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The Scottish Event Campus has grown the conference sales team further with the appointments of two new experienced sales talents. Hannah Cochrane joins the corporate team as Sales & Business Development Manager and Makenzie Brown boosts the international association sales effort in the role of Association Sales Manager The announcements underscore the SEC’s continued commitment to its conference business and to investing in outstanding people to support the venue’s conference clients and their event objectives. Hannah joins the SEC from a previous role at Dakota Hotels, bringing with her experience from across the meetings and events industry, and served as the Scotland Glasgow Ambassador for SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence). Makenzie’s background includes roles across the events and sports industries, from Feed the Crew to FirstPoint USA. Hannah and Makenzie join a skilled sales and business development team. “I am so excited to have Hannah and Makenzie in the business. They bring a wealth of experience and already it’s clear that they are outstanding additions to the team. It’s brilliant to be leaning into the coming years with such extraordinary and progressive people driving our business forward. As an industry we are evolving at pace, and the full team is embracing the future with energy and conviction to delivering for our clients.”

The Meetings Show – the UK’s leading exhibition for the meetings, events, and incentives community – has unveiled an enriching knowledge programme jam-packed with sessions designed to empower event professionals to think, connect, plan and live differently. Returning to ExCeL London on 19 and 20 June 2024, the programme has once again been curated by The Attendee Experience Company (atex), building on the success of last year’s partnership. It will feature 28 sessions split across four key themes – Impact & Inform and Innovate & Inspire – with a stellar line up of expert speakers covering topics including event marketing trends, security, AI, creativity, experiential design, contract negotiation, sustainability and much more. The show will kick off with 9 to Thrive: Dolly Parton's Guide to Sustainably Rocking Events and Meetings with Be in your Element’s Lucy Eden and Judge the Poet - How To Trust Your Imagination And Explode Your Creativity. Day one will also include a session led by Cvent marketing director Felicia Asiedu entitled What Are You Worth? Unveiling Insights from our Annual Events Industry Salary Survey, insights from Amex GBT’s Emma Bason on Venue Sourcing in the New Era: Evolving from Order Takers to Strategic Consultants and The Great Debate - How to improve the supply chain for Buyers & Suppliers with We Are MEaT founder James Bacon. Highlights on day two include Mike Ghasemi on Fuelling Innovation Engines: The Role of Creative Intelligence in Turbocharging Your Success, a session with Nick Rosier entitled From Zero to Event Hero: AI-Powered Event Creation in 30 minutes, and Let's fix networking together - a co-design workshop with Tamsin Treasure-Jones. Back for a second year, the Blank Canvas stage will showcase best practice event design with sessions throughout the two days featuring hackathons, a Neurodiverse Design Challenge and an innovation showdown. The show’s Knowledge Programme will follow the Hosted Buyer Insight Forum on Tuesday 18 June. Open to hosted buyers, it will feature innovative sessions including the Great TMS AI Hackathon, a trends versus reality session with global agency leaders, plus workshops and social activations supported by ExCeL London after the success of ExCeL backstage last year. This year, there will also be a workspace cafe inside the forum, enabling hosted buyers to dip in and out of content as they wish. Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director, Northstar Meetings Group, said: “We received excellent feedback on last year’s refreshed knowledge programme so we’re delighted to be working with Samme Allen, Claus Raasted and the atex team again to deliver an exciting and innovative line up of speakers and sessions that will deliver value and practical takeaways for all who attend.” There are various ways to register to attend The Meetings Show 2024, which will be co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show. To find out more about the buyer, hosted buyer and visitor registrations options, visit: https://www.themeetingsshow.com/register

