July 2010

They said it couldn’t be done, but I’m pleased to report that four of our industry associations, those being, ICCA, ABPCO, AIPCO and MIA have all worked together to deliver a joint industry event, the Summer Summit, which took place earlier this month.  It’s a significant step forward, not only because the event was a success and a great opportunity for association members to come together and share, knowledge, ideas and best practice, but also because of what it represented; the industry cooperating to tackle the issues and develop solutions.  It’s not the first time the industry has worked in cooperation, we have worked for a considerable amount of time with ABPCO, MPI and the HBAA and, led by the BVEP, the industry has most recently produced for the industry the Events & Meetings Manifesto.  It is, however, the first time we have come together in an event format that succeeded in delivering and sharing best practice and learning.

AIM reaches 80% Awareness
According to respondents to the MIA’s latest Pathfinder Report, 80% of buyers in the Charity/Association/Not for Profit Corporate buyers sector are aware of AIM and 100% state that their decision to use a venue would be influenced by an accreditation scheme like AIM.

The report covers the period April-June 2010 and is the sixth in an ongoing series from the MIA that gives a snapshot of the meetings and events industry in each quarter of every year since September 2008

UK hotels set out again on the road to recovery in May after a halt in April due to the volcanic ash cloud. Occupancy and average achieved room rate (AARR) increased by 4.7% and 3.9% respectively, pushing rooms yield up 8.8% to £65.03, compared with the same period last year. In this article, Robert Barnard, Hotel Consultancy Services partner at PKF Accountants & business advisers, looks at the main trends for UK hotels in the month of May.

Regional UK hoteliers posted the first increase in rooms yield for 2010 in May. The positive performance was driven by the 5.7% rise in occupancy to 72.7%, as AARR fell by a small 0.5% year-on-year. Meanwhile, London hotels continued to gain strength in occupancy and AARR, up 3.1% and 9.0% respectively, pushing rooms yield up to £107.70. With an average occupancy of 83.8% and AARR of £128.52, it seems London hotels are back in demand.

MIA Council Member, Gary Payne, Director, One Great George Street reports on the Digital Economy Act 2010

The MIA has been made aware of apparent students making enquiries to venues and conference organisers with event briefs that don’t actually exist.  Presumably the people responsible are attempting to gain experience and insight into how the industry works, which we all welcome, but this approach is wasting valuable time and therefore costing money.  We are warning our members to be vigilant of event briefs that don’t quite sound genuine; they could turn out to be too good to be true.

If you didn’t make it to the Summer Summit, which took place at ExCeL London on 15th & 16th July and brought together members of ICCA, MIA, ABPCO and AIPCO, you missed a series of entirely engaging and insightful discussions and presentations on the challenges the industry is facing and the solutions that are available to it.  But don’t panic, all is not lost! In this article, we provide a detailed summary of the issues, points raised and suggested outcomes.

Simon Mills, head of business visits and events and partner marketing manager for VisitBritain, Reviews the Summer Summit session ‘Leading Organisations and Winning New Business in a Post-Recession World’ and explains VisitBritain’s initiatives to support business tourism.

Day two of the Summer Summit was dedicated to the need to attract the best talent in terms of school leavers and graduates to the meetings and events industry, thus ensuring the sector has the best people to drive its success in the future.
The morning was hosted by Brian Horsburgh from Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, whose first task was to introduce an inspiring graduate of Strathclyde University, Derek Macmillan.  Derek took to the stand like a seasoned professional to present on his experience of taking an event management degree and his thoughts on how the industry can engage the younger generation. 

Warwick Conferences, has just announced that all three of its training and conference centres are set to benefit from a multi-million pound rolling refurbishment programme, starting this September.

The £2.6 million investment is indicative of Warwick Conferences’ continual quest to provide the best facilities and experience for the 200,000 delegates visiting the venues each year.

