Event Industry News Roundup
The team behind YOUR team: Interview with Sunbelt Rentals’ Mark Fisher
‘I’ve worked for Sunbelt Rentals for 27 years and we’ve been involved in some exceptionally high profile events during that time. In 1997 (the year I started) Sunbelt Rentals provided crowd control barriers for Princess Diana’s funeral and since then the team has been relied upon to install barriers for the Tour de France (twice), the London 2012 Olympics, NHS testing centres, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, and the coronation of HRH King Charles III.
‘This July alone, we installed around 300km of barriers and fencing is a real-life example of Sunbelt Rentals’ huge scale and capacity.
Tramlines Festival: The wider benefits
An outdoor event’s relationship with its local authority ranks high among the elements crucial to success. Following on from Timm Cleasby, director of operations at Tramlines, this episode is about Sheffield City Councillor Richard Williams’ take on the festival.
Focused on the city’s green spaces, Richard talks host James Dickson through Sheffield’s new long-term agreement with Tramlines’ organisers, which is set to keep the event in its Hillsborough Park home long-term.
Discover the Uniqueness of Events @ No. 6. A Premier Conference Space
In the City of London, perfectly connected to public transport, lies Events @ No. 6, a venue that stands out not only for its modernity and functionality but also for its unique blend of sustainability, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional service. Here are six irresistible reasons why Events @ No. 6 should be your next conference destination:
1. Award-Winning Architecture and Sustainable Design
Events @ No. 6 is a marvel of modern architecture, celebrated for its sustainable design. Built to purpose in 2018, the venue integrates wood, glass, textured raw concrete, and metal, creating an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly space. The natural flow between the main conference room and the catering and exhibition foyer on the first floor, with breakout rooms on the second floor, enhances the event experience. Each room is situated on the exterior of the building, ensuring abundant natural light.
Event Technology Awards 2024 Finalists announced
The wait is over! The finalists for the highly anticipated Event Technology Awards 2024 (ETA) have been officially announced, celebrating the companies, products, and individuals pushing the boundaries of innovation in the event technology industry. This year’s finalists represent the very best in creativity, innovation, and technological excellence across the events sector globally.
Now in its 12th year, the Event Technology Awards continue to recognise and reward outstanding achievements in event tech, from the latest software and hardware to the brightest minds shaping the future of live, hybrid, and virtual experiences.
Radisson Meetings by Radisson Hotels – Flexible, functional, and impactful meeting & event solutions
Radisson Meetings by Radisson Hotels – Flexible, functional, and impactful meeting & event solutions.
As a partner, moment maker, and solution-finder, we understand that flexibility and functionality are key to ensuring we can seamlessly deliver exactly what our meeting and event partners need in order to create impactful meetings.
Event Tech Live Announces Exciting Partnership with Premagic
Event Tech Live (ETL) London, the leading global event technology expo, is thrilled to announce a dynamic new partnership for 2024 with Premagic, an AI-powered event tech platform designed to revolutionize organic event marketing. As an Official Tech Partner for ETL 2024, Premagic will bring its innovative suite of tools to enhance the experience for exhibitors and attendees alike.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Event Tech Live, underscoring the event’s commitment to showcasing cutting-edge advancements and providing a platform for innovation in the event industry.
Spotlight on Unique Meeting Venues in London
Convene is a global lifestyle hospitality company that designs and operates premium meeting, event, and flexible office spaces.? It is the largest single provider of dedicated meeting and event venues in the U.S. and U.K. with a network of nearly 40 locations across nine cities; the Convene portfolio of brands includes etc.venues.?
etc.venues Monument?
etc.venues Monument is a premier meeting and event space spanning four floors and approximately 25,000 square feet. Situated in the heart of London, etc.venues Monument is designed to accommodate a wide range of corporate events, from annual general meetings and away days to small conferences and project rooms. The venue features 19 versatile meeting rooms, with the largest room capable of hosting up to 240 attendees.
Eventogy: The Corporate Event Platform People
With so many moving parts to organising an event, having a single platform covering all your technology requirements makes things a little easier. A single source of truth, one interface to manage, a single overview of all aspects of the event and no more trying to hold disparate systems together with string! That is what Eventogy offers. We call ourselves the corporate event platform people because it’s the combination of well-designed, robust and comprehensive software and experienced event and technology professionals that makes us unique.
Beautifully, thoughtfully designed
Eventogy’s corporate event platform was conceived and designed with the event organiser in mind. Your UX is our priority. We manage the complexities, delivering a simple, intuitive interface, whether you’re organising event approvals, marketing to potential attendees, giving a management update or analysing post-event. As one Global Head of Events at a leading law firm tells us, “with Eventogy, I can build it [an event] on a Saturday while I’m having my coffee, watching TV… It’s very user friendly.”
Plant-powered palates: The rise of Ascot Racecourse’s fine-dining green revolution
The soaring popularity of plant-based diets in recent years has seen plant-based fine dining become a significant trend and an elegant one at that.
Gone are the days when menus would offer one vegetarian option as a token gesture. In its place is the emergence of highly creative dishes of such culinary artistry that they often resemble a piece of modern art – rather than food – on a plate.
Walls.io: A Social Wall Platform for Engaging Events
Did you know that events with live social media displays can boost audience engagement by over 50%? But, here is the catch: keeping those attendees engaged is more challenging than ever. That’s where Walls.io comes in. It’s a powerful social wall platform designed to showcase live social media content in real time, making your event more interactive and exciting. By integrating Walls.io, event organizers can transform passive audiences into active participants. That leads us to creating a more connected, dynamic event experience.
