Incentive & Motivation

Data from VisitBritain’s provisional International Passenger Survey for 2011 points towards a positive period of growth for business visits since 2009. The research reports growth 6% higher in 2011 than in 2010, surpassing the growth experienced in holiday travel.

The provisional inbound business visits for 2011 are 23.5% of all inbound visits compared with 22.8% in 2010.

“This is really positive news for the industry and with the huge amount of event activity and corporate hospitality surrounding the Olympic & Paralympic Games, we’re confident this growth will continue,” comments Michael Hirst, Chairman of the Business Visits & Events Partnership and spokesperson for the Britainfor Events campaign.

He continues, “This striking performance, even beating the growth in holiday visits, has been achieved against a backdrop of the industry increasing its own marketing initiatives, including the Britain For events campaign, following the withdrawal of VisitBritain from promoting the business visit sector earlier in the year.”

“The report has some really positive signs for the future of the business tourism industry and underlines the massive contribution these visits make to theUK’s visitor economy.”

As the Birmingham Convention Bureau celebrates its 30^th birthday at Confex this March, Meet Birmingham, the official business tourism programme for the city, gives 30 reasons to consider holding conferences, meetings and events in the West Midlands this year and beyond…

1. Birmingham is the number one events destination outside London, according to the British Meetings & Events Industry Survey 2011/12 (BMEIS).

 2. There are two rail mainlines running directly from Birmingham into London, including the new Chiltern Railways Mainline, offering journey times from 90 minutes, increased capacity and free Wi-Fi in every carriage.

3. Birmingham has three Michelin-starred restaurants – Purnell’s, Simpsons and Turners – more than any other city inEngland outsideLondon.

4. Being located at the heart of the country, more than 90% of the market is within a four hour journey ofBirmingham.

5. Birmingham is the home of sport in this country, hosting more national, European and world sporting championships than any other UK city. Premier League ever-present Aston Villa are just one of five British football clubs to have won the European Cup.

6. The city has over six thousand hotel bedrooms within walking distance of the city centre.

7.  venuebirmingham, located at the University of Birmingham, offers the classical setting of Winterbourne House set in seven acres of botanical gardens, the majestic splendour of The Great Hall and, new for 2012, the newBramallMusicBuilding.

8.  By the end of 2012, Birmingham will have hosted eight party political events in the past five years, more than any other city. The Conservative Party returns in October to use the city’s conferencing facilities following their visit in 2010 which saw more than 14,000 delegates generating a massive £47 million economic boom for the region.

9. The new Hotel La Tour, opening in March, will have 174 bedrooms and suites, as well as a dedicated conference floor of nine meeting and conference rooms for up to 120 guests.

10.  As part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the first UK venue to host the Ten Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. Over 31,000 visitors had seen the exhibition within its first month.

11. Historic Warwick’s 11^th century castle hosts small and intimate to grand and gracious events in its spectacular surroundings, with the Great Hall and State Rooms providing the most majestic setting for dinners and receptions.

12. Birmingham’s facilities will host both the United States Track and Field team and the Jamaican athletics team, containing Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.

13. The £13mEastsideCityPark representsBirmingham’s firstnew city centre park for more than 125 years. It will be completed in the latter part of 2012.

14. The Government’s recent approval of HS2 will allow for a rail network providing capacity for up to 14 trains per hour betweenLondon andBirmingham. HS2 trains will have up to 1,100 seats per train, running at 225mph.

15. New Street Station is undergoing a £600 million refurbishment, transforming it into a 21^st century gateway, with more space, better facilities and improved accessibility for passengers.  By 2015, all work will be complete on this stunning transformation, which will also include a new 250,000 sq ft John Lewis department store.

16. Based in Birmingham, delegates are perfectly placed to explore the historic towns surrounding the city, including Stratford-upon-Avon, home to William Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where the celebrated English writer grew up in the 16^th century.

17. There are over 47,000 seats available every day for performances in the city – that’s an incredible 17 million seats a year.

18. Birmingham Airport’s proposed £65 million runway extension promises to allow for more long haul flights, enabling around 18 million people to use its facilities.

19. Birmingham has been voted 19^th in the “45 places to go in 2012” by the New York Times, thanks to the city’s foodie credentials.

20. Birmingham boasts over 1,000 shops within a 20 minute walk, including Bullring, The Mailbox and over 400 specialist retailers and workshops in its unique Jewellery Quarter.

21. One of Birmingham’s largest conference centres, The ICC is also celebrating an anniversary this year – its 21^st birthday, following its opening in 1991.

22. The Belfry, the home of golf in the UK with three fantastic courses including the world famous Brabazon Course, offers up to 22 function rooms catering for up to 400 people and boasts a hotel on site with 324 rooms – perfect for events of all sizes.

