Monday Insights – 10th January

Welcome to 2022 and the first of our Monday Insights features, aimed at covering the prior week’s industry news headlines. 

And 2022 indeed started with a bang, didn’t it?! – with BBC One’s live show of fireworks, an inspiring light display, and drones sharing some significant moments of an emotionally charged 2021. While many hospitality businesses have been facing the pressures of the pandemic, this audio-visual display will have hopefully boosted viewers’ moods while showcasing some of the possibilities of today’s technology to prospective event organisers.

Headlines

Martin Fullard, Mash Media editorial director, has sent a clear message to the Government in an open letter in the latest edition of Conference News magazine. Calling for the industry to be ‘shown the respect it deserves’, Martin reminded the Government that our fragmented market is not all about festivals and big sporting events. It does, as we know – but the Government still seems not to grasp, envelope large swathes of business events such as exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, and other business events.

The letter concludes: “This is not an industry that forever cries for financial support, it is quite happy to go about its business, leading on knowledge exchange and legacy. All it wants is to be properly recognised by Government: to be properly administrated by Companies House, the Office for National Statistics, and the Treasury. The conference and meetings industry may not have the voter appeal of music or hospitality, but it is no less important to the UK’s economic strength.”

Read the letter here.

Perfectly said, Mr Fullard, thank you for your ongoing support.

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) new chief executive, Kerrin MacPhie, has wasted no time jumping to the hospitality industry’s defence. Kerrin, who took over from Jane Longhurst, has continued in the same vein as Jane in championing the sector, calling the Government’s £1bn hospitality fund grants insulting while urging industry members to write to their MPs.

The call-out followed a tough run-up to Christmas and New Year celebrations. Many businesses lost out following a drop in business and public confidence after Omicron’ Plan B’ announcements and updates. You can read the full mia update with Kerrin’s comments here.

£67m Coatham Arena could open in Yorkshire in 2024, according to Exhibition News.  Plans have been submitted for the new events arena, which could open in 2024. The venue would host an all-year entertainment, sporting, conference, exhibition and social events. It would sit on the former Redcar Bowl site in North Yorkshire, which has stood empty for several years. Described by developers as a “major catalyst” for the area’s regeneration, the venue would host 5,000 people. Read more on ExhibitionNews.co.uk.

We’ll be watching this one with interest!

Doubletake

In case you missed the fantastic news last week, Fay Sharpe, founder of the mentorship programme Fast Forward 15, has been named as an OBE in the 2022 Queen’s New in the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours List. According to Conference News magazine, Fay, winner of 2018 M&IT Personality of the Year, said, “What an honour. This is not just for me, it’s for women and our industry.” 

Well, we’d like to say, “Thank you, Fay”, for recognising and acting on a need for greater equality and diversity in our inspiring industry.