Monday Insights – June 27th

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

Headlines

A collaborative design team will deliver a multi-million-pound renewal of the Barbican Centre. 

According to Conference News, the project’ aims to provide new opportunities for the Barbican’s community of artists, audiences, organisers, delegates and partners, as well as boost the building’s accessibility and environmental performance.’

The winning team includes architects Allies and Morrison; Asif Khan Studio; engineering and sustainability consultancy – Buro Happold; heritage experts from Alan Baxter Ltd; theatre, acoustic, and digital consultancy, Charcoalblue; landscape architects, Hood Design Studio, lighting design agency, les éclaireurs, and artistic advisors Isaac Julien and Nadia Fall.

Read more about the £50m-£150m project, the team’s experience, and thoughts from Jackie Boughton, head of business events, Barbican, here.

ABPCO has welcomed new joint chairs. The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers AGM, which took place digitally on Tuesday, 21 June, and saw Emma Duffy and Sarah Byrne begin their two-year tenure as joint chairs of the association.

The online AGM was attended by over 60 ABPCO members, who joined to hear details of the association’s recent successes and future plans.

The incoming chairs thanked the previous chairs for their achievements before outlining their ambitious plans for the coming years, which focus on five key pillars.

Read more about the five pillars, alongside the AMG’s focus on ABPCO’s core values, here.

Patricia Yates has been appointed as CEO of VisitBritain/VisitEngland, following a competitive external recruitment process.

Previously Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain, Patricia was also Chair of the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group and deputy CEO.

VisitBritain/VisitEngland CEO Patricia Yates said: “I am honoured to be appointed permanent CEO and will be continuing our focus on building back visitor spend as quickly as possible, supporting the industry and driving the visitor recovery, playing our part to deliver the ambitions of the UK Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan.

“I look forward to continuing to working with all our stakeholders with a strong focus on external engagement, rebuilding our industry to ensure it is one of the most successful and productive sectors of the economy and to making the strongest possible case for one of the UK’s greatest sectors.”

Doubletake

isla, the sustainability body for the events industry, is hosting its first forum to engage UK venues in accelerating the transition to Net-Zero and creating a sustainable destinations for events.

The forum will include senior representatives and sustainability leads from a group of prominent UK venues all working towards the sustainable industry goal.

Participating venues are ExCeL London, ICC Wales, De Vere, Edinburgh International Conference Centre and Manchester Central. The Association of Event Venues, VisitBritain and membership organisation Unique Venues of London will also take part in the forum.

Read more about the event, and comments from Anna Abdelnoor, co-founder, isla, on mitmagazine.co.uk.