23. Birmingham sits at the hub of the UK’s extensive road network. When arriving in the city centre, there are more than 23,500 well signed parking spaces to choose from.

24. Conference Aston, based on the University of Aston’s campus has 24 purpose built meeting rooms to choose from, as well as 162 stylish ensuite three and four star standard bedrooms available all year round.

25. Edgbaston Stadium has consolidated its status as one of the leading venues in international cricket following a redevelopment which has seen ground capacity expanded to 25,000. Its new Conference and Banqueting Suite caters for up to 700 people offering a unique view over the Edgbaston pitch.

26. Being based in Birmingham creates the perfect opportunity to venture to the surrounding areas of the Black Country. A must-visit location is the Black Country Living Museum – the 26-acre urban heritage park is a living tribute to the traditional skills and enterprise of the people and industry of this area.

27. There are 27 different cuisines to choose from across 200Birmingham city centre restaurants.

28. The city and wider region can lay claim to more than 28,600 available bed spaces, from luxury hotels and apartments to boutique hotels and budget accommodation.

29. One of the city’s most high-profile political events in recent years came on 29^th April 2010 when theUniversity ofBirmingham’s Great Hall was the location for the final televised Prime Ministerial Debate, broadcast by the BBC.

30. For 30 years, the Birmingham Convention Bureau has been providing invaluable advice and event support to conference and event organisers of shapes and sizes. Here’s to another 30!

With 2012 set to be one of the most significant years for the UK events industry in recent times, the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Cente) is expecting a massive year across its conference, exhibition and live event businesses.

 On the conference side, the SECC will be hosting some of the most important medical learning and development events of the year, including the British Association of Urological Surgeons 2012 (25-28 June), the World Congress on Active Aging 2012 (13-17 August) the European Congress of Immunology (5-8 September) and Drug Therapy in HIV Infections 2012 (11-15 November). The venue will also play host to Digital 2012 (29-30 March), RenewableUK (30 October – 1 November) and Distripress 2012 (30 September – 3 October), celebrating the wealth of expertise found in these areas within the city.

 Meanwhile, within the exhibition halls, the SECC will be hosting up to 40 exhibitions in both consumer and trade markets. The venue is delighted to welcome a busy new year by introducing the new Holiday & Travel show (10-12 February) and the Fishing Exhibition (22-24 March) and also welcome back some favourites, including; The Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure show (2-5 February), Emigrate Show (11-12 February), The Scottish Wedding Show (18 & 19 February), Model Rail Scotland (24-26 February), Hobbycrafts & Creative Stitches (8-11 March), The Scottish Bike Show (13-15 April), Girls Day Out 20-22 April) & The Scottish Baby Show (27-29 April).

 Added to another major year of live music within the venue, including One Direction, Snow Patrol, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Wanted, Florence & The Machine, JLS, Westlife, Blink 182, the SECC will once again be providing the very best events, entertainment and education in 2012.

Chelsea Football Club is helping delegates get a good start to 2012 with its Match Fit Meetings initiative.

 The club, which boasts 21 flexible event spaces including the 1400m2 Great Hall and 60 syndicate rooms, has created a series of exercises to ensure delegates stay supple during long hours spent in meetings and in seated positions.

 An exercise guide will be provided to all meetings and conferences attendees from January 2012 and includes targeted movements for the eyes, mouth, arms, legs and hands. Created to inspire creativity and keep delegates alert the routines, which include the ‘bite the sandwich mouth stretch’ and ‘the smartphone finger’, fit subtly into the day and can be implemented in public.

 The club aims to produce a second instalment later in the year, incorporating other body areas such as shoulders, wrists, the back and special breathing techniques.

 Simon Hunter, Head of Venue at Chelsea FC, comments: “Match Fit Meetings is an initiative introduced to underline the importance of delegate fitness and productivity in a fun way. We provide a healthy environment for delegates during meetings and conferences, including offering nutritious menus, breakout spaces with natural daylight and the added extra of a stadium tour. Match Fit Meetings is an extension of this and we hope it proves an interesting talking point”.

 Match Fit Meetings will also be supplemented by a special Day Delegate Rate from £39.50 per person. Available on all new bookings taken between 1 January and 30 April 2012, the offer includes room hire, arrival coffee with nutritious snacks, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, sandwich lunch, mineral water throughout the day, data screen and LCD projector, additional stationery items and a delegate discount booklet.

After industry consultation, following the publication last October of the report on ‘UK Subvention Policy and Bid Support Practices for International Conferences’, The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) has put together a series of recommendations for consideration by John Penrose, MP, Minister for Tourism and other government and industry departments.

