofparticipantscanbequite

largebuttheprogrammeisoftenless

structuredthanthoseheldelsewhere.

Intermsofnationalcharacteristics,

participantstendtofavourdestinations

whicharemoreeasilyservedbytheir

ownnationalairline:andsoFrench

participantswillvisittheFrench

Caribbeanbecauseitisbetterserved

byAirFrance,Britishparticipantsvisit

Barbadoswhichisbetterservedfrom

theUKbyBritishAirways.

Thedomesticincentivemarketis

difficulttomeasureaccurately,sincethe

rewardmediaarefrequentlypurchased

off-the-shelf,intheformofhotel

vouchers,weekendbreaksorluxury/

adventureexperiences(hotairballoon

rides,FormulaOneracedays,etc).

Nevertheless,athrivingindustryexists

toservicetheneedsofcorporate

incentivebuyersandincludessuch

specialistsasgiftcardcompanies,

incentivecompaniesofferingpre-paid

debitrewardcards,caterers,creative

themingagenciesandcorporate

entertainmentcompanies.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

73

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

Characteristics of Incentive Travel ProgrammesThefulfilmentofanincentive

programmeisthetravelexperience

itself,butthisisprecededbya

motivationalcampaign,beginning

withalaunchevent.Planningcycles

varydependingontheindustrysector

oftheprovider.Approximatelya

thirdofincentivecampaignsstartsix

monthsbeforethetriptakesplace;the

remainingtwo-thirdsstartbetweensix

and18monthsahead.

Measurableobjectivesaresetby

theincentiveproviders–usually

thecompany’ssalesormarketing

director,oftenworkingintandem

withaspecialistincentivetravelor

performanceimprovementagency.

Acontinuouspromotionalcampaign

encouragesparticipantstomaintain

highlevelsofperformancethroughout

theperiodandthehighestachieverswill

qualifytoparticipateinthereward.

Historically,incentivetravelhasbeen

experiencedbygroupsofqualifiers.

Inrecentyears,however,therehas

beenanemergingtrendforwinners

toselectthetimeandsometimes

eventhelocationoftheirreward,thus

turningtherewardintoaprivateholiday

withpartnerand/orfamily.Thistrend

currentlyappliestoaboutfivepercent

ofincentives,butthereisnoindication

thatthisfigureisincreasing.

Employersgenerallyprefertostructure

therewardsasgroupexperiences,so

thattheperceptionofbeingpartofan

elite‘achievers’club’canbemaintained.

Italsoallowsformore‘face-time’

betweensponsorsandhighachievers

whichcanbeverymotivationalfor

futureperformance.

Oneofthemorerecenttrendsamong

incentivetravelprogrammesisthe

incorporationofasociallyworthwhile

activity,inlinewiththeorganisation’s

CSR(corporatesocialresponsibility)

policy,whereawardwinnerscangive

somethingbacktothecommunities

theyvisit.Sociallegacyactivitiescan

considerablyenhancetheimage

ofindividualcompaniesandthe

businesseventsindustryasawhole,by

demonstratingtheirsocialawareness

anddesiretomakeadifference.This

isparticularlyimportantatatime

likethepresent,whentheeconomic

climatemeansthatmediaandcompany

shareholdersarealerttocorporate

eventsthatappeartoolavishlyfunded.

74

CASE STUDY

Incentive Reward Programmes for UK Recruitment Agency

Introduction and Background Banks Sadler deliver global meeting management services, operating from offices in London, York, Dusseldorf, Paris and New York. This case study describes their successful pitch to run an incentive reward programme for an international client.

Astheworld’sleadingproviderof

HRsolutions,theclienthasmore

than33,000employeesandaglobal

networkofover5,500branches.They

aretheUK’slargestrecruiter–with

over350officesandaclientbaseof

morethan33,000organisations–

andofferabroadrangeofservices,

includingtemporaryandpermanent

placement,careertransition,talent

development,outsourcingand

consulting.

Theclientrunsaquarterlyincentive

schemetorewardtheirtopearners

andkeyachievers,brokendowninto

differentincentivesforQuarterlyand

AnnualWinners.QuarterlyWinnersare

treatedtoanall-expensespaid,three

courselunchwithadrinksreceptionat

ahigh-endrestaurant.Previousvenues

haveincludedRhodes24,Babylonat

theRoofGardensandTheIvy.

AlargergroupofAnnualWinners

areawardedwithanincentivetrip,

whichhaspreviouslytakenplace

indestinationssuchasMiami,Rio,

BarbadosandMarrakesh.

BanksSadlerpitchedagainst4other

agenciesfortheincentivescheme

business,andwereinformedthat

theyhadwon,duetobeing“leapsand

bounds”abovetheothercompaniesin

contention.Therelationshipbetween

theclientandBanksSadlerhas

flourishedandNicola,BanksSadler’s

AccountManager,isthoroughly

enjoyingworkingwiththisclient.

Programme Objectives / Client BriefFortheQuarterlyWinners’Incentive

Lunch,BanksSadlerwasbriefedto

organise3lunches(forQ1,Q2andQ3)

for65winnersatanupmarket,high-

endrestaurantwithadrinksreception.

ThebrieffortheAnnualWinners’

IncentiveTripwastoprovidea

memorableoverseasvisitfor30

Goldand100SilverWinners;lasting

between4–5days(3–4nights)for

Goldandbetween3–4daysforSilver.

Suggesteddestinationsneededtobea

maximumof12hours’flighttimefrom

theUK,withtheoptionofflightsfrom

regionalUKairports.

Intermsoftheprogrammeof

activities,theseneededtoappealto

awiderangeofaudiencesandhave

culturallinkswiththedestination.

Theclientwasalsokeentoincludea

trainingsessionandoneCorporate

SocialResponsibility(CSR)activity,and

todeliveraninterestingandculturally-

involvingfinaldinnerevent.

Programme ContentFortheQuarterlyWinners,Banks

SadlerorganisedlunchesatTheIvy

(Q1),AquaNueva(Q2)andCircus(Q3)

restaurantsinLondon.Winnersalso

receivedbrandedluxurychocolates

whichweredeliveredtotheiroffices,

andabrandedmoleskinnotebookat

thelunches.

TheAnnualWinners’incentivetrip

isduetotakeplaceinMarch2014.

ThechosendestinationisReykjavik

(Iceland),whichmeetsallofthe

requirementsspecifiedintheclient

brief.Guestswillbestayingatthe

HiltonReykjavik,withaprogramme

thatincludesaHelicopterTourand

SpaTreatmentsforGoldWinners;

alongwithaglacierexpedition,whale

watching,theBlueLagoonandan

EcoVillagevisit(whereattendees

willbeworkingondifferenttasksto

improvethevillage)forall.Evening

entertainmentwillbeavailableon

allnightsoftheincentive,which

culminatesinaGalaDinnerwhichwill

incorporatethefireandicetheme.

Tohelpdesignandimplementthetrip,

BanksSadlerisusingatrustedlocal

DMCwhotheyhaveworkedwithmany

timesbefore.

Post-Event FeedbackPositivefeedbackhasbeenreceived

forallofthelunchincentivesthattook

placein2013,withtheoverallcomment

thatBanksSadlerwentaboveand

beyondonallcounts.Inrecognitionof

this,theclientCEOcommented:

“…the support from your staff was exceptional. They were attentive and organised. The venue and the food were, of course, excellent, but it was the small things that made a difference - very good service indeed! Please pass on my thanks to them for a very well- orchestrated and run event.”

Feedbackfortheincentivetripis

expectedaftertheevent.

www.banks-sadler.com

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

75

Destination SelectionSelectionofincentivedestinationsis

basedonanumberoffactors,including:

• Valueformoney

• Climate

• Easeof(travel)access

• Businesslinks

• Sophisticatedtourisminfrastructure

• The‘wow’factor

JohnFisherofFMIGroupdescribes

destinationchoiceforincentive

schemesinthefollowingterms:

‘Choice of destination for incentive travel is a factor of the available budget per head, the accessibility by air from the sponsor’s country, the perceived image of the destination and to some extent the destination’s ability to promote itself effectively. There are many wonderful places in the world but, if there is no air access on scheduled flights from the departing country, it is unlikely the budget will be able to stretch to a private air charter as the only alternative means of transport. Equally, for the destination to work as a promotional incentive, potential participants need to have some prior knowledge of the destination and want to go there. Destinations such as Monte Carlo and Rio de Janeiro sell themselves but how about Sardinia or Quito? That said, ‘new’ destinations are always being introduced to the market and, thanks to some investment in promotion and industry exhibition appearances, new places can capture a significant part of the market if they promote heavily enough. Scottsdale, Arizona springs to mind as a good example of somewhere ordinary folk would not recognise but, due to heavy business to business promotion, it is certainly one of the choices whenever a buyer asks about options in the USA for an upmarket incentive travel event. Dubai

is a similar example of a destination buying its way into the market. It has been hugely successful from a standing start but there has been significant Government money and infrastructure planning to make it viable.’

A2012study(the‘NationalMotivational

ResearchAgentStudy’)intorewardand

recognitionpracticesamongmorethan

5,000financialandinsurancesales

representativesintheUSAandCanada,

foundthat:

• Destinationisperceivedasahighly

influentialmotivatorinrewardand

recognition

• Four-starinclusivepropertiesare

moreappealingthanfive-star(not

inclusive)properties

• Producersprefermorerelaxing

experiencesandactivities,andsolimit

scheduleddaytimeactivities

• Respondentsprefershorteron-site

businessmeetings(amaximumof

twohours)

• Youngeragentsprefersummertravel

experiences(JulyorAugust).

Thestudyconcludedthattheabove

elementsnotonlyaffecttheappealof

thetravelawardandhowhardanagent

willworktoearnit,butalsoaffectthe

company’sbudgetandbottomline.Out

ofallrespondents,76percentindicated

thattheywouldmakesomeeffortto

earnthattravelexperience,with70per

centnotingahighlevelofeffort.

Future Trends and IssuesIncentivetravelisawell-established

sectorofbusinesseventsandfor

internationalmarketstheUKisoneof

themostpopulardestinations.However,

visitornumbersaregreatlyinfluenced

year-on-yearbythestrengthofthe

poundinrelationtoothercurrencies

andbyissuessuchasperceptions

ofsecurityandtheease/costofvisa

processing.

GuidelinespublishedbytheFinancial

ServicesAuthority(February2013)

arelikelytohaveamajornegative

impactonoutboundincentivetravel

programmesforfinancialsector

organisations.Itseemslikelythateven

non-cashincentivesbasedonspecific

productsalesarenolongerallowed.The

implicationsforthenon-cashincentives

industryarewide-ranging:John

Fishersuggeststhat‘we can probably say that the days of lavish overseas incentives and conventions for the financial services industry are gone. We have a seen a similar tail-off in the pharmaceutical sector.’

Anotherrecent‘own-goal’forUK

motivationaltravelhasbeenthe

introductionoftheUKBriberyAct.

UKhospitalityhasseenadownturn

ofsome30percentandfallingsince

theActbecamelaw.Althoughmany

commentatorsandindustryexperts

havewrittennumerousarticlesand

heldseminarstoshowthattheBribery

Actisnotintendedtooutlawgenuine

hospitality-andindeedtheguidance

notestotheActactivelyencourage

morehospitalityasameansoffostering

businessgrowth-in-houselawyers

havelargelydecidedthatsupplier

invitationsshouldnowbetreatedwith

cautionorevenbanned.Theresultis

thatincentivetravelisnowviewedby

manyplcsasbeing‘unacceptable’,citing

theUKBriberyActasthejustification.

ThereisanelementofusingtheActas

anexcusetocutbackondiscretional

marketingcostinthesedifficulttrading

timesbutfewcorporateswilladmitto

thisinopenfora.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

76

Thereisanurgentneedfora

comprehensivestudyintothevalue

oftheUKincentiveandperformance

improvementsector.Thelastsuchstudy

wascommissionedbytheUKnational

touristboardsandpublishedin1996.

Incentivetravelprogrammes

increasinglyhaveaneducational

elementfortheparticipants.Thiscan

involvevisitstofactoriesandbusinesses

inthesameindustrysectorasthat

oftheawardwinners,team-building

programmes,andaconference-type

sessionwithanawardpresentation

ceremonyandannouncementsof

corporateplans,designedtoencourage

theincentivewinnerstoreachfuture

performancetargets.Amixofbusiness

andmotivationalcontentcanhave

animpactonthetaxanincentive

programmeattracts–andso,including

abusinesselementtotheprogramme

canbecosteffective.Thatsaid,the

tax-savingelementisrarelythedriving

forceforincluding‘education’.Thisis

moretodowithjustifyingtheoverall

expendituretostakeholdersand

investors.

Itisdebatablewhetherincentivetravel

asamarketsegmentwilleverhitthe

dizzyheightsofthe1990swhengroups

of300-400participantswerenot

unusual,especiallywithinthefinancial

servicessector.Inthesemoreaustere

andregulatedtimes,theaveragegroup

sizeisnearer40-50participants.It

seemslikelythatthesame,orsimilar,

numbersofeventswillcontinue

outboundfromtheUKbuttheywillbe

marketedmoreas‘conferences’than

pureincentives.

Butthereisanenduringappealto

hosted,grouptravelasanincentive

whichsuggeststhatthisparticular

servicewillcontinuewithincertain

nichemarketsandbeservicedby

specialistoperatorsforsomeyearsto

come.Growthislikelytocomefrom

unregulatedmarketssuchaselectronics

andITratherthantheformermajor

sectorsofpharmaceutical,financial

servicesandautomotive.

(See also the references to incentive

travel in the next section of this Report

on ‘Corporate Events and Corporate

Hospitality’)

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryIncentive Travel and Performance ImprovementCHAPTER3

77

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

D) Memories are : Corporate Hospitality and Corporate Events

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £1.2 billion

Definition and BackgroundThecorporateeventssegmentcovers

incentivetravel,cliententertainment,

staffentertainment,meetingsand

conferencesandsohasaclearoverlap

withsomeoftheothersegments

describedseparatelyinthisReport.

However,thissectionoftheReport

iswrittenspecificallyfromthe

perspectiveofcompaniesproviding

specialistservicestothecorporate

eventssegment,thuscomplementing

informationtobefoundelsewhere.

Thereisnoregularresearchundertaken

toassesstheoverallvolumeandvalue

ofthecorporateeventssegmenttothe

UK,althoughanestimateof£973million

madebyMBDLtdinAugust2009is

felttobereasonablebymanyworking

inthesegment.Thistotalrepresented

acontractionof6percentoverthe

previousyear.MBDforecastthatthe

marketwould,however,growsteadily,

inthenextfewyearstoreachavalue

of£1.205billionby2014,acumulative

increaseof24percentcomparedwith

2009.AGlobalIndustryAnalysts(GLA)

report,referencedintheOctober2011

issueof‘Conference&IncentiveTravel’

(C&IT)magazine,foreseesthatthe

industrywillgrowto£1.47billioninthe

UKby2015.ThesameC&ITarticlealso

citedaBarclaysCorporate‘Businessin

2021’surveywhichrevealedthat73per

centofbusinessessurveyedbelievethat

hospitalityintheUKwillincreaseinthe

comingdecade.

Corporatehospitalityisacrucialpartof

themarketingmix,asitdemonstrates

acompany’swillingnesstogettoknow

peopleaspeople.Throughface-to-

facetimeinanenjoyableandrelaxed

environment,companiescanbuilda

long-lastingrapportwiththeirbusiness

associates,anddevelopagreater

understandingoftheirprioritiesand

needs.Itisalsoacost-effectivewayof

associatingacompanybrandwithan

iconicevent.

Overall TrendsSomeintheindustrybelievethat

overseasincentiverewardsarein

long-termdeclineasamotivational

tool,althoughothersdisputethis.A

combinationoffactorsiscontributing

tothisdownwardtrend.Theseinclude

theincreasedlong-haulholidaytraffic

removingthecachetofwinningtripsto

far-offplaces,andthegradualchange

inmotivationalpracticeswithincertain

businesses.Sustainabilityconcerns,

security,taxationissuesandpressures

oftimemayalsobeplayingapart.

Thetraditionalmethodofrewardinga

fewtopperformerstoencourageothers

toaspiretosuchheightsisgivingway

toabroaderstrategyofmotivating

salesteamsthroughinspirationalevents

thatunite,entertainandrewardwhole

teams.Theincreasedfinancialburdens

createdbytaxandnationalinsurance

implications,addedtothegrowingvalue

placedbyexecutivesonqualitytimeat

home,arealsocontributingtoatrend

towardsdifferenttypesofmotivational

programmeswhichreachwider

audiences.

Duringtheeconomicrecession,there

wasanoticeabletrendtowardsnon-

publiceventsandentertaining‘under

theradar’andawayfromtheglareofa

publicevent.Thishasbeenaccelerated

byrecentmediaexposésofcompany

directorsoncorporatedaysoutbut,on

theflipsideofthecoin,bycompanies

recognisingtheneedtohaveclient

interfaceandtoprotecttheirownbrand

reputationandimage.

Thereisnoclearconsensusonwhether

companiesaremakinggreateruseof

agenciestosourcetheirhospitality

requirements–althoughoutsourcingis

commonplacewheretheheadcountis

reducedininternaleventmanagement

departments.Evenso,agenciesare

notmakingthelargevolumefinancial

commitmentstheymadepreviously.

Instead,theyareacceptinglower

levelsofcommission(thantheywould

receiveiftheymadealargefinancial

commitment)andarewaitinguntilthey

havethesalebeforeplacingit.Inshort,

agenciesarenolongerspeculating.

Thecurrentdecadeoffersanumber

ofexcellenthospitalityopportunities

aroundmajorsportingevents.The2012

OlympicandParalympicGamesare

beingfollowedbytheCommonwealth

Games,theRugbyWorldCup,the

RugbyLeagueWorldCupandtheWorld

AthleticsChampionships.Manyblue-

chipcompaniesopttoentertainthebest

customersatthebiggestsportingand

culturalevents.AlexHerbert,events

managerforSpiritMarketingGroup,

isquotedin‘Conference&Incentive

Travel’magazine(October2011):

‘The type of hospitality and entertainment that large brands and agencies are offering their clients has gone up through the gears. Competition is huge – everyone wants to impress and be memorable. This has led to the need for high-quality or unique entertainment that best complements what they can offer as a business.’

78

Thedemandisnowforanexperience,

notjustanevent.Sportshospitality

worksbecauseitprovidesan

opportunitytoshareanexperience,

perhapsevenamomentinhistory.

ChadLyon-Cachet,chiefexecutiveof

Sportsworld,says(quotedinTheTimes

specialsupplementon‘Corporate

Hospitality&Events’–March2011):

‘It is not just about the game but about the people you met and the great time you had.’

Measuringreturnoninvestmentis

increasinglyimportantandrepresents

arealcompetitiveedgeifhospitality

providerscanquantifybusiness

generatedfromexpenditure.Companies

havealwaysexpectedvalueformoney

but,withtightercontrolsonspending,

hospitalityandeventsareincreasingly

tailoredtoindividualneedsinspecial

bespokesolutions.Thepersonaltouchis

replacingoff-the-shelfpackages.

Combiningcorporatehospitalityand

eventswiththelatesttechnologyand

socialmediaisincreasingtheimpactof

bespokemarketingcampaigns.Avery

modernmarketingmixisharnessing

onlinetechnologiestofacilitatetwo-

waycommunicationswithcustomers

andstaffalike.Liveeventscanbe

transformedtoengageparticipants.

Client EntertainmentTherelativegrowthinparticipation-

basedevents,includingmotorracing

andclaypigeonshooting,that

dominatedthe1990shasslowedas

thenoveltyofsuchactivitieshasworn

offandcompanieshaveretreated

tothesaferandmorereliable

hospitalityevents.Companiesarealso

concentratingonthekeyeventsinthe

socialcalendar(e.g.Wimbledon,Royal

Ascot,ChelseaFlowerShow)andthe

smallerperipheraleventshaveallseen

furtherdeclineintheirbusiness.

Tailoringaneventtoappealtothe

seniormanagementthatbrandswould

liketoattractisnowevident.Thiscan

beseeninasustaineddemandfor

moreexperientialevents,oftenata

premium,suchastheplayers’loungeat

Twickenham,withfourorfiveplayers

comingstraightoffthepitch(after

arugbyinternationalmatch)fora

questionandanswersession.

Hospitalitybuyersnowfocuson

entertainingfewerandmoresenior

clientswithatrendtowardsgreater

justificationandcontrolofspendon

hospitality,demandingmoreinnovative

solutionsanddemonstrablevaluefor

money.

Thisincreasedcostcontrolisoftenas

aresultoftheprocurementpolicies

oflargeorganisations,attemptingto

centralisetheirbuyingpracticesin

ordertomonitorspendandimprove

purchasing.Manyorganisationshave

createdapprovedsupplierlists(of

widelyvaryinglengths!)aspartofthis

process,andseektoensurefinancial

probityinthepurchasingprocess.

A2013surveyofseniorcompany

representativesbyhospitalityprovider

KeithProwseshowsthattwo-thirdsof

thosesurveyedusecorporatehospitality

toencourageengagementbetween

clientsorstaffwhichleadstobetter

relationships.Thereportunderlines

hospitalityasabonafiderelationship-

buildingtoolwhichisused:

• Toencourageengagementbetween

clientsand/orstaffwhichleadsto

betterbusinessrelationships(by66

percentofrespondents)

• Toprovideaninspirationalsettingto

aidinteractivity(usedby49percent)

• 89percentusethetraditional

meetingformattoobtaindirect

businessdecisions.

OtherkeyreasonsidentifiedbyKeith

Prowseforcompanieschoosing

sportingandculturaleventstoentertain

staffandclientswere:

• 76percentagreedthatbeingtaken

toahospitalityeventunderlinesthe

valueoftheguests’organisation

• 96percentagreedthatface-to-

faceinteractionwithco-workersis

necessaryforeffectiveteamwork

• 97percentagreedthat‘downtime’

withclientsbuildsstronger

relationships.

Theresultsalsorevealthegrowing

fluidityofmeetingsandthatthey

regularlyrunovertheaverage

60-minutetimeframe,whichperhaps

explainswhyguestsopttoentertainat

day-longsportingandculturalevents.

A2013corporatehospitalitysurvey

undertakenby‘Meetings&Incentive

Travel’(M&IT)magazine(January/

February2013)foundthat62percent

ofthecorporateeventorganisers

surveyed‘stronglyagreed’or‘agreed’

thatcorporatehospitalityeventsprovide

goodreturnoninvestment.Themain

benefitsweredescribedas‘face-to-

facecontact’and‘cementingexisting

relationships’.IntheM&ITarticle,Guy

Stevenson,Imagination’sclientservices

director,isquoted:

‘Someone much wiser than myself once pointed out that it is people who work together rather than companies. As long as this is the case, there will be a role for corporate hospitality to allow business relationships to grow.’

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

79

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

Thesurveyconfirmed,however,thatthe

introductionofthe‘UKBriberyAct’in

2011hadcreateda‘greyarea’forcertain

elementsofhospitality.Inpartitwasfelt

thatorganisationsweremisinterpreting

thenewlegislation,whiletheregulations

themselvessufferedfromextremely

vaguedefinitions.

Intermsofpreferredtypesofevents

forofferinghospitality,theM&ITsurvey

foundthatthemostpopularoptions

wereeveningentertainmentatashow

ordinner,followedbyamusicconcert,

andthenrugby,carracingandfootball.

Asfor‘new’options,51percentofthose

surveyedaddedthatthechanceto

bringpartnerswouldbeattractivewhen

acceptinghospitality,whiletheideaof

weekendeventsandthepossibilitiesof

volunteeringdayswerealsopopular.

Staff EntertainmentThegenuinevalueofahappyand

loyalworkforcehasnotbeenloston

mostoftheUK’sleadingbusinesses.

Itisinterestingtonotethat,asthe

UKeconomyemergesfromrecession

andmomentumbuildsforsustained

economicgrowth,companiesareagain

investingineventsandentertainment

asvehiclesforincreasedloyalty,reward

andengagement.Someboneswere

putonthistrendbyresearchinto

theChristmaspartymarketbyevent

managementcompany,EvolveEvents

(publishedOctober2013).Thisshows:

• Christmaspartybookingsupby12per

cent

• Smallerpartiesofupto150guestsare

ontherise,witha17percentincrease

inmoreintimatecompanydinners

(althoughlargerbookingsfor600-

plusguestsarestilluncommon)

• ItisnotonlythemonthofDecember

thathasseenariseinbookings:

organisationsarenowincreasingly

lookingtoholdtheirChristmasparties

inJanuary,withthelevelofbookings

takenforJanuary2014showinga

growthof8percentcomparedto

January2013

• Eventhoughcompaniesare

increasingtheirChristmasparty

spend,theyarestillwaryofbeing

seentobookforlargerparties.

OutsideoftheChristmasmarket,

summerfundaysinvolvingthewhole

familyremainpopular,buttheoverall

trendistowardsrollingentertainment

intoconferencesandinternal

communicationeventswheregreater

valuecanbeachieved.

Researchconsistentlyprovesthatthe

mainmotivatorforworkisnotmoney,

sothevalueofmaintainingahappy

workforceshouldneverbeoverlooked!

SummaryTheUKisundoubtedlyleadingthe

worldinmanyareasoftheliveevents

industry.Itcanbeproudofitshome-

growntalents–talentsthatare

frequentlyexportedtodeliverevents

acrossEuropeandfurtherafield.

Trends and issues for the Corporate Events and Corporate Hospitality Sector Ingeneral,thecorporateeventsand

corporatehospitalitymarketremains

robustdespitesomeverynegative

mediacoverageofcorporate‘excess’

atatimeofeconomicdifficulty.

Thesegmentremainsresilientand

companies,eventhoseinthefinancial

servicessector,stilldependoncorporate

hospitalityasameansofdeveloping

loyaltyandincreasingmarketsharewith

theirclientsandasacoreactivityfor

rewardingandmotivatingtheir

ownstaff.

Awayfromthesportingarena,those

organisersofferingactivitydays,team

buildingevents,treasurehuntsand

corporatefundaysandthelikehave

hadtorespondtotheimpactofhuge

eventssuchasthe2012Olympics.

Thereisnodoubtthattheattraction

ofthissortofhighprofileeventtends

todivertbudgetsawayfromthose

agenciesofferingparticipatoryevents

andactivities.

Corporatebuyersareincreasinglykeen

tobookparticipativepackages,rather

thanthoseinwhichguestsmerely

watchfromthesidelines.Thereisno

doubtthateventsarenowseenasa

powerfulcommunicationmediumthat

canchangeperceptions,attitudesand

behavioursandcreategenuinebrand

experiences.Interactivepackages,

whereclientscanbecoachedin

activitiessuchasgolfordrivingby

aprofessionalorsportinghero,are

popular.Insomecasesthiscanextend

toaclientbeinginvitedtobringhis/her

partneroreventhewholefamily.

