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.

The Summer Summit was a big deal, which all of us at the MIA felt proud to be a part of, and because we recognise that it’s impossible for all our members to attend, we have taken the opportunity to provide a detailed review of the event in this newsletter.  Along with descriptions of the discussions and comments from both days, ensuring you are aware of the main topics and outcomes, we have a review of the key session Leading Organisations and Winning New Business in a Post-Recession World from VisitBritain’s head of business visits and events and partner marketing manager, Simon Mills, and a feature on Visit London’s aims for its proposed Business Tourism Group from its director of business tourism, Tracy Halliwell; an initiative designed to assist London in securing more city-wide congress wins. 

As the MIA reported in June, there’s huge concern in the industry regarding government spending cuts, a topic which was debated at the summit and that is reaffirmed in our latest pathfinder research report which is about to be released.  Some of the findings are summarised in this newsletter.  As a member of the MIA you will receive your free of charge copy in your email inbox within a few days, non members have to pay £99 plus VAT to receive this valuable research!

I believe initiatives such as Visit London’s Business Tourism Group, destination’s ambassador programmes, our own Destinations Group and of course AIM, are now more important than ever if we are to stave off another downturn and return to a period of stability.  The MIA offers many benefits to its members that can be used to great effect by them to protect their businesses; if you’re a member, it really is worthwhile getting in touch with our team to find out what more we can do for you.