The events arm of cinema chain Vue Entertainment has launched tiered DDR rates across its 93 sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The move comes as demand for competitive DDR’s has become increasingly important in the industry with organisers wanting better value for money.Simona Negretto, national head of conferences and events for Vue said of the initiative, “our new rates allow organisers to easily see what’s included, plus we want to ensure that all our clients will get the best from our cinema setting and our rates and inclusions reflect that.”The tiers are Platinum for all three London sites: West End, Westfield and Islington, Gold for all regional recliner seating sites including Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Portsmouth and Silver for non-recliner seating venues. Prices for a minimum of 100 people start from just £45 for ½ a day at a Silver venue to £105 for a full day at a Platinum venue. The package includes the HD cinema screen hire, basic AV package including mics, PA system, cabling for presentation laptop, tea and coffee breaks, bar hire and a hearty buffet lunch of fresh sandwiches, salads, crisps and a sweet treat. Half-day hire can be with or without lunch. On top of this, Vue is also including digital screens in the foyer and outside the screen room. Clients only need to provide the artwork.Simona said “including digital screens in our package elevates the event at no additional hire cost to clients. They can simply provide a logo, a moving image or even have an event themed poster created for maximum impact.”All Vue venues benefit from stadium seating ensuring everyone can see the screen and there is a steady program of investment to refurbish the venues and introduce recliner seating, adding a touch of luxury and comfort to any conference, AGM or launch.Lyn, Executive Assistant to the CEO from premium pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen said, “the new packages are great, we’d never thought of having our company conference in a cinema, as we’d always used hotels, but it works really well. Ash and his team were great to work with. Everything was seamless, and I’ve had some very positive feedback. The digital signage was a really nice addition too.”If required packages can be upgraded with a variety of options making it flexible and bespoke.Simona concluded by saying “our trials have worked really well, and clients are happy with everything we have included and the price points.”

CHS Leeds takes place next week with the organisers promising not only one of the newest, innovative, and professional exhibitor floors in the show’s history, but also a packed Education Programme, and networking opportunities galore, with all the care and support for visitors that the show has become known for. The Royal Armouries will host both the main exhibition, on the 23rd April, but also the Welcome Reception the previous evening, which will represent the first in a number of networking opportunities. Throughout the show CHS is also offering other chances for visitors to meet likeminded people, not least through its legendary complimentary lunch. In the meantime, the Educational Programme has been created based on visitor feedback and will deliver a ‘start to finish’ guide to organising an event, presented through the voices of some of the most innovative new thinkers in the industry. The findings from the sessions will also be designed into a compendium, representing a complete guide to event organising, and sent to every visitor at the end of the day. CHS Leeds are also promising the continuation of the event’s care and compassion as it takes the opportunity to once again ‘check in’ on the CHS community and deliver opportunities for growth, both professionally and personally. With this year’s theme built around ‘Loving Life’, and with the industry firing on all cylinders again, this could be one of the most positive events in the industry’s 2024 calendar. “We’ve really invested in the environment, the networking and the education this year and we know our community will be really pleased with the show we’re putting on,” comments Emma Cartmell, CEO & Founder of CHS Leeds. “Our visitors have so much to do and so many enquiries and events to organise. Everything we’ve put together is about giving them the best opportunities to be productive, to learn something new and to love life and live well. It’s going to be a complete experience for them.” CHS Leeds opens its floors, 23rd April, Royal Armouries, Leeds.

Twickenham Stadium’s pitchside stretch tent will return to the west stand for summer 2024, creating a memorable addition to the iconic venue’s vast range of hospitality, conference, meetings, and event spaces. Underneath the extensive canopy in the famous surroundings of the Twickenham Stadium Bowl, event planners can host up to 1,200 guests for all types of events from exclusive awards evenings, dining events, team-building activities, summer soirées, cocktail receptions, and more. To further capture the essence of Twickenham's rugby heritage, pitch-side experiences can be combined with visits to the Players Tunnel and the England Changing Room, the Home of the England Rugby squad on matchdays. The pitchside tent space will be available from 24 June to 2 August, and from 14 August and 30 September 2024. Nils Braude, Managing Director at Twickenham Experience, commented: “Pitchside hospitality at Twickenham Stadium is not just about offering premium amenities; it's about elevating the entire Twickenham experience. It's where the heart of the game meets the warmth of hospitality, immersing our guests in our sporting legacy and creating unforgettable memories." Twickenham’s events offering boasts 34 spaces, including 150 pitchside meeting rooms, and a covered roof terrace for 550 people.

The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel has seen meeting and event bookings soar this year, with a growth of 55% ‘business on the books’ revenue from this time in 2023. The performance follows a £3million modernisation project and the launch of an ambitious new vision and investment plan to elevate the property’s meetings, events, and hospitality offering. The hotel’s growth in M&E can be attributed to the team’s focus on customer service, and specifically, response times. The hotel is currently demonstrating an impressive 19-minute response rate to over 3,900 enquiries over the last 12 months, ranking it among the best of the best in Venue Directory’s listings. A strong pricing strategy and a personalised approach are also key to Mercure’s success, explains Aziza Yessi, Sales Director at Mercure Manchester Piccadilly: “We have a strong pricing strategy in place, which places us correctly in the marketplace and keeps us competitive. We also take a personal approach to our customers, and keen interest in each client’s business, asking the right questions and trying to get to the bottom of the event brief. Our growth in new and repeat business is a testament to our dedicated, passionate, and hard-working teams.” The news follows Mercure’s recent success at the prestigious Aimbridge Hospitality Awards where the property picked up the award for the most improved Accor hotel in EMEA, with a 12.7% increase in performance and guest reputation. VenueVerdict scores are now consistently achieving 9/10, setting the stage for the hotel's goal to attain gold status within the year. Exceptional service has also resulted in a 500% year-on-year increase in positive Google Reviews and an upgrade to 'Preferred Status' on Booking.com.

