Event Industry News Roundup

Revolutionising how the fintech industry connects, collaborates and does business

From designing computer chips at Intel nearly 30 years ago to current role as head of industry at Fintech Meetup, Sanjib Kalita – who is also CEO at guppy.ai – has been engrossed in the technology sector, taking on events by default.

In this episode, live and direct from Fairfax, Virginia, Sanjib Kalita discusses his years at Money 2020 and how that experience triggered his move to Fintech Meetup, a brand committed to ‘revolutionising how the fintech industry connects, collaborates and does business’.

Taking questions from host James Dickson, Kalita looks at the impact of increased digitisation, the electronification of payments and other accelerators driven by the pandemic, growth in event tech, and finding the right solutions for events.

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Positive outlook for the sector, latest mia research reveals

Positive revenue forecasts and confirmed future business provide an optimistic financial outlook for the sector, but more work needs to be done to prepare for the introduction of Martyn’s Law, says the?Meetings Industry Association?(mia).

The trade body’s latest quarterly mia Insights report reveals nearly three-quarters (73%) of organisations are forecasting greater revenue in 2024 compared to last year, while 59% are reporting more confirmed future business than they did in January 2023. However, overall costs rose last year by 14%, which 87% are combatting by raising their prices by an average of 10.5%.

Across the sector, average lead times are now 11 weeks, down from the 15-week average reported in October. Cited reasons for the reduction include long-term confidence being impacted by the continued rail strikes, which have negatively impacted 52% of respondents. In January alone they resulted in an average ￡37,413 being lost per organisation in cancelled business.

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How do we measure DEI for Events?

In a world where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are paramount considerations across industries, the events sector is no exception.

The Event Marketing Measurement Coalition (EMMC), under the leadership of Dax Callner, the Board President, has taken a pioneering step by delving into the crucial realm of measuring DEI within event spaces.

In this exclusive Q&A interview, Dax shares insights into EMMC’s latest report, which offers invaluable guidance on how event organizers can effectively measure and enhance DEI at their events.

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Hosted buyer registration opens for The Meetings Show 2024

The Meetings Show 2024?has opened registration for its Hosted Buyer Programme and is inviting event planners from the UK and Europe to apply.

The UK’s leading event that brings together the world’s meetings and events community returns to ExCeL London on 19 and 20 June, introducing buyers to hundreds of global event suppliers and a wealth of educational and networking opportunities.

Hosted buyers can unlock a host of benefits designed to maximise their time at the show, including access to a dedicated appointments diary to book pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors.

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InEvent to shine on Stage at Event Tech Live Las Vegas

InEvent, a leading event management software solutions provider, is proud to announce its sponsorship of a stage at Event Tech Live (ETL) Las Vegas, scheduled for May 1st and 2nd, 2024. This sponsorship underscores InEvent’s commitment to fostering innovation and excellence within the event technology industry.

Event Tech Live Las Vegas is a premier event dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in event technology and providing a platform for industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and learn. As a sponsor of one of the event stages, InEvent will play a vital role in facilitating discussions, presentations, and demonstrations on state-of-the-art event management solutions and trends.

Pedro Góes, CEO at InEvent, expressed excitement about the sponsorship, stating, “Stage set, mics on, and the spotlight awaits. InEvent is honored to be sponsoring a stage at ETL Las Vegas. Join us as we bring together the brightest minds in the industry to share groundbreaking insights and shape the future of event technology. We look forward to welcoming you.”

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Tixel and Bolster explore the ticketing state of play with their first ever UK & Ireland report

Honest ticket resale marketplace?Tixel?and entertainment marketing agency?Bolster?have joined forces to delve into the state of live events and ticketing, with their first-ever UK and Ireland-focused report. A deep dive into how ticket buyers are spending, on what, and why, the report is brought to life with invaluable input and expert commentary from Tixel’s network of event promoters, ticket platforms, and of course, event goers. Designed to guide anyone in the live events ecosystem through an ever-changing market, the report offers insights and a veritable view of what ticket buying looks like in today’s world — from ticketing trends, the impact of fandom and FOMO (and FOSO), the aftermath of the pandemic, continuing expectations around flexibility, last-minute purchasing and event genres that really make gig goers tick.