With Walls.io, social media posts from attendees show up on the screen immediately. This instant feedback keeps your event dynamic and exciting. People love seeing their content live, and this encourages more interaction. For event organizers, real-time updates mean no delays. You can stay on top of the social buzz, driving more engagement during the event.
TicketEzy teams up with Nuweb Group to revamp ticketing platform
TicketEzy, a New Zealand ticketing company backed by United Group Live Limited, has chosen Nuweb Group as its exclusive technology partner.
The partnership will see TicketEzy migrate its entire ticketing infrastructure to Nuweb Group’s cloud-based solution.
Get equipped for success: Sunbelt Rentals opens new Film and TV specialist hire equipment facility in London
Sunbelt Rentals UK and Ireland announces the opening of its?new Film and TV facility?in West London, with a customer and media event scheduled for December 2024.
Located just under 11 miles from central London, this new facility marks a significant expansion for Sunbelt Rentals Film and TV, bringing an unmatched range of equipment and solutions even closer to London.
Think big: how to run successful large-scale events
Jockey Club Venues, with its collection of flexible spaces for events both big and small, has a wealth of experience when it comes to hosting and organising large-scale events.?Hannah Gates, Operations Manager at Cheltenham Racecourse, shares her wisdom and offers practical advice to ensure that your large-scale event goes without a hitch.
It’s in the details
Our venues are host to an astonishing array of events throughout the year from conferences and exhibitions to fireworks, festivals and charity sports activities, sometimes hosting several thousand people at a time, so we are familiar with the need for detailed planning for any large-scale event.?
Cvent expands its field marketing product suite with strategic acquisition of Splash
Acquisition extends Cvent’s reach into the rapidly growing category of repeatable events trusted by marketers to generate awareness, create demand and grow revenue
Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today announced that it has acquired?Splash, an event marketing technology company. Splash’s easy-to-use platform empowers marketers to?create on-brand, measurable, and repeatable event programs that drive pipeline and sales. 500+ leading organizations, including over 60 Fortune 1000 companies, rely on Splash for their event marketing needs. Together, the companies plan to continue investing in their products and serving their customers to accelerate event success.?
Visit by GES launches learning platform to support customers globally
Visit by GES has unveiled its latest customer training resource aimed at improving efficiency and supporting clients’ skills development. Visit Academy is a new digital learning platform that allows users 24-hour access to comprehensive learning resources, encouraging them to work more independently and flexibly.
As part of its initial launch, Visit Academy offers customers access to organiser-focused materials. Soon, it will be complemented by Connect and Discover courses, which will provide content for exhibitors and visitors, respectively.
Voting opens for the 2024 miaList
Voting has opened to determine which of the?Meetings Industry Association’s?(MIA) finalists will earn a coveted place on its 2024 miaList.
Now in its fourteenth year, this prestigious roll of honour?celebrates exceptional teams that consistently go above and beyond, driving success within their organisations. It also shines a spotlight on individuals who have made extraordinary contributions.
Acquisitions strengthen First Sight Media’s position in the graduation video market
First Sight Media, the filming and streaming specialist, has completed two acquisitions to expand its reach and capability. It has acquired 100% of Galaxy Video’s graduation video production business and a 50% share in MyGraduationClip, the rapid video clip-sharing platform.
First Sight Media MD, Rich Belcher, explained the deals: “Acquiring the video production part of Galaxy Video has added 13 more institutions to the First Sight Media client list. It also brings the student-funded part of the business, which retails the award ceremony footage via USB and digital download directly to the graduates.”
AEV reveals conference keynote speaker and early bird offer
The Association of Event Venues (AEV) has, today, revealed Floyd Woodrow, founder and CEO of Super North Star and Compass for Life foundation and Chairman of the Quantum Group, will open the AEV annual conference at the ICC Birmingham on Thursday, 14 November 2024.
A former special forces soldier, Woodrow will share his own life experience relating to goal setting, achieving and leadership. In line with this year’s theme ‘20:20 vision. Experience. Educate. Engage.’ Woodrow will equip delegates with the knowledge for goal setting for the future, be it for them personally or for their venues as part of a proactive member of the AEV.
RX UK appoints Rosi Viljoen as Head of Visitor Strategy to drive high-value visitor engagement across all events
RX UK?announces the appointment of Rosi Viljoen as Head of Visitor Strategy. This newly created role will develop High Value Visitor (HVV) strategies and activations across all of RX UK’s events.?
Rosi will initially focus on RX Hosted Buyer teams, eventually expanding her efforts to encompass all show portfolios. Under her leadership, the Buyer team will report directly to her, enhancing RX’s visitor experience across all events.??
Global DMC Partners releases results and key findings of Q3 2024 Meetings & Events Survey
MICE industry faces ongoing cost challenges and the need for larger budget increases
Global DMC Partners (GDP),?the largest global network of independent destination management companies (DMCs) and specialized event service providers, has released the results of its Q3 2024 Meetings & Events Pulse Survey, a report on what is currently driving decisions in the global meetings and events industry. With 165 responses collected throughout June 27 through August 9, the report covers topics including meetings and incentives budgets, cost management strategies, lead times, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) integration, sustainability practices and industry adoption of AI tools. The survey polled meeting and event professionals, the majority of whom are based in the U.S. and Canada, with 20 percent in the U.K. and Europe. Respondents were divided between corporate/direct planners (37 percent), agency/third-party planners (40 percent) and association and independent meeting planners (23 percent), as well as other (freelancers and suppliers).