BVEP

BUSINESS & EVENTS TOURISM BRIEFING

The ‘Briefing’ will aim to scope the volume, value, characteristics, current issues, trends and opportunities for the Events sector. Specifically sections will cover (actual titles may change):

Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction......................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2 – Industry Overview ............................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 3 – Global Competitive Landscape .......................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4 – The Composition of the Industry....................................................................................... 18 Chapter 5 - National Perspectives from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales ........................ 56 Chapter 6 – VisitBritain’s Role in Support of Business Visits and Events.............................................. 67 Chapter 7 – Quality, Standards and Sustainability................................................................................ 70 Chapter 8 – Education, Skills, CPD, Qualifications ................................................................................ 74 Chapter 9 - Careers in the Events Sector .............................................................................................. 83 Chapter 10 – Sources of Research and Market Intelligence on the Business Visits and Events Sector 88 Chapter 11 - BVEP’s Role and Membership .......................................................................................... 95

The Business Visits and Events Partnerships gratefully acknowledges the generous support provided by Confex Group in the publication of this report. (??)

This ‘Briefing’ has been compiled by Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services (www.tonyrogers.com) on behalf of the Business Visits & Events Partnership. It includes contributions from many BVEP members.

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Chapter 1 – Introduction Britain’s business visits and events industry is a vibrant sector of the visitor economy but also has an active role in the creative industries, trade development and in growing cultural appreciation.

Britain has a well-developed infrastructure of destinations, venues and service suppliers offering an array of facilities and a depth of expertise to ensure the successful staging of events and a guarantee of a memorable experience for those attending them. The creative and production skills of the event organising companies located in Britain are second-to-none, as evidenced by their superb track record in designing and staging some of the highest-profile events in the world, from the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games to the summits of the G8 political leaders, from major events industry trade exhibitions (such as ‘IMEX’ and ‘EIBTM’) to leading edge motivational events.

Servicing business visitors and delivering world-class events also means providing stimulating careers and employment opportunities. Some 530,000 people are estimated to be working in the sector.

Details on these opportunities and how to access them are included in this Briefing.

With so many diverse areas, including meetings and conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs, outdoor events, incentive travel, corporate hospitality, cultural and sporting events and festivals, its leading organisations are intent on working together to support a competitive, high quality and more profitable events sector in Britain.

The Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010, has worked together with the support of the entire events community to compile this Briefing in order to communicate the value of this vital industry and influence policies favourable to its continued growth.

The Briefing is one of a number of initiatives undertaken by the BVEP to position the sector at the forefront of thinking by both the Government and the wider business community. The Briefing reveals the scope and characteristics of the sector’s various segments. It identifies trends and highlights key issues and challenges which, if not addressed, could undermine Britain’s position as one of the leading players in this highly competitive, global marketplace.

Michael Hirst OBE, Chair Business Visits & Events Partnership October 2010

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Chapter 2 – Industry Overview The Economic Dimensions of Britain’s Events Sector The global market for corporate meetings and events is worth US$650 billion, according to a new report Meetings and Events: Where Savings Meet Success, published by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (July 2010). This figure does not include national and international association and government meetings and conventions, or sporting, music and cultural events which, in their totality, make up the diverse, dynamic and hugely important business visits and events sector.

In Britain, the sector is worth over £36 billion per annum to the national economy. It generates 25% of all overseas visits and 28% of all inbound tourism earnings. Business visitors spend on average £131 per day – 72% more than the amount spent by leisure visitors on a daily basis, while visitors to UK exhibitions from overseas spend 193% more per day than leisure visitors to Britain.

Table 2.1 provides the latest available estimates on the value of the individual segments of the discretionary events sector (ie. where some influence can be brought to bear on where such events take place). Non-discretionary business visits (ie. trips by sales representatives to meet a client or by a lorry driver to deliver a cargo) are estimated to be worth at least £7 billion per annum.

Additionally, trade transacted at exhibitions and other business events held in the UK is conservatively estimated to be worth over £100 billion.

Table 2.1 



Conferences and meetings - £18.8 billion in terms of net revenue to venues and the wider economic benefit to destinations through expenditure by delegates on travel, entertainment, eating out, shopping, etc. There were an estimated 1.32 million conferences and meetings in 2009 attended by an estimated 94 million people Exhibitions and trade shows - £9.3 billion in terms of wider economic impact



Incentive travel - £1.2 billion



Corporate hospitality - £1 billion



Outdoor events - £1 billion



Festivals and cultural events - £1.1 billion



Music events - £1.4 billion



Sports events - £2.3 billion



TOTAL for discretionary (ie. influenceable) events = £36.1 billion

Employment There are over 25,000 businesses in the sector including event organisers, venues, suppliers, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), destination management companies (DMCs), and others. The best estimates are that the sector sustains at least 530,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.

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Investment Britain has an excellent track record of investing in its event facilities and supporting infrastructure.

Some examples of significant current investments at destination and venue level indicate the scale of such investments, and include: 

International Convention Centre, London (at ExCel) - £165 million



Edinburgh International Conference Centre expansion - £85 million



Telford’s Convention Quarter development - £250 million



Expansion of the ACC Liverpool - £45 million



Heythrop Park Conference Centre, Oxfordshire - £50 million



Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club – to include a 450-capacity function room



Donald Trump’s hotel, conference and golf resort near Aberdeen - £115 million



Leeds Arena – 13,500 capacity due for completion by 2012 - £55 million



Ongoing investment in London on projects directly benefiting the visitor in the countdown to the 2012 Games are worth some £11 billion. Key projects include the completion of the East London line and the regeneration of King’s Cross St Pancras, but the capital will also witness small business initiatives like the opening of London’s first punting station on Regents Canal and a new floating hotel.

Other examples of investment projects and expenditure are to be found in this Briefing.

The Value of Inbound Business Visits and Events.

The International Passenger Survey (IPS) reveals the scale of the inbound business visitor market for Britain. It shows that (update with 2009 figures?):    

8.1 million inbound business visitors came to the UK in 2008 they generated £4.6bn for the UK economy equivalent to 25% of all visits and 28% of inbound visitor spending provisional data from the first 9 months of 2009 indicates approximately 1.5 million inbound visitors said they went to live music events in the UK.

Research confirms that, if a business or event visitor leaves with a positive impression, up to 40% of them will return at a later date for a holiday, often bringing family with them.

Table 2.2 summarises trends for inbound business visitors in terms of the volume and value of such trips.

Table 2.2

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Source: VisitBritain/International Passenger Survey Table 2.3 highlights the wide range of source markets for inbound business visitors.

Table 2.3

 

Business visitors arrived on our shores from no fewer than 134 different countries in 2008.

Germany accounted for the most business visits with 930,000 trips, or one-in-eight of all business visits, but Britain welcomed more than 100,000 business visitors from a total of seventeen countries, including three long-haul markets; USA, India and Canada.

Source: VisitBritain/International Passenger Survey Table 2.4 provides an analysis of the volume and spend of business visitors by different segments.It is evident that those visiting Britain to attend a conference or large meeting, or attend a trade fair/exhibition spend much more per night, and per visit, than those coming to the UK for a run-ofthe-mill business visit.

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It is easier to influence those attending a conference, trade fair or exhibition to either extend their stay, or undertake leisure activities during their visit than it is those who are in Britain for other types of business trips Table 2.4 Final 2008 figures

Source: VisitBritain/International Passenger Survey

Table 2.5 reveals the top source markets for inbound visitors to UK conferences, large meetings, and exhibitions/trade fairs.

Table 2.5

  

Ireland tops the table for visits to attend a trade fair or exhibition, USA, with almost 140,000 visits, that leads the pack for visits to attend either a conference or large meeting.

This is an area where marketing activity can help Britain win the battle to host more such events

Source: VisitBritain/International Passenger Survey

Traditionally the final three months of the year account for more business and event visits than earlier quarters. While one-in-eight inbound business visits does not involve an overnight stay, 60% last for between one and three nights. Figure 2.1 provides further detail on the seasonal spread of inbound business visits and the duration of stay.

Figure 2.1

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2012 Games An Oxford Economics report estimates that more than a fifth of tourism benefit from the 2012 Games will come from additional business visits expenditure, equivalent to £433m at 2006 prices.

The Games will provide an unrivalled opportunity to show the world just how good Britain is at planning and delivering major international events.

London 2012 will also be a catalyst to improve transport infrastructure, conference facilities and media facilities, all of which are vital ingredients in the fiercely competitive battle to be a leading international business destination.

Music and Cultural Events Going to live music concerts or events is rated as the 16th best activity to do in Britain (out of 32), and is 19th on the list of priorities in terms of likelihood to participate. There is some variation when looking at how different countries rate it. Nordic nations are the most positive about Britain’s live music events. Other nations from Western Europe (eg. Portugal, Spain, Ireland) and Latin America are reasonably positive too.

Research undertaken for VisitBritain by TNS in 2007 showed that the availability of cultural events, music, and festivals in Britain is a ‘hidden opportunity’. Hidden opportunities are not regarded as important in choosing a holiday destination, but they do have a sizeable impact on visitors’ experiences. Encouraging more visitors to get involved with these highly rated activities once they have decided to come to Britain in the first place should help drive repeat visits and recommendation of Britain as a destination.

Event Social Impacts The benefits of meetings and events are not just economic. Meetings and events have other positive impacts on society, contributing to health and wellbeing, education, social diversity, community spirit and cohesion, and civic pride. Events help to foster diversity in our local culture and heritage, providing opportunities for further destination expansion and growth. A new web site provides further information on the broader impacts and benefits of events. Visit: www.eventimpacts.com

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Changing Perceptions and the Profile of Business Events Rod Cameron of the Association Internationale des Palais de Congrès (AIPC), writing in ‘Conference+Meetings World’ magazine (June 2010), urges that, in order to promote a better understanding of the meetings industry and business events industry, a number of issues need to be addressed: 

Firstly, we need to emphasise the role that meetings play in economic, professional and educational development and downplay the leisure aspect. There has never been a greater opportunity for the industry, as the world continues to look at the course the recovery will take, and to search for any activities that can promise support in this regard. But to achieve this, we need to be taken more seriously



Secondly, we need to enhance both the content and perceived value of meetings in order to give planners and delegates the arguments they need to justify their investment of time and resources



In particular, we need to put more emphasis on the ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes that will resonate with increasing corporate concerns about return on investment (ROI).

He concludes: The fact is, nobody holds a meeting in order to fill hotel rooms, that’s simply a byproduct, and yet most of our current industry measures relate to what delegates spend, not what they actually accomplish. This trivialises meetings in the eyes of those who see them as engines for business and professional progress.

These points are reinforced by Leigh Harry, President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC – an international body representing the major international trade associations), Chief Executive of Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre and President of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), who says (IMEX-Frankfurt 2011 newsletter – July 2010): The most recent ‘image crisis’ was a direct result of our industry being seen by many as more closely related to leisure than economic and professional development. We are challenged by the fact that our greatest value is difficult to measure, that is, what meetings actually accomplish such as professional and technical advancement, new investment, innovation and technology transfer. These are the real reasons meetings and conventions take place.

Will Hutton, former UK Observer newspaper editor, speaking at the AIPC annual conference, held at the ACC Liverpool (July 2010), said that convention centres were now part of the emergent knowledge economy, and he described them as ‘knowledge transfer institutions’. The key to their future success would be to form strategic alliances with knowledge businesses and sectors.

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CASE STUDY Business Events Council of Australia A new paper published in 2010 by the Business Events Council of Australia emphasizes the important role that business events can play in fostering innovation. Its findings are equally applicable to the UK. Entitled Delivering Innovation, Knowledge and Performance: The Role of Business Events, the paper recommends: As fostering innovation is such an important national building endeavour and business events have a key role to play in this activity, strategies need to be identified that can best leverage the role of business events, particularly in key industry sectors targeted for growth by government Given the view that the impacts of business events are largely synonymous with tourism, there need to be greater efforts made to raise awareness within key government portfolios and industry sectors as to the broader value and potential of business events At a time when Australian universities are under substantial pressure to cut costs, a campaign should be launched to highlight the important role that business events play in helping researchers create and disseminate innovation. The benefits to individual universities hosting international research conferences should also be highlighted More effort should be made to encourage associations and companies to assess the ROI of the business events they stage so that the outcomes from these events are captured and there is wider recognition of the benefits that can be derived.

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Chapter 3 – Global Competitive Landscape 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 such events can only be achieved through lengthy, sustained, expensive, and high-profile activity. Images of bidding teams assembling weighty bid documents and supporting 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.

It is undeniably the case that we live in a global marketplace and competition from other destinations, both cities and countries, grows fiercer continually. Chapter 2 in this Briefing describes some substantial investments in the UK’s physical product designed to attract major events to these shores. Other parts of this Briefing describe additional forms of investment (in quality and standards, education and training and skills development, marketing, innovation and creativity, for example) being made to strengthen and secure the UK’s ‘offer’ in this highly competitive, dynamic international industry.

One or two statistics help to put the scale of the global competition into context: 

huge investments have been made and continue to be made in facilities and infrastructure by many countries. In the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have led the way while, in Qatar, the Qatar National Convention Centre is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2011 at an estimated cost of US$ 1.2 billion



the Union of International Associations (UIA) publishes annual rankings of international meetings held in 185 countries around the world. While not all of these countries are active marketers in terms of winning such meetings business, many are and the number increases constantly. The table below illustrates the UK’s market share in this sector of major events business

A session at a ‘Summer 2010 Summit’ organised by several events sector trade associations (ABPCO, MIA, ICCA, AIPCO) included a panel session on ‘Winning Business in a Post-Recession World’. There was a strong sense among panellists that Britain has a great deal to offer in terms of securing international events business, and that ‘adding value’ was as important for success as ‘price’.

Panellists urged that Britain should do more to utilise its strengths, especially its established network of world-renowned university and college venues to influence academic conventions to come to the UK. Working together across destinations, knowledge, best practice and resource-sharing would help the UK to raise standards and enjoy an increased market share.

The UK has enjoyed significant success in attracting major sporting events, described further in the references to a ‘Decade of Sport’ later in this Briefing, but comparative data is not available to show how successful the UK has been in securing events against international competition for many of the

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other individual segments of business visits and events. There is, however, well established research into the staging of international association and international governmental conventions and conferences, published annually by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) and the Union of International Associations (UIA). While the UK has different rankings in the two datasets for 2010 (different criteria are used – see below), both suggest that there is still ‘room for improvement’. Recommendations for achieving such improvements are listed later in this chapter.

ICCA Country and City Rankings The ICCA rankings cover meetings organised by international associations which take place on a regular basis, attract a minimum of 50 participants and rotate between a minimum of three countries. The data represents a ‘snapshot’ of qualifying events in the ICCA Association Database as sampled in May 2010. This year ICCA identified 8,294 events which took place in 2009.

Table 3.1

Number of meetings per country Ranking

Country

Number of meetings

Number of meetings per city Ranking

City

Number of meetings

1

USA

595

1

Vienna

160

2

Germany

458

2

Barcelona

135

3

Spain

360

3

Paris

131

4

Italy

350

4

Berlin

129

5

United Kingdom

345

5

Singapore

119

6

France

341

6

Copenhagen

103

7

Brazil

293

7

Stockholm

102

8

Japan

257

8

Amsterdam

98

9

China – P.R.

245

Lisbon

98

10

Austria

236

10

Beijing

96

Netherlands

236

11

Buenos Aires

90

12

Switzerland

214

Seoul

90

13

Canada

213

Budapest

87

14

Sweden

184

Madrid

87

15

Republic of Korea

176

Prague

86

13

15

11

16

Australia

169

16

London

83

17

Portugal

168

17

Istanbul

80

18

Denmark

151

18

Sao Paulo

79

19

Argentina

145

19

Bangkok

76

20

Belgium

130

20

Athens

75

UIA Country and City Rankings 2010 The UIA rankings cover meetings: i) ‘A’ Heading 

organised or sponsored by ‘international organisations’ (ie. non-governmental organisations and intergovernmental organisations included in the UIA’s Yearbook of International Organisations



with at least 50 participants, or number of participants unknown

ii) ‘B’ Heading 

meetings nor organised or sponsored by ‘international organisations’ but nonetheless of significant international character, notably those organised by national organisations and national branches of international organisations, and



at least 40% of the participants are from countries other than the host country and at least 5 nationalities are represented, and



lasting 3 days, or of unknown duration, and



with either a concurrent exhibition or at least 300 participants.

The table below combines ‘A’ and ‘B’ meetings. 11,929 meetings were included in the reporting year, an increase from 11,423 in 2008.

Table 3.2

Number of meetings per country Ranking

Country

Number of meetings

Number of meetings per city Ranking

City

Number of meetings

1

USA

1085

1

Singapore

689

2

Singapore

689

2

Brussels

395

12

3

France

632

3

Paris

316

4

Germany

555

4

Vienna

311

5

Japan

538

5

Geneva

183

6

Belgium

470

6

Berlin

171

7

Netherlands

458

7

Prague

170

8

Austria

421

8

Stockholm

159

9

Italy

391

9

Seoul

151

10

Spain

365

10

Barcelona

148

11

Republic of Korea

347

11

Tokyo

134

11

UK

347

12

Copenhagen

127

12

Switzerland

336

13

Amsterdam

126

13

Sweden

246

14

London

125

14

Canada

229

15

Lisbon

115

15

Australia

227

16

Budapest

108

16

Czech Republic

199

17

Rome

104

17

Portugal

194

18

New York

95

18

China

173

19

Maastricht

88

19

Finland

166

20

Washington DC

83

20

Denmark

162

Enhancing the UK’s Competitive Position The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) published a ‘Meetings and Events Manifesto for Britain’ (June 2010), in which it makes the following recommendations for enhancing Britain’s competitive position: 1. Recognise and expand the contribution the Sector makes economically, socially and culturally to tourism, trade and creative enterprise, by: o

Supporting the showcasing of Britain as a leading global destination for business, cultural leisure and sports events

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o

Appointing a Government Minister to engage industry leaders in an initiative to revitalise the British economy through the establishment of a National Events programme

o

Creating an All-Parliamentary Group for Events

o

Asking Members of Parliament with constituencies that have a reliance on business visitors and event activities to play a prominent role in the annual National Meetings and Events Week (October)

o

Better co-ordination of policies towards the Sector across Whitehall Departments, especially DCMS, Treasury, Trade and Transport

o

Using the expertise within the Events Sector to develop Britain’s creative enterprise.

2. Ensure adequate support is allocated to National, Regional and Local Government Bodies to develop relevant infrastructure and promote business visits and events o

Maintain long-term support for those agencies which promote and invest in the future of business visits and events

o

Encourage policies that optimise trade development, information exchange and research and development through the use of conferences, exhibitions and events

o

Encourage local authorities to recognise the positive impact events have on local economies and destination place making. Initiate a National programme to better inform local authority managers of how Events can promote their destination’s image and prosperity

o

Encourage local authorities to invest in Event facilities and adopt an Events Plan

o

Encourage local government to open public buildings for event use.

3. Government involvement in the process of attracting events to Britain o

Procure letters of bid support from across Government Departments and greater involvement of Ministers in the bid process

o

Involvement of Ministers in welcoming overseas organising committees and attendance at opening ceremonies

o

Secure events which augment and support key industry sectors

4. Realise the benefits of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games o

Support the promotion of Britain as the leading global destination for business, cultural leisure and sports events

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o

Facilitate better communication between the Olympic organising committees and the Events Sector to better understand programme requirements and allocation of resources

o

Assist the Sector to ensure full realisation of the legacy of the Olympics in relation to increased business and leisure events

o

Recognise the potential of Britain as a key destination for motivational events.

5. Encourage high operating standards and the development of sector quality, skills and qualifications o

Support the roll-out of the accredited in meetings (AIM) quality standard across all event venues and encourage Government support for their exclusive use of AIM quality-accredited venues

o

Engage with industry leaders on the importance of supporting a sector quality, skills and qualifications strategy and implementation programme to include an Institute of Event Management; a framework for continuing professional development and a web portal to signpost skill needs, industry-accredited qualifications, Further and Higher Education programmes in Event Management and careers opportunities.

6. Achieve more balanced regulation on the Sector and establish better co-ordination between Government Departments in the setting of policies that affect the Sector o

Encourage government and local departmental spending on communications, training, information exchange and policy development through the use of live events

o

Provide a flexible, cost effective employment environment for employers in the Sector who employ a combined total of 530,000 people

o

Reform The Package Travel Regulations to remove B2B transactions with large corporate customers

o

Reform ATOL licensing to create a level playing field between tour operators and airlines and to exempt transactions between event management companies and large corporate clients

o

Support the development by the industry of a new Event Management Guide which will cross-reference additional guidelines developed by the industry in consultation with, and endorsed by, Government Departments to the Health & Safety Guidelines being produced jointly with the Health & Safety Executive

o

Encourage a more welcoming and more efficient Visa processing system for business and special event visitors and artists and entertainers

o

Trial ‘Daylight Saving’ to produce lighter evenings all year round which would benefit outdoor events with longer opening hours and increase business.

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7. Implement fair fiscal and taxation measures that encourage the growth of business visits and events o

Ensure that the Sector’s 25,000 businesses, comprising mainly small businesses, operate in a supportive and competitive environment

o

Reinstate corporate hospitality allowances on activities that seek to bring business and events to Britain to include Inward Missions, bidding for major events, and entertaining to grow exports

o

Establish National Subvention packages for UK destination bidding processes to be able to compete with competitor countries

o

Adjust VAT on accommodation, conference and event services in line with European levels to create a level playing field with key competitors

o

Reintroduce investment allowances to hotels, convention centres and event venues

o

Reform the Tour Operators Margin Scheme (TOMS) to reintroduce a B2B opt-out option

8. Improve infrastructure and transport o

Offer incentives to airlines to increase access to major cities

o

Greater investment in rail networks, especially to and from airports to major event destinations e.g. Leeds, Belfast, Edinburgh have no rail links from the airport to the city centre

o

Support the creation of world class conference, exhibition and event facilities

o

Improve and monitor the quality of welcome for inbound visitors including the provision of efficient transfer, better information and bespoke signage.

