In a united effort to kick-start the events market, many UK industry associations and prominent leaders in the sector have teamed up to create and support UKickstart Event 2020 taking place on Tuesday 8 September from 2pm-4pm. This free-to-attend nationwide multi-hub live and virtual event will bring together meeting and event leaders and professionals who want to drive the UK to have the confidence to start meeting again. The event aims to bring the industry together for the first time since lockdown at several UK-wide LIVE in-room venue hubs to demonstrate the power of events and showcase the industry’s role in the economy and its plans for the future.
The initiative is being spearheaded by etc.venues and supported by industry bodies such as BVEP, HBAA, MIA, Visit Britain, ILEA, MPI, ABPCO, EMA, AEO, ESSA, EVCOM, AEV and the London Convention Bureau. A discussion panel of influential leaders will include a minister from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Tracy Halliwell MBE (Director of Tourism, Conventions and Major Events at London and Partners), and Simon Hughes (Chairman of BVEP). Topics will feature ‘Government Guidance for 1st October’, ‘How we got here as an industry’ and ‘What the future holds for business events’. Additional sessions and guests will be announced in due course.
Attendees can register to attend the event in-person at their nearest Live Hub, which will be located in major cities across the UK, such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Farnborough, Liverpool and Belfast, with more locations to be announced soon. Up to 30 people will be able to attend in person at each venue.
Adam Simpson, Director of Marketing of etc.venues, said: “Confidence levels for events and meetings are on an upward climb. We want to continue to inspire confidence and this was why we felt it was important to be the driving force for a united industry-wide effort by creating UKickstart Event 2020. We hope this event will demonstrate the power of face-to-face events and act as a catalyst to kick-start the events industry.”
