Employee wellness demands, IMEX success, Power of Event’s new app, and more

This month’s news round-up brings you some of the industry and association news from May 2024, including delegates demanding employee wellness, IMEX success, industry app pilot, and more.  

Employee wellness tops the corporate agenda for offsite meetings

A new survey has revealed that 77% of event planners are prioritising employee wellness facilities in response to delegate wishes. 

Research by Hand Picked Hotels polled five hundred event planners and also found that events are now increasingly being planned last minute. Just under half, 43% say they are booking offsites between one and four weeks out from the meeting or event date, with just 2% booking six months in advance.  

The top five planners’ priorities are big on employee wellness:

• Nutritious food and beverage offerings (48%) – in number one position is food and beverage, booking event caterers that not only deliver delicious food, but healthy menus too are key with delegates expressing their wish for it to be healthy.  
• A wellness walk (34%) – walking is one of the easiest ways to improve wellbeing. It is also free and accessible and an effective way of building in a business break for delegates.  
• A wellness experience (25%) – a quarter of respondents cite breathing and relaxation techniques as important to delegates. Many venues can offer on-site massages as well as mindfulness and yoga classes for delegate / employee wellness.  
• Access to spas and health club facilities (24%) – keeping fit with regular exercise is desired by many delegates and for those who travel a lot, maintaining a routine is welcome if they can fit in some exercise while attending an event.  
• Outdoors activity (19%) – being outside is beneficial for mind and body and in fifth place is the desire to do some events outdoors. For planners, this can be challenging because inclement weather may make planning difficult but where a wet weather plan is possible and in the summer months more certainty can be reached, outdoor activities are welcomed.  

With more companies leaving remote working behind, the popularity of face to face meetings in 2023 has returned to pre pandemic levels; and with it the focus is now ensuring meetings and events support and aid employee wellness – physical and mental. 

The study also unveiled the 2024 market is all about late bookings, with 43% of planners admitting to booking offsites between one and four weeks out from the meeting or event date and only 2% booking six months out, evidence of more spontaneity in the marketplace. 

IMEX Frankfurt welcomes 12,000 global suppliers and event professionals

IMEX 2024 saw 12,000 global suppliers and event professionals come together, for 63,000 buyer-exhibitor meetings over three transformative Frankfurt days.

Updates on imex-frankfurt.com news pages share that the past few years have, “challenged us all to reimagine every aspect of what we, as event professionals do. IMEX Frankfurt 2024 reflected this transformative journey, showcasing where events are heading, and how we can, as a global community, work together to shape a brighter future.

“The IMEX events microcosm saw big-name, star-turn, up-and coming and ground-breaking suppliers ignite our show floor; stand-out speakers and standing-room only sessions tap into the hunger for learning; and a whirlwind of business meetings, exchanges and transformative connections bring a dynamic energy to every corner of the halls.”

What’s more, M&IT Magazine has reported that encouraging the next generation of event planners entering the sector was the focus of many conversations at the show. IMEX CEO Carina Bauer told the publication:

“We’ve been really pleased with the number of young people attending our Rising Talent programme for those with up to three years’ experience. It was also great to see the launch of a complementary programme – Young Stars – part of our broadest ever range of German language education and an integral part of the hugely successful MICE Impact Academy.”

Read more about all areas of IMEX success for 2024, here.

University of Northampton commissions Power of Events research app pilot 

The Power of Events has announced the launch of its first research project through the Events Industry Insight App, in collaboration with Claire Drakeley from the University of Northampton.

From May 22nd to mid-July, industry professionals can participate in this pioneering study, which aims to improve decision-making in event management.

The Events Industry Insight App is the first digital app tool available for all commissioners of research in the UK Events Industry. 

Download the app, register, and engage, via The Power of Events.

EVCOM London Live Awards announces new agency-focused categories

As the EVCOM London Live Awards readied to open its entries on May 23rd, it announced a new roster of agency-focused categories.

As agencies often work on events that are outside their control and are often unable to share the incredible work they do due to client permissions, EVCOM’s new categories celebrate agency cultures and workplaces instead.