The recommendations, which identify specific actions for various stakeholders, will also be submitted to the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, The Home Office Ministers, United Kingdom Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) as well as other government agencies and industry bodies. 

The key recommendations are:

1. The Events Industry should continue to raise national and local government understanding of the benefits and direct and indirect value that accrues from hosting international conferences, business and cultural events in theUK.

2. The Events Industry should encourage greater national and local government commitment to provide in kind support for event bids, especially when the qualifying event is beneficial to economic growth, scientific and industrial advancement, inward investment, employment and exports, either nationally or in the host destination.

3. The Tourism Unit at the Department of Culture, Media & Sport should publish and disseminate across government departments, a Ministerial Support InitiativePaper to include the timely provision of support letters, assistance on bids and attendance at events.

4. The National Tourism Agencies, supported by UKTI, should develop, through a nationwide business tourism forum, a national bid support best practice paper to facilitate information sharing and identify local support across leading conference and event destinations.

5. Tourism representative bodies currently engaged in VAT reviews should include the potential of reduced rates of VAT for organisers of inbound international congresses and more generally on conference services and venue hire for international events.

6. The UK Borders Agency should introduce special event visas for attendees of business events and conferences where there are over 2,000 overseas delegates.

“Subvention and bid support is an area which can be addressed positively to make our industry more internationally competitive and these recommendations have been put together to this end,” comments Michael Hirst, Chair of the BVEP. 

He added “ A number of initiatives towards meeting many of the objectives set out in the recommendations are already underway. We shall report further in the Spring  on what progress has been made”.

 Conference and events enquiries fromAmericahave overtaken those from Europe for the first time, according to statistics released from Chelsea Football Club and the Mayor’s official convention bureau London & Partners.

 The UK is experiencing more inbound business enquiries from theUSthan ever before. During this year the west London Club has seen a 10% increase in enquiries for events, conferences and meetings from theUScompared with 2010. Seasonal and matchday hospitality enquiries from the US have also been steadily rising since the 2008-9 football season and are currently up 6% based on figures from last year. This year alone the club has played host to a growing number of American owned companies and those with head offices based in America.

This is supported by statistics from London& Partners who yyear to date has seen a 19% increase on sales leads coming into London from the USA.  The promotional agency’s 2011 figures show that not only is corporate and association business enquiries from the USA higher in value than those from Europe, but that more American business has converted than European for the first time.

 The news comes after an extremely successful period at the debut of IMEX America this month, which saw Chelsea FC exhibit on the London & Partners stand. Enquiries forLondonwere extremely high during the three day show, which saw Chelsea FC alone take hospitality enquiries worth over £120,000.

 Simon Hunter, Head of Venue at Chelsea FC, comments: “With our central location and range of facilities Chelsea FC is a popular choice for delegates and conference bookers from theUS. Not only can we cater for huge events, but we also offer accommodation, Marco Pierre White restaurants, a health club, spa and music venue all in one location which makes booking and hosting an event with us exceptionally easy. IMEX America has allowed us to further expand into this market and promote ourLondonsuburb”.

 Chris FJ Lynn, London & Partners Sales & Marketing Director, North America & Emerging Markets added: “We are aware just how important the North American business market is for London and we’re always keen to work with partners such as Chelsea FC to highlight all the unique events and activities which are on offer in the UK’s capital. With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than a year away our focus is on how those business travellers can harness the buzz and excitement around London both now and in the future.

The strategy for International Confex 2012 will be focused on delivering quality content following the launch today of a new vision for the show.

A new home, refreshed brand and new ideas all represent a new era for Confex. However, with time at a premium for many visitors, organisers say that the quality of the on-site experience will prove critical to its success.

“Over the last few months we have spent a lot of time with visitors, exhibitors and thought leaders all associated with Confex. We wanted to get a real idea of what people want from the show and the overriding feedback was the need for quality content that makes the most of their time on the floor; from business opportunities to professional development, or just one great piece of inspiration,” comments Jonny Sullens, Portfolio Director, International Confex.

On top of the move to ExCeL London, the show has invested heavily in its educational programme and working with exhibitors to give visitors choice and diversity at the show.

“First and foremost visitors are at the show to do business, but we want to make it worth their while to spend more time at the show; the seminar programme means they can gain inspiration in more ways than one, and this year’s programme is looking stronger than ever,” continues Sullens.

The 26^th International Confex will take place at ExCeL London, 6-8 March 2012. “The plans we are putting in place at the moment are part of a long-term vision we have for the show,” concludes Sullens. “We’ve set up the Confex Advisory Board to make sure we continue to listen to our market and evolve our product where it needs to be to reflect and represent the best of the industry.”