Increasingly,thereisaneedtomatch

theexperiencewiththeaudienceand

organiserswhodonotseektodiscover

participantpreferencesatthetime

theyareplanningacorporateeventor

hospitalityactivity,areadoptingahitor

missapproachthathasasignificantrisk

offailure.Soforward-thinkinghostsare

lookingtodevisearangeofhospitality

opportunitiesthatmatchdifferingguest

profiles.

IncommonwiththerestoftheB2B

sector,corporateeventsandcorporate

hospitalityareincreasinglybeing

requiredtoprovetheirworthwith

clientcompaniesunderpressureto

demonstratereturnoninvestment.The

challengenowfacingthesectoristo

findappropriatemethodstomeasure

andevaluatetheeffectivenessofevents

beingorganised.

80

Itisleadingcompaniestoinvestin

knowledgemanagementoftheirclients

andtodevelopsophisticatedCRMdata

tounderstandthehobbies,interests

andlifestyleoftheircustomers,their

partnersandeventheirchildren,to

enablethemspecificallytotarget

invitationstoachievemaximumimpact,

appreciationand,ultimately,loyalty.

Atthesametime,clientsarelooking

forinnovationandcreativitywithan

emphasisonparticipationand,where

eventsareofamorepassivenature,

theyarelookingforexclusivityandstyle.

RoyalAscot,forexample,haswitnessed

asharpincreaseincompaniesbooking

outanentirerestauranttoensure

exclusivity.

RecommendationsAppropriatesupportforthesegment

includesthereinstatementofcorporate

hospitalityallowancesonactivities

thatseektobringbusinessand

eventstoBritaintoincludeInward

Missions,biddingformajorevents,and

entertainingtogrowexports.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

81

E) Culture is : Outdoor Events

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £1.1 billion

Definition and BackgroundTheoutdooreventsindustryisa

dynamicsegmentofthebusinessvisits

andeventssector.Outdoorevents

havetakenplaceintheUKsincetime

immemorial,despiteourunpredictable

weather,butthefirstrealinformation

onsuchevents,joustingtournaments

andvillagefairs,forexample,developed

fromthetimesoftheCrusadesinthe

11thand12thcenturies.Nowadays,

outdooreventstakeplaceinevery

corneroftheUK:citycentres,rural

areas,mountainandcoastalregionsand

eveninveryremotelocations.

Althoughnotallfallingwithinthestrict

parametersofbusinessevents,high

profileoutdooreventscoverabreadth

ofactivityfrommajorfestivals(suchas

EdinburghInternationalFestival),music

events(e.g.Glastonbury),agricultural

shows,sportingandcharityevents

throughtosmallvillageandcraft

events.Fromthebeginning,outdoor

eventshavedrawnlargegatherings

whetherlocal,nationalorinternational;

andthisisanincreasingtrendfollowing

theOlympicsin2012.Thevisitorfrom

abroadisattractedtoamyriadofevents

intheUK,manyofthembeingsteeped

intraditionandhistory.

Theworldofoutdooreventshas

developedintoahighlyprofessionaland

qualitystandardindustrymadeupof

localauthorities,showorganisers,event

managementcompanies,promoters,

venueowners,togetherwithsuppliers

ofequipmentandservices,and

consultants.

Value and Scope of Outdoor EventsAfewyearsagotheNationalOutdoor

EventsAssociation(NOEA)carriedout

asurveyandconservativelyestimated

thattheoutdooreventsindustryhad

anannualturnoverofupto£Ibillion.

However,theindustryhaschanged

andoneeventalone,TintheParkin

2011,wasworthmorethan£40million

toScotland-thisiscomparedto£18

millionforthesameeventin2005.So

thetotalannualfigurewillhaverisen

considerablyandNOEAareplanningto

conductmoreresearchonthisinthe

future.

Therearemanyhundredsofdifferent

eventsincludingexhibitionsunder

marquees,classiccarshows,agricultural

andflowershows,craftandgiftfairs,

dogandhorseshows,antiquefairs,

farmers’markets,countrysideand

countyshows,horticulturalshows,

highlandgames,steamrallies,carnivals,

gardeningshows,airshows,pop

concertsandmusicfestivals,firework

displays,sportingevents,cultural

andartsfestivals,Christmasfayres,

waterfestivals,balloonfestivals,

militaryevents,villagetownandcity

events,charityfunctionsandevery

kindoffestivalcateringforspecialist

interestsand,ofcourse,nationaland

internationaleventsandextravaganza

forpeopleofallagesandculturestaking

placeallyearround.

Manyoftheseeventslastfrom1-3days

andattracttensofthousandsofvisitors,

whichcaninvolveconsiderabletravel

andstayingovernightinplacesranging

fromcampsitestoupmarkethotels.

Theeventshavesubstantialbenefitsfor

localeconomiesandcandramatically

affecttheenvironmentofaregion,

bringingmorespendfromvisitorsand

touristsandhencemoreemployment

andwealthtolocalcommunities.

ResearchonGlastonburyin2007saw

festivalvisitorsspendingsome£26

millionoffsite,givingamajorboost

tothelocaleconomy.EdVaizey,MP

andMinisterforTourism,writesina

ForewordtoanOxfordEconomics2013

reportforUKMusicentitled‘WishYou

WereHere’(seenextsectionofthis

Report)that‘Glastonbury is easily the

world’s most famous music festival – it

draws in visitors from every corner of

the globe and contributes more than

£100 million to the economy annually’.

In2010,theEdinburghFestivalsare

estimatedtohavegeneratednew

outputof£245millioninEdinburghand

£261millioninScotland,ofwhich£59

millionwasnewincomeinEdinburgh

and£82millioninScotland.The

festivalssupported5,242newfull-time

equivalent(FTE)jobsinEdinburgh

and4,917inScotland.Thesefigures

demonstratethattheeventsindustry

hastheabilitytomakearealimpacton

localeconomiesandemployment.

Manyvisitorswillarriveearlyatevents

andoftenleavewellafterwards,thus

increasingtheirspend.Economic

benefitalsoderivesfromthehundreds

ofpeoplewhomaketheevents

happen:fromsuppliersofmarquees,

fencing,staging,furniture,generators,

grandstands,p.a.equipment,temporary

roadways,seating,soundequipment,

temporarystructuresetcthroughtothe

provisionofservicessuchascatering,

entertainment,medicalunits,health

andsafetyco-ordination,heating,

securityandstewardingandtraffic

controlmanagement.Thereisahuge

amountofinfrastructureneededto

makeanoutdooreventhappen,unlike

aconferencevenuewheremuchofthe

equipmentneededisalreadyinsitu.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

82

Intheoutdooreventsectorthereare

probablyover5000mainsuppliersof

equipmentandservicesintheUK,plus

asimilartotalofshoworganisers,local

authoritiesandeventmanagement

companiesinvolvedinmanythousands

ofeventsoverthewholecountry.Many

oftheseworkintheconferenceand

venuemarketaswell.

NOEArepresentsmanycompanies

genericallybutsomearealsomembers

ofspecialisttradeassociations

representingtheirparticularinterests

e.g.mobilecatering,productionservices,

marqueesetc.

SeasonalityTheseasonforoutdoorevents,

traditionallyEastertoOctober,has

changeddramaticallyduetoimproved

equipmentandplanning.Asaresult

autumnandwintereventshave

growninpopularitysuchasChristmas

marketsandChristmaslightswitch-ons.

Previouslysuchhappeningswerenot

evenevents:someoneinthetownhall

pressedtheswitchtoputthelightson!

Theyarenowbecominglargepublic

eventsintheirownrightwithacelebrity

pressingthelightswitchandbands

playingtoalargeaudience.Suchevents,

withimprovedequipmentandthewill

oforganisersandthedemandsofthe

public,meanthattheoutdoorevent

seasonisextended.Theconsequenceof

thisisincreasedrevenuefortownsand

increasedvisitors.

Organisation of Events and Current IssuesCreativitydistinguishesoutdoorevent

organisersandinnovativeideasfor

differenteventsandcreativeuseof

technology,equipment,andvenues,

haveplayedasignificantpartinraising

theprofileandpotentialofoutdoor

events.Withpopconcertsbeingstaged

onbeaches,beachsportseventsbeing

stagedinHydePark,andthesolitary

viewingoftelevisedcricketmatches

beingtakenoutdoorsontobigscreens

formassaudiences,traditionalideas

forappropriatevenuesarebeing

challenged,openingupaworldof

opportunityforcreatinguniqueevents.

Manyeventshavedevelopedfrom

traditionalbackgroundsbutare

sufficientlyflexibletoadaptto

newmarkettrendsandcustomer

requirements.Mosttakeplaceon

anannualbasis,oftenatthesame

location,althoughafeweventsrotate

aroundtheUK.Manyeventshave

toobtainpermissionfromthelocal

authoritybeforetheycangoahead

officially,andmusttakefullaccountof

therequirementsofhealthandsafety

legislation.

Healthandsafetyissuesarethenumber

onepriorityformanycompanies

andhigherstandardsinthisarea

havecontributedtothegreater

professionalismnowseenintheindustry.

Afteranumberofhighlypublicised

accidentsintheearly1990s,NOEA

drewupaCodeofPracticeforoutdoor

events,andcontinuestoworktowards

raisingstandards.Thisworkimpacts

directlyonliabilityinsurancewhichis

crucialfortheeventsindustry.TheCode

ofPracticewasthendevelopedintoThe

EventSafetyGuide(the‘PurpleGuide’)

withtheHealthandSafetyExecutive.

Thishasnowbeenreviewedagain,with

NOEAandmanyrespectedprofessionals

intheoutdooreventindustryworking

togethertoproducethenewPurple

Guidedueforpublicationonlinein2014

(seeChapter6).

Linkedtohealthandsafety,security

hasbecomeacriticalissue.Withevent

licencesbeinggrantedonpre-setvisitor

numbers,attendancelevelshaveto

beregulated.Fencingcontractorsare

workinginconjunctionwithsecurity

companies,forexample,toensure

effectivesecurity,particularlyathigh

profilepubliceventslikeGlastonbury

andNottingHill.Thisleadstogreater

publicconfidence,betterattendance

andgoodPRfortheindustry.

Oneofthebiggestchangesintheevent

industryhasbeentheuseofsocial

mediatopromoteeventsandalsoto

ticketeventswithmanybuyingonline.

Thisisgoodnewsforanindustrywith

fragmenteddataasonlineticketing

producesnewinformationandthe

abilitytointeractwitheventattendees.

Future Trends and IssuesTheeffortstoraisestandardsintheUK

havebeensosuccessfulthattheUKis

nowrecognisedbytherestofEurope

andtheUSAasaleaderinoutdoor

eventswithmanyUKcompanies

exportingtheirexpertise.

Thereismuchinterest,fromEurope

inparticular,inthedevelopment

ofanationalindustrystandardin

conjunctionwiththeBritishStandards

Institute,leadinginthefuturetothe

possibilityofaEuropeanStandard

forOutdoorEvents.Butthereisno

complacencyasthenumberofnew

initiativescurrentlybeingdevelopedto

taketheindustryforwardistestament

tocontinuingawarenessoftheneedfor

goodhousekeeping.Therearemany

newpeoplecomingintotheindustry

whoneedtobeawareoftheNOEACode

ofPractice/nationalindustrystandards.

Newstandardsandinitiativesarealways

beinglookedatanddevelopedandthis

willcontinue.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

83

Researchhasfoundthatthesector

facesadistinctsetofchallenges.The

outdooreventssectorisverydiverse

and,althoughmanyeventsaresimilar

incontent,thereareconsiderable

differencesintheorganisational

structureoftheeventsandalsoinwhat

theyaretryingtoachieve.Manyare

collectingdatabutinthefuturethat

dataneedstobecomparedaccurately

withconsistentmethods.Oftendatais

notcollectedasorganisersarefocused

ondeliveringtheeventandmaylack

thefinancialresourcestopaypeopleto

collectthedata.Manyeventsarerunon

verylimitedbudgets.

Insummary,theeconomicandsocial

benefitsoffestivalsandotheroutdoor

eventsareenormousandthisareawill

continuetogrowasconsumerslookfor

newwaystoenjoytheirleisuretime.The

onethingthatthissectordoesdovery

effectivelyiscreateeventsthatmake

peoplesmile!

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryCorporate Hospitality and Corporate EventsCHAPTER3

84

F) Music is : Music Events and Festivals

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £1.3 billion

Definition and BackgroundThelivemusicsectorcoversahuge

varietyofeventsfrommajorconcerts

heldinstadiumsandlargemusic

festivals,suchasGlastonbury,which

attracthundredsofthousandsof

people,tosmalllocalfestivalsthathave

audiencesofafewhundred.Inaddition

totheseoutdoorevents,thereare

thousandsofmusiceventsthattake

placeeachyearindoors,heldinavariety

ofvenuesfrommajorarenastopubs.

Inits‘PlanforGrowth’,theGovernment

hasspecificallyrecognisedtheUK’s

creativeindustriesandtourismastwo

keyeconomicsectorswithgrowth

potential.ANationalBrandIndexsurvey,

includedintheGovernment’stourism

strategyandbasedoninterviewswith

20,000individualsworldwide,ranked

theUKfourthintheworldforbeing

an‘interestingandexcitingplacefor

contemporaryculturesuchasmusic,

films,artandliterature’.Musicisan

integralpartofBritain’scultureand

heritage.Itisalsoakey‘pillar’in

VisitBritain’sGREATcampaignalongside

food,shopping,sport,heritageand

countryside.

UKMusicistheumbrellaorganisation

whichrepresentsthecollectiveinterests

oftheUK’scommercialmusicindustry

–fromsongwritersandcomposers,

artistsandmusicians,recordproducers

andmusicmanagerstorecordlabels,

musicpublishers,thelivemusicsector,

andmusiclicensingsocieties.In2013

UKMusic,withsupportfromVisitBritain,

commissionedOxfordEconomicsto

carryoutresearchintomusictourism’s

contributiontotheUKeconomy.

PublishedinOctober2013asareport

entitled‘WishYouWereHere’,key

findingsaresummarisedbelow–thefull

reportcanbeaccessedfreeofchargeat:

http://www.ukmusic.org/assets/

media/MUSICTOURISM-REPORT-

WEBsite%20version.pdf

• £2.2billion–thetotalofdirectand

indirectspendgeneratedbymusic

tourismin2012

• £1.3billion–theamountspentdirectly

bymusictourists

• 6.5million–thenumberofmusic

tourists

• 41percent–theproportionoflive

musicaudiencesthataremusic

tourists

• £657–theaveragespendbyoverseas

musictouristswhileintheUK

• 24,251–thenumberoffull-timejobs

sustainedbymusictourism.

Thereportquotescommentsmade

byDavidCameron,thePrimeMinister,

whenhesaid:

‘Music is an industry that is an international success story and we should go on backing it. It’s not just the exports that it provides for this country. It’s not just the people it employs in this country. It’s the massive and growing music tourism, people coming to Britain to listen to great acts.’

There’snodoubtthattheUK’smusic

festivalsandtheextensivetouring

programmesofinternationalacts,such

astheRollingStonesandBeyoncé,

attractmassiveoverseasinterestand

foreignvisitorstotheUK.Alongside

inboundtourists,manymusiclovers

intheUKalsotravellongdistancesto

watchtheirfavouritebandandartists

perform.Thisisinternationaland

domesticmusictourismworking–

andworkingwell.

‘WishYouWereHere’describesBritain’s

ambitiontoattract40millionvisitors

by2020.Itsaysthat ‘music tourism

already contributes to this, but the music

industry can play a much bigger role in

helping VisitBritain and others achieve

this target. By 2020, the country targets

earnings of £31.5 billion from inbound

tourism – that is an additional spend of

£8.7 billion. An increase in music tourism

has the potential to benefit every nation

and region of the UK.’

In2012themusicindustry’srich

andvariedprogrammeofconcerts

andfestivalsdrewnearly6.5million

domesticandoverseasmusictourists.

Anoverseasmusictouristisdefined

as‘someone who booked a ticket to a

music event from their home address in

a country outside the UK’.Adomestic

musictouristisdefinedas‘someone

who travels at least three times the

average commuting distance in the

Government Office Region in which the

event took place in order to attend the

event’.

41percentoftheaudiencesatall

livemusiceventsin2012wereeither

domesticorforeignmusictourists

(seeFigure3.17).Therewerefarmore

concertsandgigsheldthroughoutthe

yearthanmusicfestivals:concerts

andgigsaccountedfor83percent

ofalllivemusicattendances–locals

andmusictouristscombined–while

festivalsaccountedfor17percentof

alllivemusicattendances(seeFigure

3.18).Concertstakeplaceonmost

eveningsoftheweekandtherefore

presentmoreofachallengetomusic

tourists-whohavetotravelatleast

threetimestheaveragecommuting

distancetogetthere.Domestictourists

accountedfor94percentofthemusic

touristpopulation;theremaining6per

centwereoverseastourists.Overseas

touristswererepresentedevenlyat

festivalsandconcerts.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

85

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

Fig.3.17Attendance at live music events in the UK

Fig.3.18Music tourist attendance at festivals and concerts

9,479 / 59%

75%

6,495 / 41%

25%

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

Musictourists

Locals

Festivals

Concerts

0

0

1,000

1,000

2,000

2,000

3,000

3,000

4,000

4,000

5,000

5,000

6,000

6,000

7,000

7,000

8,0009,000

10,00012,00013,00014,00015,00016,000

86

Fig.3.19Domestic versus overseas music tourists

94%6%

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

Overseas

Domestictourists

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Livemusicisastimulusforalarge

numberofpeopletotravelsignificant

distancesandtheygeneratehuge

spending.Thisspendinghappensatthe

festivalorconcertandonthewaythere

andback,whichincludesthepurchase

oftickets,transport,foodanddrink

and,insomecases,accommodation.

In2012,musictourismgenerated£1.27

billionindirectspending.Musictourism

alsostimulatedadditionalspending

throughoutthesupplychain.For

example,toaccommodatetheincreased

demandforfoodanddrinkcreated

bymusictourists,catererswillbuyin

moresuppliesfromtheirwholesalers,

whointurnwillbuyinmorefromtheir

suppliers–thisisadditionalorindirect

spending.Musictourismgenerateda

further£914millioninindirectspending,

making£2.18billionintotal(seeFigure

3.20).

Economic Impact of Music Tourism‘WishYouWereHere’makesclearthat

spendinggeneratedbymusictourism

feedsintothewidereconomyand

contributestotheUK’sGrossValue

Added(GVA).Inthecaseoflivemusic

tourism,directGVAwascalculatedby

subtractingthecostsofstagingthelive

musicevent(excludingwages)fromthe

revenuegeneratedbytheevent.Indirect

GVAtookthecalculationofindirect

spendingandsubtractedthecostsof

production(excludingwages)further

downthesupplychain.In2012music

tourismaddedatotalof£934million

totheUK’sGVA,directandindirect

combined.

Fig.3.20Music tourism spending

1,266914

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

Indirect

Direct

0

500

1,000

1,500

£m

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

87

Directemploymentrelatestothe

numberofequivalentfull-timejobs

createdasadirectresultofalive

concertorfestivaltakingplaceand

relatestopeoplebeingtakenonas

securityguards,merchandisesellers,

lightingriggers,boxofficestaff,etc.

Indirectemploymentrelatestothe

numberofjobssustainedasaresult

ofeconomicactivityfurtheralong

thesupplychain,butarisingfrom

demandcreatedbymusictourism.The

calculationsrevealedthatmusictourism

directlyandindirectlysustained24,000

full-timejobs(seeFigure3.21).

Fig.3.21Music tourism contribution to the economy – expenditure, GVA, employment

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

Indirect

Direct

0 0

500 5,000

1,000 10,000

1,500 15,000

2,000 20,000

914

Music tourism spending

Spending

Music tourism GVA

GVA

Music tourism employment

EmploymentJobs£000

389 8,1151,266 544 16,135

Fig.3.22Music tourism in the regions and nations (of the UK)

East Midlands

Wales

Northern Ireland

North East

East of England

Yorks & The Humber

South East

South West

Scotland

West Midlands

North West

London

1500

Music tourist attendance 000’s

10005000

Source:‘WishYouWereHere’–UKMusic

2000

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

88

Londonisthemusictourismcapital

oftheUKattracting1.8millionmusic

tourists.Londonaloneaccountedfor

28percentofallmusictourismvisits

intheUKin2012.North-WestEngland

dominatedmusictourismoutsidethe

capital,accountingfor17percentofall

musictouristvisitsintheUKin2012.

Theregiondrewinmorethanamillion

musictouristsoutofatotallivemusic

audienceof2.87million.Figure3.22

providesamoredetailedanalysisof

musictourismvolumebyregionand

nationoftheUK.

Butthegrowthofmusic-generated

tourisminthefutureisnotassured.The

NationalArenasAssociationreporteda

significantfallinattendancesatmusic

arenashowsin2010.Demandisvery

muchlinkedtothesupplyofhighprofile

artistssuchastheRollingStones,U2or

Madonnaandtheirtouringplans.

UKMusichas,therefore,throughits

‘WishYouWereHere’report,madea

seriesofrecommendationsdesigned

toensurethefuturegrowthand

developmentofthelivemusicsector.

Theyare:

1. TheDepartmentforCommunities

andLocalGovernmentshouldwork

ondevelopingspecific,targeted‘live

musiczones’withincommunities

toactasbeaconsforlivemusic

scenes.Thiscouldleadtoafurther

reformoflicensinglawstoenable

zonestoapplyforarelaxationof

timeconstraintsonperformances

inordertocompetewithnight-time

economiesinothercountries

2. TheDepartmentforCulture,Media

andSportshouldimplement

commitmentsforfurther

deregulationofmusicperformances

3. TheDepartmentforEnvironment,

FoodandRuralAffairsshould

supporttheCulturalandCommunity

DistributionDeregulationBillwhich

aimstoreducethebureaucracy

associatedwithhandingoutleaflets

forsmall-scalegigsandevents

4. TheDepartmentforTransport

shouldlookatsafetyonpublic

transportfollowinggigsandfestivals

anddevelopinnovativewaysto

improvetheexperience

5. TheHomeOfficeandMinistryof

Justiceshouldlookattheeffect

ofthesecondaryticketingmarket

onmusictourism,including

considerationoflegislativestepsto

combatanyabuseofthemarket

6. TheDepartmentforEducation

shouldensurethatschoolcareers

servicesworkwithmusicemployers

topromotethewiderangeofhighly

skilledrolesinthelivemusicsector

andthewidermusicindustry

7. TheDepartmentforBusiness,

InnovationandSkillsshouldhelp

employersinvolvedinmusictourism

toplayanactiveroleindesigning

anddeliveringapprenticeshipsand

trainingtosuittheneedsofthe

sector

8. TheForeignandCommonwealth

Office,aspartofitsworkwith

UKTI,shouldworkwithcountries

fromacrosstheworldtounlock

anyrestrictiveentrypracticesthat

preventUKmusiciansfrombeing

abletobreakintooverseasmarkets

anddevelopfanbasesfromacross

theworld.Likewise,itshouldensure

thatFCOstaffinUKconsulates

aroundtheworldfollowagreed

policyandprocedurewithrespect

tovisaapplicationsfromforeign

nationalsseekingtoworkintheUK

9. TheDepartmentforEnergyand

ClimateChangeshouldactively

promotegreenpracticesatfestivals

andeventstoassisttheGovernment

inmeetingitstargetstoreduce

carbonemissions

10. TheDepartmentforWorkand

Pensionsshouldworkwithvenues

andeventstoimproveaccessfor

disabledpeople

11. TheScotland,WalesandNorthern

IrelandOffices,togetherwith

respectivedevolvedgovernments

andadministrations,shouldwork

onexistingandnewpoliciesto

encouragemusictourism.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

89

In a debate in the House of Lords (11/07/13) a cross-party group of influential peers called on the Government to develop a new strategy to support music-based tourism and help grow the UK economy. The debate’s sponsor, LibDem Lord Storey, argued that the world’s “evident love” of the UK’s musical heritage should now be harnessed and used to support music tourism. He suggested that, to attract more overseas music tourists, Government should emphasize and engage with existing tourism bodies and authorities across Britain and help them market themselves as music tourism destinations. Lord Storey’s stance was supported by Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke who said:

‘We are not doing as well as we could for music tourism. We need to have more resource behind promoting our music tourism. We have the talent, the determination and the worldwide focus. Let us make this a key pillar of our tourism strategy in the future.’

Paul Newman, Head of Entertainment & Ticketing AEG Europe – owners and operators of The O2:

‘Since opening in 2007, The O2 has taken the music world by storm and has consistently hosted the world’s best in music and entertainment – selling more tickets than any other arena in the world every year since its launch. For us it is all about content and customer experience. The O2 has hosted the hottest live music acts around such as Beyoncé, Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Take That. It’s not all about the arena – we’ve created reasons to visit other than just big shows. indigO2, our smaller, more intimate music venue, hosts anything from the latest urban music sensation, to classical music, to comedy. The O2 bubble, our state-of-the-art exhibition space, is the permanent home to the British Music Experience, the UK’s only exhibition dedicated to rock and pop.’

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryMusic Events and FestivalsCHAPTER3

90

G) Sport is : Sporting Events

Value to the UK visitor economy in direct spend: £2.3 billion

Definition and BackgroundSportstourismhasbeencentraltothe

growthinglobaltravelandtourism

duringthenewmillennium.Ithasbeen

suggestedthat,in2008,itaccounted

forsomeUS$600billionorover10

percentoftheinternationaltourism

market.

Sportalsohasaroletoplayin

helpingtoaddresswidersocialissues

encompassedbythemillennium

developmentgoals.Itcanhelpto

addressgenderinequalityandassists

withthedevelopmentoflifeskills

suchasleadership,decisionmaking,

organisationalandmanagementskills.

Sportcanalsoactasaneffective

mediumforconveyingeducational

messagesrelatingtohealthissuessuch

asHIV/AIDSawarenessandmalaria.

Theeconomiesofcities,regionsand

–inthecaseofmegaeventssuchas

theOlympicGamesorFIFAWorld

Cup–entirecountriesareincreasingly

reliantoncombiningsportandtourism

tojump-starteconomicandsocio-

economicchange.Touristsengagedin

sportstourismarehigh-spending,stay

longerthanothertouristcategories,and

oftenstimulateotherformsoftourism.

Theirdirectbenefittoadestinationis

cash–theirindirectbenefitcanbeyears

offollow-ontourists.