Hilton Birmingham Metropole has been awarded the Gold ECOsmart status, which recognises organisations that demonstrate their comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability and meet the required standards. To achieve Gold status, the team at Hilton Birmingham Metropole showed evidence of the advanced steps it took to achieve a wide range of eco-focused actions. In line with Hilton’s ESG strategy Travel with Purpose and as a hotel, Hilton Birmingham Metropole’s ESG policy has evolved significantly as it continues to explore ways to create a positive influence on its Team Members, its communities and the planet. Some of the hotel’s sustainable initiatives include:o Digital Key – ensures a frictionless check-in experience by enabling travellers to bypass the front desk, choose their room and unlock their room door directly from their phone with no plastic keys required. In 2022 alone, the use of Digital Key reduced plastic consumption by 92 tons across Hilton hotels globallyo LightStay reporting – Hilton’s award-winning ESG measurement system, helping the hotel track watts, water and waste data and informing guests of the hotel’s performanceo Meeting Impact Calculator – providing event organisers with insights about their meeting’s energy and water use, as well as waste diversion and offsetting the carbon footprinto Menu carbon labelling – carbon emissions labelling is available on all menus to help inspire guests to make more informed food choiceso Locally-sourced supplies – catering supplies draw on local businesses wherever possible, including cheese supplier H&B in Worcestershire, meat products from local butcher Aubrey Allan and hand-crafted premium ales from Solihull distillery Sillhill Brewery. “We take our responsibility to our people and our planet very seriously and are delighted to be recognised for our continuous efforts. In the past few years we have significantly invested in our ESG-focused initiatives and are excited to continue to build on our commitment, with ambitious plans for 2024 and beyond” said Nicola Underhill, General Manager, Hilton Birmingham Metropole. ECOsmart by Greengage is a business travel and events industry certification that recognisesorganisations who can demonstrate a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability within their business and who promote a green approach with their clients.

Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency, has appointed Caroline Lumgair Wiseman as Group Head of Strategic Meeting Solutions, a new position created to develop Strata’s Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) offering.Lumgair Wiseman has specifically been tasked with helping Strata to build a stronger meetings management proposition to directly meet client demand. In her new role, she will draw upon her extensive experience in global venue sourcing, event management, and high-end experience design, advising clients on all aspects of event strategy and working within the wider group, devising future growth plans.Simon Hambley, CEO of Strata, said of Lumgair Wiseman’s appointment: “Caroline is a well-known and respected figure to many in the industry and I’m delighted she’s chosen to join Strata. She has considerable experience in the world of events, which I have no doubt she will bring to Strata at such an important time for the business.”Hambley continued: “Strata has long held the ambition to be in the Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) space, supporting clients such as Allergan and Dentons with their global programmes helping them to make the most effective use of their spend and resources on their meetings and events programming. Caroline's global experience, industry connections and entrepreneurial mindset enable us to put all the right elements in place to operate in this space, on a global scale.”On her appointment, Lumgair Wiseman said: “I have a huge amount of respect for Simon and all that he and his team have achieved at Strata. Ambitious plans are in place for future growth and I’m honoured to be included in the team and excited to get to work to help deliver on those goals. I’m looking forward to collaborating and contributing to the ongoing success and evolution of Strata, as the company continues to excel in this innovative industry.”