9. Facilitate research and data to better inform marketing and investment decisions o

Initiate better and more consistent quantitative data collection and coordination so that statistics can be aggregated and provide better information on the value of business visits and events

o

Coordinate with DCMS and Government Agencies an economic impact study of the Events Sector

o

Encourage the roll-out of ‘Eventimpacts’ to the cultural, festival, outdoor events, conference and exhibition sub-sectors to gauge the social and cultural impacts of events

o

Encourage competitiveness and buyer motivation studies.

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A number of the key Manifesto themes are explored in more detail throughout this Briefing. The full ‘Manifesto’ text can be downloaded from the homepage of the BVEP web site: www.businessvisitsandevents.com

CASE STUDY CHINA NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER The ongoing march towards equipping the country as a leading international meetings and events destinations continues apace. In 2009 the highlight was the opening in October of the China National Convention Center (CNCC) in Beijing. With its gross floor area of 270,000 sqm, the CNCC was an important element in the overall plan for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when it served as the main press centre and international broadcasting location, as well as providing the venue for fencing and pistol shooting competitions. The CNCC, located in the heart of Olympic Green, already has a healthy level of bookings for 2010 and beyond. For its first five years of operation there are a total of 173 events expected to attract over 320,000 attendees to Beijing. These include 56 international or regional association congresses, 66 national meetings as well as several government and corporate meetings.

Source: ‘EIBTM 2009 Industry Trends and Market Share Report’ (Reed Travel Exhibitions)

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Chapter 4 – The Composition of the Industry This chapter examines the individual segments that make up the events ‘industry’ in detail, looking at their key characteristics and trends, volume and value data, issues affecting future growth, etc.

The business to business (b2b) sector can be characterised as extremely dynamic and an arena that embraces a wide spectrum of live events providing creative and valuable solutions for corporate customers. Solutions that show events are now used very much as experiential brand experiences delivering powerful and effective marketing and communication messages right across the board.

The business in the UK today is diverse and it is estimated that there are in excess of 3000 agencies of differing genres organising live events of some kind. In addition to traditional event organisers, these agencies range from small PR companies to event marketing organisations through to large multinational production houses.

The events they organise range from off-site board meetings and company AGMs to association meetings, large scale medical symposia, major product launches through to opening and closing ceremonies for worldwide events, such as the Olympic Games.

However, the events sector is not confined to business to business events. There are also business to consumer (b2c) events as well as an array of leisure events ranging from sports to music to other cultural events, both indoor and outdoor.

The sector could not function without the myriad of suppliers who deliver products and services to ensure that events are staged successfully and profitably. The different types of suppliers are also described in this chapter. a)

UK CORPORATE CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

Definition and Background The corporate or for-profit segment encompasses all the varied purposes for which meetings, conferences and events are held by companies or corporate organisations, including the following:       

sales conferences product launches management meetings training courses business presentations Annual General meetings Incentive trips (covered separately later in this chapter)

The ‘EIBTM 2009 Industry Trends and Market Share Report’ (published December 2009) reports that corporate meetings and events were hardest hit during the recession. It noted specifically: 

Ever shorter lead times, as clients show increasing reluctance to commit themselves to signing contracts with suppliers significantly in advance of their meeting or event



Clients shopping around more and comparing prices for facilities and services

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

Greater use of one-day events to reduce the number of overnight stays



A reduction in the number of suppliers they use, to increase the potential for economies of scale.

There is now (Summer 2010) anecdotal evidence of a resurgence in the corporate events market, with event budgets increasing, higher levels of activity and a greater degree of confidence about future prospects.

In volume terms the UK Events Market Trends Survey 2010 indicates that 47% of the estimated 1.32 million conferences and meetings held at UK venues in 2009 was generated by the corporate sector.

Other Characteristics The British Meetings & Events Industry Survey researches 300 corporate organisers annually. The 2009 survey revealed the following characteristics for this segment:     

Corporate events tend to have lower numbers of attendees than other types of conference (see next two sections). Main annual events for corporates are most frequently for fewer than 200 delegates, while fewer than 50 attend most other types of event On average 37% of events are residential, with the majority (73%) of corporates stating that this proportion had not changed compared with the previous year Their preferred venue choices are city centre hotels (by far the most popular), luxury venues, purpose-built convention centres and multi-purpose venues (the three latter being rated equally) Primarily location, price/value for money and access influence choice of venue, although quality of service and quality/capacity of conference facilities are also very important Issues of most concern to corporate event organisers for events in the next 12 months were listed (in priority order) as: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

reduced budgets / pressure to reduce costs venues’ cancellation policies the economic climate affecting the company or market sector terms and conditions for venues and suppliers producing interesting events with relevant content to the audience corporate social responsibility (CSR) green/environmental issues demonstrating return on investment (ROI) for their events video conferencing replacing live events virtual meeting and webinars replacing live events.

30% of corporates confirmed that procurement or purchasing departments were involved in decisions on the buying of conference services.

Economic Benefits It is difficult to define the universe for this segment in terms of exactly what constitutes a meeting and how many companies hold events at any one time. Estimating the value, therefore, is also difficult. However, the corporate meetings segment is recognised as one of the most valuable and

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highest yielding segments of the conference market. It accounts for almost one-half (47%) of all events taking place in a market with a total estimated value of £18.8 billion.

Corporate organisers researched for the British Meetings & Events Industry Survey 2009 spent an average £209,730 per year on events. They budgeted an average of £54 per delegate as a ‘day delegate rate’ and £146 per delegate as a ’24-hour delegate rate’.

Trends and Issues The health of the economy in general, the state of markets and market changes in industry hugely affect corporate events. Mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, relocation and modification of products and services will remain features of the landscape throughout 2010 and into 2011.

But some things never change. Events are still essential to communicate, educate, inform, to enable networking, to motivate teams and to achieve business objectives. And, in difficult times, live communication (face-to-face events, constructive and self-financing reward programmes, staff briefings, and the like) is of paramount importance in helping to deliver this intention.

The Meetings Industry Association’s (MIA) ‘Pathfinder’ research on the second quarter of 2010 neatly summarises the general state of industry confidence and activity. It reports that the gradual growth in the number of day conferences, 24-hour conference and events business noted in its first quarter (January-March 2010) survey continues, albeit mainly at a slow pace.

Commenting on other corporate sector trends Izania Downie, Eventia CEO, writes: “Our industry is at a tipping point in the understanding and adoption of technology. Embracing the digital media age and appreciating its role within the fast-evolving media mix and then being able to harness that to engage audiences is more crucial now than ever before. The much-discussed hypothesis of whether ‘virtual’ will ever replace ‘live’ events is irrelevant. There is a place for both in a healthy, symbiotic business relationship.

Then, of course, there is the key component of delivering a return on investment and here, too, change is apparent and exciting. The revolution in integrated event technology that provides valuable intelligence and measurable results from event programmes will continue to evolve. The business card has come a long way. Our task is to demonstrate the absolute value of the meetings and live events industry as a quantifiable investment, not a frivolous cost.”

Far from reducing the need for meetings, the proliferation of text, e-mail and internet messaging has increased the value and importance of face-to-face communication. “Making messages memorable” has become the greatest business challenge of the 21st century.

Interactive conferences have become the popular vehicle for the effective delivery and retention of key messages. So, out goes the theatre-style presentation from the file of suited directors hiding behind the lectern on a lofty and distant stage and in comes “Gladiator style” in-the-round tiered seating and roving microphones for intimate and relaxed Q&A sessions.

An increasing use of theatrical and audience participation techniques is also evident. Rather than simply being added to the end of conference programmes, team challenges, quizzes and group

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musical performances are all being integrated to encourage real involvement and assist with message retention.

Corporate conference organisers also have high expectations for all aspects of their meeting experience, demanding high quality meeting facilities and service, as justification for use of their valuable time in holding meetings. Recruiting and training staff to meet these service requirements is a continuing challenge for those providing facilities and services for conferences, meetings and other business events.

b)

UK ASSOCIATION CONFERENCES

Definition and Background While corporate meetings relate to events in the for-profit sector, an important part of the market is comprised of not-for-profit organisations i.e. public sector entities (local and central government, National Health Service, educational bodies), national and international associations. Public sector events are significant in terms of volume and value: just over a third of all business events are staged by public sector bodies, a figure which may reduce in the next few years as a result of the reductions in public sector budgets. There is, however, relatively little research on public sector events per se.

This section of the ‘Briefing’, and the next section, will therefore focus on ‘association’ conferences, which are the target of much marketing activity by event destinations and venues.

The ‘national association’ conference segment includes a wide range of not-for-profit organisations whose memberships and affiliations are primarily national rather than international. Such organisations include:    

professional associations and institutions trade associations trade unions societies and educational bodies

as well as a plethora of voluntary bodies of which membership is more related to a hobby or interest rather than a person’s employment e.g. political parties, charities, voluntary associations, religious groups. The term ‘national association’, while not being very precise, is used to describe this segment.

In volume terms, research indicates: 



a universe of up to 3,000 UK national associations active in the conference market. However, it is a dynamic segment with associations being created (and also being dissolved) on a continuous basis, so that there can never be more than an informed estimate of the total number of such organisations national associations form a significant part of the UK conference market, accounting for around 16% of all conferences held (UK Events Market Trends Survey 2010)

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Typically national associations hold a major annual conference within the UK and many arrange other, smaller meetings and conferences during the year, again mostly (and often exclusively) within the UK. A proportion of these national associations are also linked to a European or international association or federation. In this way they provide the conduit or opportunity for bids by UK associations to host the international conference (see section 4c) of a particular organisation.

CASE STUDY UK Association - Royal College of Nursing, Dundee (May 2007) Boasting one of the largest nursing education establishments in Scotland, the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Dundee was a fitting venue for the Royal College of Nursing International Research Conference. This truly international event, which attracted around 500 nurses from a diverse range of clinical and academic backgrounds from around the globe, featured a social events programme giving delegates a real taste of Dundee and Angus. This included a drinks reception event on board the RRS Discovery and a Gala Dinner at Guthrie Castle where all the members of the conference team wore kilts, and delegates were welcomed by a Scottish piper and given a miniature bottle of Scotch whisky to take away with them. Feedback was exceptional with delegates saying they were impressed with the genuine friendliness and hospitality extended to them whilst in Dundee and Angus.

Economic Benefits Many national association conferences last from 2-4 days, with an average spend per delegate per day of ÂŁ221 and an additional organiser spend of ÂŁ240 per day (Delegate Expenditure Survey 2006).

It is not unusual, therefore, for a national association annual conference to generate expenditure of several hundred thousand pounds, while very large conferences of 1000+ delegates can produce an economic impact worth millions of pounds. For example, Bournemouth estimates the economic benefit of The Labour Party Conference to the town in 2007 at c.ÂŁ17.5 million (with 12,500 delegates staying for five days generating over 62,000 bednights). Many delegates (often with partners) will arrive early for a conference or extend their stay once the conference is over, increasing their expenditure in a destination as leisure visitors. In addition, many contractors, suppliers and exhibitors, as well as media and security personnel in the case of major political conferences, may also arrive in a destination several days before the commencement of an event.

Benefits are not just in direct and indirect spend but also in employment created and sustained.

Harrogate, for example, can demonstrate that, of 7000 people employed in tourism in the Harrogate district, 4750 (68%) are in jobs supported by business tourism, a large part (approximately 70%) of which is comprised of national association conferences.

Seasonality is another important benefit of national association conferences, especially for those resort destinations for which leisure tourism is important. The peak seasons for national association conferences are March-June (and increasingly now into July as well) and September-November, thus extending the shoulder months surrounding the main summer season (which has tended to become shorter).

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Characteristics of National Association Conferences 



 

Many national associations choose the locations of their conferences on a rotation system e.g. north-south rotation, or rotation around several regions of the UK on a 3 or 4-year cycle.

Information on the rotation of a particular event is crucial to those destinations and venues keen to win that piece of business The decision-making process in respect of choice of venue/destination can be elongated, with interested locations being invited to submit a ‘bid document’ which will then be considered by a selection panel or committee, and may involve the making of a formal presentation to such a panel The most popular types of venues used by national association conferences are (in order) city centre hotels, university/academic venues, multi-purpose venues, dedicated conference/training centres and purpose-built convention centres (British Meetings and Events Industry Survey 2009) Key factors influencing venue selection (British Meetings and Events Industry Survey 2009) are, in order of priority: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Location Price/value for money Access (road, rail, air) Quality of conference facilities Capacity of conference facilities

Availability of dates is a key factor since a number of associations are locked into specific dates for the staging of their conference, restricting their choice of venue/location because the venues that they might prefer to use are not available (having other events are already booked in).

Future Trends and Issues The demands made upon conference venues catering for national association conferences will continue to grow, both in the provision of electronic communications technology but also in requirements for space (e.g. increasing use of syndicate/breakout rooms, greater need for exhibition space), better accessibility for disabled delegates, and for higher levels of security Organisers are likely to seek more integrated infrastructures with high quality transport systems to and within a destination, plus venue, accommodation, restaurants and attractions in close proximity - Manchester’s conventions quarter branded as ‘Petersfield’ is one example of such a development More destination marketing organisations are establishing ‘ambassador programmes’ designed specifically to target the national and international association conference segments. Such programmes identify and recruit key individuals within local communities to act as ambassadors for the destination in promoting its benefits and in bidding to bring the major conference of the organisation of which they are a member to their own destination.

c) INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCES Definition and Background The international association conference market, where the terms ‘convention’ and ‘congress’ are frequently used to describe major events, brings together members with common professional, scientific or social interests. The associations vary in size and membership, can be regional (e.g.

European) or international in scope and use meetings as one of the most important communication

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methods with members. The associations also use their meetings as a key revenue generator to support the headquarters and fund outreach activities such as specialised research and public health campaigns as well as programmes in developing countries.

Individuals attend congresses because they provide an opportunity to share ideas and information about their industry or field, impart/gain intelligence and research and network with industry colleagues. Academic and research institutions send delegates to attend meetings so as to publish and present results of research, to gain publicity for their research units/programmes, to enhance the institution’s standing and attract further government and industry sponsorship. There is also a requirement in some, particularly medical, professions for individuals to attend congresses as a part of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

The congresses alternate between venues within their region or the world either on a fixed rotation or by invitation. They can be held annually, or every two, three, four or even five years. A whole industry has been built up around the association meetings segment as their economic attractiveness has become apparent to destinations globally.

There are two methods of researching these congresses with a view to hosting their events in the UK: this is either done through the UK member contact or Chapter of an international association or by approaching the headquarters, usually located overseas, directly. There are clusters of international association headquarters in London, Paris, Brussels, Geneva and The Hague as well as in Washington DC. However, there is a difference in style between associations headquartered in Europe, which are usually run by a small number of full-time staff with a series of executive committees, and those located in North America, where the organisations generally have very large headquarters buildings and staff (they also tend to be much more commercially aware, having less of an historical background.) Specialised research helps convention cities determine the so-called next ‘open date’ (i.e. the next year for which the location of the congress has not been decided), the exact bidding process and the representative most likely to extend the invitation.

As with national association meetings, the segment encompasses a wide range of organisations which can be governmental, professional, scientific or social in nature. However, it is usually the medical, scientific and pharmaceutical meetings which are the most attractive both in terms of attendance and revenue.

It would be impossible to put a figure on the number of international associations in existence around the world. The Union of International Associations (UIA) has over 25,000 registered in its Yearbook but it is important to remember that only a fraction of these will meet internationally and on a rotational basis, making the UK a potential destination. The UIA measures approximately 11,000 meetings annually and publishes a well respected and robust annual statistical review (response rate to their questionnaire mailings is 60%). The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) database measures a similar level and both have extensive statistical information on the characteristics of the meetings and the destinations where these are held.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) reported, in 2009, that it had identified 800 previously unknown, regularly occurring series of association meetings that rotate between at least three different countries, representing a 10% increase in ICCA’s database of such events. ICCA’s CEO, Martin Sirk, noted that:

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“Many of these events have been created as offshoots of established larger association events to service regional or precise subject-specific needs, generating new competition in the marketplace and tremendous opportunities for new business development in all regions of the world.”

Economic Benefits In value terms the most important targets for any convention city are the large congresses, ranging from 1000 to 15,000+ delegates, and which attract a high overseas attendance. According to the Delegate Expenditure Survey 2006, international association conference delegates spend an average of £240 per day attending events in the UK, with a further £124 per delegate being spent by the event organisers.

Conferences in the medical or pharmaceutical sectors often attract sponsorship from pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies keen to promote their products and these events usually have valuable commercial exhibitions attached (although legislation now controls the types and level of sponsorship permitted).

Large congresses also tend to feature pre- and post-congress tours for delegates and accompanying persons’ programmes which make them doubly valuable to their chosen destination. A positive business visit can also stimulate a future leisure visit – up to 40% of business travellers to a destination return on a leisure trip.

Winning and hosting key international conferences is seen as a major economic boost to the host city and many use the conference sector as a means of urban renewal and regeneration. The city of Glasgow employed 40,000 people on the Clyde at the height of the shipbuilding era but as the industry declined so did the area around it. The Scottish Exhibition+Conference Centre (SECC) was built on the banks of the Clyde in 1985 and over the last ten years £1 billion has been spent in transforming Clydeside as conference business and general tourism have grown. Glasgow now employs some 35,000 people in tourism-related industries (equating to 14.5% of Scotland’s total tourism workforce), product investment is ongoing with around £300 of new infrastructure due for completion by 2014, and it is one of the UK’s most successful conference and business event destinations.

As with the national association segment, seasonality is another positive feature of the international association segment. These congresses tend to avoid the summer months when leisure tourism is at its peak, looking instead to the Spring and Autumn periods. There are a large group of conferences that need to be run during the academic vacation period but organisers of these events will look for destinations that have a lower hotel occupancy in the July/August period and, in fact, from mid-June to the end of September. Delegates attending these conferences are more likely to bring families/accompanying people with them and add on a holiday before or after the congress.

Organisers are also able to take advantage of university halls of residence to provide the budget end of the accommodation spectrum. The growing number of world-class facilities being built around the UK means that there are opportunities to promote good regional spread of events around the country.

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The national and international association segments also provide continuous economic benefit in times of recession, either local or worldwide. While corporate events diminish at such times, association events continue regardless although numbers may be less than when economies are buoyant.

Characteristics of International Association Conferences The truly international associations hold their congresses on a rotational basis, often picking venues in Europe one year, North America the next, Asia/Pacific the next and so on according to their own statutory regions. This means that there can often be a gap of many years between the UK hosting two conferences of the same association, particularly if the event is held only every four years. For this reason this business is usually regarded as bringing one-off events to a venue/destination. Other characteristics include:   









The lead-in time can be very long: if the conference is quadrennial, an eight to twelve year gap between bidding for and actually staging the event is not unusual The international congress segment is city-led i.e. bids generally come from Birmingham, Barcelona or Vienna for example, rather than the UK, Spain or Austria When destination selection is by invitation, the UK contact is crucial in spearheading the bid process to bring the event to the UK. It is a researcher’s role to identify the UK contact and encourage that person to submit a bid. It is important to note that the UK contact is rarely a fulltime meeting planner or association secretariat and is more often a professional working in that field (e.g. surgeon, engineer, scientist). This makes it especially hard for them to work on producing a bid both from a time and knowledge perspective Many convention bureaux run conference “ambassador” programmes (see also Edinburgh Ambassador Programme case study below) where they actively identify and recruit local academics and scientists who have connections to international organisations. The cities encourage their “ambassadors” to submit bids to host events in their field in their home city and ask these ambassadors to promote the destination on their behalf when attending events abroad For the larger congresses a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) is often employed (research suggests that up to 90% of international association conferences will employ a PCO – or an Association Management Company or AMC – see below) to take on the administration behind the event. The PCO’s role includes sourcing venues, preparing a bid document, raising sponsorship, running the concurrent trade exhibition, managing finances, running promotional campaigns (increasingly digital marketing), establishing registration and accommodation booking systems, organising social programmes, facilitating the submission of papers and abstracts beforehand as well as actually organising the event itself. The PCO works closely with the client, venue and destination and usually charges an administration fee based on the size of the congress and the number of delegates attending A bid document normally has to be submitted prior to any destination selection and it is then down to members, a special committee or the headquarters to vote. The international association headquarters is not always the ultimate decision-maker in destination selection.

However, they usually are when a bid is not required. When a bid is required, the headquarters team can be a key influencer Destinations and venues requested vary enormously but the larger congresses are looking for purpose-built auditoria capable of holding the main plenary session, a range of smaller meeting rooms to provide a series of concurrent sessions, along with exhibition space. They would also be looking for plenty of nearby accommodation (most organisers will request within walking distance to avoid having to pay for a coach transfers) and an attractive destination with a good

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social programme which will encourage a high delegate attendance. It is important that the destination is both financially viable in terms of the usual conference budget and cost-effective to allow low-enough registration fees which will encourage high delegate attendance.

CASE STUDY International Associations and the Power of Ambassador Programmes, Edinburgh Edinburgh has a worldwide reputation as a centre of excellence in science and new technologies.

This makes the city a natural focus for association conferences in these sectors and provides a platform where professionals can meet to exchange knowledge and ideas.

To facilitate the meeting of these enquiring minds Edinburgh Convention Bureau has developed the Edinburgh Ambassador Programme which recruits Ambassadors from the city’s academic and professional institutions, who represent key members of national and international associations.

These individuals (there is a network of over 1,400 Ambassadors) are willing not only to promote Edinburgh as a conference destination, but also have a major influence over their international association’s choice of conference location. Securing a conference has a positive economic impact on the destination as well as raising the international profile and reputation of the host institution and individual Ambassador.