VisitEngland’s‘AStrategicActionPlan

forTourism2010-2020’,published

Spring2010,includesarangeof

proposalstogrowmajorevents

businessincludingsport,forEngland,in

conjunctionwithavarietyofstrategic

partners.ThePlanstates:

‘The England brand embodies many elements that give us a competitive edge internationally and not all of these relate to our traditional strengths of heritage, ceremony and landscape. England is a world leader in music, the arts, architecture and fashion and in many areas of sport. Major events in these fields, such as Glastonbury, London Fashion Week, HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and a “Decade of Sport” including the Rugby League World Cup in 2013, Rugby Union World Cup in 2015 and the Cricket World Cup in 2019, can play a critical role in shaping the image of the nation. It is crucial that England develops a plan, both to capitalise on the opportunities presented by hosting the world class events of the coming decade, but also to attract and develop events in the future which will allow England to highlight and grow its reputation as a vibrant and aspirational brand.’

Inoneyearalone,2014,theUKwillbe

deliveringworld-classsportingand

spectatoreventswiththelikesofthe

CommonwealthGames(seecasestudy),

GiroD’Italia,TourdeFrance,andRyder

Cup(seebelowandChapter5formore

detailsoftheseevents)alltakingplace

onourshoresandallattractingoverseas

participantsandspectators,withmany

ofthelatterextendingtheirvisits.

The‘GoldEventSeries’isUKSport’s

(www.uksport.gov.uk)majorevents

programmefortheperiod2013-2019

andhasbeendevelopedtohelpnon-

governmentalbodiestoattractand

stagesomeofthemostimportant

internationalsportingeventsinthe

UK,followingthesuccessfulhosting

ofthe2012OlympicandParalympic

Games.ThroughtheGoldEventSeries,

UKSportwillinvestover£27million

ofNationalLotteryfundingtohelp

supportthebiddingandstagingof

majorinternationalsportingeventsup

to2019.Acomprehensiverangeofnew

andexpandedsupportserviceswillalso

beprovidedtoensurethatmajorevents

hostedintheUKaredeliveredtoa

world-leadingstandard.

Toachievethis,UKSportworksclosely

withanetworkofevent-hostingcities,

regionsandnationsacrosstheUKto

helpnon-governmentalbodiessource

venuesanddevelopstrongmulti-tiered

fundingpartnerships.Throughthe

GoldEventSeries,UKSportwillensure

thatsupportedeventsdeliverfourkey

objectives:

• Supportandprofilehighperformance

success

• Createhigh-profileopportunitiesfor

peopletoengagewithsport

• Useanddemonstratethelegacyof

London2012andGlasgow2014

• Drivepositiveeconomicandsocial

impactsfortheUK.

However,whileitwilloftenbethe

majorsportingeventsthatattractmost

attention,itshouldnotbeforgottenthat

therearemanyotherlesspublicised,

buthighparticipation,sportsenjoyed

acrosstheUKthatalsogenerate

tourism,economicandsocialbenefits

forindividualcommunitiesand,of

course,fortheparticipantsthemselves.

TheCaseStudylaterinthissection

highlightsaneventgeneratedbyone

suchsport,pigeonracing,anddescribes

the‘BritishHomingWorldShowofthe

Year’forracepigeonenthusiastsheldin

Blackpool.

2010 Ryder Cup EvaluationWales’reputationasanexpertand

ambitioushostofmajoreventswas

greatlyenhancedbytheweekofthe

2010RyderCupgolfmatchbetween

EuropeandtheUSA.

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustrySporting EventsCHAPTER3

91

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustrySporting EventsCHAPTER3

Theformalceremonies,hospitalityand

culturaleventswerealldeemedtohave

setnewstandardsofexcellence,aswas

thewholestagingoftheevent.Ryder

Cupweekitselfgenerated£82.4million

fortheWelsheconomyand,since2004,

whenWalesbeganusingtheRyderCup

brandinmarketingcampaigns,thevalue

ofgolfingtourismhasnearlydoubled

to£41.9million(accordingtothe‘Final

Report’publishedbyRyderCupWales

2010Ltdinitsevaluationoftheevent).

Thelong-termlegacyincludesnew

andimprovedpublicgolfingfacilities

throughoutWalesandasubstantial

increaseinplayerparticipation.Italso

highlightswiderbenefitsforhealth,

educationandtheenvironmentwhich

resultedfromstagingthe2010Ryder

Cup.Thereportsuggeststhat:

‘Wales now has the opportunity to continue to use this success, and the Ryder Cup brand, to attract other major events, to increase international tourism and support inward investment initiatives. Newport was a successful host city and can continue to benefit from association with the event.’

Table3.2The Economic Impact of the Ryder Cup 2010

Total Economic Impact Direct Economic Impact

Wales £82.4million £53.9million

SouthEastWales £74.6million £48.7million

Newport £28.3million £18.5million

Source:‘FinalReport’–RyderCupWales2010Ltd

CASE STUDY

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Glasgowwillhostthe2014

CommonwealthGames(the‘Glasgow

2014CommonwealthGames’)from23

Julyto3August2014.Approximately

6,500athletesandofficialsfrom

71nationsandterritorieswilltake

partin17sports.Scotland,andthe

CityofGlasgow,areexpectingmany

thousandsofvisitorsandspectators.

Thereisgreatexcitementabout

thesummerof2014andashared

commitmenttodeliveravery

successfulsportingevent.

TheGlasgow2014Gameswillbe

thebiggestmulti-sportsevent

thatScotlandhaseverhosted.A

partnershipbetweentheScottish

Government,GlasgowCityCouncil,

CommonwealthGamesScotland

andtheGlasgow2014Organising

Committeehasunderpinnedthe

planninganddeliveryoftheseGames.

Theexpectedcostofdeliveringthe

GlasgowGamesis£524million.The

ScottishGovernmentwillprovideup

to£344millionofthisandGlasgow

CityCouncilaround£80million.The

OrganisingCommitteewillmeet

thebalancethroughincomefrom

sponsorship,andthesaleofticketing,

merchandisingandbroadcastingrights.

TogethertheGamespartnersare

workingtoensuretheGlasgow2014

Gamesaredeliveredontimeandon

budget.

Crucially,theGlasgow2014Games

alsoprovideopportunitiesaboveand

beyondthehostingofamajorsporting

event.Fromtheearlystagesofbidding

therehasbeenanemphasisonthe

positiveandlastingbenefitsthatcould

beachievedforbothScotlandasa

whole,forGlasgow,andtheEastEnd

ofGlasgowspecifically.Thesebenefits

areoftencollectivelydescribedasthe

‘legacy’. >>

92

Creatingalastingandpositivelegacy

fromtheGlasgow2014Gamesisatop

priorityfortheScottishGovernment.

Legacyactivitywillhelpdeliver

thenationalgovernment’swider

aspirationsforScotlandoverthenext

decade.TheScotland-wideGames

legacyplan‘AGamesLegacyfor

Scotland’waslaunchedinSeptember

2009andsetsoutthelegacy

ambitionsoftheScottishGovernment

anditswiderangeofpartners.More

informationisavailableat:http://

legacy2014.co.uk.Withaten-year

timeframeto2019,itissetaroundfour

themes:

FLOURISHING–usingtheGamesto

contributetothegrowthoftheScottish

economy

ACTIVE–usingtheGamestohelp

Scotsbemorephysicallyactive

CONNECTED–usingtheGamesto

strengthenconnectionsathomeand

internationallythroughcultureand

learning

SUSTAINABLE–usingtheGames

todemonstrateenvironmental

responsibilityandhelpcommunitiesto

livemoresustainably

TheCityofGlasgowhasidentified6

legacythemeswhichbroadlyfitwith

thefournationalthemesabove.These

are:Prosperous,Active,Inclusive,

Accessible,GreenandInternational.

MoredetailedinformationonGlasgow’s

legacyplansisavailableat:http://

glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/

AGamesLegacyForGlasgow

GlasgowCityCouncil(withthe

supportoftheScottishGovernment

andpartneragencies)hasledona

programmeofmajorcapitalprojects

forthevenues,theAthletesVillage

andthetransportinfrastructurein

Glasgow.ProjectsincludetheScotstoun

Stadium,KelvingroveLawnBowls

Centre,theCommonwealthArena,the

EmiratesArena(homeoftheSirChris

HoyVelodrome),TollcrossInternational

SwimmingCentre,CathkinBraes

MountainBikingCircuit,Glasgow

NationalHockeyCentre,andScotstoun

LeisureCentre.TheHydroArenahas

alsobeendevelopedasanentirely

newvenueadjacenttotheScottish

Exhibition+ConferenceCentre.

VenuesoutsideGlasgowhavealso

beenrefurbished,includingtheRoyal

CommonwealthPoolinEdinburghand

theBarryBuddonCentreinAngus(to

playhosttotheshootingcompetition).

TheGameshavealreadybroughtother

benefitstoGlasgow,including:

• Severalhundred‘newentrant’

trainees(apprentices,thoseleaving

educationandthoseleaving

long-termunemployment)were

recruitedtovariousGames-related

constructionprojects

• Glasgow-basedbusinessesand

organisationshavewonalargeshare

ofGames-relatedcontracts(byearly

Autumn2013over£183millionof

£307millionTier1Games-related

contracts)

• OtherGames-relatedprojectshave

madeasubstantialimpactforpeople

inGlasgow,withtheCommonwealth

ApprenticeshipInitiativedelivering

placesformorethan2,500school-

leavers,whiletheCommonwealth

JobsFundhasplacedover300

peopleinemployment.

CouncillorGordonMatheson,Leader

ofGlasgowCityCouncil,said:‘The economic legacy from 2014 will leave a city whose workforce is better skilled and whose companies are better placed to win contracts at home and abroad. We are taking advantage of this great opportunity for the city.’

>>

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustrySporting EventsCHAPTER3

93

CASE STUDY

Pigeon fanciers flock to Blackpool for British Homing World Show of the Year

Thousandsofpigeonfancierswereset

to‘land’inBlackpoolonthe18thand

19thJanuary2014astheresortonce

againplayedhosttotheBritishHoming

WorldShowoftheYear.

Theshowattractsmorethan15,000

peoplefromtheUKandIrelandtothe

eventtoseeover1,000fancyshow

pigeonsand2,000racingpigeons.

OrganisedbytheRoyalPigeonRacing

Association(RPRA),anddubbedasthe

‘Cruftsofthepigeonworld’,theevent

isthelargestintheworldandsees

fanciersofallagesfromallregionsin

theUKmakingtheannualpilgrimage

toBlackpooltocelebrate.Thisisthe

37thyeartheeventhasbeenheldin

Blackpool,sinceitwasfoundedin1972

-theshowhasraisedalmost£3million

forcharitiesovertheyears.

TakingplaceintheWinterGardens,

the2014eventfeaturedmorethan

200tradestoressellinganythingfrom

pigeonfoodtoarticulatedlorriesfor

pigeontransportation.Thousands

ofpigeonswereexpectedtochange

handsattheeventwheresumsofup

to£10,000canbepaidforapedigree

racingpigeonoritsoffspring.

OntheSaturdayeveningtherewas

anawardceremonyintheBlackpool

TowerBallroomasfancierscompeteto

winawardssuchasBestYoungFancier

toExceptionalPigeonPerformance

withBestinShowgoingontothe

SupremeChampionClass.

Commentingontheevent,Stewart

Wardrop,GeneralManageratThe

RoyalPigeonRacingAssociation,said:

‘We are delighted to be returning for the 37th time to Blackpool for the 42nd year of the British Homing World Show of the Year. The Winter Gardens is a great home for the event and somewhere our members look forward to visiting year on year.’

MandyTythe-McCallum,Tourism

ManageratVisitBlackpool,said:

‘The British Homing World Show of the Year is the biggest racing pigeon event in the world. Each year the event brings together thousands of old friends, at what is also the biggest social event in the pigeon fancier’s diary. It is an internationally acclaimed event which has made its home in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. Events like these mean a lot to the local economy, offering a welcome boost to tourism in the resort.’

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustrySporting EventsCHAPTER3

94

TheCompositionoftheEventsIndustryEvents Sector SuppliersCHAPTER3

H) Technology is : Events Sector Suppliers

Theeventindustryishugelydiverseand

itsrequirementforsupplierscoversan

enormousbreadthofprofessions,from

stagingandstructurestowaterand

waste.

Thisdiversityofevents,togetherwith

theuniquedemandsofsomevenues

particularlyforoutdoorevents,has

requiredthedevelopmentofspecialist

skillsinmanyareasandtheUKindustry

iswidelyrecognisedasaworldleaderin

someofthesesectors.

Whilstthereissomecross-overbetween

markets,sectorstendtohavetheir

ownspecialistsuppliernetworksthat

understandthelogisticsandissues

involvedinputtingonprofessional

events.

Byitsnaturetheeventindustrytends

tobehighlyentrepreneurial,which

encouragesinnovation.However,the

lastdecadehasseenitalsobecoming

increasinglyprofessionalinitsapproach

withagreatdealoftimebeingdevoted

byeventorganisersandsuppliersto

developingprofessionalstandards

acrossthemarket,fromspecialist

guidelinesfortheerectionoftemporary

structuresandstagestoinformation

suchasthe‘PurpleGuide’forthose

organisingevents.

Therearealsonowanincreasing

numberofcoursesrunbycollegesand

universitiesforeventmanagementas

wellasspecialisedtraininginareassuch

asstewardingandcrowdmanagement.

Thistrendislikelytoincreaseasthe

industrycontinuestogrowanddemand

moreprofessionalstandards.

Thereisnostatisticaldataonthe

numberofsuppliersoperatingin

theeventsindustrybutitisthought

tobeconsiderable,rangingfrom

smallentrepreneurialbusinessesto

substantialcompanies,manyofwhich

operateinternationally.Someexamples

ofsuppliersservicingthemeetingsand

businesseventssectorarelistedbelow:

- audio-visualcontractors(supplyand

operationofspecialistaudio-visual

equipment)

- telecommunicationsandITcompanies

(videoconferencing/teleconferencing/

satelliteconferencing,‘secondlife’

events)

- transportoperators(airlines,coach

andrailcompanies,carhire,taxifirms,

ferrycompanies)

- interpretersandtranslators(for

internationalconferences)

- after-dinnerspeakers,entertainers,

corporateeventscompanies

(e.g.companiesrunning‘Murder

Mystery’events,sportingand

outdooractivities)

- specialitycaterers(banquets,

receptions,buffets)

- floralcontractors(flowerdisplaysfor

conferenceplatforms,registration

areas,exhibition/expositionstands)

- exhibitioncontractors

- companieswhichdevelopspecialist

computersoftwareandapps

(e.g.venuefindingandevent

managementprogrammes)

- eventinsurancespecialists.

Chapter 4Exporting is UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)

Events support…

97

UKTradeandIndustry(UKTI)CHAPTER4

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is a government department which works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and to encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice. It has professional advisers both within the UK and in more than 100 international markets. UKTI also has a coordination role across government to establish a more systematic approach to relationships with companies which are the most economically significant investors and exporters.

UKTI’sspecificaimsandobjectives

areto:

• delivermeasurableimprovementin

thebusinessperformanceofUKTI’s

internationaltradecustomers,with

anemphasisoninnovativeandR&D-

activefirms

• increasethecontributionofforeign

directinvestmenttoknowledge

intensiveeconomicactivityintheUK,

includingresearchanddevelopment

(R&D)

• deliverameasurableimprovement

inthereputationoftheUKinleading

overseasmarketsastheinternational

businesspartnerofchoice.

UKTIundertakesactivityinarangeof

priorityindustrysectors,whichinclude,

interalia:

• Advancedmanufacturing

• Defenceandsecurity

• Infrastructure

• Healthcareandlifesciences

• Servicesectorsincluding

-Creativeindustries

-Education

-Professionalservices

-Retail

Itisanticipatedthatmanyofthese

industrieswillbenefittheevents

sectorbybringingwiththemmajor

business-focusedeventsandcorporate

organisationswill,inturn,investin

meetings,conferencesandtraining.

UKTIstaffactasambassadorsfor

theUKeventsindustry,usingevents

aroundtheworld–intheformoftrade

exhibitions,roadshowsandforums–

toattractbusinessestotheUK.UKTI

hasalsoidentifiedkeyindustryevents

heldintheUKandoverseaswhereit

supportsUKcompanies,helpingSMEs

toexhibitandpresenttheirproducts

moreeffectivelyandofferingexport

advice.Thereismorethatcanbedone

todevelopacloserworkingrelationship,

whichinturnwouldsupportbidding

formoremajoreventstobeheld

intheUKandenablegreaterglobal

competitiveness.

ThereareseveralUKTIprogrammes

whicharedirectlyrelevanttotheevents

sector.Amongtheseare:

Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP)Takingpartinoverseasexhibitionsis

aneffectivewayforUKbusinessesto

testmarkets,attractcustomers,appoint

agentsordistributorsandmakesales.

UKTI’sTradeshowAccessProgramme

(TAP)providesgrantsupportforeligible

smallandmedium-sizedenterprises

(SMEs)toattendtradeshowsoverseas.

Participationisusuallyaspartofa

groupandisledbyoneofUKTI’s

AccreditedTradeAssociations(ATOs).

ATOsalsoworkwithUKTItoraisethe

profileofUKgroupsandsectorsatkey

exhibitions.

ThemainaimsofTAPsupport

aretoprovideacredible,quality

representationofUKbusinesscapability

toaninternationalaudienceand

encouragemarketentryforSMEs.

TAPfundingcanprovidebothamore

enhancedUKpresenceatoverseas

eventsandfacilitateindividualgrantsfor

eligibleparticipatingcompanies.TAP

hasabudgetof£15.4millionfor2012/13,

withanindicativebudgetof£12million

for2014-5.

Theschemeisbasedaroundanagreed

programmeofoverseaseventswhere

AccreditedTradeOrganisations(ATOs)

willorganiseandleadUKgroups.Where

relevant,ATOswillagreewithUKTIhow

besttoenhancethegrouppresenceand

arethenresponsibleforimplementing

theseenhancements.

GrantsforeligibleSMEsmaybe

availabletowardscostsconnectedwith

exhibitingatanoverseasexhibition

wherethebusinessspendsatleast

theequivalentofthegrantoneligible

cost.Grantsforgroup-ledexhibitions

rangefrom£1,500forEuropeanevents,

£2,000forlonghauleventsand£2,500

or£3,000foreventsinemergingor

highgrowthmarkets.Alistofemerging

andhighgrowthmarketsisgivenbelow.

TAPSolograntsmaybeavailablefor

eligiblecompanieswishingtotake

partineventsindependently,where

theeventisnotpartoftheATO-led

programme.TAPSolograntsare

alwayssetat£1,250andcanonlybe

takenupwiththeagreementofaUKTI

InternationalTradeAdviser(ITA)located

withinUKTI’sregionaloffices.

98

UKTradeandIndustry(UKTI)CHAPTER4

Theprovisionofgrantsupportis

designedtoenablebusinessesto

acquiremarketknowledgeand

experienceaspartofastrategic

approachtoexporting.Contactbetween

companiesandITAsisanimportantpart

ofthisdevelopmentprocessasITAscan

alsoprovideorsignposttootherforms

ofadviceandhelp.

Grantsupportisaimedatless

experiencedbusinesses.Thefull

eligibilitycriteria,grantlevelsand

processforapplyingforgrantscan

befoundontheTAPlandingpage

onUKTI’swebsiteat:http://www.

ukti.gov.uk/tap

Businessescanuseamaximumof12

grantlivesaslongas6oftheseare

takenintheemergingandhighgrowth

marketswithlivescountedfrom1April

2009.Whereapplicantsarenewtothe

TAPschemetheirparticipationmust

alwaysbeendorsedbyanITA,whether

takingpartwithanATO-ledgrouporon

asolobasis.Grantapplicationformsare

obtainedviatherelevantATO(seethe

programmeofeventsonUKTI’swebsite)

or,inthecaseofTAPSologrants,from

theITA.

EmergingandHighGrowthMarketsare:

Brazil,China,Colombia,Egypt,India,

Indonesia,Malaysia,Mexico,Qatar,

Russia,SaudiArabia,Singapore,South

Africa,SouthKorea,Taiwan,Thailand,

Turkey,UAE,Vietnam,plusHongKong.

UKTI Events Alliance Initiative

InJuly2013UKTIpublishedanoutline

strategyfortheeventssectorincluding

theEventsAllianceinitiative.Theywill

workwitheventorganiserstoincrease

thenumberofUKandoverseastrade-

relatedeventssupportedbyUKTrade&

Investmentfrom75to300coreevents

overthesucceeding18months.Core

eventsareeventswhichhavemajor

significancefortheindustrysectorand

arepartoftheannualUKTIprogramme.

Thestrategypapersummarisedthe

benefitsitcanbringforeventorganisers

andalsolistedanumberofareasin

whichitsownroleandeffectiveness

couldbeenhanced(seebelow).

UKTI Benefits for Event Organisers

UKTIhasidentifiedanumberofbenefits

thatitcanbringtoUKeventorganisers.

Theseinclude:

• Reputationaladvantages

• Endorsement

• Connectingbuyersandsuppliers

• BringinginternationalbuyerstoUK

shows

• Introducingneworinexperienced

exporterswithsupportatoverseas

exhibitionsthroughtheAccredited

TradeOrganisations(ATOs)and

TradeshowAccessProgramme(TAP)

fundingtotheorganisers

• PromotionofshowsthroughtheUKTI

regionalofficesandUKTI’soverseas

officesbasedinEmbassies,High

CommissionsandConsulatesGeneral

• ProvidingMinistersandkeynote

speakers

• Contentandknowledgeexpertise

• Databaseusagethroughitsvirtualsite

• Socialnetworkingopportunities

• Introducinginnovativenewbusinesses

throughoverseasmissionsthatcan

includetripstotradefairs

• PRopportunities

• TheSOLOschemeforindividual

companiesattendingoverseassmaller

ornicheeventswithoutanATO-led

groupdeliveredthroughTAP.

Potential Benefits for UKTI

• AccessingotherUKbusinesses

throughUKTIparticipationattrade

fairsandintroducingthemtoUKTI

services

• ReachingnewSMEswhoareready

toexport

• BusinessloungestodeliverUKTI

servicesonthemainexhibitionfloor

• Wherethereareinternational

lounges,UKTIshouldbeabletowork

morecloselywiththeorganiserto

connectbuyersandsuppliers

• Byinfluencingandregisteringonline

Britishvisitorsandexhibitors,both

thosewhoareknownandthosewho

arenotknown,UKTIcanorganiseand

deliverhighlyeffectivemissionsbased

onthisintelligence

• UKTIwouldliketohavemore

interactionwiththevisitorstothe

fairsinordertointroducethemto

UKSMEs

• UKTIwouldbeabletoimproveits

databaseofUKSMEssothatitcan

reachouttoandhelpgrowtheir

businesses

• UKTIagreeswiththeorganisersthat,

aspartofitsendorsementoftheir

event,bothexhibitors(onsigningtheir

contract)andvisitors(onregistering

toattend)shouldreceiveatargeted

messagefromtheorganiserson

UKTI’sbehalfintroducingtheservices

thatithasonoffertohelpthemand

encouragingthemtoregisterwith

UKTIonlinetoreceivearaftofother

benefits

• OrganisersshouldinviteUKTItojoin

theiradvisoryboardstoplayadeeper

roleinthecontentdirectionand

deliveryoftheevent.

99

UKTradeandIndustry(UKTI)CHAPTER4

Further Developing Links and Partnership Working between UKTI and the UK Events SectorInadditiontotheprogrammes

describedabove,thereareothercurrent

andpossiblefutureinitiativesdesigned

tostrengthenandextendthepractical

linksbetweenUKTIandtheUK’sevents

sector.Theseinclude:

1. The‘BritainforEvents’promotional

campaignispreparingaguide

toUKTI’srole,highlightingits

objectives,thegrowthpathways,the

highvalueopportunitiesandpriority

industrysectors.Thiswillserveto

explainhowUKTIuseseventsto

developitsowninterestsandthose

ofthebusinessesitadvises.‘Britain

forEvents’inconjunctionwiththe

EventsIndustryAlliance’s‘FaceTime’

programmewillbeusedto

disseminateinformationaboutthe

ongoingworkofUKTIandtoshare

bestpracticeinrelationtooptimising

exportandinwardinvestment

initiativesthroughthemediumof

liveevents.

2. BVEPhasbeenworkingwith

VisitBritaintoextendthe‘You’re

Invited’programmeinitiated

byVisitBritain.Previouslythis

encouragedUKresidentstoinvite

friendsandfamilytotheUKfor

holidays.Thereisasubstantial

opportunitytoremodelthe

programmetourgeUKbusinesses

toinvitetheirregionaloffices,

subsidiaries,affiliates,clients,

agentsanddealershipstoholdtheir

meetingsandbusinesseventsinthe

UK.Thisisparticularlytimelygiven

theenormouspositiveexposure

generatedbythe2012Olympics.

UKTIcoulduseitsbusinessdatabase

tohelpindisseminatinginformation

andabespoketoolkittoitsbusiness

contacts.

3. TheAssociationofEventOrganisers

(AEO)iskeentoworkwithUKTI

toextendUKTI’sengagementand

trainingwithsmallbusinessesin

ordertopromotethebenefitsof

exhibitingandattendanceattrade

showsandbusinessevents,through

the‘HowtoExhibit’programme.

Thereisanimportantroleforthe

UK’soverseascommercialofficesto

promoteUKtradeeventsandalso

tofurthersupportshowsorganised

byUKorganisersthatareheld

overseas.

4. VisitEnglandandtheDepartment

forCulture,MediaandSportare

workingtogetherona‘Ministerial

BidSupportInitiative’.Thiswillset

outacodeofpracticeforWhitehall

DepartmentsandGovernment

agenciestofollowwhenbiddingto

bringinternationaleventstotheUK.

TheintentionistoinvolveMinisters

inthebiddingprocess,welcoming

delegationsandofficiatingat

eventceremonies.Itwouldbe

helpfultohaveUKTIinvolvedinthis

supportprocessandtobeableto

involveUKTIdirectorsandsenior

businessleadersfromspecific

industrysectorsasambassadorsto

supportbids.UKTI’s‘Ambassador

Programme’couldbeverypertinent

tothisinitiative.

5. Eventshavebeenincludedin

the‘GREATBritain’programme.

Number10CommunicationsUnit

hasapprovedtwopostersfor

thispurpose.Onthebackofthe

Olympics’success,itisevidentthat

eventsformasignificantcomponent

ofthenation’soffering.Thereisa

desiretodevelophowthisstrand

ofpromotioncanbeincorporated

intheoverallprogrammebeing

managedbyUKTI.

6. VisitEnglandwishestodevelopa

closerworkingrelationshipwith

UKTIandits‘TAP’programmeto

determinehowbesttosupportits

internationalsalesmissionsand

itsexhibitionpresenceatoverseas

tradeshows.Itisalsoproposingan

arrangementwherebylocalbuyer

insightsandcontactsinkeymarkets

canbesharedbetweenlocalUKTI

officesandVisitEnglandstaff.

