EVENT MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Stunning New Exhibitions at the Design Museum

Celebrate at the Design Museum this autumn with as many as 400 guests throughout the stylish remodelled gallery spaces and outside on the extensive Riverside Terrace. Or entertain as few as 30 in the stunning Design Museum Space on the exclusive balcony with panoramic views across the Thames.
You and your guests can also enjoy access to the Design Museum’s exciting autumn exhibitions come rain or shine:

The glamorous spaces, natural lighting and stunning views at the Design Museum create an ideal backdrop for any event: from press conferences and product launches, to intimate cocktail parties and exclusive dinners. You and your guests can enjoy privileged access to their riverfront terrace and critically acclaimed exhibitions on modern design history and contemporary design. Described by the fashion designer, Sir Paul Smith, as “the natural home for everyone who has ever enjoyed or appreciated design”, the Design Museum is the perfect location for your special event. Contact Details

IMAC plans to export Brand Events shows

Ingenious Media Active Capital (IMAC), the investment house which secured the services of former NEC chief executive Andrew Morris earlier this year, has ploughed in the region of £8.7m into Brand Events to create a venture that will export its shows abroad.

Morris has become Brand Events’ non-executive chairman in a move that reunites him with the organiser’s managing director Chris Hughes. The pair worked together when Morris was Earls Court & Olympia’s chief executive.

IMAC director Patrick McKenna sanctioned the deal, which leaves IMAC with a majority equity stake in the business and is believed to have included minor investment from Morris and the current Brand Events management team.

McKenna said: “We believe that current market dynamics, the quality of Brand Events and its excellent management team and the knowledge, relationships and financial resources of IMAC provide a unique opportunity to create the world’s leading consumer events business.”

Former Haymarket Exhibitions director Chris Hughes formed Brand Events in 1999. He said: “Ingenious is the ideal partner to support our growth plans. Its considerable media expertise will be an enormous asset in helping us expand Brand Events in the UK and around the world.

“With Andrew Morris, who is one of the most accomplished and dynamic figures in the industry, we firmly believe we can become one of the global leaders in the market over the next three to five years.” Source

VisitBritain wake up to the power of live event marketing

KPMG valued the economic impact of the UK exhibition sector at £9.3bn a year. The cost for one Olympic Games…. £9.3bn www.eventsindustryalliance.com

With the 2012 Olympic Games bringing unprecedented interest in Britain, the UK events and tourism sectors intend to maximise the benefits of games to ensure that historical upwards trends in business tourism seen in Barcelona, Sydney and Athens are fully exploited here. According to figures published by VisitBritain, the UK’s tourism authority, the average spend per visit by a person attending an exhibition/trade fair (£645) or large conference (£668) is substantially higher (44%) than a general leisure visitor (£456).

As a result of Events Industry Alliance lobbying, there is now a growing awareness of the economic impact of events within Government and eventBritain will be at the forefront of ensuring that live event marketing is given the greater focus and attention it deserves. eventBritain has been established by VisitBritain with one core objective, ‘to work with UK industry partners to support any bids they make for sporting, business and cultural events’ according to head of business visits and events, VisitBritain, Joss Croft.

The adoption of an events support strategy, and the creation of eventBritain, recognises the potential of the sector and is a major opportunity to make a real contribution to the visitor economy. The eventBritain team is developing a suite of services and functions that add value to the bidding for and marketing of events, which includes addressing the thorny UK issue of the absence of ministerial support at events.
There exists much competition within the UK events industry and eventBritain sees its role to not to negate this competition, but to ensure that events that could be placed with overseas competitors are placed in Britain. In addition the team clearly recognises that not all organisations will require these services and they are proposed very much as a “pick and mix” to add best value to the winning of more events for Britain.

Group chief executive of the Events Industry Alliance, Trevor Foley says:
“the eventBritain initiative will not only have a huge impact in raising awareness of this booming UK sector, but will deliver real practical assistance and support to event organisers and venue owners, too long ignored by government and its agencies. The UK events industry is one of the strongest and undoubtedly most innovative and advanced in the world, in spite of the lack of official support.
The sector will jump on the new opportunities that eventBritain offers and fully engage with all parties to maximise benefits for all.”

"I am delighted that EIA has given its input and wholehearted endorsement for this exciting new strategy, which ensures that eventBritain offers the most relevant support to event organisers and British venues" affirms Croft.
The Events Industry Alliance will continue to work with eventBritain as a key priority to develop strategy further and identify real gaps where eventBritain can add real value to winning more business for Britain. “Forging closer relationships to influence strategic partners has been and continues as a prime objective,” concludes Foley.

Festivals & Outside Experiences

JVP Events have enjoyed a fun start to the summer having worked on both dressing and production in the VIP and guest backstage areas for Download festival and O2 Wireless in London and Leeds. Other music events under their belt include Live Earth, Love Box, T4 on the Beach and backstage and after show party at the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Concert.
This year JVP have increased their stock of summer furniture to a range of outdoor wooden furniture, benches and stylish umbrellas. For Download they designed a bespoke bar with a fully changing colour LED front Perspex panels with sinks and speed rails, to provide mixologists with everything they need to create incredible cocktails. This is now available for hire along with the rest of their new stock.
JVP have also been busy away from the music and mud of the outdoor events having worked on a number of corporate product launches. They helped LG create a spectacular opening night for their ‘icy elegance’ fridge freezer range. Entering the event guests walked through a pair of fridge freezer doors, then between two giant walls of ice into a space styled as a loft apartment, where the kitchen was also sculpted entirely from ice.
They have also begun a tour for FCUK’s new beauty products range. The Launch in London last month included a maze, where guests were given choices between images to direct them to a perfume that most suited their mood. FCUK and JVP continued this launch with promotional events in Boots stores nationwide to engage the general public, these will continue throughout rest of the summer.

Property firm buys half of EC&O Venues

EC&O Venues has voiced its ongoing commitment to its core event business despite the sale of a 50% share in the group to property investment and development firm Capital & Counties.

Nigel Nathan, EC&O Venues group commercial director, said: “[Capital & Counties] liked the look of EC&O Venues when they were seeking leisure and business opportunities. They liked our core proposition of exhibition, conferences and special events.

“We have a number of leisure developments that we’ve already announced, such as the casino at Earls Court and the gym and health club at Olympia. All these activities will add value to the visitor experience and will build around our existing proposition.”

EC&O Venues shareholders, led by chief executive Anthony Lyons, entered into the joint venture with Capital and Counties. It will see the partnership own and manage Earls Court and Olympia Exhibition Centre and the Brewery.

Lyons said: “We came to this business with a plan to increase shareholder value whilst ensuring the safety of the assets, the future of the workforce and the equity and reputation of the brand.”

The shareholder value for the portfolio of venues is estimated at £460m, taking into account proceeds made from the sale of its organising arm Clarion Events.

Capital & Counties managing director Ian Hawksworth said: “We are looking forward to participating in the future of EC&O and to enhancing its already excellent reputation while exploring opportunities to intensify use.”

Parent firm Liberty International is one of the UK’s largest listed property companies and is listed among the FTSE-100. Capital & Counties held assets of £1.65bn at 31 December 2006. Source