Recent conference wins for Edinburgh include:



IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science 2012



European Marine Biology Symposium 2010



19th International Symposium on Applications of Ferroelectrics & 10th European Conference on the Application of polar Dielectrics 2010



Nitro Europe Final Science Conference 2011



23rd International Congress of European Hernia Society – GREPA 2014



International Union for Conservation of Nature – IUCN

Future Trends and Issues Generally:As international associations become larger and more complex, they are appointing “core” PCOs who look after all of their meeting requirements regardless of where the event is taking place (i.e. they are contracted to work on the event over a period of years, not just for one event). These core PCOs are also increasingly becoming secretariats for some of the bigger associations, running their recruitment drives, membership programmes and communication strategies as well as the meetings themselves. This means that core PCOs are becoming the new clients as destinations seek to identify and influence those making the decisions. The North American business has some very well established Association Management Companies (AMCs) which also act as PCOs.

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With the supply of convention facilities increasing around the world, competition becomes more intense. As some of the larger conferences grow in size and complexity (e.g. with an increasing number of parallel sessions), organisers are opting for a smaller number of tried and tested venues with which to work. This makes it easier for the association in terms of managing the meeting. It also allows them to plan financially with greater ease and to get the dates of tenancy they want as they are a recurrent client at the venue The growth of digital technologies and the use of social media are making congresses, particularly in the scientific field, more innovative in their presentation technologies, on-line registrations, marketing, and communication with delegates pre- and post-event. There is a trend to reduce the length of meetings and the average length is now 3 days’ duration whereas 10 years ago it was typically 5 days. As potential delegates seek to travel less or stay closer to home and as the cost of being out of the office increases, the new communications technology, including virtual conferencing, is having a greater role to play The ongoing development of new fields of science and medicine is also leading to a greater number of more specialist conferences in this field. The industry is witnessing the evolution of very large meetings which are creating smaller, more specialised niche events alongside or at other times. This also makes it that much harder to track associations and their respective meetings as contacts move on and subject matters become even more complex and fragmented.

The regional meeting (e.g. European, Australasian) is growing in importance compared to its international counterpart.

Increasingly, as congresses become larger and more important economically, particularly to the host city, the association convention is being used as a bargaining chip to engage more support or increase membership in areas of the world where it may be minimal. Often, despite a strong bid from a destination such as London, Paris, Sydney or Montreal, it is lost at the last minute with many conventions opting instead for a Far East destination or a developing country as a result of an emotional pitch. Such emerging destinations invariably do not have the National Chapter support or desired infrastructure to host a convention but they represent important new markets and new income for associations and well-established congress destinations such as the UK are increasingly finding themselves competing against such locations.

In the UK:The UK is considered generally to be an expensive destination with a fragmented convention industry but future business lies in the UK’s key strengths which include:      

Ease of access Quality and variety of venues High standards of service amongst UK conference organisers Strength of British science and medicine - British academics regularly hold key positions within the decision-making Boards of the associations Ease and speed of VAT reclaim English language which is now the language of choice for international meetings The UK is one of the most attractive destinations culturally for international delegates, ensuring that congresses held in the UK are better attended and more profitable than those held elsewhere.

However:-

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

With the exception of one or two cities, the UK is not able to offer large-scale public subvention of conferences, venues or delegates. This is done in other cities around the world and can be a deciding factor as overall costs of conventions increase and cost factors become increasingly important.



The economic importance of conferences to a country is far more recognised by the UK’s main competitor countries than it is in the UK. Obtaining governmental non-financial support for a conference bid is still difficult and slow. For example, it was not until 2002 that the Prime Minister agreed to “front” a conference bid video for the first time ever, whereas leaders and senior statesmen from other nations have been supporting conferences in this way for many years.



Despite the VAT recovery systems in place, not every cost can be recovered. Most other EU member states have lower concession VAT rates for tourists and conference delegates



The importance of the accompanying exhibition, with its attendant long distance freight movements, is also affected by the UK’s high tax on diesel



Despite active ambassador programmes, the academic world is still hesitant to bid for international meetings due to a perceived heavy workload, lack of knowledge of the available convention facilities and lack of awareness of the industry support available to them. They are also less enthusiastic about their own home towns as a destinations compared to their European counterparts



The general lack of large scale integrated hotel and meeting facilities, such as they have in the USA and the Far East, is also preventing the UK from winning many of the large conventions.

However, this applies to most of Europe and, with space at a premium and public money not forthcoming, the whole European region is at a disadvantage



UK visa requirements and the practical difficulties and costs of applying for a visa are having an impact, as much on the numbers of international delegates able to attend events in the UK as on the country’s success in bidding for such events.

Despite all the above and whatever impacts technology, global economies and terrorism are likely to have, there is still the desire amongst international associations to meet, press the flesh and exchange views which will always remain.

The Business Visits and Events Partnership is working to encourage a more collaborative and cohesive approach to winning more international association conferences, particularly through the involvement of British embassies and consulates, British Council offices overseas, VisitBritain staff and key Government departments in the UK in the research and bidding processes. d) EXHIBITIONS AND TRADE FAIRS An ‘exhibition’ was defined by the Exhibitions Liaison Council in 1995 as 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.

In general terms, exhibitions can be further defined according to the market/visitors they target:

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- Trade (or business-to-business/b2b) exhibitions are aimed primarily at those working within a particular trade sector, and are forums where related businesses meet face-to-face in order to fulfil a multitude of objectives - Public/Consumer (or business-to-consumer/b2c) exhibitions are aimed at either the wider general public or focused consumer groups. A charge is often made for admission.

- Trade/Public exhibitions are a combination of these two leading exhibition types; organised to attract both types of visitors, they are exhibitions where trade representatives meet each other faceto-face, but also interact with consumers.

The exhibition sector consists of three main groups: 

organisers of the exhibitions



the venues where the exhibitions are held



those businesses contracted by the organisers and/or exhibitors to supply services for/at the exhibition.

Within the three key sectors of the events/exhibitions industry listed above, there are a host of supplier types, ranging from audio-visual, caterers, electricians, registration to web site design.

There are currently 135 different supplier categories represented by the membership of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Association of Event Venues (AEV) and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA).

Economic Impact Possibly add a few points from ‘The Facts’ In 2005, KPMG undertook the first ever ‘Economic Impact of the UK Exhibitions Industry’ study. The study, commissioned by the AEO and supported by the AEV, demonstrated that the industry makes a significant contribution to the national economy. Its key findings give a detailed analysis of the exhibition sector: -

An estimated 1,800 exhibitions are held annually in the UK Over 17 million visitors attend UK exhibitions each year Nearly 270,000 exhibitors attend UK exhibitions each year Approximately 7% of visitors and 13% of exhibitors to UK exhibitions are from overseas The total annual expenditure generated from UK exhibition activity is £9.3 billion The UK exhibition industry generates a total annual GDP contribution of £4.1 billion The total annual tax revenues generated by exhibition activity are estimated at £1 billion UK exhibitions support an estimated 137,000 FTE jobs across the UK, some 0.5% of total UK employment (approximately 1 in 200 UK jobs). It is also important to acknowledge that the sectors in which exhibition visitors and exhibitors spend their money (hotels, restaurants etc.) typically employ a lot of part-time staff. Exhibition activity, therefore, stimulates flexibility in the economy and encourages employment opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, those with lower formal qualifications, and those at the lower end of the skills spectrum.

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Total gross direct expenditure by UK exhibition activity on segmented leisure sectors: -

Accommodation: £720 million - generating approximately 19 million annual bed nights!

Food & beverage: £403 million Shopping: £312 million Travel: £258 million Entertainment: £179 million Other: £54 million

All exhibitions play a vital role in the UK economy in generating exports. Many exhibitions held in the UK have established themselves as a strong base for international trade.

Exhibitions do more than just sell: they build product branding, strengthen existing customer relationships, produce high quality leads, educate, have applications for market research, generate media coverage and are often used to launch new products. Exhibitions play a vital role in the marketing mix offering a wide range of benefits.

Exhibitions provide a cost-effective competitive platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote and sell their products and services, enabling many SMEs to establish themselves in the marketplace and, through international visitor attendance at exhibitions, often providing SMEs with their first openings to export markets.

In terms of seasonality, the peak seasons for trade exhibitions are February to June and September to November, but when public exhibitions are also taken into account exhibitions become essentially a year-round activity.

Characteristics of Exhibitions 

Most exhibitions tend to be annual and are held at the same venue year on year. There are also a number of biennial events, while some of the large international shows are just held every four years



The time of year an exhibition is held is critical to its success. To ensure they obtain their desired time slot, organisers usually book the venue at least one year in advance The timing and venue chosen for exhibitions are to a large extent dictated by the market conditions of the trade sector which they represent Factors that influence the choice of venue for an exhibition include (in no particular order as they vary in importance between different types of exhibitions):

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Rental and service costs Capacity of venue Location of venue Contractual relationship with venue Accessibility of venue

FaceTime FaceTime is the new marketing body for the multi-billion pound live events industry, set up to help customers harness the power of live events to drive sales, enhance customer relationships and deliver customer insight. FaceTime was founded in early 2010 to provide expertise and guidance for

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marketers and businesses, explaining why and how live events work and how to get the very best out of the medium.

FaceTime champions best practice in the live events industry, builds insight into the medium through market-leading research and promotes its unique qualities with the goal of growing the sector. A range of bespoke collateral, including training guides, case studies, support research and testimonials, explain how to make the very best return on investment from a live event and can be found on FaceTime’s web site.

FaceTime’s founding members are: Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Association of Event Venues (AEV), and Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA). It has launched with a range of ambassadors who are supporting the new body, acting as spokespeople and managing FaceTime in its formative months and years. Collectively, they represent all areas of the industry, from event organisers and venue owners to event suppliers and services.

For more information on FaceTime, visit: www.facetime.org.uk To view the initial research behind FaceTime, visit: www.facetime.org.uk/files/one_pager.pdf This shows, for example, that before an event 36% of people say attendance makes it easier to decide to buy, but this rises to 76% after experiencing an event.

Future Trends and Issues Exhibition organising is a creative enterprise activity which, to survive, has to stay at the leading edge of marketing. To achieve this, the following are being considered:   

    

To enhance their exhibition product, an increasing number of organisers are developing conferences and specialist seminars alongside their exhibitions A number of technological opportunities for exhibitions are becoming available on which organisers can capitalise, using technologies like audio-conferencing, videoconferencing and webcasting Exhibition organisers set up web sites to run alongside their events. A three-day event becomes a 12-month promotional event. This leads to increased opportunities for sponsorship and advertising through the web site, and allows an enhanced visitor and exhibitor experience through providing additional information and an extension in communications This technology also allows for on-line registration, which offers a faster and more convenient form of registering for an exhibition, while allowing organisers continually to update their information and keep people constantly informed The new technology is used to enhance (not replace) the exhibition, as there is no substitute for the face-to-face contact, customer interaction and the ability for the customer physically to feel, see, taste, smell, test and try the product More organisers are looking to increase the number of public shows. Public shows are seen as being informative, as well as providing marketing and sales opportunities, brand building and entertainment, all of which add to customer value and experience Organisers will continue to succeed in direct proportion to their ability to identify niche markets for new exhibitions, which are targeted directly for a specific market The exhibition industry is continually endeavouring to increase the ‘internationality’ of its shows in order to enhance the opportunity for exhibitors to increase their export markets

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

 

The exhibition segment is taking important steps forward to meet the demands for sustainability. Action is being taken to improve performance in waste management and environmental issues, adopting new techniques to improve recycling and reduce overall waste Successful event exhibition formats are being cloned and rolled out to regional and international markets Other sectors of the media mix are recognising the benefits of face-to-face marketing and are investing in the medium to communicate with their audiences.

e) INCENTIVE TRAVEL AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT Definition and Background Incentive travel is a tool used by organisations to motivate their staff and/or channel partners, with the objective of improving performance at both individual and corporate levels. This tool offers individuals or teams the chance to qualify for an exceptional travel experience, subject to their attaining preset goals.

While companies have routinely offered a range of employee rewards, including vouchers, merchandise and cash bonuses, travel has been found to be the most effective motivator. It is also perceived as the most valuable, with rewards ranging in value from £500 to £5,000 per head. Travel rewards are generally used by those industries producing a product or service that carries a high profit margin – such as cars, computers, pharmaceutical products and financial services. Companies in these sectors invest accrued profit from sales to fund incentive travel programmes which will, in turn, boost sales.

And yet, at a time of frozen salaries, slashed bonuses and negative media coverage, many might assume that staff motivation was no longer in fashion. In fact, the reverse is true. Aileen Reuter, Marketing Director, Grass Roots, 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 slimmeddown 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.’

A 2009 report by the US Travel Association in conjunction with Oxford Economics USA found that nearly 80% of executives indicate that incentive travel has a significant impact on employee morale and job satisfaction. It showed that more than 70% believe that incentive travel has a real impact on employee performance – and a happy workforce is a productive workforce.

Economic Benefits

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The fact that hotels do not differentiate between conference and incentive travel group bookings, makes it difficult to track occupancy levels. However, we do know that incentive groups are concentrated within the four and five star hotel properties and that they account for 5-10% of bedroom revenue in these properties.

London is the most popular UK incentive destination, followed by Edinburgh, Scottish golf resorts and Stratford-upon-Avon. Many long-haul-originating incentives are based around two centres: London plus Edinburgh, for example.

In addition to accommodation, incentive participants enjoy top quality entertainment programmes as part of their reward. These include excursions, theatre trips and lavish dining experiences, often held in unique venues. The wider tourism infrastructure benefits considerably from these business customers.

The USA remains the largest national buyer of incentive travel, constituting 50% of the overseas market. Other key markets are Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Russia; also long-haul Englishspeaking markets, such as Australia, India and the Far East. In the case of the Far East, the number of participants can be quite large but the programme is often less structured than those held elsewhere.

The domestic incentive market is difficult to measure accurately, since the reward media are frequently purchased off-the-shelf, in the form of hotel vouchers, weekend breaks or luxury/adventure experiences (hot air balloon rides, Formula One race days, etc).

Nevertheless, a thriving industry exists to service the needs of corporate incentive buyers and includes such specialists as voucher companies, incentive companies offering pre-paid debit reward cards, caterers, creative theming agencies and corporate entertainment companies.

Characteristics of Incentive Travel Programmes The fulfilment of an incentive programme is the travel experience itself, but this is preceded by a motivational campaign, beginning with a launch event. Planning cycles vary depending on the industry sector of the provider. Approximately a third of incentive campaigns start six months before the trip takes place; the remaining two thirds start between six and 18 months ahead.

Measurable objectives are set by the incentive providers – usually the company’s sales or marketing director, often working in tandem with a specialist incentive travel or performance improvement agency. A continuous promotional campaign encourages participants to maintain high levels of performance throughout the period and the highest achievers will qualify to participate in the reward.

Historically, incentive travel has been experienced by groups of qualifiers. In recent years, however, there has been an emerging trend for winners to select the time and sometimes even the location of their reward, thus turning the reward into a private holiday with partner and/or family. This trend currently applies to about five per cent of incentives, but there is no indication that this figure is

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increasing. Employers generally prefer to structure the rewards as group experiences, so that the perception of being part of an elite ‘achievers’ club’ can be maintained.

One of the more recent trends among incentive travel programmes is the incorporation of a socially worthwhile activity, where award winners can give something back to the communities they visit.

Social legacy activities can considerably enhance the image of individual companies and the business tourism industry as a whole, by demonstrating their social awareness and desire to make a difference. This is particularly important at a time like the present, when the economic climate means that media and company shareholders are alert to corporate events that appear too lavishly funded.

The Phones 4U case study describes an incentive programme designed by incentive agency, Grass Roots, and illustrates the return on investment (ROI) and return on objectives (ROO) that can be achieved through high quality incentive schemes.

CASE STUDY – Phones 4U and Grass Roots Challenge 

Drive engagement and performance against all key metrics for service and sales

 

Convey Phones 4U’s passionate and innovative brand Ensure communications are high tech, low cost and immediate

Solution 

An innovative incentive structure, supported by compelling communications that slowly knocked out teams along the way

Fly 40 delegates to an almost deserted Bahamian island to take part in ‘Stranded’       

Take employees out of their comfort zone (harsh tropical environment with limited facilities) Nine challenges on land and water with three stages of elimination Excluded contestants taken to an alternative ‘HQ Camp’ where they performed ‘eco’ chores to improve the island’s environment All competitors enjoyed the luxurious Atlantis Hotel in Nassau at the end Winner’s entire store team joined them for a five-day holiday Platforms included a micro-site, SMS messaging, social networking, briefings, video and collateral marketing pack A daily blog for UK employees to track castaways’ progress

Results  Sales and market share increased in a challenging quarter  Improved island’s infrastructure and environmental ecology, plus flights offset  Described as a “life-changing experience” by delegates  Client committed to next year’s ‘Stranded’ within three weeks of the event.

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Destination Selection Selection of incentive destinations is based on a number of factors, including:      

Value for money Climate Ease of (travel) access Business links Sophisticated tourism infrastructure The ‘wow’ factor

There is a slight overlap in perception between conferences and incentives. Some incentives incorporate business meetings, while some conferences nowadays have a significant social and leisure programme, and are held in highly aspirational locations, making them motivational events.

The defining line through these blurred boundaries is that participants have to qualify to earn an incentive reward.

The most popular incentive destinations for groups travelling from the UK, according to ‘Meetings & Incentive Travel’ magazine’s ‘Trends and Spend Survey 2010’ (published May 2010) are Spain, France and Germany as short haul destinations and the USA, China and the United Arab Emirates as long haul destinations. The survey found a small decrease in business placed with long haul destinations (296 such trips in 2009 compared with 324 in 2008), but an increase from 807 to 889 in incentive trips to short haul destinations. Other key findings were: 

Average duration for long haul events in 2009 was 3 nights, down from 3.9, with group sizes reduced from 93 to 62



Short haul figures also followed the trend for smaller groups and shorter stays, with average size dropping from 129 participants to 75 and duration from 2.4 nights to 2.3

A survey undertaken among readers of ‘Conference & Incentive Travel’ magazine and published in October 2009 adjudged Cape Town to be the ‘Best Incentive Destination’, followed by Dubai and New York.

Future Trends and Issues Incentive travel is a well-established sector of business tourism and for international markets the UK is one of the most popular destinations. However, visitor numbers are greatly influenced year-onyear by the strength of the pound in relation to other currencies and by issues affecting perceptions of security.

The 2010 Grass Roots Meetings Industry Report noted that agencies saw 25% of incentives on their books cancel in early 2009, but that since August 2009 the number of enquiries has risen steadily. In the first two quarters of 2010, corporate have continued to invest in incentives. The trend seems to

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be fewer days out of the office, but this has not stopped the shorter-stay exotic incentive trips taking place.

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive study into the value of the UK incentive and performance improvement sector. The last such study was commissioned by the UK national tourist boards and published in 1996.

Incentive travel programmes increasingly have an educational element for the participants. This can involve visits to factories and businesses in the same industry sector as that of the award winners, team-building programmes, and a conference-type session with an award presentation ceremony and announcements of corporate plans, designed to encourage the incentive winners to reach future performance targets. A mix of business and motivational content has an impact on the tax an incentive programme attracts, so for more cost effective programmes often including a business element to the programme is very cost effective.

(See also the references to incentive travel in the next section of this Briefing on ‘Corporate Events and Corporate Hospitality’)

f)

CORPORATE EVENTS, CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT, CORPORATE HOSPITALITY

Definition and Background The corporate events segment covers incentive travel, client entertainment, staff entertainment, meetings and conferences and so has a clear overlap with some of the other segments described separately in this Briefing. However, this section of the Briefing is written specifically from the perspective of companies providing specialist services to the corporate events segment, thus complementing information to be found elsewhere.

There is no regular research undertaken to assess the overall volume and value of the corporate events segment to the UK, although an estimate of £973 million made by MBD Ltd in August 2009 is felt to be a reasonable by many working in the segment. This total represented a contraction of 6% over the previous year. MBD forecast that the market will, however, grow steadily, in the next few years to reach a value of £1.205 billion by 2014, a cumulative increase of 24% compared with 2009.

Overall Trends Some in the industry believe that overseas incentive rewards are in long-term decline as a motivational tool, although others dispute this. A combination of factors is contributing to this downward trend. These include the increased long-haul holiday traffic removing the cachet of winning trips to far-off places, and the gradual change in motivational practices within certain businesses. Sustainability concerns, security, taxation issues and pressures of time may also be playing a part.

The traditional method of rewarding a few top performers to encourage others to aspire to such heights is giving way to a broader strategy of motivating sales teams through inspirational events that unite, entertain and reward whole teams. The increased financial burdens created by tax and

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national insurance implications, added to the growing value placed by executives on quality time at home, are also contributing to a trend towards different types of motivational programmes which reach wider audiences.

During the economic recession, there was a noticeable trend towards non-public events and entertaining ‘under the radar’ and away from the glare of a public event. This has been accelerated by recent media exposés of company directors on corporate days out but, on the flipside of the coin, by companies recognising the need to client-interface and protect their own brand reputation and image.

There is no clear consensus on whether companies are making greater use of agencies to source their hospitality requirements – although outsourcing is commonplace where the head count is reduced in internal event management departments. Even so, agencies are not making the large volume financial commitments they made previously. Instead, they are accepting lower levels of commission (than they would receive if they made a large financial commitment) and are waiting until they have the sale before placing it. In short, agencies are no longer speculating.

Client Entertainment The relative growth in participation-based events, including motor racing and clay pigeon shooting, that dominated the 1990s has also slowed as the novelty of such activities has worn off and companies have retreated to the safer and more reliable hospitality events. Companies are also concentrating on the key events in the social calendar (e.g. Wimbledon, Royal Ascot, Chelsea Flower Show) and the smaller peripheral events have all seen further decline in their business.

Lead times are increasingly shorter. In Summer 2010, 35% of raceday hospitality bookings at Royal Ascot were being made less than eight weeks prior.