FurtherinformationonUKTI: www.ukti.gov.uk

Chapter 5Heritage is National Perspectives from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Events support…

102

This chapter describes business visits and events activity across the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. It gives details of the strategies and initiatives of the respective national tourist boards designed to support and enhance the events sector. Information on VisitBritain’s strategy in support of events is given in Chapter 2.

England: visitenglandVisitEnglandistheNationalTourist

BoardforEngland.Itisthecustodian

oftheStrategicFrameworkforTourism

2010-20,England’stourismstrategy,

whichwascreatedinconsultationwith

industry,andsetsoutatenyearplanto

growthevalueoftourismby5percent

yearonyearandincreasetourismjobs

by225,000.

Partnershipworkingiscentralto

VisitEngland’sphilosophyanditworks

collaborativelywithanumberof

stakeholdersincluding:Government

departments;destinations;local

authorities;LocalEnterprise

Partnerships;theprivatesector;

andnationalagenciestodeliverthe

Framework’sobjectivestogrowthe

visitoreconomy.

VisitEngland’spurposeistoensure

thattourisminEnglandthrives.Itdoes

thisbyleadinganddrivingforwardthe

quality,competitivenessandsustainable

growthofEngland’sVisitorEconomyby

providingstrategicdirection,intelligence

andcoordinatedmarketingforthe

sector.Atitscoreitiscommittedto

supportingtheindustryinorderto

achievebettermarketingofEngland,

betterexperiencesforvisitorsand

betteroperatingconditionsforindustry.

AkeyareaoffocusforVisitEnglandis

togrowandsupportbusinesstourism

inEnglandinlinewiththeoverallgoal

of5percentyearonyearby2020.The

StrategicFrameworkforTourismset

outsfourkeyobjectivesforthebusiness

eventssectorinEngland:

1. TomaximiseEngland’sstrong

andcompetitivebrandvalues

inmarketingitasabusiness

destination

2. ToleverEngland’sexpertisein

medicine/science,academia

andindustrytogaincompetitive

advantage

3. ToensureallEngland’sfacilities,

productsandservicescontinue

tomeetmarketneedstoincrease

England’scompetitivesuccess

4. Toensuretheimportanceof

businesstourismbymaintaininga

highprofilewithpublicandprivate

stakeholders.

VisitEngland’spriorityistopromote

Englandasthedestinationofchoicefor

internationalbusinesseventsincluding

meetings,conferences,incentives

andexhibitions.Adedicatedteam

basedatVisitEngland’sheadquarters

inLondonissupportedbyateamof

overseasrepresentativesbasedin

Europe,NorthAmericaandIndia.Their

jobistosupporttheEnglishtradein

ordereffectivelytoreachinternational

businesseventsorganisersbyproviding

marketinsights,research,maximising

salesleadsandofferingadviceandtools

forbusinesseventsorganisers.

Workingwithkeyindustrypartners

suchasUKTI,transportprovidersand

industryassociations,VisitEnglandis

bestplacedtoadviseGovernmenton

thefuturestrategyrelatingtobusiness

eventsandsecureMinisterialsupport

forinternationalconferencebids.

VisitEngland’sworkisalsofocusedon

encouragingtheindustrytoestablish

andsharebestpracticeandundertake

competitiveanalysis.

Akeyareaofgrowthandfocusis

maximisingthevaluefortourismfrom

majorevents.Internationalsporting

competitionssuchastheforthcoming

TourdeFrance2014andtheRugby

WorldCup2015offertourismin

Englandunprecedentedopportunities

toshowcasehostdestinationsand

promotesportingtourisminEngland.

New Event Bidding Protocol

InOctober2013itwasconfirmedthat

aMinisterialBidSupportInitiativehad

beenestablished,designedtocreatea

moreexpeditiousprocessforgarnering

thesupportofkeygovernment

ministerswhenbidsarebeingmade

toattractmajorinternationalbusiness

eventstotheUK.TheMinisterialBid

SupportInitiativewillbemanaged

throughVisitEnglandworkingclosely

withtheDepartmentforCulture,

MediaandSport(DCMS)andwillbe

applicabletointernationalcongress

andconventionbids.Itaimstoidentify

waysinwhichGovernmentcanplaya

roleinsupportingeventbidsfromUK

destinations.SimonGidman,Headof

BusinessVisits&EventsforVisitEngland,

comments:

‘The support of Ministers can have a major impact on the winning of major convention business. VisitEngland, in partnership with England’s leading events destinations, is targeting international events from our priority economic sectors including life sciences, energy, engineering and the creative industries. These events bring together thought-leaders from around the globe and we want to ensure these influential leaders are discussing and debating the latest issues in their field in England.’

ForfurtherinformationonEngland,visit:

www.visitengland.com/business

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

103

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

CASE STUDY

ICEBO 2012 Manchester

TheInternationalConferencefor

EnhancedBuildingOperations(ICEBO)

2012washeldfrom23-26October

2012inManchester,England,atthe

HiltonManchesterDeansgate.The

CentreforConstructionInnovation,

UniversityofSalford,wasdelightedto

hostsuchaprestigiouseventand,in

doingso,workalongsidetheEnergy

SystemsLaboratorylocatedatTexas

A&MUniversity.

ICEBOistheleadingforumforatimely

exchangeamongindividualsinterested

inthecontinuousimprovementand

maintenanceofbuildings,design,

theirenergyusageandenvironmental

impact.Theformatconsistsofa

seriesoftechnical

andinvitedpanel

sessions,during

whichofficials,

buildingexperts

andimplementers

makebrief(12

-15minutes)

presentations,

followedby

afacilitated

discussion.

The2012ICEBOconferenceattracted

112internationaldelegatesfrom

countriesincludingtheUK,Belgium,

Germany,Spain,Portugal,Netherlands,

Finland,Austria,Switzerland,Kuwait,

SaudiArabia,Japan,China,Australia,

NewZealand,UnitedStatesand

Canada.

ICEBO2012sawthedeliveryof52

researchpaperpresentationsfrom

aninternationalgroupofleading

practitioners,policymakersand

researcherswhoroutinelyimprove

thehealthandcomfortandminimize

theenergyconsumption,operating

costsandenvironmentalimpactsof

buildings.ThetopicscoveredatICEBO

2012wererelatedtotheorganisation’s

orindividual’srecentorcurrent

workinthethemeslistedbelowand

focussedonspecificoutcomesand

achievements:

• Bestpracticesandpoliciesin

commissioningexistingandnew

buildings

• Enhancedbuildingoperation,

controlsandemergingtechnologies

• Governmentprogrammesforhigh

performancebuildingsandenhanced

operations

• Socialandeconomicimplicationsof

enhancedbuildingoperations.

Runningalongsidetheresearchpaper

programmewasaseriesofindustrial

workshops.

Theconferenceboastedabroadrange

ofkeynotespeechesfromleading

professionalsintheBuiltEnvironment

sector.

Duringtheconferencedelegates

werealsoprovidedwiththeperfect

networkingopportunityatanevening

receptionheldattheManchesterTown

Hall,sponsoredbyVisitManchester,

whereconferenceguestswere

amazedbytheTownHall’sstunning

architectureandmurals.Manchester’s

ICEBOendedwithavisittoSalford

University’sEnergyHouse,theworld’s

firstofitskind,followedbyaguided

tourofManchester’smixofmodern

andhistoricalbuildings.

RoyStewart,DirectoroftheCentre

forConstructionInnovation(CCI)

andICEBO2012’sConferenceHost,

commented

“CCI and the University of Salford were extremely delighted to be given the opportunity to host such an esteemed event in Manchester. The conference was a great success and the quality of presentations and workshops was outstanding. Moving forward, this conference has given the University of Salford a springboard

to develop further collaborations within the construction industry with like-minded professionals and academics based overseas. A special thank you must be given to our contacts at Visit

Manchester who were integral in securing the City of Manchester as the conference venue. Without the support of Visit Manchester’s Conference Ambassador Programme, ICEBO 2012 would not have been hosted within our great City.”

104

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

NORTHERN IRELAND: Northern Ireland Tourist BoardNorthernIrelandTouristBoard(NITB)

isanon-departmentalpublicbody

andamemberoftheDepartmentof

Enterprise,TradeandInvestment(DETI)

familywithintheNorthernIreland

Government.NITBisresponsibleforthe

developmentoftourisminNorthern

Irelandanditspromotioninthecountry

aswellasmarketingintheRepublicof

Ireland.

Theeventsindustryhasaroletoplay

inshapinganddeliveringtheobjectives

setoutbytheDraftTourismPlanfor

NorthernIreland.Tourismisnowviewed

asasectorthatcanmakearealand

tangiblecontributiontotheNorthern

Irelandeconomy.CurrentlyNorthern

Irelandwelcomesapproximately3.3

millionvisitorsspendingcirca£500

millionandsupporting40,000jobs.

By2020itishopedaclearvision

fortourismwillinturnincrease

employmentsupportedbytourismto

50,000jobs,drivevisitornumberstoan

unprecedented4.5millionperannum

anddoubletherevenuegenerated

to£1billion.Thevisionfortourismin

NorthernIrelandistocreateaNorthern

Irelandexperiencethatwillsiton

everyone’sdestinationwishlist.

NITB’sambitionisto ‘double the income earned from tourism by working together to grow tourism to the benefit of all’.

ThevisionforeventsinNorthern

Ireland:

‘Northern Ireland to be known as the home of great events featuring a strong annual tourism event programme consisting of Major Bid Events, attracted to and be held in Northern Ireland, supported by core

International and Sponsorship events. These events will cover a range of interests and regions. They will be visitor-inspired, showcasing Northern Ireland’s reputation for delivering best-in-class events on a global stage whilst positively impacting on the Northern Ireland economy, visitor numbers and profile of the area.’

Inthecontextofthis,theobjectives

areto:

1. Createasustainablevisitor-inspired

eventsfutureforNorthernIreland

2. Developaprogressive,diverseand

cohesiveeventsindustry,attracting

significantadditionalvisitorsand

revenueintotheeconomyof

NorthernIreland

3. Bidforandattracthighprofile,

internationalscaleeventsto

NorthernIrelandthathavethe

potentialtoshowcaseitslandscapes,

citiesandcharactersinapositive

lighttoaudiencesaroundtheworld

4. Developeventswithinternational

appeal/profile‘hosted’inNorthern

IrelandanddriveNorthernIreland

brandbybeingbuiltaroundkey/

majorthemesanddemonstrating

qualityandauthenticity

5. Tobuildonthelegacyofni2012and

2013UKCityofCultureyears

6. Tocreateacultureofattending

events.

ThefocusforNITBincludes:

1. Bid for/host at least one major global scale event each year (subject to budget)

Theaimistoachievethisbysupporting

anotherpartnerbody/bodieswhowould

delivertheeventontheground.This

majoreventbidwouldtakeplacein

asuitableregioninNorthernIreland

andwouldbeofsuchasignificant

scalethatitwouldattractvisitorsand

participantstotraveltoNorthern

Irelandtoattendthisevent.Itwould

alsobeanticipatedthatthisevent

wouldgeneratesubstantialinternational

mediacoverage,preferablyTV,allowing

positiveimagesofNorthernIreland’s

iconiclandscapesandcitiestobe

broadcastaroundtheworld.

2. Business Tourism

FollowingareviewofBusinessTourism

in2009/10,theNorthernIreland

BusinessTourismPlan2010-2013was

developed.Itsoverallobjectivehas

beentomaximisethecontribution

thatBusinessTourismmakestothe

economyofNorthernIreland(NI)

throughpositioningNIasacompetitive

andappealingdestinationintheglobal

BusinessTourismmarket.ThisPlansits

inthewidercontextoftheNITourism

Strategy2010-2020anditshouldbe

consideredinconjunctionwiththis

aswellasNITB’sCorporatePlan.The

continueddeliveryanddriveoftheplan

aremonitoredbytheBusinessTourism

ProductDevelopmentGroup(PDG).This

groupiscomprisedofaprivatesector

chairandkeystakeholdersrepresenting

varioussegmentsoftheindustry.

Thekeyaimsoftheplanare:

• Tomaximisepromotional

opportunitiestoattractBusiness

TourismtoNI,ensuringthebestuse

ofpublicandprivatesectormarketing

funds

• TofocusonkeyBusinessTourism

segmentswhichwilldrivebusiness

toNI

• Toencouragethetourismindustry,

publicagenciesandpolicymakers

toworktogethertopromoteNIasa

BusinessTourismdestination

105

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

• Toinfluencelevelsofinvestment

necessary,particularlyin

infrastructure,toattractmore

businessvisitors,inparticular

conferencestoNIandsustainthe

successachievedsofarwithinthis

sector

• ToensureNIdeliversaquality

BusinessTourismexperiencethrough

on-goingdevelopmentintermsof

capabilityandservice,inlinewiththe

newNIbrandattributes.

Overthelastfewyearsanumberofkey

areashavebeendeliveredincluding:

• BelfastSubventionProgrammehas

beenestablished

• DerrySubventionProgrammehas

beenestablished

• Outlineapprovalhasbeengranted

fortheextensiontotheBelfast

WaterfrontConventionCentrewhich

willincorporate2,500m2ofexhibition

space,5newbreakoutrooms(200

delegates)andupto750delegates

foragaladinner.Openforbusiness

early2016.

a. Key Implications

Anumberofkeystrategicissueswere

identifiedbytheBusinessTourism

VisitorAttitudeSurvey2010,these

included:

• Lackofconferencesubvention

• Limitedconferenceexhibitionspace

withinthemainConferenceCentre

• Limiteddirectairaccess

• Qualityofserviceprovision,around

thebusinesstourismelementsbut

alsowider,andparticularlyinrelation

tothefoodoffering

• Productintegrationacrossthevarious

businesstouristtouchpoints

Furthermorethereviewhighlighted

theneedforafocusedapproach,

withagreementaroundrolesand

responsibilities-thishasnowbeen

achieved.

Themoveinleisuretourismtowards

experientialtourismwillalsosupport

theBusinessTourismsector,particularly

intermsofpre-andpost-conference

productandincentivetravel.Inthis

regarditwillbeimportantthatthese

experiencesaredevelopedas‘bestin

class’inorderforNItousetheminthe

promotionofBusinesstourism.

b. Key Strategic Direction/Future Priorities

Anumberoftheissuesraisedin2010

havesincebeenrectified.Inparticular

bothBelfastandDerry-Londonderry

haveaConferenceSubvention

ProgrammeandtheWaterfrontHallis

beingextendedtoincludeadditional

exhibitionandbreakoutfacilities.

However,goingforward,therearea

numberofimportantfuturepriorities:

• DirectAiraccessisimportant(growth

intheBusinessTourismsectoris

heavilyreliantondirectaccess)

• Focusedapproachfromallstrategic

partners-VisitBelfasthasakey

roletoplayinsecuringAssociation

conferencebusinessforthecity

• Corporateconferencesareanother

keyareaforthecityandithasbeen

agreedthatthisneedstobedelivered

viaatwowaypartnershipwithVisit

BelfastandInvestNI

• Incentivesareanichebuthighly

lucrativemarketandshouldaccess

the‘bestinclass’experiencesto

ensureNIstandsout.

• Continuedinvestmentinthe

ConferenceSubventionProgramme

forbothcities

• Continuedinvestmentintheproduct

quality,particularlyinrelationtothe

serviceprovisionandaroundthefood

offering

• Continuedpartnershipworking

towardsintegratedpackagedsolutions

forthebusinesstourismvisitor

• Businesstourismmarketishighly

competitiveandBelfastandNIneed

toensurestandoutthroughthebrand

andtheexperiencesbeingoffered–

whatmakesNIdifferent?

• Establishanindustry‘incentive’

groupwhichcanworktogetherto

develop‘bestinclass’experiencesand

clusteringofproductofferings

• SupportBelfastandDerry-

LondonderryintheirConference

SubventionProgramme.

c. Implications for the Industry

Theindustryhasakeyroletoplay,

particularlyinrelationtothequality

ofthebusinesstourismproductand

visitorexperience.Inthisregardthey

needtodevelop‘bestinclass’products

andexperiencesthataffordNIstandout

inthisbusymarketplace.Belfastand

Derry-Londonderryalsoplayakey

roleindrivingtheconferencemarket

anditisimportantthatVisitBelfast,in

particular,hasanagreeddeliveryplan

andmeetsagreedsalestargetseach

year.Thiswillbeparticularlyimportant

toensureareturnoninvestmentforthe

WaterfrontHallextension.Inbrief,there

areanumberofkeyareastheindustry

needstocontinuetodevelop:

• Ensurethequalityoftheproduct,

particularlyinrelationtoservice

delivery

• Develop‘bestinclass’experiences

whichwillappealtothissegment

• Worktogethertopackagetheproduct

intoauthenticexperiences

106

• Continuetodevelopdirectaccess

routes,particularlytokeybusiness

tourismhubs

• WorkwithNITBtoensureup-to-date

researchinformationisavailable

(openlyandpositivelyparticipatein

anyBusinessTourismBarometer)

• VisitBelfasttoensurecontinuedfocus

andresourcesbehindtheirbusiness

tourismsalesplan

• VisitBelfasttoworkinpartnership

withInvestNItodevelopandgrowthe

corporateconferencemarket

• IndustrytosupportVisitBelfastand

DerryVisitor&ConventionBureau

whenbiddingforconferences,

particularlyintermsofproviding

rooms/rates.

Attracting existing major events to Northern Ireland and encouraging new ones Ni2012: our time our placewill

godowninhistoryastheyearthe

NorthernIrelandgovernment,the

tourismindustry,stakeholdersandNITB

pulledtogetherlikeneverbefore–with

inspiringresults.Itwastheyearthe

amazing£97millionTitanicBelfast,the

world’slargestTitanicvisitorexperience,

openeditsdoors,asdidthehighly

anticipated£18mGiant’sCauseway

VisitorCentreandtheMAC-Belfast’s

newestartscentre.

VolumewaspumpedupforMTV

PresentsTitanicSoundsontheTitanic

slipwaysandlitupthenightwithan

unforgettabledigitallightshow,which

generated£22mwithareturnof£25to

£1onpublicmoneyinvested.Theevent

reachedaglobalTVaudienceof1.2

billionpeopleandwascoveredby130

mediaorganisations.Thiseventclearly

putBelfastandNorthernIrelandonthe

globalstageanditisfromthisstagethat

NIcanmoveforwardinsecuringother

similartypeandlargerscaleevents.

Sportsfansshowedtheirsupportat

TheIrishOpen,heldatRoyalPortrush

–thiswasthefirsttimetheIrishOpen

hadbeenheldinNorthernIrelandin

over60yearsandcameatthetime

whenNorthernIrelandhome-grown

golferswereenjoyingglobalsuccess.In

addition,RoyalCountyDownandRoyal

Portrushregularlyappearinrankings

fortheworld’stopcoursesandwere

recentlylistedasNumbers1and7best

coursesrespectivelyoutsidetheUSA.

ThefantasticIrishOpenattractedmore

than130,000peopleandbecamethe

onlyEuropeanToureventinitshistory

tosellout.

NIalsoplayedhosttoaseriesofhigh

profileLondon2012Festivaleventssuch

asLandofGiants,PeaceOneDayand

FLAGSattheGiantsCauseway.

Bytheendof2012,therehadbeen

investmentof£300mintourism–related

infrastructure.Ni2012wasaonceina

lifetimeopportunitytoshowcasethis

new,vibrantanddevelopingNorthern

Irelandtotheworld.

Events in 2013 and 2014

2013hasbeenDerry-Londonderry’s

yearastheinauguralUKCityofCulture.

Itpresentedanopportunitytocelebrate

thecity’srichculturalandmusical

heritageandprovidealastinglegacyfor

futuregenerations.TheCityofCulture

2013programmeofapproximately120

eventspromotedthecity,providing

opportunitiesforlocalbusinesses

throughout2013andbeyond.Someof

thehighlightsincludedTheReturnof

Colmcille,FleadhCheoilnahÉireann,

TheWalledCityTattoo,Lumiere,The

TurnerPrize,Walls400,TheMaidenCity

Festival2013andCityofDerryJazzand

BigBandFestival.

NIalsohostedtheprestigiousWorld

PoliceandFireGamesin2013,thethird

largestmulti-sportgamesintheworld

aftertheOlympicsandWorldMasters

AthleticChampionships,whichincluded

57sportsactivitiesin42venuesacross

NorthernIreland.

Giro d’Italia

TheGirod’Italiaisanannualmultiple

stagebicycleraceheldforprofessional

cyclistsoverathreeweekperiodinMay.

TheGiroishostedprimarilyinItaly–

however,since1996,therehasbeena

traditionfortheBigStart(‘LaGrande

Partenza’)tobeheldoutsideItaly.The

GiroisoneofthethreeGrandTours

(theothersbeingtheTourdeFrance

andtheVueltaaEspaña)andispartof

theUCIWorldRankingCalendar.The

GirohasbeenheldoutsideofItalyon

10occasions,butneverbeforeinthe

UnitedKingdomandIreland.

TheleadjerseyoftheGiroispink.The

Girousetheterm‘fightforthepink’to

focusonthehugecompetitionforthis

prestigioussymboloftheItaliancycle

tour.

TheBigStartoftheGiroinNorthern

Irelandwillrunfromthe9thtothe

11thofMay2014andwillconsistof

bothteamtrialandroadracesvisiting

partsofNorthernIrelandincluding

Belfast,CausewayCoastandArmagh

beforetravellingtoDublin.TheGrande

Partenzaistheopeningstageofthe

Girowhichlastssixdays.Thefirstthree

daysarepreparationfortheGirostart,

whiletheremainingthreearetheactual

racedayswhichincluderoadracesand

timetrial.Thesesixdaysnormallyhave

someformoffestivalactivityconnected

tothem,withthepotentialforactual

racedayfestivalsbeinggeographically

spreadacrossacityand/orregion.

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

107

Alreadythereisahostofactivities

plannedaroundthe2014racetomark

theeventandtomaketheBigStart

inNorthernIrelandoneofthemost

memorableintherace’s96-yearhistory.

WithNorthernIrelandhavingsomuch

toofferboththeexperiencedand

novicecyclist,itishopedthattheevent

willencouragepeopletotaketotheir

bikesandexplorecyclinginNorthern

Ireland.

NorthernIrelandexpectsthatthe

eventwillgenerateaminimumof

£10,000,000ofmediacoverageandbe

viewedbyatleast800,000,000people

worldwide.

Forfurtherinformationvisit:www.

discovernorthernireland.com/

convention

SCOTLAND: Visit ScotlandVisitScotland,thenationaltourism

organisationforScotland,hasasits

mainaimtocontributesignificantlyto

theadvancementofScottishtourism

bygivingitarealpresenceintheglobal

marketplaceandbenefitingthewholeof

Scotland.

VisitScotland’sCorporatePlandirectly

supportstheScottishGovernment’s

EconomicStrategyandoutlineshow

itwillcontributetothegovernment’s

purposeofincreasingsustainable

economicgrowth.Itsetsoutfive

corporateobjectiveswhichare

closelyintegrated,withlinkagesand

interdependenciesbetweeneachone:

1. Marketing: VisitScotlandwillmarket

Scotlandanditsoutstandingassets

tovisitorsfromallpartsoftheworld,

includingthepromotionofScotland

topeoplelivinginScotlandtovisit

differentpartsofthecountry

2. Information provision:VisitScotland

willprovideinformationand

inspirationtovisitors,bothlocally

andglobally,viatheirpreferred

choiceofmedium

3. Quality and sustainability:

VisitScotlandwillprovidesupport

andadvicetobusinesses,withthe

goalofimprovingthequalityand

sustainabilityofthetourismsectorin

Scotland.Itwillprovideassuranceto

visitorsthroughitsQualitySchemes

4. Working in partnership:

VisitScotlandwilllistentoandwork

withtheindustry,partnersand

stakeholderstoshapeitsoffering

andsupport

5. Events:VisitScotlandwillmaximise

thebenefitsfromthe“Winning

Years”andtheirlegacy.Itwill

implementthenationalevents

strategy,andsustain,developand

promoteScotland’sinternational

profileasoneoftheworld’s

foremosteventsdestinations.

EventScotlandEventScotlandisthenational

eventsagency.Establishedin2003,

EventScotlandworkstogenerate,bid

for,attractandsustaineventswhichwill

drivetourismandcreateinternational

profileforScotland.EventScotland

isdedicatedtoleadingScotland’s

eventsindustryandstrengtheningthe

nation’spositionasaworldclassevents

destination.

In2008EventScotlandlaunchedthe

newnationaleventsstrategyScotland:

The Perfect Stage.Thisdocument

providesaframeworkforScotland’s

eventsindustryandoutlinesthe

ambitionswhichwillleadtheindustry

into2020.

EventScotlandstaffareexpertsintheir

fieldandworktofurtherestablish

Scotlandasaperfectstageforevents

andaworldleaderintheevents

industry.

Scotland Welcomes the World In2014Scotlandwelcomestheworld

withthreemajorevents:TheRyder

Cup,Glasgow2014Commonwealth

GamesandthereturnofHomecoming

Scotland.Theworldwillwatchas

Scotlandplayshosttoaprogrammeof

eventsofglobalprofileandwelcomes

participants,visitorsandthemediafrom

acrosstheworld.

VisitScotlandhasannounceddetails

ofeventsandmarketingactivity

happeningacrossScotlandaspart

oftheHomecomingcelebrations,

aswellasamulti-millionpound

marketingcampaignstopromotethe

CommonwealthGamesandTheRyder

Cupacrosstheglobe.

TheYear of Homecoming Scotland

willrunfrom31December2013to31

December2014inalmosteverycorner

ofScotland.Homecoming2014will

extendthebenefitsofTheRyderCup

andtheCommonwealthGamesandis

expectedtobringatleast£44millionin

additionalexpendituretoScotland.

A£3millionfundissupportingevents

acrossScotland-witha£1.75million

marketingcampaigntogetvisitorsto

Scotlandfromhomeandabroad.

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth

Games(23July-3August2014)will

giveScotlandandGlasgowachanceto

shineonaworldstagelikeneverbefore.

VisitScotlandannounceddetailsofa

£2.5millioncampaigntotargetmillions

throughaseriesofmarketingandPR

initiativesintheUnitedKingdomand

abroad;adestinationmediacentre

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

108

andabusinesscentreforGlasgowand

eventsacrosstheglobealignedtothe

QueensBatonRelaydesignedtobuild

excitementandexposureforboth

ScotlandandGlasgow.

AspartofVisitScotland’scontinued

promotionofgolfinthebuild-upto

The 2014 Ryder Cup(23-28September

2014)atGleneaglesinPerthshire,

aglobalgolfpromotionisinplace

promotingtheaccessibilityand

affordabilityofgolfacrossthecountry

usingtheexcitementofTheRyderCup

asahook.

