Behind every successful event is a powerful partnership. At the CN Agency Awards (CNAAs) 2024, top venues reaffirmed their commitment to agencies – the driving force behind seamless, high-impact events.
Kristyna O’Connell, venue correspondent, speaks with Excel London, RAI Amsterdam, Jockey Club Venues, Hilton Metropole Birmingham, ACC Liverpool, and Edgbaston Stadium Birmingham—sponsors of the CN Agency Awards 2024—about the vital role of venues in supporting agencies, the impact of this partnership on the event’s success, and why venues should lead the way in industry collaboration.
Why did you sponsor the CN Agency Awards?
For many venues, sponsoring CN Agency Awards is about more than just visibility—it is about reinforcing partnerships with agencies and celebrating their contributions to the industry. Whether showcasing appreciation, supporting startups or expanding UK connections, each venue sees sponsorship as a way to strengthen relationships and boost industry innovation. This is what they had to say:
Jockey Club Venues: “The CN Agency Awards is an arena of top agents, and our sponsorship of the awards allows Jockey Club Venues to showcase our appreciation and thank them all for their hard work and dedication to quality and success in the conference & events space.”
RAI Amsterdam: “We sponsored to enlarge our brand awareness in the UK agency industry and to renew and enlarge our contacts there and to show our clients we support the agency business, because the award generates greater awareness for them too.”
Hilton Birmingham Metropole: “We sponsored the ‘Start-up Agency of the Year’ at CN Agency Awards 2024 as we wanted to show our recognition and support to those agencies just starting up in the industry. Whether you’re a global or small agency, every agency relationship is extremely important to us and we’re here to support you from the enquiry stage right through to post event.”
Edgbaston Stadium Birmingham: “We decided to sponsor an Award last year because of Conference News’ reputation for attracting many well-known agencies to their events and for this reason, we felt that we would get some good exposure, as well as adding our endorsement and appreciation for those who were shortlisted.”
ACC Liverpool: “We have sponsored the CN Agency Awards since its inauguration [2017]. The awards are an opportunity to support and recognise talent and innovation within the agency sector. The exposure from sponsoring the right awards can lead to increased brand recognition as we aim to grow our reach to those agencies delivering national large-scale events. The event provides us with an opportunity to host existing and new clients, building and strengthening relationships.”
Why do you think the agency market is so important?
Hilton Birmingham Metropole: “The agency market brings creativity, fun and uniqueness to each event. We are seeing client’s expectations and needs increase year on year. The agency market brings that versatility to events and in partnership with venues like us it helps meet the raising standards and innovation customers are now seeking.”
Edgbaston Stadium Birmingham: “We really value the agency market and proactively seek opportunities to meet with agents as often as possible to nurture those all-important relationships, particularly face to face. About one quarter of our business comes from venue finding agents who represent clients with whom we would not be able to engage without them. The agents do an amazing job working with the clients, building their relationships before selecting the most suitable venues for the individual enquiries they manage.”
Jockey Club Venues: “The value that agents hold is unprecedented; they are the subject matter experts that align their client’s requirements with the right venue partner to deliver (and if not exceed) polished, impactful events that enhance our Jockey Club Venues brand and engage with the right audience, making them an indispensable partner to us. Through a long-term lens, this essentially manages our reputation in the venues space.”
Excel London: “The depth to which account managers and directors at agencies engage with their clients is truly remarkable. They work tirelessly to elevate, enhance, update, and deliver engaging experiences and content. This requires them to be marketing experts, industry specialists, and event producers – all while maintaining the agility to challenge and improve upon past events or campaigns.”
RAI Amsterdam: “The agencies are the linking pin between mostly corporates and associations on one hand and venues on the other hand. Also, agencies serve as a creative sparring partners. They see and endorse the importance of face-to-face marketing.”
Excel London added: “Agencies bring immense value to venues and suppliers. They offer us insights into the client’s mindset and decision-making processes, assist in negotiations, and contribute ideas and solutions drawn from their wide range of experience. They help us win business by advocating for our venues within their networks and leveraging their knowledge of what has worked successfully in other destinations or places.”
ACC Liverpool: “Through deepened relationships agencies understand the capabilities of our venue and help bring the venue to life through their creative ideas. We have secured many valuable corporate events through collaborating and building close relationships with agencies.”
Why support agencies?
Excel London: “Supporting event agencies is so important for keeping the events industry thriving. These agencies come in all shapes and sizes, from major global firms to boutique agencies, all working tirelessly to deliver incredible value to their clients. They’re the bridge between venues, suppliers, and end clients, helping to amplify our reach and visibility.”
Jockey Club Venues: “Any agent-body brings a high level of expertise and specialisation to support us elevate our event strategy, ensuring that our event calendars across Jockey Club venues are heavily populated with clients delivering high-value, impactful, memorable experience for all guests. The consistency and quality in our partnership allows us to focus on our own core objectives while leaving the complex task of building trusted, long-term relationships with client in their expert hands.”
RAI Amsterdam: “Agencies are an important part of the ecosystem in the meeting and event industry. We have the contacts with corporates and associations, but agencies are sometimes just the missing link.”
Hilton Birmingham Metropole: “Supporting agencies and building strong working relationships, ultimately helps everyone achieve the important goal of delivering successful events but also driving repeat events. As a venue we’re here to support and work with agencies to provide a trouble-free event planning process.”
ACC Liverpool: “We have sponsored CNA awards since its inauguration. The awards are an opportunity to support and recognise talent and innovation within the agency sector. The exposure from sponsoring the right awards can lead to increased brand recognition as we aim to grow our reach to those agencies delivering national large-scale events. The event provides us with an opportunity to host existing and new clients, building and strengthening relationships.”
Edgbaston Stadium Birmingham: “We really value the agency market and proactively seek opportunities to meet with agents as often as possible to nurture those all-important relationships, particularly face to face.”
The CN Agency Awards Awards underscores a common belief among venues: agencies are strategic partners who fuel innovation, creativity, and success across the events industry. Whether securing new business or delivering seamless, high-impact experiences, agencies continue to be instrumental in shaping the industry’s future.
The CN Agency Awards 2025
The 2025 edition of the CN Agency Awards will take place on Friday, 21 March 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. After a record-breaking submissions period of over 250 entries from more than 100 full-service event agencies, 2025 is set to be the largest and most competitive CN Agency Awards to date.
To view the full CN Agency Awards 2025 shortlist, visit here.
Limited sponsorship options are still available for the CN Agency Awards 2025. If you’re a venue looking to connect with the most influential and prolific event agencies in the UK, click here.