Tailoring an event to appeal to the senior management that brands would like to attract is now evident. This can be seen in a sustained demand for more experiential events, often at a premium, such as the players’ lounge at Twickenham, with four or five players coming straight off the pitch (after a rugby international match) for a question and answer session.

Hospitality buyers now focus on entertaining fewer and more senior clients with a trend towards greater justification and control of spend on hospitality, demanding more innovative solutions and demonstrable value-for-money.

This increased cost control is often as a result of the procurement policies of large organisations, attempting to centralise their buying practices in order to monitor spend and improve purchasing.

Many organisations have created approved supplier lists (of widely varying lengths!) as part of this process, and seek to ensure financial probity in the purchasing process.

Staff Entertainment The genuine value of a happy and loyal workforce has not been lost on most of the UK’s leading businesses. At times of redundancies, the challenge is to strike the right balance between maintaining morale and avoiding criticism for discretionary spend in a hard market.

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Outside of the Christmas market, summer fun days involving the whole family remain popular, but the overall trend is towards rolling entertainment into conferences and internal communication events where greater value can be achieved.

Research consistently proves that the main motivator for work is not money, so the value of maintaining a happy workforce should never be overlooked!

There are signs of a strong recovery in the staff entertainment market, by as much as 30% in mid2010, with bookings for Christmas 2010 looking buoyant.

Summary The UK is undoubtedly leading the world in many areas of the live events industry. It can be proud of its home-grown talents – talents that are frequently exported to deliver events across Europe and further afield.

CASE STUDY Delegates can set sail with Challenge Wales The latest corporate team building activity to hit Wales’ shores comes in the form of the 72 foot round-the-world yacht, Challenge Wales.

Based in Cardiff Bay, Challenge Wales offers delegates a unique sailing experience around the Welsh coastline either for day trips or overnight visits. The vessel can cater for up to 12 guests and six crew and each trip can be tailored to each client’s specific needs.

The yacht, which has previously sailed around the world twice in the BT Global Challenge race, is also the focus for the Welsh-based charity, Challenge Wales. The charity aims to help young people develop life skills including communication, responsibility and self esteem. All funds raised from corporate bookings go back into the charity to create a bursary for future trips.

Delegates can either enjoy an active role in sailing the vessel or sit back and enjoy the experience of a yacht. Sailing days are tailored to clients’ needs, with standard or bespoke catering packages and include exclusive use of the yacht. Further details: http://www.challengewales.org/

Trends and issues for the Corporate Events and Corporate Hospitality Sector In general, the corporate events and the corporate hospitality market remains robust and is exemplified by the successful reopening of Ascot Racecourse and the return of Royal Ascot to its traditional home. The opening of the Emirates Stadium (home to Arsenal FC) also established a new benchmark in facilities and service that will have implications for other major football clubs seeking to provide a new dimension to their business.

Away from the sporting arena, those organisers offering activity days, team building events, treasure hunts and corporate fun days and the like have had to respond to the impact of huge events such as the Football World Cup in 2010. There is no doubt that the attraction of this sort of high profile event tends to divert budgets away from those agencies offering participatory events and activities.

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Whilst corporate hospitality continues to be the preferred way of building client relationships, it experienced some decrease in the recessionary climate of 2008-9, although possibly only on a similar level to companies’ other budget line cuts. However, despite some very negative media coverage of corporate ‘excess’ at a time of economic difficulty, the segment remains resilient and companies, even those in the financial services sector, still depend on corporate hospitality as a means of developing loyalty and increasing market share with their clients and as a core activity for rewarding and motivating their own staff.

At the same time, corporate buyers are increasingly keen to book participative packages, rather than those in which guests merely watch from the sidelines. There is no doubt that events are now seen as a powerful communication medium that can change perceptions, attitudes and behaviours and create genuine brand experiences. Interactive packages, where clients can be coached in activities such as golf or driving by a professional or sporting hero, are popular. In some cases this can extend to a client being invited to bring his/her partner or even the whole family.

Increasingly, there is a need to match the experience with the audience and organisers who do not seek to discover participant preferences at the time they are planning a corporate event or hospitality activity, are adopting a hit or miss approach that has a significant risk of failure. So forward-thinking hosts are looking to devise a range of hospitality opportunities that match differing guest profiles.

In common with the rest of the B2B sector, corporate events and corporate hospitality is increasingly being required to prove its worth with client companies under pressure to demonstrate return on investment. The challenge now facing the sector is to find appropriate methods to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of events being organised. It is leading companies to invest in knowledge management of their clients and to develop sophisticated CRM data to understand the hobbies, interests and lifestyle of their customers, their partners and even their children, to enable them specifically to target invitations to achieve maximum impact, appreciation and, ultimately, loyalty.

At the same time, clients are looking for innovation and creativity with an emphasis on participation and, where events are of a more passive nature, they are looking for exclusivity and style. Royal Ascot, for example, has witnessed a sharp increase in companies booking out an entire restaurant to ensure exclusivity.

There has been significant market consolidation through 2009 and into 2010. Agencies have been keen to grow the level of engagement with their clients and broaden the range of services offered to them.

The major event on the horizon for the corporate hospitality world is the London Games 2012.

Companies are expected to start researching hospitality packages around the Games from late 2010 onwards and into 2011.

CASE STUDY Businesses learn the ropes of effective team building

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Boulders, Wales’ largest indoor climbing centre, has launched a programme of adrenaline-fuelled, corporate packages.

Each package is specifically developed for training providers looking for alternative team building and personal development facilities to generate crucial evidence of key skills attainment.

Since opening, the award-winning climbing centre in central Cardiff has designed a range of proven, physical activities. Based on the founders’ - Rob Lawrence and Ollie Noakes - knowledge of elite, army officer training, the programme aims to unlock the true potential of clients’ employees.

The programmes are adapted to meet key skills identified by training objectives including: application of number, communication, working with others, problem-solving and improving one’s own learning and performance. Exciting challenges include ‘cliff hanger’ and ‘mountain rescue’ and are designed to exercise the minds and power of a team rather than the fitness and physical strength of individuals.

Boulders also has a fully-equipped meeting room providing ‘classroom’ space for up to 45 delegates.

Further details: http://www.bouldersclimbingcentre.co.uk/corporate-2/.

g) MUSIC EVENTS, CULTURAL EVENTS AND FOLK FESTIVALS Definition and Background The live music sector covers a huge variety of events from major concerts held in stadiums and large music festivals, such as Glastonbury, which attract thousands of people, to small local festivals that have audiences of a few hundred. In addition to these outdoor events, there are thousands of music events that take place each year indoors, from major venues to pubs.

There is no single source of data that provides a true picture of this market in any detail. However, the following give an indication of the scale of this market: 



 



In 2009 the Music Publishers Association published research which looked at the value of the music industry in 2008. It found that receipts from primary and secondary ticket sales and ancillary income generated total revenues for the UK live music industry of approximately £1.4 billion Between March 2007 and March 2009, statistics gathered from 240 of the 378 Licensing Authorities in England and Wales showed that the overall number of live music licences and certificates increased by 10% from 86,100 to 94,400 Between 2008 and 2009, the number of Temporary Event Notices also increased by 4% from 118,200 to 123,400 The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) ‘Taking Part’ survey covering England shows an increase in the proportion of adults (16+) attending live music events. Between 2005/6 and 2008/9, the figure rose from 24.4% of the population to 27.6%, an increase of some 1.64 million adults. This included rock, pop, country, folk, soul, R&B and world regional music. See Figure 4.1 for further details A report entitled ‘The Impact of Folk Festivals’, published March 2004 by the Arts Council England and the Association of Festival Organisers, states that the ‘folk festival sector has

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



grown incrementally over the past ten years, to the point that it is now estimated that over 350 folk festivals take place in the UK annually’ The Creative and Cultural Skills Council counted 50,780 people employed in the professional live music sector in 2008 – a 20% increase over the number they counted two years earlier International Passenger Survey (IPS) data for 2009 indicates 1.86 million inbound visitors said they went to live music events in the UK. This figure covers the number of people who went to live music events while in the UK, rather than the number motivated to come to the UK because of live music events.

(Note: The above are only an indication of the market, as not all events or venues have to be licensed – e.g. concerts where no alcohol is sold or funds are raised).

Figure 4.1 Increase in proportion of adults attending live music, 2005/06-2008/09 Taking Part Survey

Table 4.1 Proportion of adults attending different types of live music, 1994/95-2008/09 Arts Council for England, TGI data

Year

Sample

Jazz %

Pop/Rock %

Classical music %

1994/95 1995/96 1996/97

26,259 25,132 25,386

6.4 6.2 5.9

22.1 22.3 22.7

12 12.1 11.9

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1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

25,560 24,497 26,155 25,493 24,659 24,984 23,874 24,343 26,481 24,442 24,492 24,836

5.7 5.8 6 6 6.4 6.4 6.8 7.3 9.4 9.4 11.5 11.6

21.5 21.6 22.2 21.6 22.5 23.9 24.6 25.2 27.9 29.1 35.5 37.5

11.8 11.4 11.6 11.9 12.2 12.7 12.6 13.5 15.9 15.5 17.7 17.3

Increases in those performing live music – are there more musicians?

In professional live music, the Creative and Cultural Skills Council counted 42,800 employed in live music performancein 2006, and 50,780 in 2008, a near 20% increase in employment over 2 years.

Note these data are for Great Britain and include those in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The DCMS ‘Taking Part’ survey data shows no statistically significant change in the proportion of amateur musicians performing music in public between 2005/06 to 2008/09 in England (Table 2).

Table 4.2 Proportion of adults performing live music in public (Taking Part Survey) Year 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9

All ages 3.4% 3.2% 3.4% 3.3%

16-24 7.4% 7.6% 7.8% 6.7%

25-44 3.3% 3.1% 3.2% 3.7%

45-64 2.6% 2.5% 2.8% 2.2%

The data on performers are not available by type of live music.

Trends and Benefits All the evidence suggests that the music and festivals market will grow significantly in future years.

Although the recession has had an impact on some events, particularly some of the smaller festivals that do not always have the resources behind them to underwrite difficult years, the long term trends towards greater leisure time and demand for entertainment are positive.

The UK’s strong musical and festival heritage also makes this a potentially strong market for attracting visitors to the UK.

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As well as generating significant employment in the UK, festivals and events can make a considerable contribution to the wider economy in areas where they take place, drawing in visitors to use local facilities.

The impact of this can be seen from research carried out by the Association of Festival Organisers in 2004 which found that the value of folk festivals alone was some £76.98 million. However, of this only some £14.69 million came from ticket sales – the balance coming from secondary spending on food and drink, accommodation, travel and other purchases. Festivals themselves spent a further £5.21 million. This same study details the three principal impacts of folk festivals as: 

Festivals produce real, sustainable, local economic impacts



Festivals develop existing, new and non-traditional audiences



Festivals train, launch and support artists and administrators

Issues The UK industry has done a huge amount in recent years to raise standards and is well respected around the world for this. The ‘Purple Guide’ (“The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events”), produced by the industry with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in the early 1990s, is now widely used across the world as a reference for event management.

It is important that this world recognition in event management is maintained as it generates work overseas for a large number of UK specialists in this market.

The Guide, which is currently being updated by the HSE in conjunction with the industry (publication expected mid-2011), is important in conveying the UK’s lead in this sector to other markets and there are real concerns in the industry that this could be undermined if the new Guide becomes too focused on pure health and safety issues. Many in the industry believe that the Guide is so important, both to the running of UK events and in marketing UK expertise overseas, that it should be an all-embracing guide to event management.

There are also worries in the live music sector particularly over the increasing burden being imposed by public sector bodies such as police, ambulance and local authorities (via licensing charges), some of whom are seeing the event sector as a way of increasing their budgets.

A report entitled ‘The impact of folk festivals’, published in 2004 by the Association of Festival Organisers, identified five areas for investment and improvement: 1. Image – there are widely held perceptions of folk that undermine its credibility and relevance: “Fingers in ears and bells on toes” “Men with ponytails and bare-arsed kids” These narrow stereotypes are negative and damaging. They ridicule those who like folk label them as separate and out of touch. This applies more to English folk arts than to Scottish or Irish, which are given more credibility. Other ‘world’ folk arts are similarly disconnected, and

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although fashionable, have little spin-off value for ‘folk’. Festivals report that these stereotypes are common amongst funders as well as the general public.

2. Awareness – similarly, festivals report that funders, sponsors, policymakers and the media have very low awareness of the growth of the folk sector or its considerable economic, social and artistic impacts. They believe that one-off events are less valued than building-based programmes, even when the quality of the programme is higher and the audiences are greater.

3. Quality – despite efforts within the music industry and festivals sector to improve networking and co-ordination, many festivals struggle to programme high calibre artists and lack information about availability and contacts. There is still a prevailing culture of amateurism which deters promoters and artists who have come to expect levels of professionalism, even from voluntary festivals.

4. Support – whilst many festivals have received useful help and advice from the Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) and others, most report an urgent need for greater levels of professional support. In particular, they need help with marketing, training, staffing, and with operational, legal, financial issues.

5. Leadership – above all, they report the need for leadership. They feel that the sector needs focus and should have an influential voice.

The Association of Festival Organisers confirms that, while the above five investment needs remain, significant improvements have been made in the folk festival segment since 2004, more funding has been made available, and bigger audiences have been attracted to events.

Size of venue As well as attendance at live music events, ’Taking Part’ also provides data on the size of venue that people attend. This shows that the increase in people attending live music between 2005/06 and 2008/09 was based at medium and large live music venues, and that there was a decline in numbers of people attending music at pubs/bars and small clubs in the previous 12 months (Table 3) . During this period there was a 26.2% increase in numbers attending at medium and large venues, compared with decreases of 2.7% and 4.1% for pubs/bars and small clubs respectively. Numbers attending pubs/bars and small clubs actually increased between 2005/06 and 2007/08 but have declined following the economic downturn (Figure 2). This information is not available for jazz, classical music and opera. DCMS Live Music surveys comparing 2004 and 2007 showed no significant change for pubs and bars but a decline in events at two other types of small venues – community halls and restaurants.

Table 4.3 Attendance at live music events by venue size, 2005/06-2008/09 (rock, pop, country, folk, soul, R&B, world regional music) (Taking Part survey) Adult population, millions 2005/6 2008/09 Difference Difference % All venues 9,706,400 11,351,921 1,645,521 17.0

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Pub/bar Small club Medium/Large venue Unweighted Sample size (all venues)

3,436,229 2,347,680 5,846,317

3,344,889 2,250,616 7,379,672

6,235

2,722

-91,340 -97,064 1,533,355

-2.7 -4.1 26.2

Figure 4.2 Changes in live music attendance by venue size (Taking Part Survey)

What lies behind these figures?

Although the data seem to suggest that live music as a sector is thriving, this is not uniform throughout the sector and larger, primary music venues appear to be faring better than smaller, secondary venues (whose main purpose is not live music). This does not necessarily mean there are

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fewer gigs at smaller venues , merely that a smaller proportion of the adult population are attending music at these venues i.e. changing demand for live music as well as supply.

No evidence of negative impact of live music licensing Some people have suggested this is due to the Licensing Act. But the increase prior to the downturn and DCMS Live music surveys show that it is not this but other factors which affect the decision to hold live music such as the local market, and the cost. The 2007 Live Music survey was conducted with those responsible for putting on live music in secondary venues and showed that licensing was not a significant barrier:  

  

Around 90% of respondents/venues said the Act had been neutral on the number of events, size of groups, size of audiences, number of acts per event and diversity of acts/genres A high proportion (72%) of venues said it made no difference to their decision to stage live music (including 66% of respondents from pubs and bars, 78% from small clubs and 77% from church halls and community centres) 8% of respondents said the Act made it easier (including 15% of pubs and bars) 10% said the Act made it more difficult (10% pubs/bars, 12% members clubs, 10% church halls and community centres) Of those with actual experience of staging live music, 18% said it made it easier, 68% saying it made no difference, and 8% negative (6% said they did not know).

Fall in numbers of pubs/bars The two main quantifiable reasons behind the relative changes in venue size are the fall in the actual number of potential small venues, mainly pubs and bars, and the greater emphasis on promoted events at large venues due to the fall in the profitability of recorded music.

Industry data estimates that the number of public houses in England and Wales declined by 4% between 2004 and 2007 (Table 4). Since the downturn, this figure has accelerated according to figures released by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). The figures for the first six months of 2009 show the rate of pub closure has increased by a third, up from 39 pubs a week in the last six months of 2008 to 52 pubs a week closing in Britain. The report claimed that 2,377 pubs closed in the 12 months up to June 2009. In the last 3 years a total of 5,134 pubs have closed. Note the BBPA figures are for Britain, not the UK, and are not official statistics.

Table 4.4 Industry estimates of the number of public houses in the UK (MBD analysis of data from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and trade estimates Year

Number

% change year on year

2001 2002 2003 2004

59,558 57,965 58,788 59,673

Negligible -3% 1% 2%

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2005 2006 2007

59,400 58,200 57,500

2008* 56,350 2012* 57,071 * forecast figures

Negligible -2% -1% -2% +1%

The recession may also be a reason for an increase in number of premises licences surrendered (from around 4,000 in 2007/08 to over 4,500 in 2008/09) and lapsed (from around 450 in 2007/08 to around 600 in 2008/09) and a decrease in around 2,200 new applications for licences compared to 2007/08 levels (note these data relate to all premises licences not just those for live music).

As well as the recession, the pub industry has been affected by the Smoking Act introduced in 2006 (note there is no robust evidence on how this has affected live music, other than evidence of an increased concentration on food) and increased sales of alcohol in supermarkets.

Increase in promoted events at large venues The second reason is the decline in the profitability of recorded music and associated increase in promoted events at large venues. Industry analysis suggests that the decline in revenue from recorded sales has changed the industry to focus more on large volume live concerts. PRS for Music recently estimated that there had been a 13% increase in the value of the live music sector in 2008.

This is backed up by international evidence which shows that in North America in the first half of 2009, the tickets sold by the Top 100 tours was 18 million. That represents an additional 1.1 million tickets or 6.5% increase over the same period for 2008 (no data are currently published separately for the UK). Again, these industry data are not UK Official Statistics but used for illustrative purposes.

Conclusion Overall the live music sector is thriving. DCMS data show an increased number of premises licences with provision for live music and an increased proportion of the adult population attending live music events which are consistent with industry data on the live music sector.

However, this growth has been concentrated at medium and larger venues, and there has been a fall in the adult population who attend music at smaller venues. Evidence suggests that this is not due to live music licensing but wider economic factors such as the decline in the overall numbers of pubs and bars, and changes in the live music industry itself, responding to the falling profitability of recorded music by promoting events at large venues.

Further information, full bulletins and online tables are available at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/research_and_statistics/4865.aspx The survey is a National Statistic and as such has been produced to the high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

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Further information and reports from Taking Part are available at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/research_and_statistics/4828.aspx Creative and Cultural Skills The Creative and Cultural Skills industry research containing available data on live performance employment are available here: http://www.ccskills.org.uk/Industrystrategies/Industryresearch/tabid/600/Default.aspx

h) SPORTING EVENTS INCLUDING 2012 OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS Data on sporting events?

CASE STUDY UEFA Cup Final, Glasgow Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB), the Scottish Football Association, Hampden Park, Strathclyde Police and BAA Scotland worked hard as the local organising committee to make the 2007 UEFA Cup Final between Sevilla and Espanyol a major success.

GCMB managed a £500,000 city budget which was allocated to various activities as part of the five month “Road to the Final”. This ran from January through to the day of the final, beginning with a five month festival of football and included a city tour of the UEFA Cup Trophy, free fan transportation and two city centre fan zone experiences as well as a city wide marketing and city dressing campaign. GCMB reserved 4,000 hotel rooms and worked with Uefa for 18 months developing the creative for the final.

The economic benefit to the city was £11.5 million – an ROI of 1:23 on the £500,000 the city spent.

There is a continuing economic benefit, with 55% and 75% of fans who attended saying they were likely or very likely to visit the Glasgow and Scotland in the next three years.

Didier Andrist, Uefa Project Manager, said: “The Uefa Cup 2007 Glasgow final set the benchmark for future editions. It was a showcase of faultless event organisation.”

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games The largest sporting event in the world, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, take place in London in 2012. The Games are estimated to be worth some £2.3 billion to UK tourism over the period 20072017. They are expected to generate an additional 20% business tourism or MICE expenditure, both from business and incentive groups visiting the Games themselves and extending their stay around Britain, but also from the many meetings, conferences and other business events that will take place in the years leading up to the Games and in the years following. They provide a spectacular opportunity for visitors to experience a unique event in one of the world’s most stunning cities.

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Agents and event organisers can view these opportunities on the official Games web site: www.london-2012.co.uk Business visits and events will be the major beneficiary of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games with 60% of the overall tourism benefit accrued (Barcelona’s convention bureau business increased by 129% in the year following the 1992 Games, business visit arrivals to Australia increased by 78% between 1993 and 1997 and by 17% between 1997 and 2000 (DCMS 2006). A study by Oxford Economics forecasts £433 million of business visitor spending as a result of hosting the Games in the period 2007 – 2017 – approximately 20% of both the total and additional spend. 

Australia became the number 1 desired destination after the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Nations Brand Index)



The opportunities for business visits and events are manifold and below are listed just several opportunities:





i)

o

The development and creation of venues and infrastructure (many of the venues and related infrastructure for the Games will incorporate facilities for corporate hospitality and meetings within their overall construction); in addition, improved infrastructure (access, transport, accommodation, etc.) will improve Britain’s ability to host major events and develop greater business visits and events

o

The massively increased opportunities to view and profile Britain as a destination for business and event tourism

o

Access to national and international sports bodies with a view to jointly supporting bids

o

Opportunities to promote London as a destination for conferences, incentives and meetings of the IOC and LOCOG sponsors in the run-up to, and after, the Games

This is a great opportunity for the VisitBritain team to: o

Showcase Britain as a leading global destination for business and sport events

o

Ideal opportunity to include extender and leisure messaging within corporate trips

o

Potentially include commercial elements

o

Inclusion of any M&I activity within any travel trade activity surrounding the Games

Finally, VisitBritain’s Discovery 2011 event and London’s hosting of SportAccord 2011 will include a major global familiarisation trip to deliver the 2012 legacy.