Thecampaignusesamixtureofsales

promotionandonlinemediachannels

inallkeygolfingmarkets.Ontopof

this,VisitScotlandlaunchedbrandnew

televisionadverts,thefirstevertobe

purelydedicatedtogolf,shownduring

coverageoftheScottishOpenonNBC

intheUSandSkySportsintheUKand

reachingaudiencesoftensofmillions.

Ithasthepotentialtogenerate£100

millionindirecteconomicimpactduring

TheRyderCupwithupto£40million

ininternationalmediacoveragefor

Scotland.

Although2014isthebestopportunity

fortourismindecades,thetourism

industryandallitspartnersneedsto

usetheyearasalaunchpadfor2015

andbeyond.Theeyesoftheworldwill

beonScotlandlikeneverbeforeandthe

opportunitymustbeseizedtoensure

moreinvestment,moresupportand,

mostofall,morevisitorsforthefuture.

2015 and BeyondIn2015ScotlandwillhostthreeWorld

Championships(Gymnastics,IPC

Swimming,Orienteering)andtwo

EuropeanChampionships(Eventing,

Judo)aswellastheTurnerPrize.

EventScotlandhasplayedanintegral

roleinsecuringtheseeventsfor

Scotland,whichwillensurethereis

alastingeventslegacyfrom2014.

Alongsidethesemajorevents,Scotland’s

programmeofgolftournamentswill

continuewithTheOpenChampionship

confirmedforStAndrewsin2015

andRoyalTroonin2016,whilethe

2015Women’sBritishOpenwilltake

placeatTurnberry.Theeventsalready

securedhighlightthestrongreputation

Scotlandholdswiththoseinthe

internationalsportingcommunity,while

thepresentingoftheTurnerPrize

underlinesScotland’scredentialsasthe

perfectstageformajorculturalevents.

Workisalsowellunderwaytosecure

eventsfrom2015upuntil2019/20,

whichwillcontinuetobuildScotland’s

internationalreputationasanevents

destination,anddeliversignificant

economicimpactsforthecountry

througheventtourism.

Business Tourism: Scotland Means BusinessScotland’sbusinesstourismindustry

isworthmorethan£1.9billion*to

thecountry’seconomy,according

toareportbyMeetingProfessionals

InternationalFoundation.

AlignedtoScotland’spriorityindustries,

businesstourismattractsconferences,

businessmeetingsandincentivegroups

tothecountrywithinfluentialdelegates

numberinginthetensofthousands.

ThesegatheringsenhanceScotland’s

credentialsasaplacetoinvest,study,

live,workandvisit.

Businesstourismmakesastrong

contributiontotheeconomicvitality

ofScotland’skeytourismdestinations,

withaparticularfocusonthecities

ofEdinburgh,Glasgow,Dundee

andAberdeen;andprincipalresort

destinationssuchasGleneagles,

StAndrewsandPerthshire.

Inrecognitionoftheimportanceofthis

marketanditscontributiontoeconomic

growth,VisitScotlandlaunchedanew£2

millionConferenceBidFundin

March2012.

VisitScotlandhasaBusinessTourism

Unitdedicatedtothebusinessevents

market:-

• Ateamof14basedinLeith,Perth,St.

Andrews,Inverness,Ayr&London

• DedicatedMICEmarketingmanagers

forNorthAmerica,Europeand

EmergingMarketsandAssociations

• Specialistsales&PRagenciesfor

EuropeandNorthAmerica

• TheUnitworksinpartnershipwiththe

cityconventionbureauxofEdinburgh,

Glasgow,Dundee&Aberdeen

• Italsoworksinpartnershipwith

industryandothergovernment

agenciessuchasScottish

Enterprise,Highlands&Islands

Enterprise,ScottishDevelopment

International,HistoricScotland,

SCDI,UniversitiesScotland,COSLA,

ScottishGovernment,GlobalScot,

EventScotlandandsoon.

TheBusinessTourismUnitistaskedwith

thefollowing:-

• buildingastrongdestinationbrand–

“frontofmind”

• educatingandraisingawareness

ofScotlandasabusinessevents

destination

• warmingupemergingmarkets

• offeringimpartialassistanceand

advicetobuyers

• enquirydistributiontoindustry

partners

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

109

• providingmarketingplatformsto

enableScottishbusinessestoreach

buyers

• generatingdemandforScotland

throughatargetedmarketing

communicationsprogramme

• operatingtheNationalBidFund

• formingpartnershipswithinfluencers

overseas.

Scotland’s Years of FocusScotland’sfirstyearofHomecoming

in2009wasagreatsuccess,

deliveringastringofbenefitsto

thecountryandbolsteringScottish

tourismduringaperiodofeconomic

downturn.Recognisingthesuccessof

Homecoming2009inrallyingScotland

aroundacommontheme,aseriesof

strategicfocusesrunningthroughto

2014willensureco-ordinatednational

activityspotlightingScotland’sgreatest

assets:foodanddrink,itsreputationas

anactivedestination,aplaceofculture

andcreativityandaplaceofnatural

beauty.

FirstMinisterAlexSalmondannounced

anewprogrammeofFocusYearsto

celebratetheverybestofScotland

anditspeople.Thisenhancesthe

successfulprogramme,launchedasa

legacyaftertheYearofHomecoming

2009,whichspannedfoodanddrink,

active,creative,naturalandancestral

themes.FocusYearsaimtosupport

anddriveScotland’stourismand

eventsindustriestobothdomesticand

internationalmarkets.ThenewFocus

Yearsprogrammeincludes:

• 2015–YearofScotland’sFood

andDrink

• 2016–YearofInnovation,

ArchitectureandDesign

• 2017–YearofHistory,Heritage

andArchaeology

• 2018–YearofYoungPeople

Thecomingfocusyearswilllook

toharnessthisalreadysuccessful

relationshipbylookingtopromote

excitingareasofgrowthwithinthe

industry.Historywillbemadewiththe

openingofoneoftheworld’smost

excitingnewculturalattractions,the

V&AinDundee,andabrandnew

crossingtocomplementtheworld

famousbridgesacrosstheForth.

*basedonresearchundertakenbythe

InternationalCentreforResearchin

Events,TourismandHospitality(ICRETH)

atLeedsMetropolitanUniversity.

ForfurtherinformationonScotland,

visit:www.conventionscotland.com and

www.eventscotland.org

WALES: Visit WalesVisitWalesisadepartmentwithin

theWelshGovernmentwithofficial

responsibilityforthepromotionand

developmentoftourisminWales.

Tourismmakesamajorcontributionto

theWelsheconomyandtheprospects

forfurthersustainablegrowtharegood.

PartnershipforGrowth:TheWelsh

GovernmentStrategyforTourism

2013–2020providesthebasisforthe

WelshGovernment,thetourismindustry

andotherorganisationstofocuson

theprioritiesthatwilldeliveramore

prosperousandcompetitivetourism

sector.

TheWalesTourismSatelliteAccount

(TSA)estimatestotaltourismspending

in2011of£4.5bn,representingaTourism

GrossValueAdded(GVA)of£1.8bn

–around4.4percentoftotaldirect

GVAfortheWelsheconomy.Emerging

researchsuggeststhatwhenindirect

impactsareadded,theTourismGVA

increasesto£2.5bn,whichrepresents6

percentofthewholeeconomy.

In2011,theTSAestimatedthat8.3per

cent(88,300)ofallfulltimeequivalent

jobsinWalesweredirectlysupportedby

tourismspending.Withindirect(supply

chain)added,thistotalFTEemployment

risestoover100,000,whichis

equivalenttoaround9.5percentofall

WelshFTEjobs.

Thestrategyhasbeenbasedondetailed

researchandanalysisofthemany

factorsthatarelikelytoaffectthefuture

performanceoftourisminWales.It

seekstodrivehighertourismearnings

todelivermaximumvaluefortheWelsh

economyandtosupportthedelivery

ofthefollowingprioritiesfortourism

definedintheWelshGovernment’s

ProgrammeforGovernment:

• Developtourismactivityandspecialist

marketsandsecuremaximumbenefit

frommajoreventsinourhighprofile

venues

• PromoteWalesasadestinationby

makingahighqualitytourismoffer

• Worktoextendthetourismseason

andassociatedbenefits.

• Identifyfundingopportunitiesto

improvethevisitorinfrastructureand

productinWales.

• Supportinvestmentinstafftraining

andmanagementtosupportahigh

qualitytourismindustry.

Thestrategyhighlightsthefollowing

twoareaswithinthefocusonProduct

Development:

Thegoalisfor:Tourism to grow in a sustainable way and to make an increasing contribution to the economic, social and environmental well-being of Wales.

Theambitionisto:Grow tourism earnings in Wales by 10 per cent or more by 2020.

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

110

1. Major events and festivals

Eventsandfestivalsareveryimportant

totourisminWales,asessential

ingredientsofthevisitorexperience

providingashowcaseforWelshheritage

andculture.Theyfacilitatecommunity

involvementandofferanexperience

thatisdistinctivelyWelsh.Opportunities

existtoselectivelysupportnewevents

thatcanenhancethereputationof

Wales,butitisalsoimportanttoput

weightbehindexistingeventswhich

havethepotentialtogrowandare

helpingtochangeperceptionsofWales.

Byestablishingandpublicisinga

calendarofsucheventssufficientlyin

advance,thereareopportunitiesfor

theindustrytorespondpositivelyto

associatedopportunitiesandenhance

thevisitorexperience.

Atalocalleveltoo,thereshouldbe

opportunitiestoharnesstheskillsand

talentsavailableincommunitiesto

createattractiveprogrammesofevents

thatcanaugmentthevisitorexperience

significantly.

2. Business Tourism

Themeetings,conferencesandevents

marketisrelativelyhighspendingand

non-seasonal,offeringpotentialto

targetbusinesscustomerswithleisure

opportunities,butWalesiscurrently

underperforminginattractingsufficient

volumeandvalue.Thedevelopmentof

aninternationalconferenceandevents

facilityintheCapitalRegionwould

stimulatedemandfromthismarket

whichcanhelptoreinforceastronger

citydestinationbrandforWalesaswell

asencouragingWales-widebusiness-to-

businessactivity.

TheVisitWalesFrameworkAction

PlanforYears1-3(2013–2016)ofthe

strategyincludesthekeyactionsneeded

todeliverthestrategyincludingthatfor

businesstourism,withtheaimtogrow

themeetings,conferences,eventsand

exhibitionsmarketthroughinvesting

innewfacilitiesandnewmarketing

approaches.Activitywillinclude:

Themarketingprogrammeisdelivered

bytheProductMarketingTeamwhich

integratesallbusiness-to-business

worktargetingthebusinesstourism,

leisuretourismandgolfsectors,along

withworkingwithkeypartnerssuch

asVisitBritain.TheProductMarketing

teampromotesWalesasthedestination

ofchoiceforbusinesseventsincluding

conferencesandmeetings,and

corporateeventssuchasincentives,

teambuilding,golfandhospitality.

Primarilythroughwww.businessevents.

visitwales.comitprovidesproductideas,

itineraries,tradecontacts,images

andotherusefulresourcesandcan

effectintroductionswithregional

conventionbureauxandsuppliersin

Wales.Theteamalsoworkstomaximise

partnershipopportunitiesworkingin

particularwithVisitBritain,UKInbound,

ICCAandothersignificantparties.

Attracting existing major events to Wales – and encouraging new onesWalescontinuestodemonstrateits

strengths,bothinattractingmajor

globalsportingandculturalevents,and

inprovidingasupportiveandnurturing

environmentforhome-grownevents,

manyofwhichgiveauniqueinsightinto

fascinatingaspectsofWelshlifeandits

richanddiverseculture.EventWalesis

Wales’MajorEventsStrategyandsets

outhowtheWelshGovernmentworks

toensureaco-ordinatedandcoherent

approachtosupportingmajorevents,

workingwithpartnersinboththe

privateandpublicsectors,withevent

ownersandwiththefullrangeofworld

classvenuessitedinWales.

Followingonfromtheoutstanding

successofthe2009AshesTestandthe

2010RyderCup,Walesmadeafulland

enthusiasticcontributiontotheoverall

successoftheLondon2012Olympicand

ParalympicGames,workingwithLOCOG

tohelpstage11oftheOlympicfootball

matchesattheMillenniumStadium

inCardiffandprovidinghighquality

venuesfor850OlympicandParalympic

athletesandstaffattendingpre-Games

trainingcamps.

Movingforward,in2013Waleshoststhe

soleBritishlegsofboththeWorldRally

ChampionshipandtheRedBullWorld

CliffDivingSeries,showcasingsomeof

Wales’mostbreath-takingsceneryand

attractingcompetitorsandspectators

fromallovertheworld.Cardiffisalso

hometotheOpeningCeremonyfor

the2013RugbyLeagueWorldCup

andWOMEX,theworld’sforemost

professionaleventforfolk,roots,ethnic

andtraditionalmusic.

In2014Cardiffwill,onceagain,stage

thefinaloftheHeinekenCup–the

world’smostcompetitiveclubrugby

tournamentthatissaidtofinditsmost

naturalspiritualhomeinWales’capital

city.Theeventwillseethe74,500-seat

MillenniumStadiumhosttheoccasion

forthefifthtime,attractingbothnew

andexistingrugbyfansalike.

1. Implement digital marketing to the existing Visit Wales business tourism database, help event organisers, and support tactical opportunities offered by regional convention bureaux e.g. familiarisation trips.

2. Evaluate market opportunities in the light of expected product developments, Economy, Science and Transport sector strategy and Major Events strategy and prepare the plan for Year 2 activity.

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

111

Meanwhile,thecityofSwanseabeat

impressiveinternationalcompetitionto

wintherighttohosttheIPCEuropean

AthleticsChampionshipinSummer

2014–aneventthatwillbringsomeof

Europe’sleadingParalympicathletesto

oneofthebestathleticsvenuesonce

more.

Lookingahead,Walesisalready

workingwithpartnerstohelpdeliver

asignificantnumberoffixturesduring

RugbyUnion’sWorldCupin2015.In

2012itwasannouncedthatCardiffwill

hostastopoverinthe13theditionofthe

VolvoOceanRacein2017-18–amove

thatwillseetheworld’spremierround-

the-worldsailingracevisitWalesforthe

firsttimeeverandmarkitsreturntothe

UnitedKingdomforthefirsttimeinover

adecade.

Majoreventscontinuetoenhance

Wales’internationalreputationand

helptopromotethewellbeingofits

peopleandcommunities.Theyprovide

significanteconomicbenefitsandahigh

profileplatformforshowcasingWales’

worldclassvenuesandworld-beating

TeamWalespartnershipsinaction.

Two events for 2014 – The Senior Open Championship and Dylan Thomas 100

The Senior Open Championship

In2010Walesplayedhostnationto

golf’sgreatestteameventwhenthe

RyderCupcametoCelticManorResort

inNewport.Upto35,000spectatorsa

dayattendedtowatchwhatturnedout

tobefourdaysofthrillingcompetitive

golf,attheendofwhichEuropewas

abletowinbackthecovetedSamuel

RydertrophyfromtheirAmericanrivals.

Tiedintothedecade-longprojectto

prepareWalesforsuccessfullyhosting

theevent–andforderivingmaximum

benefitfromdoingso-wasaraftof

complementaryprogrammes,across

tourism,sportsdevelopmentand

businessengagement,tohelpboost

Wales’profileasahighqualityand

value-for-moneydestinationinwhichto

play,watchandlearnaboutgolf.

SoonaftertheconclusionofWales’

RyderCupyear,theWelshGovernment,

inassociationwiththeRoyaland

AncientGolfClubandtheEuropean

Tour,wereabletoannouncethatWales

wouldnowgoontohostitsfirst“major”

whentheSeniorOpenChampionship

descends,inJuly2014,onRoyal

PorthcawlGolfClub.Oneofgolf’smost

prestigiousinternationalcompetitions,

theSeniorOpenChampionshipwas

firststagedin1987andbecamepart

oftheEuropeanSeniorsTourschedule

in1992.In2003itwasdesignatedas

thefifthmajorchampionshiponthe

ChampionsTourscheduleand,itwas

agreed,Waleswouldholdtwomore

before2024.Largelybecauseofthe

highprofileofsomeoftheoldergolfing

greatsincluding2010’sEuropeanRyder

Cupcaptain,ColinMontgomerie,and

thehighstandardofgolfstillbeing

playedbythesportsover-50s,the

SeniorOpenChampionshipcontinues

toattractaloyalfollowing,bothin

termsofattendanceandviewer

figures.Beingabletohostsuchhigh

profileinternationalgolfeventskeeps

Waleswellinthespotlightintermsof

attractinggolfingvisitorsandderiving

economicbenefitfromthegame.

Dylan Thomas 100

On27October1914,inamodesthouse

inSwansea,southWales,DylanMarlais

ThomaswasbornandWalesgained,

arguably,oneofitsgreatestwriters

andpoets.Theanniversaryhad,for

someyears,beenmarkedbythecity

ofSwanseabut,asthecentenary

approached,theWelshGovernment,

alongwithpartnersintheArtsCouncil

forWalesandotheraffectedlocal

authorities,agreedtocelebratethe

occasionwitharenewedlevelof

coordinationandfocus.Eventowners

withplanstomarktheanniversary

wouldbeinvitedtoapplyforfundingin

ordertoallowthemtohonourDylanin

theirownway,attractthepatronageof

establishedDylandevoteesandenthuse

newaudiences.Thus,DylanThomas100

wasborn-ayear-longfestivalofevents

tobeheldalloverWaleswhichwas

abletosecureHRHThePrinceofWales

asRoyalPatronandhasbeenableto

obtainthesupportofthecurrentcream

ofWelshculturallife.Theprogramme

willhelpshowcase,topotentialvisitors,

someofthebreath-takingWelsh

locationsthathelpedinspireDylan’s

workanddrawattentiontosomeofthe

lesswell-knowncornersofSwansea,

CarmarthenshireandCeredigionthat

providedhimwithideasforsomeofhis

bestknowncharacters.

Forfurtherinformationonbusiness

eventsinWales,visit:www.

businessevents.visitwales.com

NationalPerspectivesfromEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWalesCHAPTER5

Chapter 6Green is Quality, Standards and Sustainability

113

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

The events and meetings industry has truly embraced the concept of continuous improvement and made a clear commitment to raising quality standards. It is now accepted that opportunities to monitor and measure quality standards exist across all elements of events and meetings delivery, from initial contact to service, facilities, equipment, food and overall experience.

However,itcouldalsobearguedthatthe

proliferationofstandards,certification

andaccreditationproceduresmaycause

confusion.Thischapterseekstoprovide

detailsoftheprincipalschemesand

certificationprocessesforqualityand

sustainabilitystandards.

Accreditationisbothastatusanda

process.Asastatus,accreditation

providespublicnotificationthata

venue,productorindividualmeets

thestandardsofqualitysetforthby

anaccreditingagency.Asaprocess,

accreditationreflectsthefactthat,in

achievingrecognitionbytheaccrediting

agency,thevenue,productorindividual

iscommittedtomeetingstandardsand

toseekingwaystoenhancethequality

ofproduct,serviceorvenueprovided.

Althoughgainingaccreditationdoes

notguaranteebusiness,itreflectsthe

qualitybywhichtheproductconducts

itsbusinessanditspeakstoasense

ofpublictrustaswellasprofessional

quality.

Inanarticleentitled‘Accreditation:

MeetingtheIndustryStandard’,

publishedbyConference&Meetings

Worldmagazine(Issue70,online

versionposted02/04/2013),Edgar

Hirt,PresidentoftheInternational

AssociationofCongressCentres(AIPC),

suggeststhatthemeetingsindustry

needstorecognisethoseareaswhere

accreditationwilldirectlycontributeto

moreefficientandeffectivedelivery

andanoptimaldelegateexperienceand

ensuretheseareproperlyaddressed.

Hesays:

‘There is an issue around integration because, while there are a number of qualifications aimed at specific parts of the equation (organisation, sustainability, etc.), these must all work together in an integrated form if they are to avoid conflicting with each other.’

EdgarHirtaddedthathewouldlike

toseesomekindofframeworkto

manageallthediversestandardsand

expectations.

Initiativeshavebeenpresentedthat

assistvenuesintheirambitionsto

complywithbestpractice,improve

customersatisfactionandmake

asolidvalueproposition.Among

themostsuccessfuloftheseisthe

MeetingsIndustryAssociation’s(MIA)

accreditation,AIM (Accredited in

Meetings).

AIM AIM,Accredited in Meetings,isavery

importantqualitystandardproviding

eventorganiserswiththereassurance

ofvenueexcellence.

Extensive Development ProcessThestoryofAIMisnotoneofovernight

success:therecentsurgeininterest

intheaccreditation,whichbeganin

late2012,istheresultofoverhalfa

decade’splanninganddevelopment.

JaneLonghurst,MeetingsIndustry

Association(MIA)chiefexecutive,

whospearheadedtheaccreditation

fromitsearlieststages,explainshow

AIM’sdevelopmentwasadetailed

process:‘It had been clear for a long time that meetings venues needed

an accreditation that was specific to their needs. The various hotel-related schemes were not entirely suitable, and were the only alternative, so we set out to create an accreditation the entire industry could embrace, one that ticked all the procurement boxes. Developing an all-encompassing kite mark, one that both venues and industry buyers could trust and really see the value of took time. We spent well over a year developing AIM, working with the Best Practice Forum and calling on experts from all sectors of the industry, such as venue managers and venue finding agents, for advice and input. Finally, when we had all the pieces in place for a robust accreditation scheme, we launched.’

AIMwastrialledbytheNorthWest

RegionalDevelopmentAgencybefore

itsnationallaunchinSpring2007.

Thelaunchwasmetwithmixedfeelings

because,inwhatcouldbeconsidered

aboldmove,theMIAhadmade

AIMaccreditationarequirementof

membershipoftheassociation.All

MIAmembershadtoachieveAIM

withinayear!

‘Some people predicted AIM would bring about the end of the MIA. They said it was too much too soon, but we kept faith, we knew we had completed extensive research and taken greats pains in ensuring AIM was exactly the accreditation the industry was demanding, so we felt confident the majority of our members would quickly see the advantages; thankfully it paid off’,JaneLonghurstcontinued.

Inreality,AIMhashadapositiveeffect

onMIAmembership,contributingto

steadygrowthyearonyear.

OneoftheMIA’sobjectivesasatrade

associationistoraisefacilitiesand

servicestandardsthroughoutthe

meetings,conferenceandevents

industry.Inordertorealisethisobjective

114

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

theMIAhasmadeAIMavailabletoall

organisationsinvolvedintheindustry

-itnolongermatterswhetherthese

organisationsaremembersoftheMIA

ornotorwhattheiraffiliationis-every

venueandsuppliertotheindustrycan

obtainAIMiftheirstandardsmeetthe

requirementofthescheme.

Therearenowover500meetings

venues,destinationsandsuppliers

withAIM.

The Virtues of AIMTomeetingsandeventbuyers,AIM

meanstheycanquicklyfindvenues

theycaninstantlytrust.Choosingan

AIMvenueisawayofprotectingtheir

budgetandisabigsteptowardensuring

theireventisasuccess.Sowhatdoes

AIMreallymean?

• Itmeansdoingbusinesswithvenues

thatcare

• Itmeanseventsandmeetingswhere

delegatesarewelllookedafter

• Itmeansknowingeveryelementof

thevenue’scostsinadvance

• Itmeansindustry-approvedcontracts

andtermsandconditions

• Itmeansdoingbusinesswithcredible,

legallycompliantvenues

• Itmeansprocurementboxesticked

• Itmeansstressfreevenueselection

• Itmeanstotalpeaceofmind.

Meetings CodeAllAIMvenueshaveintegrityandabide

bytheMeetingsCODEwhichdemands:

• Consistency

• Openness

• Decency

• Ethics

AIMvenuesachieve50grading

criteriathatinclude:thelocationand

accessibilityofthemeetingroomsand

facilities;thesuitabilityofthelighting

andheatinginmeetingrooms;the

levelsofsecurity;howoftentherooms

arecleanedanddecorated;whether

thespaceandfurnitureareadequate

andsuitable;theprovisionofin-room

servicessuchaspowersockets;what

issuppliedatnoextrachargeandhow

transparentthepublishedpricesare.

Itdoesn’tendthere:AIM-accredited

venuesandsuppliersmustcomply

withtenlegalActs:

• Health&SafetyatWorkand

FireSafety

• DisabilityDiscrimination

• EmployersLiability

• DataProtection

• Sale&SupplyofGoods

• TradeDescriptions

• ConsumerProtection

• Weights&Measures

• RaceRelations,SexDiscrimination,

DisabilityDiscriminationandAge

Discrimination.

• LicensingLaws.

AIM HigherAlongwiththestandardEntrylevel

ofAIM,therearetwo‘AIMHigher’

levels:AIMSilverandAIMGold.These

demonstratecompliancewitha

morestringentsetofcriteria.Venues

thathavebeenawardedAIMHigher

havecompletedaten-sectionself-

assessment,producedaportfolio

ofevidenceinsupportoftheir

applicationandhavebeenvisitedbyan

independentassessorwhodetermines

whetherthevenueisworthyofthe

accreditationand,ifso,whetherAIM

SilverorAIMGoldshouldbeawarded.

The Greatest ChallengeThegreatestchallengeforAIMhas

provedtobegainingthesupportof

theentireconference,meetingsand

eventsindustry.Theroutetoachieving

thisbeganbygainingendorsement

fromotherindependentorganisations

concernedwithpromotingmeetings,

eventsandvenuesintheUKand

Ireland.VisitEnglandfoundinAIMa

demonstrableadvantageforEnglish

venues–AIM’sexpansionisnowakey

elementofVisitEngland’sBusiness

TourismActionPlan.VisitWalesand

TourismIrelandtopthelistoftourism

organisationsthathaveendorsedAIM,

alongwith29nationalandregional

destinations.AIMalsohasthesupportof

influentialUKbusinesstourism-related

tradeassociationsMPIUKandABPCO.

Withwidespreadindependentsupport,

theindustryhastakennoteandAIM

isnowfirmlyestablishedasitsonly

nationalstandardformeetingsvenues

andsupplierstotheindustry.

Growing MomentumIn2013,theAIMmessagehas

momentum.Venuesearchportals

areincludingAIMasasearchfilter

andseveralofthecountry’sleading

venuefindingagentsarerequesting

thatvenuestheyrecommendhave

AIMaccreditation.AIMisachieving

itsobjectives,drivingtheindustry

tobecomemorecompetitiveand

accountable,delivergreatvalueand

helpclientsconsistentlyachieveROI.

