MIA: Meetings Industry Association

VisitBritain is pleased to endorse the Meetings Industry Association's Accredited In Meetings (AIM) quality assurance scheme as a national standard for business meeting venues in England.

The quality of meeting venues is an important factor as this key sector develops and grows to compete with destinations from all over the world. Welcoming the largest event in the world in 2012 is a perfect incentive to raise the bar and improve on the quality of our successful and dynamic events industry.
VisitBritain is encouraging all meeting venues in England to become accredited under the AIM scheme, as we believe this is a standard venues should aspire to achieve. As well as driving best practice in terms of quality of product and service delivery, the accreditation also covers criteria for environmental and corporate responsibility issues. As an entry standard, we would encourage venues to achieve the AIM entry level but hope they will seek to obtain the Silver and Gold accolades as their business progresses.

In the near future, VisitBritain will be supporting the scheme by including AIM branding on its Star Quality printed material wherever appropriate, with endorsement on the VisitBritain and Tourism Trade websites and by enabling its venues search system to prioritise AIM-accredited businesses in its search results.

In addition, VisitBritain will encourage Government departments to include AIM as part of their meetings venue and supplier procurement criteria.  VisitBritain will also seek to raise the profile of quality for business meetings and the AIM scheme through the promotion of National Meetings Week.

The AIM accreditation scheme is open to all venues, whether or not they become members of the Meetings Industry Association and where residential accommodation is offered, the VisitBritain accreditation scheme will be available alongside.

We would like to encourage meeting buyers and procurement managers to choose AIM-accredited venues where possible and support the scheme in every way, so it can be developed as a quality assurance marque both UK and international meeting planners can rely on.

Jane Landstrom, Senior Product Marketing Executive at Visit Wales comments, "It's a positive move for Visit Wales to endorse the AIM scheme especially now as we are working with MIA to make AIM more robust in the areas of sustainability and accessibility which will ultimately make the Scheme even better. By including AIM branding within our Star Quality printed material from 2011 and including AIM accreditation as a search criteria when looking for a venue on our new Business Visits and Events website; we will be actively endorsing the AIM scheme as a national standard for Wales and encouraging venues across the country to not only join but also achieve the Silver and Gold Standards"                                   

MeetEngland is the official body responsible for promoting England's superb Business Visits and Events product. Our aim is to raise awareness of the diversity and quality of our product and win more meetings, incentives, conferences and events through effective sales and marketing initiatives both within the UK and around the world.

As part of the national tourism organisation, VisitEngland, we are committed to ensuring that visitors to England receive the highest quality experience throughout their stay in our country.

We are delighted therefore to endorse AIM, the leading Venue Accreditation Scheme in Britain for the meetings and events industry.

"The quality of the visitor experience is paramount to the continued growth of the English visitor economy. VisitEngland already has in place highly successful quality schemes for accommodation and attractions.  The MIA's scheme, AIM, meets all the criteria we would expect from a quality scheme and we are delighted to put our full support behind it" affirms Simon Gidman, Business Visits and Events Manager at VisitEngland.

ABPCO is the organisation that represents UK Professional Conference and Event Organisers, their industry colleagues and those studying for or pursuing a career in the Meetings Industry.  Founded in 1981, ABPCO has historically been the only association in the UK whose Full and Associate members are exclusively individual Professional Conference and Event Organisers who are subject to eligibility, based on experience and professionalism. ABPCO is one of very few conference and event industry associations to select Full and Associate Members based on peer assessment meaning clients and suppliers can expect ABPCO Members to deliver business and ethical standards in the management of national and international association and corporate conferences, seminars, meetings, exhibitions and other events.

ABPCO also offers Corporate Membership to tourism authorities, destination marketing bureaux, convention centres, venues and other industry suppliers to help establish further links to those organisations already supporting the Association. Friend Membership to those individuals who are retired, taking a career break or working in associated industry sectors and Entry Level Membership is open to both under and post graduate conference and event management students and to those looking to move into the industry from another sector.

ABPCO is delighted to acknowledge the importance of Accredited In Meetings by endorsing AIM. As the only UK Association for conference and event organisers whose Full and Associate Membership are subject to eligibility based on experience, professionalism and peer assessment, ABPCO recognises the importance of AIM in ensuring this professionalism extends across the service sector of our industry.