OTHER OUTDOOR EVENTS INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL SHOWS

Definition and Background

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Outdoor events have taken place in the UK since time immemorial, but the first real information on such events, jousting tournaments and village fairs, for example, developed from the times of the Crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries. Nowadays, although not all falling within the strict parameters of business tourism, high profile outdoor events cover a breadth of activity from major festivals (such as Edinburgh International Festival), music events (e.g. Glastonbury), agricultural shows, sporting and charity events through to small village and craft events. From the beginning, outdoor events have drawn large gatherings whether local, national or international; more so than ever today, the visitor from abroad is attracted to a myriad of events in the UK, many of them being steeped in tradition and history.

The world of outdoor events has developed into a highly professional and quality standard industry made up of local authorities, show organisers, event management companies, promoters, venue owners together with suppliers of equipment and services, entertainment agencies, consultants and practitioners in general.

Little research into the value of the segment has been undertaken but a few years ago the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) carried out a survey and conservatively estimated that the outdoor events industry had an annual turnover of up to ÂŁ1 billion.

There are probably up to 5000 main suppliers of equipment and services in the UK, plus around 1500 show organisers, local authorities and event management companies involved in many thousands of events over the whole country.

The outdoor events industry is a dynamic segment of the business visits and events sector. NOEA represents many companies generically but some are also members of specialist trade associations representing their particular interests eg. mobile catering, production services, marquees etc. A number of these associations are linked to European or international organisations and NOEA has launched the European Outdoor Events Association with the objective of developing European Standards for Outdoor Events.

Economic Benefits The increasing sophistication of equipment and the foresight of organisers are now combining to ensure that the majority of events can take place successfully, despite the unpredictability of British weather, and not just in the traditional April to October outdoor season, but throughout the year.

Marquees, once a feature solely of the summer landscape, are now used very successfully even in the depths of winter with built-in floors and heating ensuring that they are weatherproof.

Innovative ideas for different events and creative use of technology, equipment, and venues, have played a significant part in raising the profile and potential of outdoor events. With pop concerts being staged on beaches, beach sports events being staged in Hyde Park, and the solitary viewing of televised cricket matches being taken outdoors onto big screens for mass audiences, traditional ideas for appropriate venues are being challenged and opening up a world of opportunity for creating unique events.

There are many hundreds of different events including exhibitions under marquees, classic car shows, agricultural and flower shows, craft and gift fairs, dog and horse shows, antique fairs,

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farmers’ markets, countryside and county shows, horticultural shows, highland games, steam rallies, carnivals, gardening shows, air shows, pop concerts and music festivals, firework displays, sporting events, cultural and arts festivals, Christmas fayres, water festivals, balloon festivals, military events, village town and city events, charity functions and every kind of festival catering for specialist interests and, of course, national and international events and extravaganza for people of all ages and cultures taking place all year round.

Many of these events last from 1-3 days and attract tens of thousands of visitors, which can involve considerable travel and staying overnight in places ranging from campsites to upmarket hotels. The events have substantial benefits for local economies and can dramatically affect the environment of a region, bringing more spend from visitors and tourists and hence more employment and wealth to the community.

Many visitors will arrive early at events and often leave well afterwards, thus increasing their spend.

Economic benefit also derives from the hundreds of people who make the events happen: from suppliers of marquees, fencing, staging, furniture, generators, grandstands, p.a. equipment, temporary roadways, seating, sound equipment, temporary structures etc through to the provision of services such as catering, entertainment, medical units, health and safety co-ordination, heating, security and stewarding and traffic control management.

Organisation of Events Many events have developed from traditional backgrounds but are sufficiently flexible to adapt to new market trends and customer requirements. Most take place on an annual basis, often at the same location, although a few events rotate around the UK. Many events have to obtain planning permission from the local authority before they can officially go ahead, and take full account of the requirements of health and safety legislation. Health and safety issues are the number one priority for many companies and higher standards in this area have contributed to the greater professionalism now seen in the industry. After a number of highly publicised accidents in the early '90s, NOEA drew up a Code of Practice for outdoor events, and continues to work towards raising standards. This work impacts directly on liability insurance which is crucial for the events industry.

Linked to health and safety, security has become a critical issue. With event licences being granted on pre-set visitor numbers, attendance levels have to be regulated. Fencing contractors are working in conjunction with security companies, for example, to ensure effective security, particularly at high profile public events like Glastonbury and Notting Hill. This leads to greater public confidence, better attendance and good PR for the industry.

Events take place in every corner of the UK: city centres, rural areas, mountain and coastal regions and even in very remote locations.

Future Trends and Issues The efforts to raise standards in the UK have been so successful that the UK is now recognised by the rest of Europe and the USA as a leader in outdoor events with many UK companies exporting their expertise.

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There is much interest, from Europe in particular, in the development of a national industry standard in conjunction with the British Standards Institute, leading in the future to the possibility of a European Standard for Outdoor Events. But there is no complacency as the number of new initiatives currently being developed to take the industry forward is testament to continuing awareness of the need for good housekeeping. There are many new people coming into the industry who need to be aware of the NOEA Code of Practice/national industry standards.

There is a great deal of information about outdoor events in the UK, but there is scope to reference this more effectively and to promote UK events more actively. Both business and holiday visitors could then plan their itineraries to include visits to such events.

In summary, the economic benefits of festivals and other outdoor events are being developed in conjunction with the various Regional Agencies around the UK. For instance, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board promotes festivals and events by packaging these as short breaks/holidays. Such initiatives expand the season, generate employment and offset the decline in traditional activities (e.g. agriculture or fisheries), ensuring the continued protection of local heritage and culture by giving it a tourism-related purpose.

There is a greater need to ensure more contact between event organiser and the local tourism sector - accommodation, transport, tourist information and restaurants, together with international publicity.

The way forward for outdoor events is closer partnership with Government departments, British Posts abroad, local and regional agencies and the events industry.

j)

EVENT SERVICE SUPPLIERS

The event industry is hugely diverse and its requirement for suppliers covers an enormous breadth of professions, from staging and structures to water and waste.

This diversity of events, together with the unique demands of some venues particularly for outdoor events, has required the development of specialist skills in many areas and the UK industry is widely recognised as a world leader in some of these sectors.

Whilst there is some cross-over between markets, sectors tend to have their own specialist supplier networks that understand the logistics and issues involved in putting on professional events.

By its nature the event industry tends to be highly entrepreneurial, which encourages innovation.

However, the last decade has seen it also becoming increasingly professional in its approach with a great deal of time being devoted by event organisers and suppliers to developing professional standards across the market, from specialist guidelines for the erection of temporary structures and stages to information for those organising events such as the ‘Purple Guide’.

There are also now an increasing number of courses run by colleges and universities for event management as well as specialised training in areas such as stewarding and crowd management.

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This trend is likely to increase as the industry continues to grow and demand more professional standards.

There is no statistical data on the number of suppliers operating in the events industry but it is thought to be considerable, ranging from small entrepreneurial businesses to substantial companies, many of which operate internationally. Some examples of suppliers servicing the meetings and business events sector are listed below: The UK has a strong infrastructure of highly experienced and professional suppliers to the events sector. Examples of key suppliers include the following: - audio-visual contractors (supply and operation of specialist audio-visual equipment) - telecommunications and IT companies (videoconferencing/teleconferencing/satellite conferencing, ‘second life’1 events) - transport operators (airlines, coach and rail companies, car hire, taxi firms, ferry companies) - interpreters and translators (for international conferences) - after-dinner speakers, entertainers, corporate events companies (e.g. companies running ‘Murder Mystery’ events, sporting and outdoor activities) - speciality caterers (banquets, receptions, buffets) - floral contractors (flower displays for conference platforms, registration areas, exhibition/exposition stands) - exhibition/exposition contractors - companies which develop specialist computer software (e.g venue-finding and event management programmes) - event insurance specialists CASE STUDY MUTA, the trade association representing the marquee and temporary structures industry, has been striving to raise professional standards in recent years. In 2008 the association launched ‘Safe Use and Operation of Marquees and Temporary Structures’ to provide marquee contractors, event organisers and enforcement officers with a set of best practice guidelines for temporary structures, covering structural integrity, health and safety procedures and flame retardancy.

MUTA has also been at the forefront of raising standards in the inflatable play sector. The PIPA scheme of inflatable play accreditation was launched in 2004 and comprises a network of qualified inspectors who carry out safety tests at the point of manufacture, and consequent annual safety tests for bouncy castles and inflatable slides under regulations within the Health and Safety At Work Act and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Alongside other industry bodies, MUTA

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helped to develop the European Standard BS EN 14960:2006 to provide the sector with best practice – this forms the basis of the inspection regime.

Further details: www.muta.org.uk and www.pipa.org.uk Issues One of the biggest issues facing the industry is how to balance the innovative skills of the entrepreneurial sector, which is good for the industry, with the power (and often economies of scale) of the large organisations. As markets become more mature, larger enterprises tend to come to the fore at the expense of smaller ones.

A major issue facing the supply sector currently is the forthcoming Olympic Games and concerns over the availability of some elements of the infrastructure that will be required from suppliers.

While the Games should provide additional business for the UK industry, the shrinking lead time is already raising concerns that there may not be sufficient availability in some areas to meet demand, particularly as many suppliers will want to keep their regular clients happy rather than risk losing them for a one-off event.

Portable toilets units are an example of this. It has recently been reported to the Events Industry Forum that there are unlikely to be sufficient units available in 2012 to meet the demands of the industry as well as the Olympics, and there is no longer sufficient time to build additional units.

There is also some concern among some smaller suppliers that the increasing demands for them to meet new standards, such as sustainability for the Olympics, are increasing their costs and requiring more management time than their limited resources can afford.

The Olympics are also causing some concern amongst event organisers over the implications for other events in 2012, particularly if consumer spending is still depressed. They are particularly worried that the percentage of disposable income available for attending events is limited and diminished attendances at some events could tip them into financial difficulty. This could have equally serious consequences for suppliers who get paid after events take place as well as for traders who often pay for pitches in advance and stand to lose their money if the event is subsequently cancelled.

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Chapter 5 - National Perspectives from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales Need to incorporate an acknowledgment of the sponsorship of this chapter by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales.

MeetEngland MeetEngland is the business visits and events arm of the national tourism organisation, VisitEngland, and is the official body responsible for promoting England's corporate events, incentive and large convention product.

Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, MeetEngland offers event planners free and impartial advice on all aspects of England’s meeting and event product. This includes the following:       

In-depth knowledge of destinations across England a one-stop shop for enquiries, to include coordination of proposals from a number of English destinations or venues advice on conference centres, hotels or unique venues advice on other suppliers including destination management companies (DMCs), professional conference/congress organisers (PCOs) and event management agencies a comprehensive web site www.meetengland.com which includes destination and venue information, itineraries and useful information on issues such as transportation, visas, VAT reclaim and sustainable events support to bids for large events including letters of support from VisitEngland’s Chief Executive and/or government ministers provision of images for use in client or colleague-facing presentations.

MeetEngland regularly organises networking events and sales calls to visit clients and attends the industry’s leading workshops and exhibitions including ‘IMEX’ and ‘EIBTM’ in Europe and ‘MPI WEC’, ‘Trailblazers’ and ‘Successful Meetings University’ in North America.

Further activity undertaken by MeetEngland includes:  

a quarterly newsletter updating clients on the latest product news from England the organisation of regular familiarisation and educational visits for clients and press

VisitEngland’s ‘A Strategic Action Plan for Tourism 2010-2020’, published Spring 2010, includes a range of proposals to grow major events business and business tourism for England, in conjunction with a variety of strategic partners. The Plan states: ‘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

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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.’

It continues: ‘England leads the world in specialist areas of innovation such as bio-medicines, digital media, genetics and nano-technologies, as well as more well-known expertise in finance, insurance and business service industries. It is, therefore, well placed to capitalise on the business tourism benefits arising from this association.

‘In addition to the considerable economic benefits brought about by business and events visitors, there are other significant advantages to attracting this market. Business visitors travel throughout the year, contribute a higher spend per visitor, are more likely to travel to areas not traditionally known for holiday visits and are more likely to return as high spend holiday visitors in the future.’

The Plan, therefore, proposes to: 

develop a major events plan including HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and an English “Decade of Sport” and identify opportunities to cross-promote destinations and experiences



develop a Business Tourism Action Plan to advise on the best opportunities for growth in business tourism



optimise the opportunities of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Cultural Olympiad through a coherent national plan.

CASE STUDY 100th Rotary International Convention, 21-24 June 2009, Birmingham The 100th Rotary International Convention took place in Birmingham from 21-24 June 2009. It was the first time the international Rotarians had visited the city since 1984, and their return was a formidable success for Birmingham.

With the NEC transformed into a mini United Nations, around 20,000 people from 156 nation states gathered in Birmingham to celebrate the principles of Rotary and to address worldwide humanitarian issues.

The success of the event was, to a substantial extent, due to the team approach adopted by the host city, with Birmingham City Council, Marketing Birmingham, Advantage West Midlands, The NEC Group and other key organisations working in partnership to welcome Rotarians and showcase the city.

Internationally important figures including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Nobel Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and actress and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow addressed the convention and helped to generate excitement and added to the grandeur of the event.

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The total economic impact of the Rotary International Convention 2009 to Birmingham was £24,752,000. Adding the total economic impact to the media value results in a total event impact of £25,462,988.

Possible cultural and sporting event case studies from Liverpool and Manchester to be added.

Northern Ireland 1. Northern Ireland Business Tourism Plan & Action Schedule 2010 – 2013 Business tourism has been identified by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) as one of four product portfolios that will be instrumental in delivering a competitive advantage for Northern IreIand (NI) in the global tourism sector. In 2008, discretionary Business Tourism visitors to NI totalled over 79,000 bringing more than £22.8 million into the economy.

A comprehensive strategy for the development of business tourism in Northern Ireland was prepared for the period 2004 to 2007. Following on from this a Business Tourism Action Plan 2008 – 2010 was agreed and delivered. ‘A Vision for Business Tourism in Northern Ireland 2007 – 2012’ was also developed and this new Northern Ireland Business Tourism Plan and Action Schedule 2010 – 2013 is a further progression of this.

The broad objective of this NI Business Tourism Plan and Action Schedule 2010-2013 is to provide a framework to allow all stakeholders to maximise the contribution that business tourism makes to the economy of Northern Ireland (NI). The aim of the document is to describe in detail the planned activity for the next three years that will position NI as a competitive and appealing destination in the global business tourism market. Key strategic objectives are defined as: 

To maximise promotional opportunities to attract business tourism to NI, ensuring the best use of public and private sector marketing funds



To focus on key business tourism segments which will drive business to NI



To encourage the tourism industry, public agencies and policy makers to work together to promote NI as a business tourism destination



To influence levels of investment necessary, particularly in infrastructure, to attract more business visitors, in particular, to conferences in NI and to sustain success achieved so far within this sector



To ensure NI delivers a quality business tourism experience through ongoing development in terms of capability and service, in line with NI brand attributes.

Northern Ireland Business Tourism Expo 2010 The third NI Business Tourism Expo took place from 14 – 17 January 2010. NITB delivered the event in collaboration with a number of key partners including Tourism Ireland (TIL), Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau (BVCB), the Odyssey Arena and Warwick Corporate Events (WCE) – a staging and AV company. The Odyssey was set up as a convention venue with a plenary area, exhibition space and breakout facilities all under one roof. This provided opportunities to promote and sell Northern

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Ireland as a destination capable of hosting conferences of significant size, as well as providing integrated exhibition facilities, which are now a key element for the association conference business.

The objectives of the Expo 2010 were to:  

maximise the contribution that business tourism makes to the economy of NI through positioning NI as a competitive and appealing destination in the global conference and corporate markets showcase the Odyssey Arena as a convention centre with integrated facilities

The NI Business Tourism Expo offered NI business tourism stakeholders the opportunity to form business relationships with a niche and influential audience of international buyers from Rest of Ireland, GB, USA, France, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium and enhance their chances at competing for and securing business. It also created positive media and good news stories regarding business tourism in Northern Ireland. A TIL GB/NITB combined press trip took place with five business tourism journalists who participated in a 2-day fam trip and spent time at the welcome reception and at the Odyssey workshop.

The NI trade were represented by 50 organisations - five took double appointments. 43 international business tourism buyers attended.

Research: Business Visitor Attitude Survey and Business Tourism Barometer i)

Business Visitor Attitude Survey

NITB has appointed Tourism Development International to design, implement and report on a survey of:  

Northern Ireland’s discretionary business visitors (defined as those attending conferences, trade exhibitions, corporate meetings and incentive travel within Northern Ireland) and conference/incentive organisers

The study seeks to provide quantitative measures and competitor benchmarking (where visitors have experience of other competitor business destinations) and generate actionable information on the perceptions and attitudes of discretionary business visitors to the Northern Ireland experience.

These should relate to the quality and availability of Northern Ireland’s tourism products and services as required by these discretionary business visitors and measures aligned to brand values. In addition, measures relating to associated spend will be gathered, with breakdowns by type of conference and incentive travel.

The outputs will include production of an action plan to assist NITB and the stakeholders in delivering a quality visitor experience, from the initial stages of the decision-making process through to the experience of the destination. ii)

Northern Ireland Discretionary Business Tourism Barometer

It is estimated that around one in ten overseas business trips to Northern Ireland are “promotable” (where the destination that will secure the business is at the discretion of the event organiser), and as “promotable” business is higher yield, the segment accounts for a higher proportion of overall business tourism revenue.

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Northern Ireland Tourist Board, in consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and key stakeholders, is currently developing the Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland 2010-2020. This follows the Strategic Framework for Action 2004 – 2007. Business Tourism has been identified as a key sector to help deliver a competitive advantage for Northern Ireland going forward. While NITB surveys discretionary business visitors though a range of consumer surveys, there is no measure of the volume of discretionary business being hosted by Northern Ireland venue providers.

Objective The objective of the survey is to determine the volume of both domestic and International MICE tourism in total, and individually under the following headings: 1.

2.

3.

4.

International/Association Conferences Corporate Meetings Incentive Trips Trade Fairs and Exhibitions

The survey will seek to determine the volume of business generated by PCOs/DMCs, regional convention bureaux, hotels, conference and incentive venues and universities, types of attendees and visitors, and identify origin/source of international conference, corporate meeting and incentive business.

The final report is due in October 2010.

SCOTLAND VisitScotland VisitScotland is the national tourist board for Scotland and, as such, is the strategic lead body responsible for all aspects of destination marketing both in terms of business tourism and leisure tourism. Scotland’s national strategy and activities for promoting the country as a business tourism destination are overseen by VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit (BTU).

The BTU has a total staff of 16, including 9 based in the Edinburgh office, a dedicated representative in the VisitScotland London office, and regional managers throughout Scotland. The BTU also has overseas representation through BTU contractual relationships with sales and/or PR agencies (North America, Germany, Spain), or through VisitBritain’s office network.

Its programme of targeted marketing activities aims to:    

build strong brand awareness of Scotland as a business tourism destination increase buyers’ knowledge of Scotland’s facilities for business events bring Scottish business tourism suppliers and potential clients together through a wide range of marketing opportunities undertake research to better understand and meet buyer requirements.

Scotland Punches Above Its Weight

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Despite the recent economic difficulties which have beset the sector, Scotland has forged ahead to increase its share of the international association market. In 2009 Scotland accounted for 29% of international association conferences hosted in the UK, up from 25% the previous year, despite accounting for only 10% of the UK population (Source: ICCA ). Edinburgh and Glasgow both improved their rankings and are second only to London in the UK, with Glasgow welcoming more delegates than any other UK city. The corporate business is also showing strong signs of recovery. Latest data show a 4% increase in business trips and a 6% increase in business expenditure from the domestic UK market, and a 9% increase in visits and a 26% increase in expenditure from overseas markets (Jan-Oct 09 UKTS, Jan-Sept IPS) (Source: UKTS, IPS).

Underpinning Scotland’s recovery have been its strengths in relatively robust industry sectors such as energy and life sciences with a number of major conference wins in these areas. Scotland attracts around 2.3m business trips a year, generating more than £723m for the economy and accounting for 18% of total tourism expenditure.

Scotland Satisfies Scotland’s annual customer satisfaction tracking survey revealed excellent results for satisfaction with Scotland as a meeting and conference destination. A total of 93% of respondents expressed satisfaction, with a 81% saying they were “very satisfied”, the highest ever score in the history of the survey. An improvement was seen in satisfaction ratings with all attributes of Scotland as a destination, including quality and capacity of conference venues and accommodation, catering, helpfulness of staff, technical support, ease of getting to and around Scotland, and value-for-money.

74% of respondents claimed they would be “very likely” to consider Scotland for future events. This is testament to the continued investment in the Scottish business tourism product and strong emphasis placed on customer service training. VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit remains wellregarded as a source of information and advice, and is cited as a significant influence on the booking decision. See www.conventionscotland.com/industry Team Scotland With tourism accounting for 9% of employment in Scotland, it is clearly a priority not just for VisitScotland but for all government organisations involved in the economic development of the country. For this reason, and also to increase the profile and impact of Scotland in the marketplace, the Scottish Government, EventScotland, Scottish Development International and VisitScotland have joined forces under the Team Scotland banner to fly the flag at international events. One such example of this is Ryder Cup pre-marketing. High-level corporate networking events with Ministerial attendance took place in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2008, and will be held again in 2010 in Wales, both to promote the tournament being hosted in Scotland in 2014 and to raise awareness of all that Scotland has to offer as a place to visit, meet, do business and invest.