Ultimately,thepromiseofAIMisthe

promiseofanindustryabletosurvive

themanychallengesofthepresent

andthefuture,ameetingsandevents

landscapeintheUKfrontedbyavast

mosaicoftrustworthyvenuesofall

varieties.

115

InSeptember2013theHotelBooking

AgentsAssociation(HBAA)endorsed

AIM,recognisingthattheaccreditation

supportsitscoreobjectiveofassisting

theindustryinraisingstandardsand

deliveringbestpracticethroughservice

andfacilities.Italsoacknowledged

thatachievingAIMwillbeabenefit

toitsmembers,asitpromotes

professionalismandgivesthema

distinctcompetitiveadvantage.The

endorsementisexpectedtosignificantly

increasethechoicebuyershaveof

venueswhichofferAIM’sreassuranceof

compliance,capabilityandcompetence.

Purple GuideOneofthekeyreferencetoolsfor

theeventsindustryisthemuch-used

‘Purple Guide’(‘TheEventSafetyGuide

–AGuidetoHealth,Safety&Welfare

atMusicandSimilarEvents’).Thisisa

comprehensiveguidetohealth,safety,

riskassessmentandmanagementfor

events.

Anewversionofthe‘PurpleGuide’

isduetobepublishedbytheEvents

IndustryForum(EIF)inMarch2014.

‘ThePurpleGuidetoHealth,Safetyand

WelfareatMusicandOtherEvents’has

beendevelopedinconsultationwith

theeventsindustryandenforcement

authorities,includingtheHealth&

SafetyExecutivewhopublishedthe

originalversioninthe1990s.

Initially24chapterswillbepublished,

withotherstofollowlaterin2014.

Thenewguidewillbemaintainedas

anonlinepublicationandtheEIFis

retainingtheoriginalWorkingGroupsto

keepitup-to-date.Theintentionisthat

eachchapterwillbereviewedatleast

annually.

Itisintendedthatthisnewversionof

theGuidewillbecometheestablished

referenceforeventorganisersaswell

asenforcers,inthesamewaythatthe

originaldid.Indeed,theoriginalversion

helpedtoestablishthecredentialsof

theUKeventsindustryaroundtheworld

andisstillusedinmanycountriesasthe

definitiveguidetoeventmanagement.

Thenewguidecanbefoundat

www.thepurpleguide.co.uk

TheUK’smajorpurpose-builtevent

venueshavedevelopedasimilar

documenttothePurpleGuidewhich

servesbothasasafetyguidanceand

asacommonrulebookforthose

venuesparticipating.Facilitatedbythe

AssociationofEventVenues(AEV),the

‘eGuide’iscurrentlydeployedby15UK

venuesincludingEarlsCourt,ExCeL,the

NECandFIVE(Farnborough).

Writtenandupdatedeverysixmonths

byatechnicalcommitteecomprising

thevenues’senioroperationaland

safetypersonnel,theeGuidecontains

detailedrulesforeventorganiser

tenantsandforcontractorsworkingin

thevenue.Sectionscovereverything

fromeventelectricsandtemporary

structureconstructiontothewayfood

safetyismanagedataneventorbeauty

treatmentsareundertakenatpublic

events.

TheeGuideisgenerallyintendedforuse

atpublicexhibitionsandbusinesstrade

showsandcontainsalotofdetailabout

theconstructionofexhibitionstands.

Establishedin2009,theinitiative

consolidatedtwoobjectives:toraise

standardsofsafetyinthispartofthe

eventindustryandalsotoachieve

acommonapproachfromvenueto

venueinordertomakeorganising

andparticipatinginaUKeventas

straightforwardandconsistentas

possiblewithoutsacrificingthose

standardsofconduct.

TheeGuidecanbeaccessedat:

www.aev.org.uk/eGuide.Further

informationontheeGuideisincluded

inthe‘exhibitionsandtradefairs’

sectioninChapter3ofthisReport.

Environmental and sustainability issuesFewnewsbroadcaststodayare

completedwithoutsomereferenceto

environmentalissuessuchasglobal

warming,carbonemissions,and

theverysustainabilityofourplanet.

Thesesameissueshavealsobecome

mainstreamconcernsandchallenges

withintheeventsindustry.

FacetimeMagazine(Winter2013)quotes

FionaPelham,ManagingDirectorof

SustainableEvents,whichaimstohelp

businessesimplementsustainability

standards:‘Initially, a brand manager or marketer might not think that they need to be concerned about sustainability when they’re planning an event, product launch or even an AGM. But any event brings a business’s brand to life. So sustainability is a reputational issue, really – marketing managers need to realise that most brands are aligning with sustainability in some way.’

November2013sawthelaunchof

planstoformaglobalvisionfora

sustainableeventsindustry,based

onongoingworldwidecollaboration

betweenvenues,agencies,associations

andsuppliersacrossbusiness,sport

andculturalevents.Aworkingparty,to

includerepresentationfromBVEPand

severalBVEPmemberorganisations,

willseektoensurethatthecampaign

isinspiring,collaborative,simpleand

influential–itwilldrawonhistorical

campaignssuchasMake Poverty History

forinspirationanditwillhaveanonline

presence.

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

116

Atthisinternationallevel,therehave

alreadybeenanumberofsignificant

developmentsdesignedtointegrate

sustainabilitycriteriaandactivitiesintoa

widerangeofbusinessevents,including

thepublicationofformalStandardsto

provideguidanceonsustainableevent

management.Forexample:

British Standard 8901: Sustainability Management System for EventsBS8901waslaunchedasadraft

standardinNovember2007.Aftera

consultationprocesswiththeevents

industry,areviseddraftstandardwas

releasedin2009withthetitle:

‘BS8901:2009Sustainability

ManagementSystemforEvents–

SpecificationwithGuidanceforUse’

ThepurposeofBS8901istohelpthe

eventsindustrytoconductbusiness

operationsinamoresustainable

manner.Thestandardisapplicableto

thefullrangeofeventsandneedstobe

appliedtothefulllife-cycleofanevent

(ie.fromconceptiontofinalreview)

aswellasextendedthroughoutthe

supplychain.ItisbasedonthePlan-

Do-Check-Actprocessthatisalready

usedineventprojectmanagementand

requiresmeasuringandmonitoring

ofperformanceandtheidentification

ofKeyPerformanceIndicators

(KPIs)withinacontextofcontinuous

improvement.

Thestandardisalsodescribedas

‘proportional’–inotherwords,an

organisation’sorindividual’sroleand

positioninthesupplychain,itssize,

capacitytoadoptthesystemandability

toimplementitwilldeterminewhich

requirementsofthestandardapply.

BS8901appliestoeventclients,event

organisers/management,venues,and

relatedsupplychains.LikeISO9001

(QualityManagementSystem),ISO18001

(HealthandManagementSystem)

andISO27001(InformationSecurity

ManagementSystem),BS8901isa

standardenablingcertificationto

beprovided.Certificationisforthe

managementsystemusedbyan

organisationtomanageitsevent-

orientatedactivities,productsand

servicesandcanbeforoneeventonly.

Theevent,therefore,isconsideredtobe

the‘output’ofthesystem.

Copenhagen Sustainable Meetings ProtocolTheCopenhagenSustainableMeetings

Protocol(CSMP)offersaflexible,

umbrellaframeworkthatcanbeused

toorganiselarge,complexmeetingsin

amoresustainableway.Theprotocol

isnotastandardthatprovides

accreditationorcertification–ratheritis

intendedtohelpplannersmanagetheir

meetingssustainably.TheCSMPaims

tocomplementotherexistingguides

presentinthemarket,anditisnotonly

targetedatcorporate,governmentand

associationeventorganisers,butalso

consultantsandmanagersinvenues

andlargehotels.Itisdesignedtobe

usedincombinationwiththe‘COP15

EventSustainabilityReport’.

TheCSMisdividedintochapters

on:sustainableeventmanagement;

introductiontotheProtocolframework;

leadershipandcommitment;strategic

approachtostakeholderengagement;

operationalintegration;governance;

andsustainabilityandthefutureofthe

meetingsindustry.

Development of ISO20121: International Standard for Sustainable Event ManagementThisnewinternationalstandardfor

sustainableeventmanagementwas

developedbyover30countriesand

waslaunchedinJune2012.Theaimis

toprovideaninternationalstandard

followingtheworldwideadoptionofthe

BritishStandardforSustainableEvent

Management(BS8901).

ISO20121isaneventsustainability

managementsystemstandardwhich

addressestheimplementationof

sustainabilitywithintheeventsindustry.

Itisnotalistofactionswhicheach

eventmusttake,becauseeveryeventis

different–insteaditisaframeworkto

ensurethatsustainabilityisconsidered

ateverypoint.Theframeworkislikelyto

include:

• Identifyingissues:usersofthe

standardwillidentifywheretheir

behaviournegativelyimpactssocially,

economicallyorenvironmentally

• Stakeholderengagement:usersofthe

standardwillsharetheirissueswith

stakeholderstoensureallissuesare

identified

• Objectivesetting:userswillset

objectivesandtargetsforhowto

addresstheirspecificissues

Thestandardcanbeusedbyindividuals

orcompanieswhoplaneventsandalso

bytheeventssupplychain,including

venues.

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

117

APEX and ASTM Green Meetings and Events StandardsTheveryfirstgreenmeetingsand

eventsstandardswerelaunchedby

theConventionIndustryCouncil’s

AcceptedPracticesExchange(APEX)

andTheAmericanSocietyforTesting

andMaterialsInternational(ASTM)

inFebruary2012.TheAPEX/ASTM

standardsarebrokendownintonine

individualsectorstandards,covering

allfacetsofeventplanningand

management:

• Audio-Visual

• Communication&MarketingMaterials

• Destinations

• Exhibits/Exhibitions

• Food&Beverage

• MeetingVenue

• On-SiteOffice

• Transportation

• Accommodation(s)

Thestandardsareavailableforpurchase

individually(thecostsrangebetween

US$40andUS$46)orasafullpackage

forUS$149.Formoredetailsvisit:

www.astm.org/BOOKSTORE/COMPS/

GREENMTGS.htm

Event Organizers Sector Supplement (EOSS)Thisdocument,developedovera2-year

periodbyateamofvolunteersdrawn

fromeventagencies,government,

labourandcivilsocietyorganisations

andpublishedinJanuary2012bythe

GlobalReportingInitiative,isintended

tohelpeventorganisersreporttheir

sustainabilityperformanceandprovide

quantitativeandqualitativeinformation

onsustainabilityissues.Inadditionto

morewidelyapplicableissuessuchas

greenhousegasemissionsandwaste,

theguidanceassistseventorganisersto

reportonmorespecificissuesincluding

attendeetravel,thelegacyoftheevent,

andinitiativestakenattheeventto

promotesustainabilityandtransparency.

TheSupplementhasthreesections

coveringprofile,managementapproach

andperformanceindicators:

• Profile:howtodisclosetheevent’s

ororganisation’sstrategy,profileand

governancestructures

• Management approach:howan

eventorganiseraddressesagiven

setofsustainabilitytopicsinorder

toprovidecontextforunderstanding

performanceinaspecificarea

• Performance indicators:specific

indicatorsthatelicitcomparable

informationontheeconomic,

environmentalandsocial

performanceoftheorganisation

and/orevent.

TheSupplementoffersdifferentlevels

ofreporting(fromLevelCuptoLevelA)

andprovidesstructure,indicatorsand

advice.

Todownloadtheguidelines(whichare

freeofcharge),visit:https://www.

globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-

guidance/event-organizers/Pages/

default.aspx

Otherusefulwebaddresses:

http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

118

CASE STUDY

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

FairmontHotelsandResortshas

introducedanewSustainable

DesignPolicyforallofits

worldwideproperties.Inaddition

toLEED(LeadershipinEnergyand

EnvironmentalDesign)guidelines,a

numberofothergreenratingsystems

andprogrammeswillinfluence

Fairmont’sactivityinthisarea

includingtheBREEAM(standardsfor

bestpracticeinsustainablebuilding

design,constructionandoperation)

programmeinEurope,Estidama

PearlsinAbuDhabi,andChina’s

ThreeStarprogramme.

‘Instituting formalised design and construction guidelines for our robust pipeline of new hotel projects and ongoing capital agenda adds a new dimension to our environmental mandate,’saysFairmontPresident,

ChrisCahill.‘Environmental stewardship is part of Fairmont’s DNA and we want to ensure it’s evident in all phases of our business.’

Fairmont’sSustainableDesignPolicy

alsoincludesnewenvironmental

criteriaandchecklistsforrenovation

projectsandpropertyretrofits,

environmentalconsultationduringthe

designbriefandconstructionprocess,

andthecreationofagreenbuild

bestpracticerepositoryforusebyits

hotels,engineers,developers,project

leadsandarchitects.

CASE STUDY

Singapore’s MICE Sustainability Guidelines

TheSingaporeTouristBoard(STB)haslaunched(November2013)

SustainabilityGuidelinestoserveasareferencepointforMeetings,

IncentiveTravel,ConferencesandExhibitions(MICE)industryplayersin

Singapore.Theseguidelinesarereferencedfrominternationalstandards

suchasISO20121andtheAPEX/ASTMEnvironmentallySustainable

MeetingStandardsandgearedtowardsthosewhoarekeentoadopt

sustainablepractices.STBalsohopesthattheguidelineswillencourage

localMICEplayerstomeetglobalsustainabilityrequirements.

TheSustainabilityGuidelinescoversevenindustrycategoriesfrom

acrossthebusinesseventsecosystemincludinghotels,venues,event

organisersandmeetingplanners,transportation,foodandbeverage,as

wellasaudio-visualset-up.Areascoveredundertheguidelinesinclude

wastemanagementandtheefficientuseofwaterandenergyaswell

asinitiativesthatencourageemployeestodevelopacommitmentto

sustainablepractices.

TheSustainabilityGuidelinesfortheMICEindustrywillcomplementthe

variousgreenpractices,policiesandprogrammesforhotelsandother

buildingsinSingapore.TheSingaporeHotelAssociationorganisesa

biennialSingaporeGreenHotelAwardtorecogniselocalhotelsfortheir

effortsinwatermanagement,energyconservation,wasteminimisation,

wasterecyclingandothergreeninitiatives.TheBuildingandConstruction

Authority’sGreenMarkschemeencouragesmoreenvironmentally-

friendlybuildingsandraisesenvironmentalawarenessamongdevelopers,

designersandbuilders.

‘To transition to a sustainable meetings and events industry, convention bureaus have a key role to unite their members and partners in collaborative action and innovation on a destination scale. Their role as a leader is key to help organisations understand the business value of sustainable practice, educate stakeholders, share knowledge, recognise best practices, champion the use of standards and to lobby for greater action,’ saidGuyBigwood,pastPresidentoftheGreenMeetingsIndustry

CouncilandMCIGroupSustainabilityDirector.‘STB’s sustainability strategy and newly-developed Sustainability Guidelines will inspire their community and bring Singapore to the forefront of sustainability on a global scale.’

Furtherinformation:www.stb.gov.sg/

Quality,StandardsandSustainabilityCHAPTER6

Chapter 7Education is Education, Careers and Professional Development

120

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

IntroductionThis chapter examines the current position of education, recruitment, development and careers in events and allied sectors. As highlighted earlier in this report, there are many organisations and sectors that work in or are associated with events, and there is now a growing commitment to bring these together under a common professional structure. Whilst many people working in organisations that plan or are involved with events come from a variety of backgrounds and work experiences, there is an increasing number that have had a prior education in events. Some may see the growing number of graduates from the various universities running events-related courses as a threat; others see such new entrants as a welcome opportunity to review their businesses through innovative approaches and engaging ways.

Thischapteraimstosummarisethe

educational,careersandprofessional

situationandsomeofthefutureissues

thatallstakeholdersneedtoengage

withtomaintaintheeventsectorsinthe

UKasGREAT.Weareallinthistogether,

whethereducators,policy-makersor

eventorganisers.TheOlympicsand

Paralympicsreaffirmedourposition

ontheworld’sstageandweneedto

keepourplaceonthatgoldstepwith

ourcolleaguesfromaroundtheglobe.

Byworkingcollaborativelyratherthan

competitively,wecanachievethis.

Education – Curriculum and qualificationsThe2010‘LabourMarketReviewofthe

EventsIndustry’undertakenbyPeople

1st(theSectorSkillsCouncilcovering

theeventssector)identifiedthatthere

isan‘array of qualifications available

to employers’.Theemphasiswason

supportingwork-basedtraining.Since

thelastreporttherehasbeenlessofan

emphasisonspecificqualificationssuch

astheFoundationDegreeandthe14-19

Diplomas.Neitherofthesehasbeen

successful,withtheFoundationDegree

Forward(fdf)closingin2011andlittle

take-upofDiplomas.Thishasmeant

thatthepressurehasbeenonuniversity

degrees,undergraduate,postgraduate

andshortcoursestobebothindustry-

focusedandacademicallyrelevant.

Therearenowarangeofundergraduate

andpostgraduatecoursesavailable

full-time,part-timeoronlinefroma

numberofuniversitiesandfurther

educationcollegeswithintheUK

andinternationally.Informationon

undergraduatecoursesmaybefound

onhttp://search.ucas.com

TheAssociationforEventsManagement

Education(AEME),foundedin2004,

hascontinuedtoworkwiththevarious

industrybodies,andsitsonthe

umbrellaBusinessVisitsandEvents

Partnership(BVEP).Instrumental

inwritingtherevisedQAA(Quality

AssuranceAgency)HigherEducation

HLSTSubjectBenchmarkStatementsin

2008thatsawtheinclusionofEvents,

AEMEhasalwayschampionedtheneed

forindustryinternshipsandapplied

research(forfurtherinformationabout

AEME,pleasevisitwww.aeme.org).

Morecanbedonetoencourageall

organisationsineventstoworkwith

theirlocaleducationandtraining

providers,andlessinisolation.There

areseveralmainareaswhereindustry

andeducationalorganisationscanwork

together,workingwithstudentson

projectsandevents:workplacement

opportunities;guestspeakers;research

projects;andgraduaterecruitment.The

‘MakingWavesInternationalConference

onEvents’andthe10thAEMEForumin

Bournemouth(July2013)wasagood

exampleofindustryrepresentatives

engagingwithacademicresearch

fromaroundtheworld.Followingthe

conference,attheendof2013,industry

tradeassociationsmettodiscussbetter

collaborationandinitiallyidentifiedtwo

education-relatedactivitiesthatthe

industrycouldprovidecollaboratively:

cross-industryinternshipsandtraining

programmesspecificallywithandfor

students;andbettercommunication

forbothacademicsandstudentson

theofferingsofindustrytradeand

professionalassociationsthroughthe

creationofanonlinehub.

SkillsTheindustryhasfocusedpredominantly

ontheskillsrequiredforworkingatthe

differentlevelsofeventpositions.This

maywellbebecauseofthesuccess

oftheSectorSkillsCouncils.Whathas

beenlesssuccessfulhasbeenachieving

therecognitionthatsuccessfulevents

arealsoabouttheattitude,flexibility,

goodcommunicationskills,passion

andpersonalityofthoseworkingin

thispeopleindustry.Itisgradually

beingrecognisedthatwhatmakes

eventsmeansomuchtoindividuals,

businesses,theeconomyandsociety,is

theirpotentiallyuniquenature.Theskills

ofcreativityandinnovationarerelated

tothoseofdesignandcommunication.

121

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

Beingabletoseeandthinkabout

aspectsofeventsinadifferentwayis

whatgraduateswitheventdegreescan

offertheeventindustry.Itisnotjust

abouthowtoplanandexecuteanevent

inasafeandprofitablemanner,butto

dosoinameaningfulwaywithefficient

useofscarceresources.

Learningonthejobdoesnotnecessarily

enablepeopletothinkdifferently

(i.e.‘outofthebox’).Educationand

continuingprofessionaldevelopment

(CPD)areessentialtobeaheadof

thenextnewideaortechnology-to

beabletoseetheopportunitiesand

benefitsforevents.Eventscouldbe

leadingthewayinnewdesignandnot

relyingonfilmandtheatretodothis

forthem.Theopeningandclosing

ceremoniesoftheOlympicsand

Paralympics2012demonstratedhowthe

creativeindustriesareasmuchapart

oftheeventsindustryasoftheirown.

Nurturing,developingandreleasing

theseinitiativesiswhatwillkeepBritish

eventsGREAT.

InitsLabourMarketReview(2010),

People1stidentifiedanumberofareas

wheretherewereskillsgaps.These

included:

-understandingtheclient’sindustry/

needs

-managingsuppliers

-customerservice

-crowdmanagement

-anunderstandingoflegislation/

standardssuchashealthandsafety

andsustainability.

The2013reviewoftheNational

OccupationalStandards(NOS)increases

thenumberand,therefore,detailof

individualunitsbutdoesnotnecessarily

changethethreecorelevelsthrough

whichpeopledevelopaspartoftheir

careerinevents.Theattributesofthese

aredescribedasskillsbyPeople1st.

• ForAccountDirectorstheyinclude:

-Peoplemanagementandleadership

-Strategyandbudgetmanagement

-Solidunderstandingofsuppliers

• ForAccountManagerstheyinclude:

-Peoplemanagement

-Projectmanagement

-Abilitytoliaiseandbuild

relationshipswithclients

-Suppliermanagement

• ForEventExecutivestheyinclude:

-Excellentverbalandwritten

communication

-Excellentorganisationand

administrativeskills

-Customerservice

-Degreeineventmanagement

desirable.

Theseareoutlinedanddrawnwith

otherrelatedindustriesinthePeople

1stcareermapthatisnowhosted

bytheHospitalityGuild(http://

hospitalityguild.co.uk/A-Career-in-

Hospitality/Career-Map#/industry/

events).

RecruitmentOnlypartsoftheeventssector

occupationsarecoveredbythe

standardindustrialclassification(SIC)

codes(e.g.82.30=conventionandtrade

showorganisers;68.20/2=lettingand

operatingofconferenceandexhibition

centres)usedbyGovernmentsto

quantifythenumbersofpeopleworking

inparticularindustrysectors.However,

variousestimateshavebeenmadein

recentyears:

• People1st’s‘LabourMarketReview

oftheEventsIndustry’(January

2010)quotesthetotalestimatefor

theeventsindustryas530,000

employees

• MPI’sreport,‘TheEconomicImpactof

theUKMeetingandEventIndustry’

(July2013),estimatesthatthetotal

numberoffull-timeequivalentjobs

directlycreatedbymeetingsactivities

was423,445in2011(seeChapter1)

• UKMusic’s‘WishYouWereHere’

research(seeChapter3)revealedthat

musictourismdirectlyandindirectly

sustained24,000full-timejobsin

theUK.

122

Anumberofrecruitmentagencies

producetheirownsurveyseachyear

thatgiveusanideaofthetypes,levels

andsalariesofthoseworkinginevents.

Theidentificationofeventpositions

inrelatedfieldssuchasmarketing

demonstrateshowtheprofessional

natureoftheroleshasbeenrecognised.

Forexample:

ESP(www.esprecruitment.co.uk)in

associationwithEventMagazine(www.

eventjobsearch.co.uk)andZingInsights

undertakearegularsalarysurvey(see

Table7.1).Thefull2013EventSalary

SurveycanbeaccessedviatheESP

website

Eligo(www.eligo.co.uk)-categorises

jobvacanciesunderdifferentheadings:

Conferences,Exhibitions,Venues,

Agencies,Institutions/Associationsand

Charities

PFJMediaRecruitment(www.pfj.co.uk)

hasjobvacanciesinevents/conferences/

exhibitionsandhasdoneasurveyof

salariesandbenefitsacrossconference

andeventssalesandmarketing

positions

Hudson(www.uk.hudson.com)identifies

EventsDirector,ManagerandExecutive

aspartofitsMarketingsalarysurvey

TPP(www.tpp.co.uk)undertakesa

salarysurveyforthoseworkingin

fundraising,includingevents,from

Assistant/CoordinatortoDirectorlevel.

Table7.1The Event Industry Salary Survey 2013

Sector Job titleMinimum salary

2013 £

Maximum salary 2013

£

Average salary 2013

£

1. Agency Events Management

BusinessDevt.Manager 25,000 45,000 35,250

BusinessDevt.Director 45,000 75,000 56,000

Event/AccountCoordinator 14,000 29,000 22,000

Event/AccountExecutive 18,000 32,000 25,000

Event/AccountManager 20,000 48,000 31,000

AccountDirector 26,000 85,000 50,000

2. Charity/Public Events

MarketingExecutive 22,000 30,000 25,250

MarketingManager 26,250 40,000 33,000

Event/ConferenceCoordinator 18,400 35,000 25,750

EventExecutive 23,000 32,700 26,200

Event/ConferenceManager 24,000 45,000 33,750

HeadofEvents/Conferences 39,500 85,000 50,250

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

123

3. Commercial Conferences

MarketingExecutive 20,000 28,500 26,250

MarketingManager 25,000 40,000 33,000

MarketingDirector 40,000 70,000 50,000

Event/ConferenceAdministrator 18,250 24,000 19,000

ConferenceCoordinator 18,000 26,000 24,000

EventExecutive 22,000 36,500 26,500

ConferenceManager 26,000 62,000 32,500

ConferenceDirector 42,000 72,100 52,500

Producer 24,000 38,000 28,000

SeniorProducer 32,000 45,000 35,000

SponsorshipManager 24,000 55,000 32,000

SponsorshipDirector 42,250 72,000 55,000

4. Conference & Incentive Travel

BusinessDevt.Manager 21,800 39,250 32,000

AccountExecutive 15,000 25,000 22,000

AccountManager 20,000 35,000 28,000

AccountDirector 40,000 95,000 51,000

5. Corporate In-house

EventAdministrator 20,000 35,800 23,000

EventCoordinator 19,624 41,000 27,250

EventExecutive 23,000 45,000 32,000

EventManager 30,000 75,000 39,250

HeadofEvents/Conferences/

Roadshows50,000 90,000 72,000

6. Event Services

BusinessDevt.Executive 21,150 26,000 22,000

BusinessDevt.Manager 22,000 48,000 32,000

BusinessDevt.Director 32,000 77,000 49,200

EventCoordinator 15,000 21,000 18,200

EventExecutive 18,000 35,000 25,000

ProjectManager 18,000 51,000 32,000

EventDirector 40,000 70,000 47,350

7. Exhibitions

SalesExecutive 18,275 28,350 22,500

SalesCoordinator 17,200 27,500 19,300

SalesManager 24,000 48,000 32,250

ExhibitionDirector 40,000 85,000 56,000

MarketingExecutive 15,500 30,000 25,500

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

124

MarketingManager 23,000 43,000 34,350

MarketingDirector 40,000 80,000 60,000

OperationsExecutive 20,000 36,000 24,000

OperationsManager 26,000 53,500 34,000

OperationsDirector 37,000 96,000 55,000

8. Experiential

MarketingDirector 34,000 75,000 54,100

AccountManager 25,000 70,000 38,500

AccountDirector 38,500 75,000 57,350

8. Hotels

SalesCoordinator 15,000 24,000 21,000

SalesExecutive 17,000 28,000 23,250

SalesManager 17,000 45,000 30,000

DirectorofSales 40,000 85,000 64,500

C&BCoordinator 16,500 22,000 19,000

C&BManager 21,000 32,000 26,000

DirectorofEvents 35,000 55,000 43,500

9. Not-for-Profit

MarketingExecutive 20,000 32,650 25,200

MarketingManager 20,500 40,000 30,250

EventCoordinator 18,500 34,000 25,100

EventExecutive 21,000 38,000 27,000

EventManager 26,000 45,000 34,000

HeadofEvents/Conferences 35,000 70,000 55,000

10. Production Company

BusinessDevt.Manager 21,000 56,000 34,000

ProductionCoordinator 19,500 28,000 22,500

Operations/EventExecutive 19,250 28,000 25,000

ProductionManager 26,000 45,000 36,000

LogisticsManager 28,000 55,000 34,000

TechnicalManager 31,000 60,000 45,000

HeadofProduction 41,000 90,000 63,500

11. Sport / Music / PR

EventManager 20,000 40,000 32,100

EventDirector 35,000 75,000 50,000

EventCoordinator 18,000 30,000 22,200

12. Venues

SalesCoordinator 16,000 27,040 21,400

SalesExecutive 18,000 30,000 23,250

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

125

SalesManager 23,000 53,000 35,750

Sales&MarketingDirector 42,500 150,000 58,000

MarketingExecutive 21,000 27,000 23,000

MarketingManager 22,000 80,250 36,000

EventCoordinator 16,000 26,000 21,250

EventManager 19,800 58,000 30,000

OperationsDirector 45,000 108,000 61,500

Source:ESPRecruitment,‘Event’MagazineandZingInsights(reproducedwithpermission)

Professional Development: Institute of Event Management, CPD TheestablishmentofIndustrySector

SkillsagenciesfortheUKwasan

attempttocreateandpromote

professionalstandardsthrough

developingcodesofpracticeandthe

sharingofsuchbestpractice.Below

underInformationyouwillfindlinks

tothosethatmayhaverelevant

informationtothoseworkinginevents.