Stoneleigh Park Lodge, Warwickshire, a 58 bedroom four star Guest House situated within the grounds of exhibition and conference centre Stoneleigh Park has undergone a first class makeover to its bar, lounge area and a number of bedrooms.

During these austere times it is easy to succumb to the temptation to win business by cutting the price offered to clients, and while I accept it is important to remain price competitive, this price-cutting approach overlooks the fact that one of the key drivers for clients is quality. Quality of facilities; of service; of aftercare.  If quality is right, price is often not such an important motivator.

A new marketing and PR drive, led by York and Scarborough Conferences and supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, has attracted a number of high profile events to York, Scarborough and North Yorkshire, across a range of industry sectors including medical, corporate and public sector.

Conference organisers hosting events in Liverpool will be able to compensate for their carbon impact by donating to a range of green projects across the city.

Foundation, a climate fund for the North West, has joined forces with the Liverpool Convention Bureau (LCB) in the city’s first ever partnership to offer organisers the chance to contribute towards local carbon-reduction projects.

 As the two year countdown begins for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the capital’s official visitor organisation and convention bureau, Visit London, has become the latest UK conference destination to become members of the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) and join its newly established Destinations Group.

Talking at the Summer Summit, Tracy Halliwell, director of business tourism at Visit London, explains the objectives and dynamics of Visit London’s new Business Tourism Group and outlines her expectations as a new member of the MIA Destinations Group. 

''To us, the MIA Destinations Group is a chance to sit down with our colleagues from around the country and have an open and frank discussion.  It’s a chance for all destinations to raise their game together, to raise the competitiveness of the nation so we improve our chances of winning bids nationally; London will benefit along with everywhere else.''

The entire portfolio of Southport Conferences has become fully accredited by the Meeting Industry Association’s conference and meetings industry standard; AIM. 

The Southport Theatre and Convention Centre completed its assessment last week in the cosmopolitan seaside resort, joining Southport Conferences and the remainder of the resort’s associated venues, including the Ramada Plaza, Vincent Hotel, Scarisbrick Hotel, The Royal Clifton Hotel & Spa, The Prince of Wales Hotel, Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa and Aintree Racecourse

Pre Assessment Visits Available Now for all Venues AIM'ing Higher.  The MIA is able to offer venues 2 choices of style of a half day pre assessment visit; one more venue led, the other more assessor led. The style of the visit is very informal, ‘information giving’, encouraging and supporting.

Display your AIM standard with pride to all of your customers and potential customers with an AIM wall plaques.

Designed to suit any building the plaques are the perfect way to announce the quality of your conference venue or service.

When people think of competition law, they sometimes think of representatives of traditional industries meeting in hotel meeting rooms and dividing up a market between them.  But competition law can be far more subtle than this, and covers a broad range of sectors, including those potentially providing the meeting rooms.

Why is it important for MIA members to be aware of competition law?

Low Cost Exhibiting at Event UK for MIA Members

The MIA Pavilion at Event UK, which takes place on 21st 22nd September at the NEC, Birmingham, offers an opportunity for our members to exhibit at the show at a much reduced rate. 

Chartridge Conference Company provides a selection of conference and event venues in Birmingham, Chesham, Hitchin, Welwyn and Swindon. Chartridge works with clients, using its teams’ skills, experience and enthusiasm to create events that make people feel good about getting work done.  The venues offer space to relax in beautiful grounds and the food is cooked and served by the company’s own chefs. Rooms are bright, inviting and adaptable and all venues have fitness rooms to work out in, Lydiard House, in Swindon, also offers an indoor swimming pool.
The company caters for conferences, meetings, training, team building, weddings, Christmas parties, funeral receptions and private celebrations. 

The Association has secured twelve new members during July, including several who will take places at the newly created Destination Group. The growth in membership follows increased interest from the meetings industry in the MIA’s AIM accreditation scheme and the Destinations Group, both of which are delivering substantial benefits to members.