CASE STUDY International Event - European Curling Championships 2009, Aberdeen: This very successful event demonstrates the power of Aberdeen’s Ambassador programme. Two curlers from Aberdeen were the driving force behind the idea of Aberdeen bidding for the European Curling Championships. Together with support from the Aberdeen Convention Bureau and backing from the Royal Caledonian Curling Club – the governing body in Scotland – a presentation was made to the European Curling Federation, which won the event for Aberdeen.

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Aberdeen Convention Bureau helped with pre-marketing by going out to the preceding event in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, to promote the region and encourage maximum attendance. They provided support literature and an accommodation booking service for attendees and also promoted extended stays.

The event was a great success and generated around £2m for the local economy. In recognition of their contribution, the Ambassadors received an award at Aberdeen Convention Bureau’s annual dinner.

‘Homecoming Scotland’ In 2009 Scotland marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of its national poet, Robert Burns, by hosting its first-ever ‘Homecoming Scotland’ celebrations. A year-long programme of events was designed by the Scottish Government in partnership with EventScotland and VisitScotland to celebrate Scotland’s many great contributions to the world - whisky, golf, innovation, culture, heritage and ancestry - supported by marketing activities in 40 countries around the world. In addition to generating an additional 100,000 leisure visitors, ‘Homecoming Scotland’ was also the driver for attracting the high-profile Forbes CEO Forum to Gleneagles in June, with the Forbes media family making their own Homecoming journey to retrace their Scottish roots. With an audience of over 200 of the world’s most influential business leaders, the conference provided an excellent platform to highlight Scotland’s reputation for innovation and re-affirm its position as a world class business and conferencing destination with the aim of generating future investment.

Scotland Means Business Put forty meeting planners in a room together with forty suppliers and give the suppliers thirteen minutes each to make their pitch as the buyers rotate. Organised by VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit, that’s what Scotland Means Business does twice a year, and it has proved a very effective way of introducing buyers from all over the world to the best of what Scotland has to offer the business tourism market. The workshop is the business part of a two-day programme that includes a gala dinner, team-building activities and a taste of Scottish hospitality. The buyers get a world-class but uniquely Scottish experience and plenty of ideas to take back to their customers at home, while venues and service providers have access to qualified buyers at a fraction of what it would cost them to set up such meetings on their own. Now in its seventh year of operation, with the two most recent workshops being held in Perthshire and Edinburgh, Scotland Means Business most definitely does deliver the business. See www.conventionscotland.com/industry for information on this and other marketing opportunities offered by VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit.

Energy Cities Alliance Aberdeen has joined forces with Abu Dhabi, Calgary and Perth, Australia to form the Energy Cities Alliance. The Alliance is aimed at working together to support meeting planners who are looking to host successful world class conferences.

This small group of elite cities have capitalised on their respective areas of energy excellence and can complement each other by pooling best practice, technical knowledge and solutions for the future.

Each Energy City has a unique expertise and clients are encouraged to tap into the energy of these powerhouse economies. Working together, they share leads and promote each other as conference destinations, not only in the energy industry, but in other academic and commercial sectors. The benefits of working together include easier access to pockets of expertise, wider lobbying support, and, through their global network, greater engagement in joint marketing support, ultimately generating more delegates.

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Together the Energy Cities Alliance hosts an Energy Breakfast at international trade exhibitions IMEX (Frankfurt) and EIBTM (Barcelona), and the member cities jointly promote themselves at GIBTM (UAE). The Energy Cities Alliance now has its own web site - see www.energycitiesalliance.com for more details.

Delegate Boosting, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) pulled out all the stops to ensure that the UK Stroke Forum in 2009 was a major success and that it would come back to the city in 2010 and 2011 as well.

The conference organisers had signed a three year deal with Glasgow, but a clause in their contract allowed them to cancel 2010 and 2011 if the 2009 conference did not attract at least 1000 delegates.

To drive up delegate numbers, GCMB partnered with UK Stroke on a number of pre-conference marketing initiatives. These included:    

Providing first announcement flyers Attending the 2008 conference in Harrogate as exhibitors in order to promote Glasgow as 2009 destination Contacting local doctors and professors in medical fields related to Stroke and encouraged them to promote the conference to their colleagues. As a result the conference was promoted on various NHS intranets Assisting the conference organisers in enhancing the conference website

In addition, GCMB provided welcome signage in the city. The result was a huge success with 1650 delegates attending the Glasgow conference.

WALES Visit Wales Visit Wales is a department within the Welsh Assembly Government with official responsibility for the promotion and development of tourism in Wales. Visit Wales’ Product Marketing Team promotes Wales and facilitates business-to-business between Wales suppliers and external buyers, whether their focus is leisure or business tourism.

The team promotes Wales as the destination of choice for business events including conferences and meetings, and corporate events such as incentives, team building, golf and hospitality. It provides product ideas, itineraries, trade contacts, images and other useful resources and can effect introductions with regional convention bureaux and suppliers in Wales.

Visit Wales Restructure In April 2009 the marketing department within Visit Wales underwent a major restructure and moved away from specific product-focused teams to larger functional teams, each with collective responsibility for integrated product areas.

In the case of business tourism, the promotion of this is now the collective responsibility of both the Marketing Networks team (taken forward by the Product Marketing Team) and the Marketing Campaigns Team.

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The Product Marketing Team is, therefore, a new team which, for the first time, integrates all business-to-business work targeting the business tourism, leisure tourism and golf sectors, along with work with key partners such as VisitBritain. Any supporting campaign work or paid advertising is undertaken by the Campaigns Team.

With the restructure also came a reduction in budget from £11.9 million in 08/09 to £8.4 million in 09/10 which helped prompt an analysis of Wales’s strengths to establish on which areas of work resources should be focused. The following product ‘Champion’ areas were identified as delivering significant actual and potential benefits in terms of building Wales’s reputation and generating sustainable visits: • • • • • • • •

Walking Culture and Heritage Adventure Activities Off-road Cycling/Mountain Biking Family Attractions Food Business Tourism Golf

With this in mind, the Product Marketing Team radically re-thought their existing approach to business-to-business activity based on the need to:         

Integrate the work of the existing leisure tourism, business tourism and golf B2B activities Align their work to the ‘Champion’ areas Capitalise on the opportunity of The 2010 Ryder Cup Address the impact of the credit crunch on business tourism suppliers Consider VisitBritain’s market quadrants, especially the increased need to reach unfamiliar/emerging markets, balanced with the continued trade requirements in more familiar markets, especially U.S. and Germany Exploit digital marketing potential more Allow for significantly reduced budgets and staffing (including frozen posts) Take account of the decision to drop the Visit Wales stand presence at all global travel trade and business tourism exhibitions Conduct formal and informal staff training and development - essential to bring everyone up to a level of understanding of business-to-business across all the new integrated sectors.

The integration of all the different sectors enables the team to maximise opportunities across global markets fully utilizing their on-territory staff and trade representatives (who formerly had a leisure tourism remit). Where necessary, sector-specific activities will be undertaken recognising their different needs and approaches in certain instances.

The Team also moved to an E-CRM approach and developed consistent quality communications and support, working through key networks. More than ever, an integrated high quality database is crucial to the communications approach. A dynamic, integrated website has been developed to provide the information, contacts and resources to assist the travel trade in building and marketing their Wales programmes, and to support business tourism contacts.

Having generated significant interest in Wales through previous B2B activities, the Team provides relevant contacts with the opportunity to experience Wales first-hand and meet suppliers face-to-

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face. Relevant leads generated through such visits and other B2B activities are passed on to regional contacts and suppliers as appropriate.

For the first time, Visit Wales has a Strategic Partner Agreement with VisitBritain (VB) across their global markets. A significant focus is to maximise opportunities by supporting VB to deliver the agreed activities. The team also works to maximise partnership opportunities working with UKInbound, ICCA and other significant parties.

The new Champion approach ensures that identified key sectors are well co-ordinated and integrated across all work.

Wales Major Events Unit (is this part of VW?) Although the Major Events Unit (MEU) has only been in existence for less than two years, it has already achieved some significant results for Wales. Highlights include:  Supporting the successful delivery of the first ever Ashes Cricket Test Match outside England and Australia. The MEU played an active role in the “Team Wales” steering group for the event. In partnership with Visit Wales colleagues, it led on the development and delivery of the Wales brand strategy around the event and coordinated the majority of the external media engagement.  Collaborating with Cardiff, Newport and Swansea local authorities and the Youth Sport Trust to deliver the 2009 UK School Games. The event provided a unique opportunity for over 1,500 of the UK’s most talented young athletes to take part in a multi-sport environment modelled on Olympic and Paralympic themes and values.  Creating a new strategic partnership with Barnardo’s Cymru, Cardiff Council and Welsh Athletics to develop and grow the Cardiff Half Marathon as Wales’s biggest road race.

With financial support from the MEU, the 2009 event attracted a record number of runners at just over 11,000. The aim is to grow the event to around 20,000 runners with the aspiration to successfully bid for the World Half Marathon Championship. The event provides a high profile platform to communicate the positive benefits of regular exercise.  Signing Memoranda of Understanding with the Australian and New Zealand Paralympic Committees who will be locating their London 2012 Games Pre-Games Training Camps in Cardiff and Swansea. South Africa will also base their Paralympic athletes in Wales.

This is a major coup for Wales as their team includes Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius, the world’s highest profile Paralympic athlete.  Co-ordinating, in partnership with DE&T’s Enterprise team, two visits to the Olympic Park for Welsh businesses to meet with key contractors and gain information on the CompeteFor online Olympic procurement system.  Co-ordinating and shaping the programme for three senior LOCOG VIP visits to Wales, involving PR-focussed activity and meetings with Ministers, key stakeholders, and senior business people on Olympic-related matters, co-ordinating PR, transport, logistics, catering etc  Projecting a positive image of Wales at key international exhibitions and conferences

2010 Ryder Cup

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2010 sees Wales host one of the top ten events in the world’s sporting calendar when it stages the Ryder Cup for the first time in its history. In October the 2010 Ryder Cup will be hosted on the purpose-built Twenty Ten Course at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport.

Visit Wales was presented with the opportunity to work with the European Tour/Ryder Cup Ltd. to invite selected golf operators and incentive travel contacts to participate in familiarisation trips to coincide with a unique prestigious one-day event and dinner on 12th October 2009, being organised by the European Tour, to tie in with One Year to Go before The 2010 Ryder Cup. Visit Wales worked with VisitBritain and the European Tour to recruit relevant operators. It arranged four pre- and postfamiliarisation trips (4 and 5 night versions) around Wales for the delegates to experience Wales as a destination.

Two of the itineraries were focused around Wales’ golfing products with play or visits to around eight courses around Wales, including playing 18 holes of Nefyn & District and the Twenty Ten course. The other two itineraries were steered towards Wales’ incentive products such as spas, steam trains, adventure activities (a 4x4 safari), golf and even duck herding with Quack Pack!

Visit Wales also organised a business-to-business (B2B) workshop at Tredegar House where the delegates can meet tourism suppliers from around Wales.

Estimated economic impact of the Ryder Cup? Jobs created?

CASE STUDY Delegates get a taste of Victorian heritage After a recent £5million investment, 2010 sees a new destination for delegates in north Wales, a Victorian village!

Nant Gwrtheyrn is a refurbished Victorian village located in a 250 acre site that offers conference organisers the chance to hold their events in a range of meeting places. The village is located in a private valley overlooking its own beach.

The recent investment has provided new conference facilities in a newly refurbished building for up to 350 delegates theatre style and 150 banquet style with the option of creating multi-room meetings. There are also further meeting rooms available within the Nant Gwrtheyrn site including the Chapel Heritage Centre which holds up to 60 delegates theatre and the Plas Education Centre, capacity to be confirmed.

2010 will see accommodation available for 80 delegates which is located in the refurbished Victorian quarry cottages within the village site and the newly refurbished Plas Education centre.

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Chapter 6 – VisitBritain’s Role in Support of Business Visits and Events VisitBritain is Britain's national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. It works with thousands of organisations in the UK and overseas to market Britain to visitors from around the world.

It also works in partnership with the UK Government, the industry and its strategic partners in London, England, Scotland and Wales to promote Britain in 35 key overseas markets, where there are offices with local language staff.

Its network of international offices is supported by the London-based marketing, commercial, research and policy teams, who in turn are backed up by experts in IT, financial management and other essential disciplines.

VisitBritain also provides UK government with advice on tourism policy and raises awareness of the significance of tourism to the UK economy. It is particularly working towards showcasing Britain and maximising the tourism benefits in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond (see also section 4h for more details of this activity).

VisitBritain will seek to: 

Deliver world-leading, clear and concise BV&E insights from all markets. Provide better research for markets to include top buyers, volumes, values, potential for growth

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Integrate mandatory extender messages throughout relevant leisure marketing campaigns

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Contribute Britain business tourism content to the Global BritAgent travel trade e-learning programme

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Continue to deliver bid support via eventBritain

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Seek partnerships with key global business travel agencies, airlines and other national suppliers

Promoting Business Visits and Events VisitBritain’s strategy for business visits and events follows two of the central planks of the overall corporate strategy, firstly maximising the tourism legacy benefits from the 2012 Games which, in the context of business visits and events, will ensure that 2012 is used as a platform to win more sporting and industry events.

Secondly, to champion tourism and engage industry and government in support of its growth. This means that VisitBritain should continue to lead the business tourism / business visits and events agenda and work with key influencers to encourage government to recognise its importance.

VisitBritain will also support the industry and strategic partners by providing platforms for them to communicate with overseas clients. VisitBritain’s key and unique proposition from a business perspective is its overseas network of offices and connections on territory.

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VisitBritain Priorities VisitBritain will undertake regular audits into its overseas business tourism resources to understand the skill sets that are available as well as to develop a greater understanding of the opportunities from developing and emerging markets.

It will ensure that each market strengthens and renews its data through local industry membership and partnerships, as well as acquiring or uploading new pertinent data.

Using B2B platforms, appropriate companies will be targeted proactively through e-communications and sales calls, with a minimum number of calls through the year stipulated. Data will be used for VisitBritain’s own marketing activities, while its availability will also ensure VisitBritain’s credibility with its partners. Any RFPs will continue to be filtered back to the regions and nations. eventBritain VisitBritain’s eventBritain strategy involves proactively working with the nations, regions and cities of the UK to support event bids. Such support will be offered on three levels:  Use of VisitBritain’s extensive overseas network to help with bid support. VisitBritain can identify key contacts on territory, advise on doing business in specific markets and use its relationship with other public diplomacy partners to enhance bids. For instance, this might involve an event bid committee holding a reception at an ambassador’s residence  Solicit Government support for a bid. In instances where a sole UK city is bidding against worldwide competitors, VisitBritain will solicit letters of support from Ministers or senior Government officials to welcome the bid to the UK. In cases where multiple UK cities are bidding against each other, VisitBritain will provide letters of support for the bids from the Chairman of VisitBritain  VisitBritain will provide its commercial products as support before, during and after a bid.

For specific events, VisitBritain can white-label its eventBritain shops and offer overseas delegates discounted rail passes, Oyster cards and any other attraction tickets bundled together that are pertinent for the organiser. The specific event web site could be branded using the event logo and the organiser or bidding city would be eligible to share commission with VisitBritain.

Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) VisitBritain remains committed to supporting the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) to ensure that this group continues to be the voice of the industry. As it is a fragmented market, 23 of the key industry trade and professional associations speaking as one voice is, indeed, a powerful tool.

The BVEP is one of the strongest industry boards of which VisitBritain is a part. However, in order to increase its influence, VisitBritain will also engage with a smaller group of key commercial partners who have the ability to make a difference at a political level.

VisitBritain will provide strong evidence of the contribution the sector makes to the national economy and ensure that Government departments are aware that any policies which reduce meetings and events will impact negatively economic activity, trade and destination regeneration.

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The ‘Britain for Events / National Meetings and Events Week’ campaign will continue to be VisitBritain’s PR tool to champion industry support and awareness.

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Chapter 7 – Quality, Standards and Sustainability Needs to incorporate an acknowledgement of MIA support/sponsorship

Raising Quality Standards in Events and Meetings Over the past five years 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 event and meeting delivery, from initial contact to service, facilities, equipment, food and overall experience. Furthermore, initiatives have been presented that assist venues in their ambitions to comply with best practice, improve customer satisfaction and make a solid value proposition. Among the most successful of these is the Meetings Industry Association’s (MIA) accreditation, AIM (Accredited in Meetings), which, since its launch in March 2007, has achieved widespread recognition and helped numerous venues to enhance their quality credentials, gaining endorsement from a host of influential industry organisations, including VisitBritain (in England) and Visit Wales.

VisitBritain endorsed AIM for meetings venues and suppliers in England early in 2009. At the time a senior member of its Business Visits and Events unit commented: “We support AIM because, as well as driving best practice in terms of quality of product and service delivery, the accreditation also includes criteria for environmental and corporate responsibility issues.”

Commitment to Best Practice AIM was developed by the MIA in association with the Best Practice Forum, and was introduced into the meetings industry after an extensive pilot study in the North West of England, which was fully supported by the North West Development Agency. The accreditation offers venues and suppliers within the meetings industry the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to best practice and improving service.

Jane Evans, MIA Chief Executive comments: “AIM is a long term strategy designed to ensure the entire meetings industry achieves universally improved quality standards. AIM helps meetings venues attain a set standard for venue facilities and service delivery based on measurable criteria such as customer service, compliance with codes of conduct, legislation and corporate social responsibility.”

Applying Quality Standards Using AIM as an example, it is possible to examine how quality standard criteria can be applied to business events and meetings.

The accreditation has three levels of achievements: Entry Level, Silver and Gold.

Legal Compliance At a very basic level, the AIM accreditation ensures venues and suppliers comply with ten crucial legal acts, all of which are relevant to the services they are supplying. The ten acts are:   

Health & Safety at Work and Fire Safety Disability Discrimination Employers Liability

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      

Data Protection Sale & Supply of Goods Trade Descriptions Consumer Protection Weights & Measures Race Relations, Sex Discrimination, Disability Discrimination and Age Discrimination.

Licensing Laws

Compliance with legislation is supported by the requirement for venues to achieve stringent grading criteria.

50 Grading Criteria AIM’s ability to improve quality standards is achieved by using 50 grading criteria to monitor the events and meetings product. These criteria include the location and accessibility of the meeting rooms and facilities provided, the suitability of the lighting and heating in meeting rooms, the levels of security, how often the rooms are cleaned and decorated, whether the space and furniture are adequate and suitable, the provision of in-room services such as power sockets, what is supplied at no extra charge and how transparent the published prices are. All 50 items are checked in advance of the venue being awarded the accreditation and, when improvements are required, suggestions are made to assist the venue in raising standards.

AIM Higher The Silver and Gold levels of AIM are known as AIM Higher, and demonstrate compliance with a more stringent set of quality standards criteria. Venues that want to AIM Higher must complete a self-assessment form which consists of ten sections with five questions in each. These venues also have to produce a portfolio of evidence in support of an application. This is followed by an external assessment at the venue performed by an independent examiner, who determines whether AIM Silver or AIM Gold should be awarded.

Securing Quality Standards With AIM now entering its fourth year, the accreditation’s position within the business events and meetings industry is secured. Its fast progression demonstrates that the industry is keen to be seen as one that is taking action to deliver quality and value and its success is evidence that quality standards are a viable option for the industry; standards have been set and are being measured on a regular basis. Furthermore, wide acceptance of this quality kitemark shows that the event and meetings industry is ready, willing and able to deliver what meetings organisers need, when they need it, on time and to budget.

CASE STUDY Visit Wales endorses MIA’s AIM scheme Meetings and event venues in Wales are being encouraged to join the Meeting Industry Association’s AIM scheme which has been endorsed by Visit Wales.

Visit Wales decided to follow Visit Britain’s lead and endorse AIM rather than modify its existing accreditation. The AIM accreditation replaces the previous Visit Wales ‘Business Class’ grading scheme.

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Visit Wales has recognised the benefits offered by AIM and has recommended that all Welsh meetings venues should seek to become accredited under the scheme. The recommendation is for venues to join at entry level, and that they should aspire to silver and gold levels whenever possible.

Jane Landstrom, Senior Product Marketing Executive, at Visit Wales, said: “The AIM scheme is growing in popularity across the entire country and as the MIA continues to take the scheme forward with improvements to areas such as accessibility and sustainability, we are happy to endorse it as a national standard for Wales.”

Purple Guide Agreement has been reached between the event industry and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to revise and re-publish the much-used Purple Guide (“The Event Safety Guide – A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events”).

A Steering Group will redraft the Guide to take account of the changes in practices and legislation since the original was published in 1993. The new Guide will have a greater focus on risk assessment and management of health and safety. It will set out clearly the health and safety duties of all those involved in putting on events to ensure the wellbeing of employees, contractors and the public. The revision will provide an opportunity to improve the existing format by the addition of case studies and practical information on risk management. Changes to the structure of the Guide will make it even easier to use. It will be cross-referenced to other sources of information. The Event Industry Forum, which has been negotiating on behalf of the industry, has made a commitment to provide guidance on non-health and safety issues which are, nonetheless, important to consider. The intention is that these, together with the new Guide, will be available from a central website as a complete ‘virtual’ Guide.

It is anticipated that the new Guide will be published mid-2011.

British Standard 8901: Sustainability Management System for Events BS8901 was launched as a draft standard in November 2007. After a consultation process with the events industry, a revised draft standard was released in 2009 with the title: ‘BS8901: 2009 Sustainability Management System for Events – Specification with Guidance for Use’ The purpose of BS8901 is to help the events industry to conduct business operations in a more sustainable manner. The standard is applicable to the full range of events and needs to be applied to the full life-cycle of an event (ie. from conception to final review) as well as extended throughout the supply chain. It is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act process that is already used in event project management and requires measuring and monitoring of performance and the identification of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within a context of continuous improvement.