ThemainSectorSkillsCouncilfor

eventsisPeople1st,whichaimsto

bringtogetherallofthoseindustries

wherepeopleareattheheartofthe

experiencethatorganisationsare

offeringandplanning.ThelastLabour

MarketReviewoftheEventsIndustry

(People1st2010)highlightedthe

needfor‘a programme of continued

professional development to create a

true profession for those working within

it’(Eade,2010,page1).

Thedriverforprofessionalisationwithin

eventshasbeen,mostnotably,London’s

hostingoftheOlympicandParalympic

Gamesin2012.Theotherinstigatorhas

beenBVEPitselfwhich,asanumbrella

organisation,hasunderstoodthatthe

eventssectorhasperhapsnotgotthe

recognitionthatitdeservesandBVEP

thussupportedtheestablishmentofan

InstituteofEventManagement(IEM)to

actasaforceforbringingthedisparate

CPDcoursesandHigherEducation

programmestogether.Goldblatt

(2002,p.8)recognisedthatevents

hadgrownandmaturedtohavethree

maincharacteristicsthatwarranted

professionalisation:

• Theprofessionmusthaveaunique

bodyofknowledge

• Theprofessiontypicallyhasvoluntary

standardsthatoftenresultin

certification

• Theprofessionhasanacceptedcode

ofconductorethics,andstatesthat

theprofessionofeventmanagement

meetseachofthesequalifications.

However,thisisnotaneasytask,not

justforastand-aloneorganisation

suchastheIEMbutalsobecauseof

thesizeoftheundertakinginvolvedin

professionalisingtobeonaparwith

traditionalprofessionssuchasthe

legalandfinancialsectors.AsGetz

(2007)discusses,eventsaremore

a‘quasi-profession’becausethereis

noregulatoryorlicensingstatusthat

requiresit.ResearchbyThomasand

Thomas(2013)identifiesthatthereis

stillmuchworktodotogainindustry

supportandtohavetheregulatory

rolethatmakespractisingineventsa

licensedrequirement.

TheInstituteofEventManagement

isbeingestablishedtoprovidean

opportunityforindividualswhoalready

workorwishtoworkintheEvents

Sectortogainprofessionalrecognition

andtoenhancetheirprofile,skills

andknowledge.Theaimisforthe

Institutetoofferaroutetoprofessional

development,accreditationofcourses

andabodyofknowledge.TheInstitute

willseektochampionprofessional

recognitionandraiseawarenessof

theroleofeventprofessionals.Itwill

supportemployersinprovidingreal-

timeinformationandresources,and

developingappropriatecontinuing

professionaldevelopment(CPD)

programmestomeettheirneeds.

TheInstitutewillalsoofferaforum

fortheprovisionoffreshideasand

informationtogetherwithopportunities

fordebateanddiscussion.TheInstitute

hasbeenconstitutedasa‘not-for-

profit’companylimitedbyguarantee.

Itworkedthroughout2013withPeople

1sttoreviewtheNationalOccupational

Standards(NOS)inordertodevelopa

numberofNOSthatcansubsequently

bepulledtogetherintoaframeworkof

qualificationstowhichalltrainersand

providerscanwork.

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

126

NationalOccupationalStandards(NOS)

arenotqualificationsofthemselves–

theydescribewhatanindividualneeds

todo,knowandunderstandinorderto

carryoutaparticularjoborfunction.

Thekeypurposeofaneventmanager

wasrevisedto:

‘create and deliver opportunities for people to participate in an event to meet audience and stakeholder needs to achieve economic, professional, environmental or social objectives’.

TheKeyRolesunderwhicheachofthe

NOSsithavebeenidentifiedas:

A. Managecommercialaspectsof

anevent

B. Managethemarketingandsales

ofanevent

C. Managethedesignandcreativity

ofanevent

D. Managetheoperationsofanevent

E. Evaluateanevent

F. Manageinformation

G. Manageresources.

Theeventsmanagementbodyof

knowledge(EMBOK)isbeingdefined

anddeveloped.Thepurposeof

EMBOKistocreateaframeworkofthe

knowledgeandprocessesusedinevent

managementthatmaybecustomised

tomeettheneedsofvariouscultures,

governments,educationprogrammes,

andorganisations.Forfurther

informationonEMBOKvisit:www.

embok.orgApracticalexampleofthe

typeofknowledge‘domains’coveredby

EMBOKisgivenbelowinthedescription

oftheEventsManagementInternational

CompetencyStandards(EMICS).

Competency Standards in Events Management

AlongsidethecreationofEMBOKisthe

developmentofcompetencystandards

foreventsmanagement.IntheUnited

Kingdom,forexample,competency

standardsweredevelopedforthe

NationalVocationalQualifications,

whilesimilarstandardshavealsobeen

developedinAustralia,Canadaand

SouthAfrica.Bowdinetal(2011)

suggestthat:

A competency standard for events management gives the industry a benchmark to measure excellence in management. Previously this benchmark was the success of the event; however, stakeholders cannot wait until the event is over to find out whether the event management was competent – by then it is too late.

EventsManagementInternational

CompetencyStandards(EMICS)have

beendevelopedbytheCanadian

TourismHumanResourceCouncil

(CTHRC)incooperationwithindustry

participantsfrom20countries.The

Standardscontainacomprehensive

summaryofthefunctions,tasksand

competenciesrequiredtoworkinevent

management.Theydescribeindetail

theskills,knowledgeandattitudesthat

employersandclientsarelookingfor

whenobtainingprofessionalservices

toplan,implementandevaluate

differenttypesofevents,nationallyand

internationally.

TheInternationalStandardscovera

numberof‘domains’,including:

• StrategicPlanning

• ProjectManagement

• RiskManagement

• FinancialManagement

• HumanResources

• StakeholderManagement

• MeetingorEventDesign

• SiteManagement

• Marketing

• Professionalism

Fulldetailsofthestandardscanbe

downloadedatwww.emerit.caunder

the‘FreeDownloads–Occupational

Standards’link.

MeetingProfessionalsInternational

(MPI)hasdevelopedacomprehensive

setofcompetencystandards,known

astheMeetings&BusinessEvents

CompetencyStandards(MBECS),

launchedin2011.Aproductofseveral

internationalboards,governmental

bodies,taskforcesandMPIitself,MBECS

aredesignedtoprovideadetailed

catalogueoftheskillsneededtobea

meetingsprofessional.

TheStandardscovertwelveareas:

1. StrategicPlanning

a.ManageStrategicPlanfor

MeetingorEvent

b.DevelopSustainabilityPlanfor

MeetingorEvent

c.MeasureValueofMeetingor

BusinessEvent

2. ProjectManagement

a.PlanMeetingorEventProject

b.ManageMeetingorEventProject

3. RiskManagement

4. FinancialManagement

a.DevelopFinancialResources

b.ManageBudget

c.ManageMonetaryTransactions

5. Administration

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

127

6. HumanResources

a.ManageHumanResourcesPlan

b.AcquireStaffandVolunteers

The12majorcategoriescover33

individualskillswhichare,inturn,

informedbysub-skills.Thefull

Standardscanbedownloadedfromthe

MPIwebsite(www.mpiweb.org/mbecs).

Issues

a) Competition and confusion of qualifications

Therearemanyeventtradeand

professionalassociations,as

demonstratedjustbythemembership

oftheBVEPitself.Despitethecreation

oftheInstituteofEventManagement,

thereisstillsomewaytogobeforethis

isfullyoperationalandhasaflowofnew

membershipsandaccreditations.

Someexistingorganisationsalready

claimtobetheprofessionalorganisation

fortheirpartoftheeventssectore.g.

theAssociationofBritishProfessional

ConferenceOrganisers(ABPCO),

MeetingProfessionalsInternational

(MPI),theInternationalFestivals&

EventsAssociation(IFEA),andthe

ProfessionalConventionManagement

Association(PCMA).TheInstituteof

Hospitalityhaslaunchedarevised

accreditationguidethatincludes

intentionstoaccreditEvents,Hospitality,

LeisureandTourismcourses,including

thedegreeprogrammeswithwhich

theIEMisplanningtowork(https://

www.instituteofhospitality.org/

accreditation/Accred/Accreditation_

Guide_Oct2013).TheInstituteof

HospitalityAccreditationFramework

(p.29)isagoodexampleofthe

differentlevelsandframeworksthat

exist,including(seealsohttp://ofqual.

gov.uk/help-and-advice/comparing-

qualifications/):

-QCF(QualificationsandCredit

Framework)

-NQF(NationalQualifications

Framework)

-FHEQ(FrameworkforHigher

EducationQualifications),noting

thedifferenceswithScotland

-thereisalsotheEQF(European

QualificationsFramework)that

worksalongsidetheBologna

FrameworkforHigherEducationin

Europe.

Seehttp://ofqual.gov.uk/qualifications-

and-assessments/qualification-

frameworks/qualifications-in-europe/

forlinkstoadditionalinformationfor

transferabilityofqualificationsand

benchmarkingofskills,competences

andoccupations.

b) Internationalisation

Organisationsand,therefore,employees

areworkingandstudyinginternationally.

Eventheeventrecruitmentspecialist,

ESP,hasafocusontheMiddleEast

(www.espinternational.ae).Thecultural

challengesofinternationaleventsisan

interestingareathatcouldbebetter

understoodthroughresearchand

collaboration.

c) Contracts and Conditions

Theshort-termnatureofeventsmeans

thatmanyorganisationsarewhatis

knownas‘pulsatingorganisations’,

usinganumberofagenciesandsub-

contractorstoprovidetheskillsand

expertiserequiredtohostandorganise

aneventsuchasthe2012Olympicand

ParalympicGames.Thiscanbe

seenasthewaythateventswork,but

thecriticismofthezerohourworking

contractsexperiencedinsomeareasof

eventshascomeundergeneralscrutiny,

ashasunpaidinternshipsforstudents

andgraduates.Thisissomethingthat

theindustryshouldtakeseriouslyand

tackleifitisnottoundermineitsown

strength.

Anotheraspectofthedemands

andbarriersofworkingineventsis

illustratedbythefocusonWomenin

Eventsasseeninrecenttrademagazine

articles.Althoughmencomprisea

disproportionatelysmallpercentageof

theworkforce,muchofthepowerand

ownershipstillremainmale-dominated.

Thecurrentcompositionofstudents

andgraduatesatUKuniversities

indicatesthatthegenderbalancemay

wellnotchangeintheforeseeable

future.Thereneedtobeschemesthat

encouragemoremalestoenterthe

industryalongsideactionstoremove

thebarrierslimitingcareerprogression

forwomen.

Thenatureofeventsmeansthatmany

employvolunteers-whyandhowthey

dosoneedscarefulmanagement.The

hugesuccessofthevolunteerGames

Makersdemonstratedthegreatlegacy

ofthe2012OlympicandParalympic

Gamesinworkingwithvolunteers

butthisdoesrequireaparticularway

ofrecruiting,trainingandrewarding

thevolunteers.Thegrowthinevents

studentnumbershasincreasedthe

numberspassionateaboutvolunteering

buttheseopportunitiesshouldnotbe

abused;norshouldtheybeseenasa

replacementforpaidinternshipsor

graduateschemesthataremeeting

differentneedsfortheemployersand

thestudents.

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

128

d) Technology

Theadvancesintechnologycanbe

reallyexcitingfortheindustrybutalso

quitedaunting.Toooftenorganisations

feelthattheyshouldbeusingevery

latestplatform,withoutconfirming

thestrategicfittothemselvesandto

theircustomersandclients.Asaresult,

educationandCPDshouldbefocusing

notjustontheskillsandknowledgeof

employeesbutalsoonfuture-proofing

andpreparingtheirwholeorganisation

fordigitisationandmobile,hapticand

holographictechnologies.

Allaspectsofeventsarebeing

potentiallytransformedbytechnology

-thiscanmakeeventsmorepowerful

butalsochallengefundamentallysome

businessesorsectorsinthevaluechain.

Thewayinwhicheducationandjobs

areacquiredisbeingchallengedby

technology.Theopportunityafforded

peoplewithfreeaccesstoglobal

informationthroughtheWorldWide

Web,suchasTEDxorMOOCs(mass

openonlinecourses),hasdemonstrated

howpeoplecanaccesssomeofthe

worldleadersintheirsubject.Existing

eventassociationsusewebinarsand

otherplatformstodistributeorgain

widergeographicalconnectivity.

However,asdemonstratedbyFaceTime

(www.facetime.org.uk)ororganisations

suchasCisco,thevirtualdoesnot

yetreplacethepoweroftheactual

personalcontact.Thosetimesmight

comethoughunlesswedoresearch

andunderstandthenatureofboth,and

continuetoexploitfullythepotential

providedbyopportunitiessuchas

hybridevents.

Information

Related Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)People1stwww.people1st.co.uk.SSCfor

hospitality,passengertransport,travel

andtourism.Theycover14industries,

includingevents.

CreativeSkillsetwww.skillset.org.SSC

forentertainmentmedia,fashionand

textiles,publishingandadvertising,

marketingandcommunications.

Creative&CulturalSkillswww.ccskills.

org.uk.SSCforcreativeandcultural

industries,includingcraft,cultural

heritage,design,literature,music,

performingartsandvisualarts.

SkillsActivewww.skillsactive.com.

SSCforActiveLeisure,Learningand

Well-being.

e-skillswww.e-skills.com.SSCfor

BusinessandInformationTechnology.

ConstructionSkillsCITBwww.citb.co.uk.

SSCfortheconstructionindustry.

Careers

Sources of information on jobs and careers

• www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/

ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_

types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job/

p!eipaL?grpno=E3&state=showgrp

(eventorganiser&conferencecentre

managerjobdescriptions)

• www.esprecruitment.co.uk

• www.event-jobs.net

• www.eventjobsearch.com/careers

• www.simplymarketingjobs.co.uk/

jobs/event_marketing_jobs/event_

marketing_jobs/d/

• www.totaljobs.com

• www.fashionmonitor.com/jobs

• www.vox-pop.co.uk

Jobsite(2013)Today’s Young People,

Tomorrow’s Workforce–areport

availableat:http://www.jobsite.

co.uk/insider/young-people-

expectation-mismatch-opportunities-

potential-11973/

ReferencesEade,L.,2010.Highlighting

professionalism in the events industry.

EnPassant.Available:http://www.

people1st.co.uk/news/our-publications/

en-passant/en-passant-archive-2010

Goldblatt,J.,2002.Special Event

Management 3rd edition.Hoboken,NJ,

JohnWiley&Sons

Getz,D.,2012.Event Studies.2ndedition.

London:Routledge

Thomas,R.,andThomas,H.,2013.What

are the prospects for professionalizing

events management in the UK?Tourism

ManagementReview,page6,8-14

Bowdin,G.etal,2011,Events

Management 3rd edition.Oxford:

Routledge

Long,R.,2010.Superwoman syndrome.

Meetings&IncentiveTravelmagazine,

pages49-52.Availableat:http://

www.meetpie.com/images/editorial/

Superwoman_syndrome.pdf

Education,CareersandProfessionalDevelopmentCHAPTER7

Chapter 8Innovation is The ‘Britain for Events’ Campaign

130

The‘BritainforEvents’CampaignCHAPTER8

Short History of ‘Britain for Events’The‘BritainforEvents’campaign

evolvedfromanumberofformer

incarnations–initsearlystagesitbegan

as‘NationalMeetingsWeek’,before

‘KeepBritainTalking’andfinallyits

currentbody,‘BritainforEvents’.From

aweek-longcampaign,itgrewtoasix

monthandannualdedicatedcampaign

toassistthepromotionoftheUKevents

industry.

Campaign Objectives‘BritainforEvents’istheUKevent

industry’smostinclusiveself-

promotionalcampaign.Theinitiative

istaskedwithrepresentingthefull

spectrumoftheeventsindustry

including:conferences,exhibitionsand

businessevents;festivals,live,outdoor,

sportingandculturalevents;and

incentivetravel,trainingandcorporate

travelevents.

Itisanexternallyfacinginitiative

targetedtowardsbusinesses,consumers

andgovernmenttoencouragethe

growthanddevelopmentoftheUK

eventsindustry.

In2013-14thecampaign’sobjectives

remaintobuildontheinroadsmade

inthepreviousyearandcontinueto

maketheUKacompetitiveinternational

industry;tobetheofficial‘flagwaver’

fortheindustryandtounderlineits

valuetobusiness,governmentandthe

widerevent-goingpublic.

Toincreasetheinternational

competitivenessoftheUKevents

industry,‘BritainforEvents’aims…

• TobeavoiceoftheUKevents

industry

• Topromotethevalueandvolumeof

theUKeventsindustry

• Topromotethevalueofface-to-face

communication

• Tonegotiatemorefavourable

operatingenvironmentsfor

businesseswithinthemeetingsand

eventsindustry.

Results AchievedInthelastyearover£1mworthof

positivePRwasachievedacrossthe

industry,intobusiness,nationaland

consumermedia,andincludingprint,

broadcastandonlineexposure.

‘BritainforEvents’contributesto

fourannualnationalbusinessevent

supplements–inthispastyearithas

supportedandfeaturedinTheTimes

andGuardianbusinesssupplements:

The Times, Raconteur Business Events, 19 September 2012

131

The Guardian, Business Events Supplement, 15 February 2013

The‘BritainforEvents’CampaignCHAPTER8

Actions and Activity during 2013-20142012-2013wasonceagainalandmark

yearforthecampaign,whichcontinues

togrowitsstatusasthemostinclusive

self-promotionalcampaignfortheUK

eventsindustry.Influenceinfrontof

mediawasgrownthroughfourseparate

nationalsupplements,infrontof

governmentthroughendorsementsand

supportassecretariatfortheAllParty

ParliamentaryGroupInquiryonEvents

–alongsidekeycampaignsupporter

InternationalConfex-andinfrontof

businessthroughgrowingrelationships

withUKTI.Allofthistoencourageevent

organisersaroundtheworldtobuy

British.

Lookingahead,thecampaignhas

receivedevengreaterbacking,

onceagainfromPrimeMinister

DavidCameron,butalsofromHugh

Robertson,MinisterforSport,Tourism

andtheOlympicLegacy,andLord

SebastianCoe,formerChairofthe

LondonOrganisingCommitteeforthe

OlympicGames.

‘BritainforEvents’hasactedas

secretariatforthefirsteverAllParty

ParliamentaryGroup(APPG)inquiry

intothecompetitivenessoftheUK

eventsindustry,thefindingsofwhich

wereannouncedinDecember2013

(seeChapter1).Thecampaignhasbeen

instrumentalinprovidingbackground

informationandreferenceforthe

inquiry,briefingMPs,andproviding

administrationsupportandassistance

totheinquiryChair,NickdeBois

MP.Theinquiry’skeyfindingsand

recommendationswerepresented

totheeventsindustryatabriefingin

December2013.Thisformsamajor

partoftheannual‘launch’eventand

achancetoshinealightontheevents

industry.Directresponsibilitiesand

an‘ActionPlan’fromtheinquirywill

formmuchoftheactivityfor‘Britain

132

forEvents’forboth2013and2014.

Lookingforwarditwillbetheroleof

‘BritainforEvents’toapplypressure

fortheimplementationoftheinquiry

recommendations.

Equally,througharelationshipwith

IMEX,the‘DeclarationofSupport’

initiativeisbeingtakenforwardand

intotheUKmarkettoencouragesenior

governmentministerstosignupand

supporttheindustry.The‘Declarationof

Support’highlightsthecharacteristicsof

thesectorasamajordriverofgrowth

anddevelopmentintheworldeconomy

whereitcreatesjobs,increasestrade,

attractsinwardinvestment,spreads

knowledge,enhancesinnovationand

regeneration,nurturescommunity

cohesionandenrichesthevisitor

economywhilstshapingdestinations.

Thiswillalsoallowthecampaign

tosupporttheCivicLeadersevent

initiativecurrentlybeingdiscussedin

theBVEP.

Turningawayfromthegovernmental

agenda,‘BritainforEvents’hasrecently

formedproductivepartnershipswith

UKSport,UKMusicandtheFestival

OrganisersAssociationtogivefurther

representationtothissideoftheevents

industry.Theserelationshipswillbe

instrumentalinrepresentingthe‘live’

sectoroftheeventsindustryandjoining

closerrelationshipsbetweenliveand

businessevents.

Theserelationshipsbringtheentire

eventslandscapeunderone‘roof’

andthereisnowalsothecollateral

topresentaunitedvoice.Following

successfuldiscussionswith‘No.10’and

VisitBritain,thereisnowanewand

revitalised‘EventsareGREAT’creative

thatisfreefortheindustrytouse

throughitsownpromotionalmarketing,

internationallyanddomestically.The

‘BritainforEvents’relationshipswith

UKTIwillspurthedistributionofthis

creativewithwww.britainforevents.

co.ukactingasthelandingpagefor

thosewishingtoknowmoreaboutthe

industry.

‘BritainforEvents’joinedforceswith

theInternationalSpecialEventsSociety

(ISES)tohosttheE20(May2013),which

saw20majordestinationsandvenues

discussthegrowingroleofcreativity

intheexportofUKeventsandwillbe

takingtheactionpointsforwardto

promotetheUK’screativityinbusiness.

Oneoftheaspectstheindustryasked

thecampaigntolookatisitsrole

insupportingthenextgeneration

ofeventorganisers.In2013‘Britain

forEvents’thereforelaunchedB4E

Generations,partofthecampaign’s

commitmenttoeducatestudentsin

understandingthewiderindustryinto

whichtheyareentering.Alreadythis

hasledtorepresentativesfromthe

campaignspeakingatHertfordand

QueenMargaretUniversitiesandfuture

engagementswithBournemouthand

WestminsterUniversities.

InDecember2013‘BritainforEvents’

announcedthatithadcreatedtwonew

membergroupsaspartofaprogramme

todevelopthecampaign.Thetwo

supportgroups,theAdvisoryCouncil

andSteeringGroup,aredesignedto

strengthentheeffectivenessofthe

campaign,themostinclusiveoftheUK

eventsindustry.TheAdvisoryCouncil

willconsiderthecampaign’sobjectives

anddetermineprioritiesfortheannual

programme.TheSteeringGrouphas

beentaskedwithguidingthecampaign’s

programmeandensuringitseffective

implementation.

Why and how to get involved with Britain for EventsBysupportingthecampaignsupporters

willhave:

- FreeaccessanduseoftheBritainfor

Eventsbrand

- Aseatatthetableateveryeventbeit

business,mediaandgovernmentalto

representtheindustry

- BrandingonalloftheBritainfor

Eventscampaigncollateral

- Knowledgethattheywillbe

contributingtothelongterm

prosperityoftheUKeventsindustry

FurtherInformation

Forfurtherinformation,visit:

www.britainforevents.co.uk

Britain for Events has three main levels of support…

Supporter: £500

Designed exclusively for event industry associations to support the campaign through their alignment, their senior level counsel and by promotion through their membership base

Partner: £1,250

Offered to hotels, venues, regional destinations and corporate organisations to gain a ‘seat at the table’ and input into the direction, delivery and wider distribution of the campaign and its messages

Sponsor: £5,000

Reserved for larger corporations, destinations and brands looking to take a leading role in the direction and delivery of the campaign.

The‘BritainforEvents’CampaignCHAPTER8

Chapter 9Research is Sources of Research and Market Intelligence on the Business Visits and Events Sector

134

SourcesofResearchandMarketIntelligenceontheBusinessVisitsandEventsSectorCHAPTER9

There is a wide variety of data and research on the business visits and events sector. Some of this is produced on a regular (usually annual) basis; some is in the form of ad hoc reports and papers published to address a topical issue; some is only available as a membership benefit from one of the industry’s trade or professional associations (although press releases are usually issued highlighting key points from such information). This chapter provides a summary of key information sources.

TheBVEPResearchGroupwilldiscuss

potentialgapsinexistingresearch

provisionandseektoidentifyhowsuch

gapsmightbestbefilled.

a) Research undertaken on a regular basis

‘Advito’forecastsandwhitepapers

coveringglobaltrendsinthecorporate

travelsector(andincludesapaper

onglobalmeetingsmanagement

consolidation).Advitoisanindependent

operatingunitofBCDTravel,the

world’sthirdlargesttravelmanagement

company,withheadquartersinTexas.

