Good HR practice within the meetings and events industry – navigating today’s challenges
Next in our series of guest editors, we'd like to introduce HR expert Kate Goodman, a member of the CIPD and a Mental Health First...
VisitEngland’s new visitor economy partnerships, Canadian event bookings, embracing CSR in team building, & more
This Monday’s Insights (17 April 2023) feature brings you the latest news including VisitEngland’s new visitor economy partnerships, Canadian event bookings, embracing CSR in team building, and more.
Headlines
VisitEngland has announced new Local Visitor Economy Partnerships.
VisitEngland has announced 12 destinations to gain Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status, in addition to the three North East Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot LVEPs announced earlier this year.
Marketing Cheshire, Experience Oxfordshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, Visit West, Marketing Manchester, Visit Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby, Visit Hertfordshire, Visit Kent, Liverpool City Region, Cumbria Tourism, and Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country join the programme alongside the North East DDP pilot LVEPs NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland.
Developed and administered by VisitEngland, the national portfolio of strategic and high-performing LVEPs support collaborative working locally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to grow the local visitor economy. The creation of LVEPs was part of the UK Government response to the recommendations of ‘The de Bois Review: an independent review of DMOs in England,’ to reshape destination management across England, reducing fragmentation and bringing coherence to its DMO landscape.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “VisitEngland is delighted to welcome onto the programme the new LVEPs, who will play a central role in transforming the visitor economy in England in an inclusive, accessible and sustainable way. Ensuring we have the right national and local infrastructure in place to grow our visitor economy will ensure England continues to be a compelling destination, for both domestic and international visitors, for years to come.”
“We look forward to working in collaboration with the LVEPs, providing ongoing support including a team of dedicated VisitEngland regional development leads. LVEPs will also have access to resources and guidance from VisitBritain/VisitEngland in areas including product distribution, business support, bidding for funding and marketing.”
VisitEngland will work closely with LVEPs during the set-up process and beyond, with ongoing support from a team of five new Regional Development Leads. As well as a nationally recognised official status, LVEPs will also be able to access expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training programmes, targeting their needs, from VisitBritain/VisitEngland in areas ranging from distribution, accessibility and sustainability to business support and marketing. An important strand of support will be highlighting available Government funding streams as well as developing and providing a ‘toolkit’ to help LVEPs with bids to those streams.
VisitEngland welcomed the first three LVEPs, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland, into the programme earlier this year. They form the pilot Destination Development Partnership (DDP) in the North East of England, led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, first announced by the UK Government in November 2022. The pilot is a valuable opportunity to prove the DDP concept and the impact the model can have on growing the visitor economy, strengthening the case for future funding.
VisitEngland has worked in close consultation with DMOs to develop the LVEP programme, holding a series of roundtables across England in autumn 2022 with more than 100 participants.
CHS Leeds has expanded its Hosted Buyer Programme due to an increase in demand as the show continues to grow its visitors.
Conference News has shared that CHS Leeds show organisers are already predicting a 32% rise in hosted buyers, with a strategy focused on bringing new buyers to the event.
The show’s announcement supports the event’s strategy of putting specific resource around its Hosted Buyer Programme, while tapping into Leeds’s growing media and financial hubs and targeting event professionals within the many companies attracted to the city.
Future Canadian event bookings have stalled at 55% according to Skift Meetings.
Meetings and event bookings in Canada are 55 percent of pre-pandemic. And, according to Skift Meetings, the critical five-year booking window for larger gatherings is 47 percent causing major concern for cities and event venues nationwide.
While Canada only fully reopened its borders in October of 2022, after being closed for more than two years, that’s only a small part of the Canadian market’s story.
The Business of Events has extended the deadline of its sector-wide Consultation.
The aim of the Consultation, now closing on 30th April is to gather sentiment among those owning, running, managing, and working in the events industry, which will lay the foundation for a comprehensive Policy Agenda for the sector.
Responses to the Consultation will be categorised into sub-sectors and discussed as part of a Policy Unit which will lead to the publication of multiple reports, which will be reviewed by MPs sitting on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Policy Unit’s Advisory Council.
Complete the Consultation here.
IMEX Frankfurt registrations seem to be mirroring the industry’s return.
With 3,000 buyers from over 60 countries registered so far, buyer demand for IMEX Frankfurt in May continues to track upwards. This is a solid indication of the industry’s appetite to come together at the show, taking place 23 – 25 May, to address challenges and build forwards.
The wide variety of suppliers lined up to exhibit span the world and include: Europe – Germany, France, Spain and Croatia; North & South America – Peru along with Boston and Georgia (both of which are increasing their presence); Asia – Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia.
Despite bumpy economic headwinds, demand for in-person events is strong and many parts of the global market have responded with investment in refurbishments, new properties, product innovations, new technologies and enhanced attendee experiences. IMEX Frankfurt will be the stage for several important news announcements including Cairns Convention Centre, which is set to re-open this spring following a major refurbishment and expansion. The Asia Convention Alliance will hold their inaugural event during IMEX, while Cvent are among several suppliers presenting new research.
Education programming centres on IMEX’s 2023 Talking Point – ‘Human Nature’ – which gives attendees the chance to learn and embrace skills such as public speaking, experiential design, emotional intelligence as a leadership skill, focused attention and more. IMEX Frankfurt 2023 also makes allowance for sessions of evergreen interest including contract negotiations, talent acquisition and management, incentive programming and food and beverage planning.
“While doing business and powering industry growth sit at the heart of our forthcoming show, IMEX Frankfurt is designed to deliver an enriching, broad experience that ripples further than the eye can see. We recognise that creating experiences, not events, is more important than ever and that people in our global industry also want to feel connected, revived and re-inspired. We’re happy to lead the way and play our part,” sums up Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.
IMEX Frankfurt takes place 23 – 25 May 2023. To register click here.
Can embracing CSR impact change, improve engagement, and retain employees?
It certainly can according to North America team-building company’s Roy Charette. Writing in MPI’s latest feature, Roy discusses how organisations that make corporate social responsibility (CSR) a part of their mission reflect their accountability and commitment to contributing to the well-being of society through various environmental and social measures.
Most of us will recognise that doing good feels good. This is also an effective way to engage and retain employees. And as Roy says: ‘when meeting planners incorporate CSR into their events in a way that aligns with the organization’s goals, it leads to stronger outcomes.’
Roy’s interests obviously sit with increasing team-building. Yet his points about incorporating CSR into team building to make a big impact on employees and the community are compelling and valid.
Read his full feature here, which examines everything from organisations showing heart and investing in teams to making meetings and events part of something bigger.