The standard is also described as ‘proportional’ – in other words, an organisation’s or individual’s role and position in the supply chain, its size, capacity to adopt the system and ability to implement it will determine which requirements of the standard apply.

BS8901 applies to event clients, event organisers/management, venues, and related supply chains.

Like ISO9001 (Quality Management System), ISO18001 (Health and Management System) and ISO27001 (Information Security Management System), BS8901 is a standard against which certification can be provided. Certification is against the management system used by an organisation to manage its event-orientated activities, products and services and can be against one event only. The event, therefore, is considered to be the ‘output’ of the system.

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BS8901 is being pioneered by LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the 2012 Games) as a ‘road map’ for organising the 2012 Games.

ISO14001: 2004 Environmental Management System This is a well established, robust and globally recognised management system, launched over 14 years ago and revised in 2004. Many organisations in other industry sectors cannot tender without certification against ISO14001. Like all management systems, it is a flexible, strategically proactive approach that is research as well as performance-driven.

Copenhagen Sustainable Meetings Protocol The Copenhagen Sustainable Meetings Protocol (CSMP) offers a flexible, umbrella framework that can be used to organise large, complex meetings in a more sustainable way. The protocol is not a standard that provides accreditation or certification – rather it is intended to help planners manage their meetings sustainably. The CSMP aims to complement other existing guides present in the market, and it is not only targeted at corporate, government and association event organisers, but also consultants and managers in venues and large hotels. It is designed to be used in combination with the ‘COP15 Event Sustainability Report’.

The CSM is divided into chapters on: sustainable event management; introduction to the Protocol framework; leadership and commitment; strategic approach stakeholder engagement; operational integration; governance; and sustainability and the future of the meetings industry.

Development of ISO20121: International Standard for Sustainable Event Management This new international standard for sustainable event management is currently under development by over 30 countries and is expected to be released in 2012. It is being developed to provide an international standard following the worldwide adoption of the British Standard for Sustainable Event Management (BS8901). Fiona Pelham, Managing Director of Manchester-based Sustainable Event Ltd, is co-chairing the development of this international standard. She states that it will be “the most sophisticated system for sustainable event management because it has been developed by events, sustainability and standards specialists from around the world”.

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Chapter 8 – Education, Skills, CPD, Qualifications Need to incorporate a reference to the sponsorship of this chapter by Planetplanit.biz This section is based on a paper published in early 2010 designed to stimulate discussion around how the events industry can better address its skills and labour needs. The paper was written by Martin Christian Kent (People 1st), Conor Moss (University of Derby) and Tony Rogers (Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services).

Understanding the context of skill needs across the industry The events industry is extremely diverse and fragmented. Given the structure of the industry it is difficult to establish with any certainty its true size. However, national statistics suggest that it has a workforce of approximately 530,000, with a value to the UK economy calculated to be over £36 billion annually.

Events vary in size, type and impact, but generally involve the following key players:   

Clients Event organisers (in-house corporate, association, public sector, plus intermediary agencies) Event industry suppliers

Given their central importance it is critical for the ongoing professionalism and growth of the industry that event organisers have the necessary skills and expertise to meet and exceed their clients’ expectations.

Skill requirements of the workforce Typical event organiser occupations among intermediary agencies include: account director, account manager and event executive. The main skill needs associated with these roles, as with those for inhouse organisers, are wide-ranging: 

For Account directors they include: o People management and leadership o Strategy and budget management o Solid understanding of suppliers

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For Account managers they include: o o o o

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People management Project management Ability to liaise and build relationships with clients Supplier management

For Event executives they include: o o o o

Excellent verbal and written communication Excellent organisation and administrative skills Customer service Degree in event management desirable

Skills lacking

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Employers who were interviewed as part of People 1st’s research (‘Labour Market Review into the Events Industry’ – downloadable from the BVEP web site) found that employers believed that their current staff lacked the required skills in:     

understanding the client’s industry/needs managing suppliers customer service crowd management understanding of legislation/standards such as health and safety and sustainability

Recruitment, training and retention Skills cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider labour market trends facing the industry – in particular, understanding how employers are recruiting, training and retaining their staff.

Vacancies across the industry are felt to be relatively easy to fill. This is influenced by the growing popularity of events management courses in higher education. There were 3,360 event management learners in higher education in 2007/08, 91 percent of whom were full-time. A positive trend is that these events graduates are entering the industry, usually at an operational level and working their way up the business alongside non-graduates. New entrants are starting at the bottom and progressing to senior roles and positions. Consequently, senior roles tend to be filled from within the business. However, the leap between events executive and account manager is perceived to be long and it is critical that such staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Skills development of the workforce People 1st’s survey of events industry employers in 2009 found that:      

Induction and informal training are both used widely Workforce development tends to be undertaken on-the-job via coaching from the line manager, is very practical and is based around learning through experience 73% of businesses taking part in the survey gave staff the opportunity to take a nationally recognised qualification 60% offered paid or part-paid training.

Nine per cent employ apprentices 19% had used the government’s Train to Gain workforce development scheme.

It is too soon to assess the likely impact of new competence-based qualifications for events managers. These qualifications assess the competencies of those in the workplace. They are designed to support workforce development and provide recognition to those who have achieved the qualification. However, similar qualifications designed for the events industry have not had a significant uptake in the past and the large number of graduates entering the sector may make these qualifications less attractive in comparison with higher education programmes, in particular the Foundation Degree.

Foundation Degrees are accredited by higher education institutions and are delivered by universities or further education colleges. They are specifically designed to develop the knowledge and cognitive ability of those in the workplace, offering routes onto further qualifications, such as degrees. There

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are a variety of Foundation Degrees available in events management, but there is little consistency in their content or delivery.

There is pressure from a number of further education providers to develop competence-based events qualifications at more operational levels. However, the likely demand from employers has yet to be proved. Whilst there have been efforts from industry and education to work more closely together, in large part there is often a disconnect in the way employers are developing the skills of their staff with the delivery of qualifications and education provision. There are clear opportunities in ensuring that qualifications can better support the skills development and professionalisation of the industry.

Research for the labour market review found that employers perceive that there is a lack of professional qualifications for those working in the events industry, with some wanting to see some formalisation around continuing professional development (CPD).

Employers had mixed views regarding event management courses in higher education. Whilst pleased to see that they are popular, concerns were expressed over a perceived lack of practical/industry experience among students and the extent to which some lecturers may lack practical experience. Again, this highlights the importance of strong work-based training that can support progression, rather than relying solely on the skills of those entering the industry.

Staff retention Labour turnover is low, especially where employers offer training and progression routes. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector, which has the lowest staff retention rates of any sector.

Co-ordinated action to ensure the skills and the professionalism of the industry can be met Three themes emerge from the various research that would help ensure the events industry possesses the skills it requires and develops a strong culture of contining professionalism.

These are:

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By their very nature these themes are complementary and, to have the desired impact on skills and professionalism, require progress to be made in all three areas.

Addressing the issues raised in these themes is central to agreeing co-ordinated action. They cover Qualifications, Continuing Professional Development, and Information, Advice and Guidance.

1. Qualifications Issues There is an array of qualifications available to employers to support work-based training. These can be generic (such as health and safety), sector-specific (such as food safety) or industry-specific (such as events management or temporary structures). In addition, higher education institutions accredit Foundation Degrees in events management that can support skills development.

Many employers are unaware of what’s available and how they can gather the appropriate information. Consequently, most training is informal and does not result in a qualification. This does not mean it is of lesser quality, only that there are no consistent benchmarks across the sector and employers are not benefiting from public funding which could help them up-skill their workforce.

Research suggests that employers are usually looking for a specific qualification or training programme that could be delivered in a short period of time. Currently, competence-based qualifications are large, but the way in which they are structured means that they could be offered in much smaller packages, which would help support continuing professional development (CPD).

Alternatively, niche training packages could be developed to address very specific skill needs. These could be stand alone training programmes or be accredited by a higher education institution or awarding organisation.

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There are also a number of qualifications available to develop the skills and knowledge of those entering the sector. Unlike most industries, these are concentrated in higher education rather than further education. There are benchmarks in place to encourage consistency in content as well as coordinated action across individual institutions through the Association for Events Management Education (AEME). Employers largely welcome this provision and benefit from the ease with which they can recruit.

Possible solutions 

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In order to ensure that there is clear progression into and across the sector, available qualifications could be matched against specific job roles and their individual needs. This could be fed into broader information and advice given to employers and jobseekers to help them find the right training and courses (see below). It would also identify gaps in provision where qualifications or bespoke training is required. This would involve a number of Sector Skills Councils who cover the broad range of skills required in events.

There have been calls for competence-based qualifications to be developed at operational levels (this would be at Level 2). Given the nature of the labour market and the historically poor levels of take-up there needs to be a consultation with industry to better understand the need at this level and whether the development of competence-based qualifications is the answer.

Foundation Degrees in Events Management are offered by a number of higher education institutions. They are an ideal qualification for managers or aspirant managers in employment. Currently, there is no consistency in the content of a Foundation Degree in Events Management. Employer awareness is low and consequently the industry is missing out on the opportunity afforded by these qualifications. Through the collaboration of fdf (formerly Foundation Degree Forward), AEME and individual higher education institutions and with the input of employers, there is an opportunity to agree a core content and badge those Foundation Degrees that meet these criteria. The purpose, expectations and benefits of Foundation Degrees can then be communicated much easier to employers and learners (see below).

The Diploma in Travel and Tourism will see its first learners start from September 2010. It has been developed in response to employer demands for better skilled and employable young people. It is being created in a number of areas to appeal to students of all abilities and aspirations, who like to learn about subjects in ways that relate to real life. The qualifications are designed for students aged 14-19 and are set to become one of the three main education choices - alongside GCSEs/A levels and Apprenticeships. Given their likely impact, it is important that there is suitable progression from the Diploma into work and higher education. Events is one of the industries covered by the Diploma and it is critical that it paints a realistic picture of the events industry and that there are realistic progression routes onto other programmes, especially in higher education.

Not only are many employers confused about what qualifications are available and their purpose (see below) - they are also unsure of their benefit over and above their own inhouse training. The production of case studies would illustrate how employers have used qualifications, but also demonstrate their financial and wider impact on a business.

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2. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Issues The results from the labour market review were also strongly reflected in the University of Derby’s ‘Taking the Pulse’ report in that there was unilateral agreement that a CPD system was needed to meet the demands of all sectors of the events industry and of all individuals working in it. To make this happen, it was felt that there would need to be a Working Party which would establish a CPD programme that took account of the diversity of views and requirements of various industry sectors and players. The intention is not to create another association but to provide an umbrella ‘Institute’ with a remit that could coordinate a CPD scheme.

The ‘Taking the Pulse’ report and the subsequent consultation period identified that many of the trade associations were providing an excellent service to their members in keeping them abreast with key issues. However, major areas of concern were:       

Many trade associations which offered training courses to their own members were seeing participation rates fall and, in some cases, courses being cancelled. There was also an issue over duplication of course topics and clashes of calendar dates If a member of one association attended a course there was no guarantee that the course would be recognised or accepted across the industry In considering a CPD programme, discussions had included whether there should be different levels of membership, based upon the way individual members had updated their skills Issues centred around the delivery of course and educational provision in an industry renowned as having to work flexibly Many people may not wish to commit to a full-time educational course, instead desired short courses that make a significant impact This would mean that CPD for the events industry would need to be more demand-led, given the varied nature of the specialisms in events.

The way in which each element of CPD is given credits remains a crucial issue along with whether each CPD course should be given CPD points for attendance or as a part qualification. This could be on the basis of a number of credits or as a qualification.

Possible Solutions 

There has been considerable research and time spent on exploring the feasibility of an Institute of Event Management that would be established as an autonomous body to accredit the education offerings of educational institutions, trade associations and private training providers.



The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has provided consultation and advice on how the Institute of Event Management could operate within the CMI educational and administrative framework. The assertions are that the Institute of Event Management could operate autonomously within the CMI in much the same vein as the Institute of Business Consultants or Women in Management.



Foundation Degrees with a common agreed framework and recognition through fdf could benefit employers; additionally, the design of flexible modes of study with emphasis on

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work-based learning is essential. Furthermore, the ability for individuals to undertake Foundation Degrees in manageable sizes would be welcome. 

There is already evidence that trade associations are finding accredited solutions to the CPD question, which is obviously beneficial to the members of that association - however, it leads to the proliferation of awards. Therefore, there would need to be recognition of CPD schemes within any centralised structure.



A short term and relatively quick solution would be to develop a central CPD portal offering online and offline courses designed to meet professional development needs. They could support the competencies required by employers, professional bodies and Sector Skills Councils. Learners that enrol on the professional courses are able to gain access to a range of tools that help them to identify skills needs, log learning hours, build a portfolio for assessment purposes and claim for Accreditation for Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). APEL is a rigorous but not onerous mechanism of recognizing an individual’s expertise and prior experience. The portal can act as a repository for case studies, study material and e-learning material.

3. Information, Advice and Guidance Issues Ensuring that employers and employees have an accurate understanding of what qualifications and training are available is critical if we are to better align ongoing training and development undertaken by employers with available support. Research by People 1st has found that the single reason why employers do not provide qualifications to their staff is the fact that they are confused about what is available.

Similarly, learners and jobseekers need an accurate understanding of the industry – to dispel myths, highlight opportunities and be clearer about what employers are actually looking for. This will not only ensure that new entrants have a realistic expectation of what they will encounter when they enter the industry, but also they are entering with the skills and knowledge that employers are seeking.

Employers, employees, learners and jobseekers access information through different media and it is important that the information being conveyed is consistent and open to all these routes. Any activities undertaken in this area therefore need to involve a wide range of possible partners and information needs to be disseminated as far as possible in order to maximise their use.

One area of focus in recent years has been the development of uksp.co.uk which aims to help employers overcome the confusion about available support. uksp.co.uk has a qualifications guide that enables browsers to find relevant qualifications and provides a ‘plain-English’ overview, an understanding of the content of each qualification, as well as where they are delivered and what funding is available.

It also highlights for jobseekers the range of development routes available across the sector, including the events industry. For each job role it provides information on typical role and salary, as well as the type of qualifications and support required to gain the skills and knowledge employers

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seek. There are also job profiles that explain how people already in the industry have developed their careers.

Possible Solutions 





Given the lack of focused information on career opportunities in the events industry, there is an opportunity to produce a dedicated guide that outlines the range of careers opportunities, including entry and development routes and snapshots of those already working in the sector. The guide could be produced in a format that partners can embed in existing information and advice or as a stand-alone guide. This could be disseminated to different education institutions, careers companies and trade associations.

Stand-alone case studies could be produced to provide a set of profiles of people working in the sector. These would be chosen from a range of job roles, organisations and different parts of the industry. They would provide a snapshot of a ‘day-in-the-life’, what motivates people in their roles and an understanding of their educational and career journey in how they ending up doing their role.

Following the review of wider qualification needs highlighted above, there will be a need to update uksp.co.uk to ensure it reflects the needs of the industry and can provide accurate information on the relevant qualifications and training opportunities available.

Institute of Event Management A representative group of events professionals has now agreed (July 2010) a series of ‘next step proposals’ en route to creating an Institute of Event Management for the sector. These include the creation of three working groups to:   

Establish a Business Plan and scope the legal framework for creating a professional institute Map the existing provision of higher education courses in events management Develop membership structures, tiers and criteria for the institute

The activities of the three working groups will be complemented by an extensive online survey of event industry practitioners to clarify existing types and scale of part-time and full-time further education and continuing professional development. The survey will also seek views on the delivery and accreditation of courses, as well as seek feedback on preferred study methods for those working in the sector.

The Business Visits & Events Partnership’s ‘Manifesto’ (July 2010) highlights the strength and dynamism of the events sector and its potential for developing Britain’s creative enterprise. It states: “A key part of meeting this objective will be engagement with industry leaders in support of a sector quality, skills and qualifications strategy and implementation programme to include an Institute of Event Management; a framework for continuing professional development and a portal website to

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signpost skill needs, industry-accredited qualifications, further and higher education programmes in event management and career opportunities.�

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Chapter 9 Careers in the Events Sector Unlike many other sectors, the business visits and events industry does not yet have clear entry routes or easily identified career progression paths. It is one of the facets which illustrate its relative immaturity as an industry. This lack of structure may be somewhat frustrating and confusing for those, both within and outside the industry, who have set their sights on reaching a particular career goal but are uncertain about how best to get there. At the same time, however, this lack of precedent and structure can encourage a greater fluidity and freedom of movement between jobs.

There is often no set requirement to progress in a particular way, or to have obtained specific qualifications before being able to move on.

Many of those now working in the industry have come to it as a second or third career. This is not surprising in view of the need to be at ease in dealing with a wide range of people, or in coping with a last-minute crisis in the build-up to a high-profile conference - situations which require a reasonable maturity and some experience of life.

A 2006 survey of those working in the events sector confirmed that relatively few of the occupations offer regular ‘nine to five’ working hours. On the contrary, many involve long hours in the build-up to an event, weekend working, travel delays, pressure and stress caused by working to tight deadlines, pre-event anxiety, having to deal with difficult people and disrupted social life, as the worst aspects of the job.

On the plus side survey respondents enjoyed the variety, absence of routine, diversity of tasks, wide range of places and locations visited along with the interaction with people - participants, clients and suppliers. The chance to be creative and face the differing challenges presented by the work was seen as positive by most of those surveyed.

Previous experience in hotel and catering, sales and marketing, business administration, secretarial work, financial management, local government administration, training, travel and transport, or leisure and tourism could be advantageous, depending upon the position being considered. But many other backgrounds and disciplines can also give very relevant skills and knowledge, provided that these are combined with a natural affinity for working with people.

For those looking to find employment straight from university or college, vacancies do arise in event agencies (e.g. administrative posts, assisting in venue finding, computer work) and in event venues (as assistant conference and banqueting co-ordinators, or in venue sales and marketing). It can be possible for new graduates to obtain posts in destination marketing organisations (typically trading as a ‘Conference Office’, ‘Conference Desk’ or Convention Bureau’), although more often 1-2 years’ previous experience in sales and marketing or local government administration is desirable.

Relatively few conference/event organisers, especially within the corporate sector, are full-time.

They are first and foremost secretaries/PAs, marketing assistants/managers, training managers, or public relations executives, who find themselves asked to organise events on behalf of their department or company. Their role in conference/event organising may, of course, develop if they prove to have the right talents and enthusiasm and if this meets the company’s own development needs.

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Other openings arise, from time to time, in the business visits and events industry trade associations and, for those with an interest in publishing, in the industry’s trade magazines (either in advertising sales or, for those with some journalistic background, as part of the editorial team).

Before beginning a career within conferencing/events, it is probably helpful to know whether one’s interest is primarily in the buying (ie. working as a conference/event organiser for a company, association, public body) or supply side (ie. working for a conference/event venue, for an audiovisual company, or other supplier of services) of the industry. It is, of course, quite possible at a later stage to switch from one side to the other, and an understanding of how both buyers and suppliers operate is obviously important and beneficial. It is a moot point whether intermediary agencies are best described as buyers or suppliers. Their activities certainly revolve around venue finding and event management, but they do this by providing a service to their clients, the actual buyers.

It should be stressed that most companies and organisations operating within the business events industry are small, employing limited numbers of people. They cannot offer multiple career opportunities and endless possibilities for progression. But their smallness does often ensure that there is a great variety of work with considerable responsibility and lots of scope to display initiative.

It does also mean that it is possible, quite quickly, to get to know many of the players in the industry, building friendships and networks of colleagues nationally and, indeed, across the world.

Many job advertisements do not cite ‘conference’ or ‘event organisation’ in the job title, nor as a primary function, but mention it as part of the overall duties in the role to be performed. These advertisements can be related to marketing, public relations, project management, communications and publishing, as well as those relating to charities and welfare organisations. The following job vacancy descriptions are based on actual advertisements which have appeared in national newspapers and other sources and are quoted to highlight the types of skills needed for different posts: Conference Administrator: Small, high-profile conference company seeks an administrator to organise prestigious events. Computer literate, well organised, meticulously accurate team player required.

Business Development Manager: Required for industry-leading exhibition and events services contractor. You must be an experienced sales professional able to present a portfolio of existing services to generate a new client base. With 3-5 years’ experience in a similar role, you will have the confidence and ability to gain credibility at a senior level and be results-orientated. An exhibition or events sales background would be an advantage.

Conference and Publicity Co-ordinator: Are you a graduate with experience of organising major high-profile conferences and publicity events? Do you have proven knowledge of media and public relations? Have you at least two years’ experience of project management and budgetary control? If

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you fit this description, you could be responsible for the planning, marketing and co-ordination of events, an annual conference and exhibition and public relations for ...(a professional medical association). You will lead a small dynamic team and, in addition to the stated skills, will be able to prioritise and juggle tasks and will have excellent oral, written, presentation, negotiation and decision-making skills. The post is likely to attract candidates who are computer literate, are ambitious, have established media contacts and enjoy UK travel.

Event Co-ordinator (with a conference centre): Acting as principal contact between the Centre and the client, developing, organising and managing events to ensure client requirements are carried out to the highest standard with the main objective or securing repeat and increased business. It is essential that the successful applicant has proven experience of organising events where the focus is on high quality customer care/service, possesses excellent communication skills together with the ability to produce detailed and accurate documentation. Applicants must be team players who are organised, thorough, able to work in a pressurised environment and possess a high level of motivation. This is a role for a dedicated and highly committed individual.

Exhibition Sponsorship Executive: High profile exhibition and media group are looking to recruit an experienced sponsorship sales person to develop and maximize revenues through the development of high-value sponsorship packages with three major consumer shows. Needs two years’ proven sales experience in an exhibitions, media sales or other event environment, a good understanding of concept selling, strong project management skills, experience of working with suppliers/agencies, and an understanding of marketing, branding and sales promotion, initiative, drive, enthusiasm coupled with good interpersonal and presentation skills.