Furtherdetails:www.advito.com

‘AMEX 2013 Meetings Forecast’

–publishedbyAmericanExpress

Meetings&Events,takingalookat

globaltrendsinthecorporatemeetings

sectorandincludingregionalanalyses

forkeyregionsoftheworld.Thereport

isavailablefreeofchargefrom:https://

businesstravel.americanexpress.com/

meetings-and-events/

‘British Hospitality: Trends &

Developments’–BritishHospitality

Association,publishedannually

(October).Overviewof,anddataon,

tourism,leisure,hotelsandhospitality,

includingasectiononemployment

andqualificationsinthesector.Further

details:www.bha.org.uk

‘British Meetings and Events Industry

Survey 2014’–CATPublications

(November2013)–demand-side

databasedoninterviewswith600

eventorganisers(300corporate,300

associationandpublicsector),covering

buyingpatterns,experiencesand

expectations;includeseditorialarticles

fromleadingindustryfigures.Further

details:www.meetpie.com/bmeis

‘Convention 2020’‘Convention2020’

isaglobalstrategicforesightstudythat

islookingattheexhibitions,meetings

andeventssectorfromthe‘outside

in’,designedtohelpleadersacross

themeetingsindustryprepareforthe

decadeaheadtoensuretheystayviable

andcompetitive.Thestudyissponsored

bytheInternationalCongressand

ConventionAssociation(ICCA),IMEX

(thetradeexhibition),FastFutureandby

anarrayofotherindustryorganisations.

Furtherdetails:www.convention-2020.

com

‘EIBTMIndustryTrendsandMarket

ShareReport’–EIBTM/ReedTravel

Exhibitions.Anevaluationofglobal

trendsimpactingmeetingsand

incentives,compiledbyRobDavidson

andpublishedattheEIBTMexhibition

eachyear(November/December).

Thereportcanbedownloadedfreeof

chargefrom:www.eibtm.com

‘Exhibitions and Conferences:

Market Report’ –KeyNoteLtd.A

biennialoverviewoftheUKexhibitions

andconferencemarket,with

assessmentsofmarketsize,trends,

competition,economicforecasts,and

includingsomeexhibitioncompany

profiles–latestedition2013(priced

£575).Furtherdetails:www.keynote.

co.uk

‘Exhibitions & Conferences Market

Report 2013’–ResearchandMarkets

Ltd.LookingattheUKandEuropean

markets.Thereportispricedat€695

foranelectroniccopyandat€871for

ahardcopy.Furtherdetails:

www.researchandmarkets.com

‘European Cities Marketing

Benchmarking Report’–European

CitiesMarketing–anannualreport

focusingonthestrategicand

competitivepositionsofEuropean

citydestinationsinmembershipof

ECM.Furtherdetails:

www.europeancitiesmarketing.com

‘Grass Roots Meetings Industry

Reports’–GrassRoots–previously

producedasamajorannual200-

pagereport,in2013thiswaschanged

toseveralshorterresearchpapers

highlightingtheglobaloutlookand

trendsforthecorporatemeetings

sector.Furtherdetailsfrom:

www.grassroots.uk.com/

‘International Association Meetings

Market 2012’–InternationalCongress

andConventionAssociation(ICCA)

(May2013).Rankingsofallmeeting/

conventioncitiesandcountriesglobally,

withanalysisoftrends.Furtherdetails:

www.iccaworld.com

135

SourcesofResearchandMarketIntelligenceontheBusinessVisitsandEventsSectorCHAPTER9

‘International Passenger Survey’(IPS)

dataoninboundtripsbybusinessvisitors

intotheUK,providingvolumeandvalue

estimatesforvisitorstoconferences,

exhibitions,andotherbusinesstrips,

furtherbrokendownbyregionof

thecountry.Furtherdetails:www.

visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/

‘International Meeting Statistics for

the Year 2012’–UnionofInternational

Associations(June2013).Rankingsofall

meeting/conventioncitiesandcountries

globally,withanalysisoftrends.Further

details:www.uia.org

‘State of the Nation 2013 Hospitality

and Tourism’–publishedannuallyby

People1st,thisisthefourthinaseriesto

examineskillsandlabourmarkettrends

acrosstheUK’shospitalityandtourism

sectors.Availableforfreedownloadby

visiting:www.people1st.co.uk/research

‘The MIA Pathfinder Research’

–MeetingsIndustryAssociation

–aquarterlysnapshotoftrends

experiencedbymeetingsindustry

buyersandsuppliers.Furtherdetails:

www.mia-uk.org

‘Trends and Spends Survey’–an

annualsurveyundertakenbyCAT

Publications(June)onbookingvolumes

ofoutboundconferenceandincentive

tripsfrommajorUKeventagencies.

Asecondpartofthisis‘TheAnnual

FinancialBenchmarksSurveyofUK

EventOrganisers’undertakenbyBrett

HowellAssociatesforCATPublications

(November),whichcomparesthe

year-on-yearfinancialperformanceof

theleadingUKeventagencies.Further

details:www.meetpie.com

‘UK Events Market Trends Survey

2013’–Eventia(July2013)–supply-side

dataonthesize,characteristicsand

trendsoftheUKconference,meetings

andbusinesseventsmarket–basedon

asurveyofover200eventvenues

acrosstheUK.Furtherdetails:

www.eventia.org.uk

b) Reports and publications produced on a one-off basis

‘2014 Travel Price Forecast – M&E

Supplement’–producedbyCWT

Meetings&Events(September2013),

lookingatglobaltrendsformeetings

buyersandsuppliers.Furtherdetails:

www.carlsonwagonlit.com

‘A Modern History of International

Association Meetings 1963-2012’

–publishedbytheInternational

Conference&ConventionAssociation

(ICCA)(2013).Furtherdetails:www.

iccaworld.com

‘Beyond Tourism Benefits’–

producedbyBusinessEventsSydney

(October2011)andexaminestheways

tomeasurethesociallegaciesof

businessevents.Furtherdetails:

www.businesseventssydney.com.au

‘Business Value of Meetings’–a3-year

studypublishedbyMPI(June2011)

focusingonmeetingsoutput/meetings

effectiveness,provingthevalueof

meetingsandbusinessevents’output.

Furtherdetails:www.mpiweb.org

‘Future of Meetings’–aseriesof

reportscompiledbyLeedsMetropolitan

UniversityonbehalfoftheMPI

Foundation.Thereportsareavailable

freeofchargetoMPImembersand

forpurchasebynon-members.Further

details:www.mpiweb.org

INCON articles–aseriesofpapers

publishedbythethisconsortiumof

PCOcompaniesspecialisinginthe

internationalassociationconference

market.Furtherdetails:www.incon-

pco.com

IAPCO Articles–adhocarticles

writtenbymembersoftheInternational

AssociationofProfessionalCongress

Organizers(IAPCO)tocommenton

currentandemergingtrends;in2013

thesecovered:‘Sowhatistheright

venueforyourevent?’,‘Sustainability:

LessonsLearntfromtheGreat

Earthquakeof2011’,‘Attention,Please!

ContentisKing’.Furtherdetails:

www.iapco.orgIAPCOalsopublishesa

rangeofbestpracticepapersavailable

forfreedownloadfromitswebsite.

‘Inside the Mind of a Corporate’–Hotel

BookingAgentsAssociation(September

2009).Apaperreviewingkeyissues

fromabuyerperspective,including:

drivinggreatervalue,consolidating

spend,communicationsandcompliance,

sustainability,travellersecurity.Further

details:www.hbaa.org.uk

‘Labour Market Review of the Events

Industry’–People1st(January2010).

Asurveyexaminingemployment,

training,skills,qualifications,and

continuingprofessionaldevelopment

needsfortheeventssector.

Downloadablefreeofchargefromthe

BusinessVisits&EventsPartnershipweb

site(Researchsection):www.people1st.

co.uk/research/reports

‘Lessons Learned from 2012:

Mega Events and the UK Events

Industry Supply Chain’–research

undertakenbyCrewsadersonbehalf

oftheInternationalSpecialEvents

Society(ISES)(February2013).To

downloadafreecopyvisit:www.

businessvisitsandeventspartnership.

com

136

SourcesofResearchandMarketIntelligenceontheBusinessVisitsandEventsSectorCHAPTER9

‘Measuring up’–2013surveyofthe

UKconferencesectorundertakenby

PricewaterhouseCoopersonbehalfof

theHotelBookingAgentsAssociation

(HBAA)andConferenceCentresof

Excellence.Furtherdetails:www.hbaa.

org.uk / www.cceonline.co.uk

‘Meetings and Conventions 2030:

a study of megatrends shaping

our industry’–studyundertakenby

theInstituteforFuturesStudieson

behalfoftheGermanConvention

Bureau(October2013).Itidentifies

anddescribesfivemegatrends

coveringtechnology,globalization,

mobility,sustainabledevelopmentand

demographicchange.Furtherdetails:

www.germany-meetings.com/future

‘Meetings and Events: Where Savings

Meet Success’–CarlsonWagonlitTravel

(July2010)–anoverviewoftheglobal

meetingsandeventsmarket,including

estimatesforitstotalvalue,andan

8-stepsguidetooptimisingcompany

expenditureonmeetingsandevent

management.Availabletodownload

freeofchargefrom:

www.carlsonwagonlit.com

‘Meetings Plastic: Drastic or

fantastic?’ –HBAAwhitepaper

(December2011)whichexaminesthe

growingpresenceandimplications

ofcreditcardpaymentsinstrategic

meetingsmanagement.Availableto

downloadfreeofchargevialinkfrom:

www.hbaa.org.uk

‘Money for Nothing: Payment models

in the meetings market’–Hotel

BookingAgentsAssociation(February

2009).Apaperreviewingthedifferent

paymentmodelsrelatingtomeetings,

fromcommissiontotransactionfee

tomanagementfee.Furtherdetails:

www.hbaa.org.uk

‘Strategic Meetings Management’–

finalreportpublished2013byMeeting

ProfessionalsInternational(MPI)based

onresearchundertakenbyLeeds

MetropolitanUniversity.Thereportis

availablefreetoMPImembersandfor

purchasebynon-members.Further

details:www.mpiweb.org

‘The Economic Impact of the UK

Exhibitions Industry’-Oxford

EconomicsstudyonbehalfofFaceTime

andVividInterface,publishedFebruary

2012.Thereportcanbedownloaded

freeofchargeat:www.facetime.org.uk/

(Researchsection)

‘The Economic Impact of the UK

Meeting and Event Industry’–two

studiespublishedin2013onbehalfof

theMeetingProfessionalsInternational

FoundationbyLeedsMetropolitan

University.Thestudiescanbe

downloadedfreeofchargefrom:

www.mpiweb.org/ukeis

‘The Future of Meetings’–aseriesof

studiespublishedin2012byMeeting

ProfessionalsInternationalbased

onresearchundertakenbyLeeds

MetropolitanUniversity.Furtherdetails

at:www.mpiweb.org/FOM

‘The Future of Strategic Meetings

Management’–GlobalBusinessTravel

Association(GBTA)reportexamining

thestateofstrategicmeetings

managementprogramsacrossNorth

America(October2013).Availablefree

ofchargetoGBTAmembersandfor

purchasebynon-membersbyemailing:

pyachnes@gbtafoundation.org

‘The Global Business Travel Spending

Outlook 2011-2015’–GlobalBusiness

TravelAssociationstudy(August2011)

analysingthecurrentstateofglobal

businesstravelspendandgrowth

projectionsoverthenextfiveyears.

Furtherdetails:www.gbta.org

‘The Value of CSR in the Meeting

Industry’–researchundertakenby

LeedsMetropolitanUniversityon

behalfofMeetingProfessionals

International(MPI)(2012).Further

details:www.mpiweb.org

‘Top Ten Meeting Trends for 2013’–

BenchmarkHospitalityInternational,

basedoninsightsandfeedbackfrom

itsmanagedhotels,resortsand

conferencecentresinNorth

America–freetodownload.Further

information:www.hospitalitynet.org/

news/4059993.html

‘Why Face-to-Face Business Meetings

Matter’–awhitepaperpublishedby

theInternationalAssociationof

ConferenceCentres(IACC),and

availableforfreedownload.Further

information:www.iacconline.org

‘Wish You Were Here: Music Tourism’s

Contribution to the UK Economy’–

researchcommissionedbyUKMusic

andVisitBritainandundertakenby

OxfordEconomics,publishedOctober

2013.Availableforfreedownloadfrom:

www.ukmusic.org/researcy/tourism-

research

The Joint Meetings Industry Council’s website (www.themeetingsindustry.org) has a very useful list of the publications and reports produced by its international association members. See the website section on ‘Industry Resources’.

Chapter 10Partnership is Business Visits & Events Partnership

138

BusinessVisitsandEventsPartnershipCHAPTER10

The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) is an umbrella organisation representing leading trade and professional organisations, government agencies and other significant influencers in the business visits and events sector.

TheBVEPexiststo:

• garnerthecohesiveopinionofthese

stakeholdersandtocollectively

influenceanddeveloppolicies,

practicesandstrategiesthatsupport

andgenerategrowthinthesector

and,

• raisesectorawarenessthroughclear

communicationsofthesocialand

economicbenefitsofthebusiness

visitsandeventssector.

ThePartnershipseekstoprovidea

cohesivepointofviewfortheentire

businessvisitsandeventssector.

TheBVEPworkswithprominent

sectorleadersincludingitspartners,

governmentdepartmentsandagencies

toinfluenceanddeveloppoliciesand

practicesfavourabletothegrowthof

businessevents,andtradeandcreative

enterprisethroughbusinessvisits

andevents.

Ithasthesupportoftheleadingtrade

andprofessionalorganisationsand

governmentagencieswithashared

interestintheeconomicbenefitand

growthofconferences,meetings,

exhibitions,tradefairs,incentivetravel,

corporatehospitality,ceremonies,as

wellasotherbusiness,sporting,cultural

andfestivalevents.

AccesstofullBVEPinformation

isviathewebsite:www.

businessvisitsandeventspartnership.

com

The partnersPartnersoftheBusinessVisits&

EventsPartnership(asatWinter2013)

comprise:

Association for Conferences and Events (ACE)

KempHouse,152CityRoad,London,

EC1V2NX

T:+44(0)330-2230280;

E:ace@aceinternational.org;

www.aceinternational.org

ACE acts as an information centre

and forum for member organisations

involved in organising, marketing,

accommodating and servicing events.

It also organises training courses

on aspects of event planning and

management.

Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO)

BarnDown,PoolRow,MainStreet,

Willersey,Gloucestershire,WR127PJ

T:+44(0)1386858886;

E:info@abpco.org

www.abpco.org

The aim of ABPCO is to raise standards

of professionalism across the meetings

industry and to increase business for

its members. Membership requires a

high level of professional competence

and experience, and members are also

offered opportunities for training and

personal development.

Association for Events Management Education (AEME)

c/oUKCentreforEventsManagement,

LeedsMetropolitanUniversity,

CavendishHallRoom103,Headingley

Campus,LeedsLS63QU

T:+44(0)1138123484;

F:+44(0)1138123111;

E:G.A.J.Bowdin@leedsmet.ac.uk;

www.aeme.org

AEME exists in order to support and

raise the profile of the events discipline

through the sharing of education

and best practice. It is also the first

international organisation to draw

together events management educators

and will act as a channel through which

industry, professional bodies and the

media can liaise with events education

providers. Membership is open to

individuals and organisations.

Conference Centres of Excellence

EveshamHouse,AshorneHill,

LeamingtonSpa,Warwickshire

CV339QW

T:+44(0)1926448063;

F:+44(0)1926419280;

E:AnthonyLishman@cceonline.co.uk;

www.cceonline.co.uk

Conference Centres of Excellence is

the UK’s only marketing consortium of

top quality, dedicated conference and

training centres. Its skills and resources

are focused on conferences and

learning.

Eventia- IVCA

5thFloorGalbraithHouse,

141GreatCharlesStreet,

BirminghamB33LG

T:+44(0)1212121400;

F:+44(0)1212123131;

E:sarah@eventia-ivca.org;

www.eventia-ivca.org

Eventia-IVCA is the largest UK-based

trade association for communication

professionals involved in the design

and delivery of events, live marketing,

digital and corporate film production. It

provides leadership and representation

on important issues to Government,

regulators and the corporate

community. It also promotes the highest

standards of professionalism and best

practice.

139

BusinessVisitsandEventsPartnershipCHAPTER10

Events Industry Alliance (EIA)

113HighStreet,Berkhamsted,Herts,

HP42DJ

T:+44(0)1442873331;

F:+44(0)144875551;

E:info@eventsindustryalliance.com

www.eventsindustryalliance.com

The EIA is a business created by three

event industry bodies – ESSA, AEO

and AEV – to provide an association

management secretariat service in

the events industry. The Association

of Event Organisers (AEO) is the trade

body representing companies which

conceive, create, develop or manage

trade and consumer events. The

Association of Event Venues (AEV) is

an organisation serving an established

event venue community, focused on

creating and driving platforms that

service fundamental industry needs.

The Event Suppler and Services

Association (ESSA) is a trade association

representing contractors and suppliers

of goods and services to the events

industry. The three Associations are run

by their members for the benefit of the

members through an elected council

of representatives, specialist working

groups and a full-time secretariat. The

aim is to be the voice of the multi-billion

pound event industry, to serve the

collective needs and to promote the

interests of their members and of the

industry at large.

Events Industry Forum (EIF)

c/oTheEventServicesAssociation,

AssociationHouse,18cMoorStreet,

Chepstow,NP165DB

T:+44(0)1291636331

E:jim@tesa.org.uk;

www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk

The Events Industry Forum is an informal

body providing opportunities for events

industry trade associations and similar

bodies to meet to discuss issues of

common interest.

Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA)

9ChestnutSuite,GuardianHouse,

BoroughRoad,Godalming,Surrey

GU72AE

T:+44(0)8456033349;

E:executiveoffice@hbaa.org.uk;

www.hbaa.org.uk

The trade association for the hotel

booking agency, apartment and

venue community. Driving best

practice. Helping both businesses

and individuals within them strive for

the highest professional standards

in the procurement and booking of

accommodation, conferences and

events.

International Congress and Convention Association (UK & Ireland Chapter) (ICCA)

KerrinMacPhie,Chair,c/oACCLiverpool,

KingsDock,LiverpoolL34FP

T:+44(0)1517037260;

E:kerrin.macphie@accliverpool.com

www.iccaworld.com

ICCA is now one of the most

prominent organisations in the world

of international meetings. It is the

only association that comprises a

membership representing the main

specialists in handling, transporting and

accommodating international events.

With 1,000 ICCA members in more

than 90 countries around the world, it

is the most global organisation within

the meetings industry. The UK & Ireland

Chapter has some 75 members and

holds a range of meetings and seminars

throughout the year. It supports industry

research.

International Special Events Society (ISES) UK

ExCeLLondon,1WesternGateway,

LondonE161XL

T:+44(0)207069427;

E:operationsmanager@isesuk.org;

www.isesuk.org and www.ises.com

The International Special Events Society

is the principal association representing

creative event professionals, globally.

Local Authorities Events Organisers Group (LAEOG)

AndrewGrove,Chair,c/oBasingstoke

andDeaneBoroughCouncil,Civic

Offices,LondonRoad,Basingstoke,

Hampshire,RG214AH

T:+44(0)1256845455;

E:chair@laeog.org;

www.laeog.org

LAEOG is an organisation of local

authority employees with a remit for

organising, authorising and facilitating

events. It offers training, and shares

information and best practice. It

supports the industry in working

through change, improving consistency

and striving for excellence.

London & Partners

ConventionBureauandMajorEvents,

2MoreLondonRiverside,London,

SE12RR

T:+44(0)2072345800;

F:+44(0)2073786525;

E:thalliwell@londonandpartners.com;

www.londonandpartners.com

London & Partners is the Mayor

of London’s official promotional

organisation, with a remit to attract

overseas companies, events, students

and visitors to the capital, creating

additional jobs and economic growth for

the city.

140

A not-for-profit public private

partnership, funded by the Mayor of

London and a network of commercial

partners, London & Partners houses the

city’s official convention bureau which

helps to secure business events and

major sporting and cultural events, and

supports the organisers to ensure these

events are a success.

Meet in Ireland

NationsHouse,103WigmoreStreet,

LondonW1U1QS.

T:+44(0)2075183358.

E:jmcelroy@tourismireland.com;

www.meetinireland.co.uk

Meet in Ireland is the official MICE

(meetings, incentives, conference and

events) brand for the island of Ireland.

It comprises three official tourism

authorities: Tourism Ireland, Fáilte

Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist

Board.

Working in partnership with the

tourist boards, Fáilte Ireland in the

South and Northern Ireland Tourist

Board in the North, Tourism Ireland

is the organisation responsible for

marketing the island of Ireland overseas

as a holiday and business tourism

destination.

Meeting Professionals International – UK & Ireland Chapter (MPI)

ManorCottage,SouthMoreton,Didcot,

OxfordshireOX119AH

T:+44(0)7889644527;

E:administrator@mpiuk.org

www.mpiuk.org

MPI is one of the leading associations

for the global meetings industry and

is committed to delivering success

for its 20,000 worldwide members

by providing innovative professional

development, generating industry

awareness and creating business

development opportunities.

Meetings Industry Association

POBox515,Kelmarsh,

NorthamptonshireNN69XW

T:+44(0)8452305508;

F:+44(0)8452307708;

E:info@mia-uk.org;

www.mia-uk.org

The MIA sets the ‘Gold Standards’ for the

UK meetings industry. As a supplier-led,

buyer-focused organisation, the MIA is

committed to benefiting and enhancing

the UK meetings industry through the

encouragement of the highest standards

in facilities and standards.

National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA)

POBox4495,Wells,SomersetBA59AS

T:+44(0)1749674531;

E:Secretary@noea.org.uk

www.noea.org.uk

The National Outdoor Events Association

is the UK’s leading outdoor events

trade association. The association is

dedicated to enhancing professionalism

in the outdoor events industry through

education, networking, lobbying, advice

and creating business opportunities.

The NOEA membership is comprised

of event suppliers, event production

professionals, event and festival

organisers, entertainment agencies,

local authority events departments,

venues, universities and freelancers.

It produces a members’ yearbook and

organises an annual convention and

several regional conferences annually.

Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB)

BusinessTourismUnit,StAnne’sCourt,

59NorthStreet,BelfastBT11NB

T:+44(0)2890441676;

F:+44(0)2890240960;

E:businesstourism@nitb.com;

www.discovernorthernireland.com/

conventionandwww.twitter.com/

businesstourism

NITB supports the activities of the

two city convention bureaux in Belfast

and Londonderry and the key tourism

destinations to attract conference,

association and incentive business

to Northern Ireland. The Business

Tourism Unit facilitates the Northern

Ireland business tourism trade through

participation in overseas promotions,

familiarisation inspections by overseas

conference organisers and incentive

houses and providing a link to suppliers

of conference services.

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)

c/oCarolynClark,35EastWackerDrive,

Suite500,Chicago,IL60601USA

T:+1312.423.7262;

E:cclark@pcma.org;

www.pcma.org

The Professional Convention

Management Association (PCMA) is

the leading organisation for meetings,

tradeshow and event professionals.

PCMA’s mission is to deliver superior

and innovative education and promote

the value of professional convention

management.

BusinessVisitsandEventsPartnershipCHAPTER10

141

VisitEngland

SanctuaryBuildings,20GreatSmith

Street,LondonSW1P3BT

T:+44(0)2075781442.

E:simon.gidman@visitengland.org

www.visitengland.com/business

VisitEngland is the national tourism

organisation for England with

responsibility for growing the value

of international business through

the promotion of England’s superb

corporate events, incentive and large

convention product.

VisitScotland

BusinessTourismUnit,OceanPointOne,

94OceanDrive,EdinburghEH66JH

T:+44(0)1314722355;

F:+44(0)1314722009;

E:businesstourism@visitscotland.com

www.conventionscotland.com

The Business Tourism Unit of

VisitScotland actively promotes Scotland

as a dynamic destination for meetings,

conventions, incentive travel and

corporate events. It produces guides

and brochures to help the meeting or

incentive planner, and gives impartial

advice and assistance with venue

selection.

Visit Wales

VisitWalesProductMarketingTeam,

QEDCentre,MainAvenue,Treforest

IndustrialEstate,Treforest,Pontypridd,

RhondaCynonTaf,CF375YR

T:+44(0)3000616091;

F:+44(0)2920475321;

E:businessevents@visitwales.gsi.gov.uk;

www.businessevents.visitwales.com

Visit Wales, the tourism department

of the Welsh Assembly Government,

provides MICE buyers with impartial

advice, assistance with venue selection,

local knowledge and support services.

Visit Wales also supplies statistics,

consultations and business information

on tourism in Wales, and provides a

range of marketing platforms for Welsh

suppliers.

Supporting Government departments and agencies

Department for Culture, Media & Sport

DepartmentforCulture,Media&Sport,

TourismDivision,2-4CockspurStreet,

LondonSW1Y5DH

T:+44(0)2072116172;

E:mark.harrison@culture.gsi.gov.uk

www.gov.uk/dcms

DCMS fully supports the business events

and tourism sectors. DCMS provides

access to Government endorsements

for international events as part of the

Ministerial Bid Support Initiative.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI)

UKTrade&InvestmentEnquiryService,

BISEnquiryUnit,1VictoriaStreet,

LondonSW1H0ET

T:+44(0)2072155000;

www.ukti.gov.uk(thehomepage

containsenquiryformsforcontacting

UKTIbyemail).

UK Trade and Investment is the

Government organisation that supports

both companies in the UK trading

internationally and overseas enterprises

seeking to locate in the UK. It offers

independent, impartial advice and

support to existing exporters and those

new to international trade.

VisitBritain

VisitBritain,SanctuaryBuildings,20

GreatSmithStreet,LondonSW1P3BT

T:+44(0)2075781000;

E:david.bishop@visitbritain.org;

www.visitbritain.org

VisitBritain is Britain’s national tourism

agency, responsible for promoting

Britain worldwide and developing its

visitor economy. It works with partners

in both the UK and overseas, including

government agencies, such as UK Trade

and Investment (UKTI), the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the

British Council, airlines and operators,

global brands such as Samsung and the

Barclays Premier League, and the official

tourism bodies for London, England,

Scotland, Wales, as well as individual

destinations. It also advises Government

and industry on tourism issues,

particularly those that affect the UK’s

international competitiveness, providing

policy solutions, market intelligence and

customer insights.

BusinessVisitsandEventsPartnershipCHAPTER10

142

BVEP communications and media advisers

Davies Tanner

LongfordHouse,

19MountEphraimRoad,

TunbridgeWells,KentTN11EN

T:+44(0)1892617904;

F:+44(0)1892619101;

E:Alistair.turner@daviestanner.co.uk;

www.daviestanner.com

Davies Tanner is a specialist PR and

communications agency working in

the travel, tourism and events industry

and is communications partner to the

Business Visits & Events Partnership.

BVEP

AccesstofullinformationonBVEP

anditspartnerorganisationsisviathe

website:

www.businessvisitsandevents

partnership.com

2014

BusinessVisitsandEventsPartnershipCHAPTER10