The Hilton Garden Inn Emirates Old Trafford picked up the much-coveted ‘Hotel Top Team of the Year’ award last week at the Manchester Hoteliers Association Annual Awards, whilst two members of the team were recognised individually.The Manchester Hoteliers Association Awards are a celebration of Manchester’s bustling hospitality scene, capitalising on the city’s growing international stature, and its increasing profile as a centre of excellence for meetings and events. At the same time, the awards recognised the unique achievements of Hilton Garden Inn Emirates Old Trafford, which, on top of completing the expansion project, delivered beyond expectations, both in terms of its business performance and customer satisfaction. The hotel operated at record levels of occupancy (80%, including the new rooms) and revenue, with more guests visiting the hotel than previous years.The venue, which announced the completion of a £75m investment project, including an extension to 250 state-of-the-art bedrooms, last year, also gained recognition in two other individual categories at the awards.The hotel has already carved out a unique position in Manchester’s hotel market, with half the rooms offering pitch facing balconies, in what is widely seen as one of the most stunning bedroom views in the city. The additional room space, which complemented the venue’s already highly respected meetings and events business, spurred the businesses positioning as Destination Emirates Old Trafford and supported its contribution of £22.5 million to the local economy, over the course of 2023.Daniel Gidney, Lancashire Cricket Chief Executive, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of our hotel team at Emirates Old Trafford and what a thoroughly deserving award it is.“2023 was always going to be the busiest year our Hilton Garden Inn has ever had. Not only did the venue host an Ashes Test Match, Lancashire men’s and women’s teams and The Hundred, two Arctic Monkey concerts and a hugely busy Conference & Event year, we extended the hotel by a further 100 bedrooms and launched a new restaurant, event and hospitality space, The Edge. The hotel extension was delivered on budget and ahead of schedule and, without the great teamwork and spirit that this team possess, we would not have been able to deliver the year that we did. It was a phenomenal effort from the whole team.“Our off-field business continues to thrive, and the hotel is a hugely important part of that. This year, for the first time in the Club’s 160-year history, the hotel will generate more revenue that Emirates Old Trafford hosting international fixtures.“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our hotel staff for their hard work throughout the year, and we look forward to another record year in 2024.”The award judges also added: “…the team not only operate well as a hotel unity, but as a part of the greater entity of Lancashire Cricket Club. Having to learn new working practices in a hotel that has increased its capacity and hospitality space overnight and hitting the ground running to deliver the additional events they had on, is a testament to their team ethos and attitude.”As well as the Hotel Top Team of the Year award, The Hilton Garden Inn, Emirates Old Trafford, was also recognised in two individual awards. Caitlin Shaw was awarded a One to Watch Certificate in the Rising Star category, while and Ian Platt was a finalist in the Front of House Customer Service award.

Visitor registration is now open for The Meetings Show 2024, the UK’s leading event that brings together the world’s meetings and events community. Returning to ExCeL London on 19 and 20 June, The Meetings Show will give event planners the opportunity to meet with hundreds of global suppliers under one roof and enhance their industry knowledge and professional development through thought-provoking educational sessions. This year’s show will feature a broad spectrum of exhibitors from across the meetings and events sector and world, including destinations, destination management companies, hotels, conference centres, venues, and technology suppliers. Confirmed for 2024 are Q Hotels, Handpicked Hotels, Visit Wales and many more from the UK, while international suppliers include the Greek National Tourist Board, Meet Boston, Istanbul CVB, Zimbabwe Tourism, Malaysia Conference and Exhibition Bureau, Visit Finland, Westin Grand Frankfurt & Hamburg, Atout France and Estonia CVB. Exhibiting for the first time is STAR Your World, which will be joined by its DMC partners, while Banff & Lake Louise is a new destination for 2024 and can be found in the Canada Pavilion alongside Calgary Convention Centre, Meet Edmonton, Destination Vancouver, and Air Canada. This year’s soon to be announced knowledge programme, curated in partnership with The Attendee Experience Company (atex), will include 28 sessions across four key themes – Inform, Inspire, Innovate and Impact. Each session will ensure visitors leave the show feeling enriched with knowledge they didn’t know they needed, empowered to think, connect, plan and live differently, alongside innovation to do and be better and connections with relevant industry colleagues. The show will also provide ample opportunities for networking, helping visitors to catch up with industry peers and make new connections. Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director, Northstar Meetings Group, said: “We’re excited to open registration for this year’s show, which will provide a wealth of educational and networking opportunities for visitors as well as the chance to update their industry knowledge and meet with a broad range of suppliers from across the globe. The Meetings Show will yet again offer unrivalled access to the best hotels, venues, tourism boards, DMCs and other industry suppliers, all in one place.” There are various ways to register to attend The Meetings Show 2024, which will be co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show.  To find out more about the buyer, hosted buyer and visitor registrations options, visit: https://www.themeetingsshow.com/register