Monday Insights – March 28th

This Monday’s Insights feature brings you the industry headlines you may have missed from the previous week.

Headlines

The US B2B exhibition industry continues improvement in Q4 2021 results. According to Exhibition World, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has reported that the US business-to-business (B2B) exhibitions industry improved significantly in the fourth quarter of 2021 from the previous seven quarters.

Cancellation rates for physical in-person events dropped to 12.5% from 91.3% in the first quarter, 66.2% in the second quarter and 20.6% in the third quarter of 2021. About 98% of exhibitions were cancelled during the second half of 2020.

Read the full feature here.

The Netherlands has ended the requirement for European travellers to take pre-departure tests from Wednesday (23 March).

The country, which has enforced some of the strictest rules in Europe during the pandemic, will no longer require international passengers from across the EU and the UK to provide a negative Covid-19 test on arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.

Travellers will also not have to provide proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus. But they will still have to fill in a health declaration form.
A Dutch government statement read: “Everyone travelling to the Netherlands is advised to do a self-test immediately after arrival and again on day five.”

Business travel is pushing London City airport towards its busiest month since the start of the pandemic. According to BTN Europe, the east London airport said passenger numbers in March had increased by 40 per cent since February, with the share of business traffic rising to 46 per cent – the same level as during 2019 – thanks to “strong” growth for corporate-orientated routes to Edinburgh, Zurich, Amsterdam and Dublin.

London City is being further boosted by the start of new BA CityFlyer routes this month to Milan Malpensa and Luxembourg, plus the restart of services to Rotterdam and Nice.

Read the full feature here on BTN.

Beam urged UK tax authority to show greater flexibility ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement on Wednesday (23 March).

Business events and meetings trade body Beam called for UK chancellor Rishi Sunak to ensure there is “greater flexibility and understanding” about the ability for companies in the sector to make tax payments while cash flow remains low.

Simon Richards, Beam’s treasurer said: “Beam is calling for greater flexibility and understanding from HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) about payments. The government needs to recognise that, although they have bookings for events in the near future, many businesses in the sector still have significant cost liabilities but very little income – and they won’t be paid until those events have taken place.

“On top of this, they are now repaying bounce back loans and about to pay higher national insurance and VAT. The rising costs of fuel and food are also challenging. We need recognition that the cash flow of our industry is unique and, without this recognition from HMRC, recruitment and recovery will not start for many months to come.”

Doubletake

The Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau has launched a Conference Ambassador Network to drive more global events into the region.

The initiative, supported by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme (BATP), will see regional professionals from academia and business champion the West Midlands and their own work to win new conferences and events.

Ambassadors will receive support from the Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau and partners throughout the bidding process, from finding a suitable venue and preparing proposals, to the smooth running of the event itself.

Steve Knight, Senior Business Tourism Manager, WMGC, which operates the Birmingham and the West Midlands Convention Bureau, said: “Our Conference Ambassador Network will be a platform for the West Midlands’ greatest minds and industry leaders to come together to attract major new national and international conferences to the area.

“The West Midlands shows time and again what it can achieve when it collaborates, from hosting high-profile events such as the Conservative Party Conference to successfully bidding for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“By unlocking further contacts within our academic and business communities through this new network, we are showing that we are open for business after a challenging couple of years, and aiming to leave a Games legacy as a major global events destination.”

Read more here.