Head of Logistics: Well established events agency handling product launches, conferences, sports events, corporate hospitality and incentives needs an experienced logistics person with some knowledge of producing to head up all logistics functions. Requires really strong organiser and team manager who has good communications skills and previous agency experience within international event management, who is used to covering a variety of events..

Marketing Assistant - Conferences, Events and Promotions (local authority conference office): As a Marketing Assistant in a small team, you will be ideas-oriented and have sound organisational ability. A practical person, with exceptional communication skills, you will be keen to become fully involved in planning, co-ordinating and implementing all factors of a project and work well in a team.

You will need at least two years’ marketing experience in order to meet the level of responsibility required, and previous involvement in events organisation or conference marketing would be an asset. A tourism or marketing qualification is not essential, but would be an advantage.

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The industry is broad enough to accommodate people with various working backgrounds and educational qualifications, but the common thread is the ability to build productive relationships with a wide variety of people (colleagues, clients and customers, suppliers, the media, and others) and to enjoy doing so.

SOURCES OF JOB VACANCY INFORMATION AND ADVICE Would-be entrants to the industry should aim to get some work experience in the industry, even if this means working unpaid or as an intern for a short time. The experience itself will be invaluable (and count for a lot on CVs), and it may also provide useful contacts for full-time posts.

There is a steadily expanding range of information on sources of job vacancies, which include the following:    

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) has a ‘Recruitment Centre’ on its web site (www.aeo.org.uk) which includes details of job vacancies within the exhibition segment The Association for Conferences and Events (ACE) has a ‘Career Development’ section on its web site (www.aceinternational.org) with information on careers, courses and careers-related developments National newspapers (broadsheets) are a reasonable source, with ‘The Guardian’ being especially useful (Monday and Saturday editions).

The industry’s own trade magazines have vacancy pages, many of the vacancies being with conference/event agencies.

Other useful web sites include:         

www.uksp.co.uk www.meetpie.com www.citmagazine.com www.eventmagazine.co.uk www.aeme.org www.abpco.org www.businessvisitsandeventpartnership.com www.mia-uk.org www.springboarduk.net - Springboard UK is a national, non profit-making organisation with a mission to attract people into career and job opportunities in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism to meet the industry's staffing needs and the aspirations of potential recruits. It operates from five regional centres (London, Nottingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow) and a network of local centres nation wide, providing careers advice and working with partners in education and industry. Further details are given on the web site

 There are a number of specialist recruitment consultancies, although mainly dealing with vacancies for those with some relevant working experience. Such consultancies include:

1. ESP Recruitment, Unit 2a, Hillgate Place, 18-20 Balham Hill, London SW12 9ER (tel: 020 8772 9199; fax: 020 8772 9188; web:www.esprecruitment.co.uk – also publishes an annual salary survey in conjunction with ‘Event’ magazine, downloadable from the web site.

2. Anne Ellington Associates / Jobs in Events, The Old Dukes Head, New Bridge, Upwell, Cambridgeshire PE14 9DW (tel: 01945 772828; email: anne@jobsinevents.com; web site:

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www.JobsinEvents.com. The web site provides advice on CV writing plus a link to a free, downloadable ‘Job Search Handbook’.

3. Dragonfly Recruitment, Gainsborough House, 2 Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1AE (tel: 0208 973 2484 website: www.dragonflyrecruitment.co.uk.

4. pfj, 3rd Floor, Threeways House, 40-44 Clipstone Street, London W1W 5DW (tel: 020 612 3800; web site: www.pfj.co.uk.

5. Linda Raymonde Events Recruitment, Suite 265, 17 Holywell Hill, St Albans, Herts AL1 1DT; email: info@lindaraymonde.com; web site: www.lrconnects.co.uk.

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Chapter 10 – Sources of Research and Market Intelligence on the Business Visits and Events Sector (including key media?)

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 the current information available. It also lists key textbooks relevant to the sector.

Wherever possible, the full title of each item given, the source, publication date, a brief synopsis, and contact details (usually a web site) for further information. a) RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN ON A REGULAR BASIS British Hospitality: Trends & Developments – British Hospitality Association, published annually (October). Overview of, and data on, tourism, leisure, hotels and hospitality, including a section on employment and qualifications in the sector. Further details: www.bha.org.uk British Meetings and Events Industry Survey 2010 – CAT Publications (September 2010) – demandside data based on interviews with 600 event organisers (300 corporate, 300 association and public sector), covering buying patterns, experiences and expectations; includes editorial articles from leading industry figures. Further details: www.meetpie.com Convention 2020 ‘Convention 2020’ is a global strategic foresight study that is looking at the exhibitions, meetings and events sector from the ‘outside in’, designed to help leaders across the meetings industry prepare for the decade ahead to ensure they stay viable and competitive. The study is sponsored by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), IMEX (the trade exhibition) and FastFuture, Rohit Talwar’s own company, and by an array of other industry organisations. Further details: www.convention-2020.com EIBTM Industry Trends and Market Share Report – EIBTM/Reed Travel Exhibitions. An evaluation of global trends impacting meetings and incentives, compiled by Rob Davidson and published at the EIBTM exhibition each year (November/December). The report can be downloaded free of charge from: www.eibtm.com EIA Facts – Events Industry Alliance. An annual statistical survey and analysis of the exhibitions/events sector. Further details: www.eventsindustryalliance.com Exhibitions and Conferences: Market Report – Key Note Ltd. An annual overview of the UK exhibitions and conference market, with assessments of market size, trends, competition, economic forecasts, and including some exhibition company profiles. Further details: www.keynote.co.uk Futurewatch – Meeting Professionals International. An annual comparative analysis to identify current and anticipated future global trends in meetings and events. Further details: www.mpinet.org

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Global Association Conference Market 2010 – INCON (May 2010). Second annual survey of the international association conference market highlighting trends among clients and suppliers, competition, business outlook 2010-2011. Further details: www.incon-pco.com Grass Roots Meetings Industry Report 2010 (4th edition) – Grass Roots (February 2010) - a 200-page report including regional reports for each region of the world, editorial features and useful appendices. Further details from: www.grassrootseventcom.uk.com/web/guest/meetings-industryforum International Association Meetings Market 2009 – International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) (May 2010). Rankings of all meeting/convention cities and countries globally, with analysis of trends. Further details: www.iccaworld.com International Passenger Survey (IPS) - data on inbound trips by business visitors into the UK, trips, further broken down by region of the country. Further details: www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/visitorstatistics/inbound.aspx International Meeting Statistics for the Year 2009 – Union of International Associations (June 2010).

Rankings of all meeting/convention cities and countries globally, with analysis of trends. Further details: www.uia.org National Conference Enquiry Survey 2009 - Velvet Software Ltd – an analysis of trends in conference enquiries handled by UK conference desks and convention bureaux which use the Chaser BUREAU system. Further details: www.velvetsoftware.co.uk The International Association Meetings Market 2009 – International Congress & Convention Association (June 2010). Rankings of all meeting/convention cities and countries hosting international association congresses. Further details: www.iccaworld.com The MIA Pathfinder Research – Meetings Industry Association – a quarterly snapshot of trends experienced by meetings industry buyers and suppliers. Further details: www.mia-uk.org UK Meetings Market Survey – BDRC Continental (August). An annual survey summarising meetings industry trends, market dynamics and brand performance. Further details: www.bdrccontinental.com UK Events Market Trends Survey 2010 – Eventia (July 2010) – supply-side data on the size, value, trends and characteristics of the UK conference, meetings and business events market – based on a survey of over 400 event venues across the UK. Further details: www.eventia.org.uk

b) REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED ON A ONE-OFF BASIS Delegate Expenditure Survey – UK National Tourist Boards (September 2006). Provides multipliers to enable estimates of delegate and organiser expenditure to be made for different types of conference and incentive trip. A summary of the research findings can be downloaded free of charge

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from the Business Visits & Events Partnership web site (Research section): www.businesstourismpartnership.com Events Key To Creating Relationships That Drive Sales – in the ‘EventView’ series. Published jointly by the MPI Foundation, Event Marketing Institute, George P Johnson. This paper includes sections on ROI, measurement, experience marketing, procurement, and green issues. Further details: www.mpifoundation.org Getting the Message Across – Eventia white paper (December 2009) summarising the importance of employee engagement, the uses of face-to-face and virtual meetings, measurement of events.

Further details: www.eventia.org.uk Inside the Mind of a Corporate – Hotel Booking Agents Association (September 2009). A paper reviewing key issues from a buyer perspective, including: driving greater value, consolidating spend, communications and compliance, sustainability, traveller security. Further details: www.hbaa.org.uk Labour Market Review of the Events Industry – People 1st (January 2010). A survey examining employment, training, skills, qualifications, and continuing professional development needs for the events sector. Downloadable free of charge from the Business Visits & Events Partnership web site (Research section): www.businesstourismpartnership.com Managing Across Distance in Today’s Economic Climate: The Value of Face-to-Face Communication – Harvard Business Review (November 2009). An American study illustrating the commercial and other business benefits to derive from face-to-face meetings. Further details: www.hbr.org Meetings and Events: Where Savings Meet Success – Carlson Wagonlit Travel (July 2010) – an overview of the global meetings and events market, including estimates for its total value, and an 8steps guide to optimising company expenditure on meetings and event management. Available to download free of charge from: www.carlsonwagonlit.com Making the most of our business visitors – a paper summarising the strategies and benefits for encouraging business visitors to extend their trips for leisure and recreational purposes.

Downloadable free of charge from the Business Visits & Events Partnership web site (Publications section): www.businesstourismpartnership.com Money for Nothing: Payment models in the meetings market –Hotel Booking Agents Association (February 2009). A paper reviewing the different payment models relating to meetings, from commission to transaction fee to management fee. Further details: www.hbaa.org.uk The Future of Booking Venues – Hotel Booking Agents Association (September 2008). Commentary and individual quotes covering the future of booking meetings and events. Further details: www.hbaa.org.uk The Return on Investment of US Business Travel – Oxford Economics USA (September 2009). A paper measuring and evaluating the commercial benefits for business travel and participation in business events. Further details: www.ustravel.org

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c) CONFERENCE AND BUSINESS TOURISM / BUSINESS EVENTS TEXTBOOKS In this section, the order of information is: author(s), year of publication, title, publisher.

Allen J (2002) The business of event planning, John Wiley & Sons Appleby P (2005) Organising a Conference: How to Run a Successful Event, How To Books Bowdin G et al (2010 - third edition) Events management, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Convention Industry Council (2005) International Manual (1st Edition) Craven R E and Johnson L (2006) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meeting and Event Planning, Alpha Davidson R and Cope B (2002) Business Travel: Conferences, Incentive Travel, Exhibitions, Corporate Hospitality and Corporate Travel, Pearson Davidson R and Rogers T (2006) Marketing Destinations and Venues for Conferences, Conventions and Business Events, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Friedman S (2003) Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons Harrill R (2005) Fundamentals of Destination Management and Marketing, IACVB and The Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association Hoyle L (2002) Event Marketing: How to Successfully Promote Events, Festivals, Conventions, and Expositions, John Wiley & Sons McCabe V, Poole B and Leiper N (2000) The Business and Management of Conventions, John Wiley & Sons O’Toole W and Mikolaitis P (2002) Corporate Event Project Management, John Wiley & Sons Peberdy D and Hammersley J (2009) brilliant Meetings, Pearson Education Rogers T (2008) Conferences and Conventions: A Global Industry second edition, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Shone A and Parry B (2004) Successful Event Management, Thomson Learning Swarbrooke J and Horner S (2001) Business Travel and Tourism, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Tarlow P E (2002) Event Risk Management and Safety, John Wiley & Sons Weber K and Chon K (eds) (2002) Convention Tourism: international research and industry perspectives, Haworth Hospitality Press

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Is the Glossary worth including?

GLOSSARY OF TERMS TERM

ABBREVIATION DESCRIPTION A programme developed by a conference destination or convention centre to recruit individuals from the local community to act as ambassadors and to support them in bidding to secure the conference or convention of their own professional or trade association for that destination/centre

Ambassador programme

Convention and visitor bureau

CVB

A destination marketing organisation set up to secure more business events (and also leisure visitors)

Destination management company

DMC

A specialist supplier of destination services to event organisers, operating in the incentive, motivation and convention markets

Destination marketing organisation

DMO

A public or public/private sector entity tasked with promoting a discrete destination (city, region, country) An event where the organiser has some discretion over its location and other characteristics, and so can be influenced to bring the event to a particular destination or venue

Discretionary business events

Familiarisation visit

Fam. trip

A group visit to view the facilities and attractions of a particular destination A management tool that uses exceptional travel experiences to reward and motivate employee performance in support of organisational goals

Incentive travel

Professional conference (congress) organiser

PCO

Request for proposal

RFP

A formalised enquiry system designed to invite destinations, venues and suppliers to tender their services in respect of a specific business

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event Second life events

A form of virtual conference or meeting

Subvention

Financial and in-kind support provided by a destination to attract conventions and other forms of event (which usually have to meet certain economic benefit criteria)

Travel management company

TMC

Specialist business travel agency

Is this media list worth including?

TRADE PUBLICATIONS/MEDIA FOR THE UK BUSINESS EVENTS SECTOR The following is a list of key titles (magazines, e-zines) covering the business visits and events sector in the UK. It provides the title, main contact email address and, where possible, web site.

TITLE

EMAIL CONTACT

Association Meetings International

robspalding@btinternet.com www.meetpie.com

Business Travel World

btw.editorial@emap.com

Conference & Incentive Travel

cit@haymarket.com www.citmagazine.com

Conference News

pcolston@mashmedia.net / info@mashmedia.net www.mashmedia.net

Event

Jeremy.king@haymarket.com www.eventmagazine.com

Events:review

ian@three-sixty.co.uk www.eventsreview.com

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Exhibition News

pcolston@mashmedia.net www.mashmedia.net

Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings

Sydney@incentivetravel.co.uk www.incentivetravel.co.uk

Meetings & Incentive Travel

rlong@cat-publications.com www.meetpie.com

Meetings:review

pete@three-sixty.co.uk www.meetingsreview.com

Myvenues.co.uk

Ben.aylward@myvenues.co.uk www.myvenues.co.uk

Stand Out

Carolineclift@hotmail.com

The Business Travel Magazine

gill@g-upton.demon.co.uk www.thebusinesstravelmag.com

Travel GBI

travelgbi@talk21.com

Visit the Business Visits and Events Partnership web site (Publications section) for information on other reference material: www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com

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Chapter 11. BVEP’s Role and Membership Aims and Objectives The aim of the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) is to lead the way in supporting a competitive, high quality and more profitable business visits and events sector in Britain.

The Partnership seeks to provide a cohesive industry voice and works with VisitBritain and other government departments and agencies to influence and develop policies and practices favourable to the growth of tourism, trade and creative enterprise from business visits and events. The Partnership has the support of the leading trade organisations and collaborates closely with government agencies which have an interest in conferences, meetings, exhibitions, trade fairs, incentive travel, corporate hospitality, and business, sporting, cultural and festival events.

Access to full BVEP information is via the web site: www.businessvisitsandeventspartnership.com b)

Membership

Membership of the Business Visits & Events Partnership (as at Summer 2010) comprised: Association for Conferences and Events (ACE) Riverside House, 160 High Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 3SG T: +44 (0)1480-457595; F: +44 (0)1480-412863; E: ace@martex.co.uk; W: www.aceinternational.org ACE acts as an information centre and forum for member organisations involved in organising, marketing, accommodation and servicing of events. It also organises training courses on aspects of event planning and management.

Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) 9 Wellington Park, Belfast, BT9 6DJ T: +44 (0)289 038 7475; E: info@abpco.org W: 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/o UK Centre for Events Management, Leeds Metropolitan University, Bronte Hall Room 225, Headingley Campus, Leeds LS6 3QS T: +44 (0)113 812 3484; F: +44 (0)113 812 3111; E: G.A.J.Bowdin@leedsmet.ac.uk; W: 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 Innovation Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Gallows Hill, Warwick CV34 6UW T: +44 (0)1926 623128; F: +44 (0)1926 419280; E: AnthonyLishman@cceonline.co.uk; W: www.cceonline.co.uk

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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 5th Floor Galbraith House, 141 Great Charles Street, Birmingham B3 3LG T: +44 (0)121 212 1400; F: +44 (0)121 212 3131; E: info@eventia.org.uk; W: www.eventia.org.uk Eventia is the UK-based trade association of the events and live marketing industry, providing leadership and representation on important issues to Government, regulators and the corporate community. Eventia promotes the highest standards of professionalism and best practice.

Events Industry Alliance (EIA) 113 High Street, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 2DJ T: +44 (0)1442 873331; F: +44 (0)144 875551; E: info@eventsindustryalliance.com W: www.eventsindustryalliance.com The EIA is the marketing arm for the exhibitions and events industry, and is equally owned by the Association of Event Organisers (AEO,) the Association of Event Venues (AEV) and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA). The EIA’s mission is to promote, grow and further professionalise the event marketing medium. The EIA is focused on communicating the huge opportunities for business growth via the medium of ‘face-to-face’ marketing, and increasing the overall recognition of this powerful, effective and unique media channel.

Events Industry Forum (EIF) c/o The Event Services Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB T: +44 (0)1291 636331 E: jim@jandmgroup.co.uk; W: 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) 3000 Cathedral Hill, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YB T: +44 (0)845 603 3349; E: executiveoffice@hbaa.org.uk; W: www.hbaa.org.uk The HBAA represents a collective industry voice for both agents and hotels and venues for the best practice in the procurement and booking of accommodation, conferences, events and training sessions.

International Congress and Convention Association (UK & Ireland Chapter) (ICCA) James Rees, Chair, c/o ExCel London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL T: +44 (0)1224 330428; E: jamesrees@excel-london.co.uk W: 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 ICCA members in 80 countries around the world, it is the most global organisation within the meetings industry. The UK & Ireland Chapter has some 50 members and holds a range of meetings and seminars throughout the year. It supports industry research.

International Special Events Society (ISES UK Chapter) 25 Store Street, London WC1E 7BL T: +44 (0)20 7462 2853; W: www.isesuk.org

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The society for industry professionals passionate about newtworking, education and event inspiration.

Meeting Professionals International – UK & Ireland Chapter (MPI) Manor Cottage, South Moreton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 9AH T: +44 (0)7889 644527; E: secretariat@mpiuk.org W: www.mpiuk.org MPI is one of the leading associations for the global meetings industry and is committed to delivering success for its 21,000 worldwide members by providing innovative professional development, generating industry awareness and creating business development opportunities.

Meetings Industry Association PO Box 515, Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire NN6 9XW T: +44 (0)845 230 5508; F: +44 (0)845 230 7708; E: info@mia-uk.org; W: 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) PO Box 4495, Wells, Somerset BA5 9AS T: +44 (0)1749 674531; E: Secretary@noea.org.uk W: www.noea.org.uk The National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) is the forum for the world of outdoor events representing local authorities, show organisers, promoters, event management companies, venue owners, charities, suppliers of equipment and services together with entertainment agencies, consultants and practitioners in general. It has over 400 members. It produces a members’ yearbook and organises an annual convention and several regional conferences annually.

Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) Business Tourism Unit, St Anne’s Court, 59 North Street, Belfast BT1 1NB T: +44 (0)28 9044 1676; F: +44 (0)28 9024 0960; E: businesstourism@nitb.com; W: www.discovernorthernireland.com/convention and www.twitter.com/businesstourism NITB supports the activities of the two city convention bureaux in Belfast and Londonderry and the Regional Tourism Partnerships (RTPs) to attract conference, association and incentive business to Northern Ireland. The Business Tourism Unit facilitates theNorthern 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.

Site – Great Britain Chapter c/o Fiona Chappell, Head of Sales, Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings Portfolio T: +44 (0)20 8910 7734; E: Fiona.Chappell@reedexpo.co.uk W: www.siteglobal.com Site is a global network of meetings and event professionals dedicated to delivering business results.

The highest levels of workplace performance are reached by individuals and teams that are highly motivated. Motivational experiences are a powerful business tool to reward and unlock human potential to achieve corporate objectives. Site is the only global authority connecting motivational experiences with business results.

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VisitBritain Business Visits & Events Department, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE T: +44 (0)20 7578 1170; F: +44 (0)20 7578 1001; E: businessvisits@visitbritain.org; W: www.visitbritain.com/business VisitBritain is Britain’s national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. Its mission is to build the value of tourism by creating world class destination brands and marketing campaigns. The Business Visits and Events Department is responsible for marketing Britain overseas as a conference, meeting, incentive and exhibition destination.

VisitEngland MeetEngland, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE T: +44 (0)20 7578 1442. E: simon.gidman@visitengland.org MeetEngland is the Business Visits and Events arm of the national tourism organisation, VisitEngland, and is the official body responsible for promoting England's corporate events, incentive and large convention product.

Visit London Business and Conventions, 2 More London Riverside, London, SE1 2RR T: +44 (0)20 7234 5800; F: +44 (0)20 7378 6525; E: thalliwell@visitlondon.com; W: www.visitlondon.com/business Visit London is the official visitor organisation for England’s capital city. Visit London’s role is to help create and deliver events to match. Services include: free and impartial venue finding service; free planning tool kit; facilitation of site inspections and familiarisation visits; inspiring ideas for itineraries and accompanying persons’ programmes.

VisitScotland Business Tourism Unit, Ocean Point One, 94 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JH T: +44 (0)131 472 2355; F: +44 (0)131 472 2009; E: businesstourism@visitscotland.com W: 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 Visit Wales Product Marketing Team, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road, Cardiff CF24 0UY T: +44 (0)29 2047 5356; F: +44 (0)29 2047 5321; E: tradetradewales@wales.gsi.gov.uk; W: www.meetings.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.

SPONSORING GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Tourism Division, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH T: +44 (0)20 7211 6040; F: +44 (0)20 7211 6319; E: stephen.curtis@culture.gsi.gov.uk W: www.culture.gov.uk

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