Despite a cost-of-living crisis and the threat of recession, the appetite for live entertainment remains strong with ? of event goers attending more, or the same amount of events as last year, yet many promoters and festival organisers are struggling to balance increased production and talent costs with an increase to ticket prices that’s acceptable to consumers. Consumers may well be tightening their belts day-to-day but results show that live entertainment and events are a priority expense for almost half (48%) of attendees, with ? suggesting it is a similar priority to other expenses, and Gen Z scoring highest with this sentiment.

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Event Technology Awards US & Canada Judge Spotlight: James Kelley

The Event Technology Awards (ETA) US & Canada are proud to announce James Kelley as a judge for the inaugural stateside edition.

James Kelley Vice President, Registration – James joined the team from Experient, where he held positions over 19 years as Account Executive, Senior Account Executive, Strategic Account Manager, and Director of Onsite Services. His vast array of experience and knowledge were utilized to drive all onsite registration products and services. He held account management responsibilities in registration and housing for many of the top associations and independent show organizers. Managing events with over 150,000 attendees and 80,000 room nights. Since joining MCI has managed the Virtual Events, Registration, Lead and Customer Service Teams.? Reviewing over 150 different technologies for MCI use during this time.

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VOK DAMS Digitalization Index: How digital is your event marketing?

VOK DAMS, one of the leading international agencies for events and live marketing, offers companies worldwide the opportunity to assess their current digital maturity in event marketing for free. For this purpose, the agency has developed a Digitalization Index (short Digi-Index), which builds upon existing maturity models.

Using clearly defined dimensions, it is possible to precisely determine to what extent a company has progressed in the digitalization of event marketing. Companies receive an objective and critical overview of their current status and individual development potentials. “We have found that companies on the path to digital event marketing often only consider the technological aspect,” says Colja Dams, CEO of VOK DAMS Events & Live Marketing. “Therefore, it was important for us to create a model that allows for a comprehensive view of the areas of development.”

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RX named in Comparably’s best company for Global Culture and Sales Team Awards

RX, one of the world’s leading events companies, has been named among the winners of?Comparably’s?Q1 Awards in the Best Company for Global Culture and Best Teams: Sales categories.

It is the third consecutive year that RX has been recognised as having one of the best global company cultures and the first time it has been awarded for its Sales team.

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Tobacco Dock unveils its new AV Partner

Tobacco Dock is pleased to announce the selection of Creative Technology as its new partner for audio-visual and technical services, following a competitive tender process.

Creative Technology are a leading global provider of innovation, technology, project management, and operational support to the live events market. ?They will commence working with Tobacco Dock’s clients on a busy calendar of conferences, product launches, expos, consumer shows and celebration events.

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Center Parcs Achieves Record Year For Corporate Events

Center Parcs Conferences & Events?has experienced its best ever year for corporate bookings at the dedicated events venue in Woburn Forest, shattering previous records with a ￡2m increase in confirmed revenue compared to its prior strongest year in 2019/20.

The nature-rich destination has received nearly 1,000 more enquiries for events at its Bedfordshire venue than in its last full year pre-pandemic. In H1 2024 alone, The Venue received?a third more enquiries than throughout the entirety of 2023.

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Bizzabo introduces hotel room block management to the Event Experience OS

We’re excited to introduce integrated hotel room block management to Bizzabo’s Event Experience OS. Powered by Resiada, this robust integration enables event organizers to streamline the attendee hotel booking process and monitor their room block natively within Bizzabo.

Event participants can now move easily from event registration to hotel reservation by clicking through to the event’s branded, mobile-friendly booking site, where their personal information and ticket number are auto-filled. The registrant simply has to input their travel dates, browse accommodation options, and complete their reservation.