Entrants are invited to answer three questions on the initiative or strategy, the journey to its creation (how they identified the need for the initiative and shaped it to ensure it met the needs of the team and agency) and the impact (what the effect has been on the individuals in the agency, and the agency as a whole).

Plus,  a new free-to-enter category recognises an agency’s overall culture. The new agency-focused categories include Best People Engagement Initiative, Best DEI Initiative, Best ESG Strategy Initiative, and Best Agency Culture of the Year.

Find out more, here.

RWS Global Acquires Great Big Events

RWS Global, the world leader in live moments, today announced the acquisition of Great Big Events (GBE), a leading sports event production company known for its work on the world’s biggest sporting events. Past credits include over 100 World Championships, World Cups, Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth and multi-sport Games.

As a result of this transaction, the company is launching RWS Global Sports, a new division of RWS Global that will provide an unrivalled, comprehensive range of offerings, including venue design, entertainment, sports production, merchandise and more. The new RWS Global Sports division will serve as a one-of-a-kind solution for clients, offering best-in-class, end-to-end live experiential offerings for audiences worldwide.

“This exciting acquisition redefines the possibilities for integrated, live sports and entertainment experiences on a global scale and propels us into a new realm of innovation and creativity,” said Ryan Stana, Chairman and CEO of RWS Global. “Fusing together our teams, resources and talent strengthens our position as leaders in the live experiential sector and allows us to deliver unprecedented live sports and entertainment experiences for our clients and their audiences across the globe.”

GBE co-founder Kim Henshaw will join and lead the RWS Global Sports division, bringing extensive industry expertise and knowledge that will be invaluable as RWS Global continues to expand its presence in the live entertainment and sporting events market.

IACC publishes Meeting Room of The Future trends report

IACC has published a report combining research and insights from 275 meeting planners worldwide into the future role of hotels and venues and trends in areas such as physical attributes, food and beverage, technology, and social impact. These evolving trends in conference attendee behaviours and needs will shape the future of conferences, meetings, and events with up to 250 attendees for the next three years and beyond.

The report, the first to seek the opinions of those arranging business events since 2019, supports the widely held view that the creative experiences and relationships built at live events cannot be replicated through technology alone and that Digitally Live Events will remain a feature for successful companies and communities.

Some key insights of the report include:

• Food and beverage are still evolving. Many venues are reporting lower consumption of alcohol. Additionally, venues are dealing with increasingly complex and specific requests for dietary accommodations.
• Venues are prioritising sustainability. Many venues have implemented programs to reduce food waste and single-use plastics, producing social responsibility & sustainability statements.
• Demands and requirements are continuing to change. Breakout rooms are often requested, emphasising informal, comfortable seating that encourages team building and creativity.
• Venues are starting to adapt to the next generation’s behavioural differences. Some venues are breaking up their events with more time for breaks and personal time and leveraging smaller groups to encourage more one-on-one engagement.
• Adaptability to changing client needs is becoming a standard. 71% of venues have three-quarters to 100% of their meeting rooms equipped with flexible equipment and furniture that can roll quickly on wheels or be re-configured to turn a room quickly and efficiently.

Download and read the full report here.

Birmingham is shortlisted to host Invictus Games 2027

The Invictus Games Foundation has revealed that Washington DC, USA and Birmingham, UK have been shortlisted to host the Invictus Games in 2027. This shortlist has been confirmed after a detailed process which was launched last year. A final decision by the board of trustees will be made by the end of July. 

The bid from the city of Washington, led by Events DC, has outlined several potential venues in and around the city, with a focus on the George Washington University campus, alongside an indicative sports schedule which includes the nine core Invictus Games sports, plus the addition of esports. 

The UK government-backed bid focuses on the NEC, Birmingham, and draws the connection to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak and wider Defence Medical assets in the region. Birmingham also seeks to utilise the nine core sports alongside e-sports, as well as exploring the addition of a team triathlon as a potential new sport. 

This could lead to a surge in hotel room and venue space bookings in the city, so don’t delay and book your event in Birmingham today to avoid disappointment. 

Missed April’s news round-up? Check it out here!

And book your next meeting or event venue on EDGEVenues.com