Conference Question Time brought together six of the UK meeting industry’s association chiefs for the first time at the Olympia Conference Centre last night (22 November).
The Conference Question Time panel featured Chairman of Eventia, Simon Hughes; Meetings Industry Association (MIA) Chief Executive, Jane Longhurst; President of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) UK, Samme Allen; Chairman of Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO), Michael Foreman; International Special Events Society (ISES UK) President, Philip Atkins; and Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) Chairman, Chris Peacock.
Initial questions were put to the panelists by CN Editor Paul Colston and facilitator Richard John, with the audience able to ask their own questions during the event using iPads supplied by Technology4events.
Topics of discussion included debate over whether there are too many associations, sustainability initiatives and whether the government really understands the value of the events industry.
The question of ‘too many associations or not?’ kicked off the inaugural Conference Question Time, and Hughes said that while it is “probably” the case that there are too many associations, it is both a strength and weakness of the industry.
“The number of associations provide a massive variety, with associations offering different people different things in the industry,” says Hughes. “But it also means a lot of voices in one industry.”
Hughes went on to say that the Business Visits & Events Partnership was helping to focus the industry’s attention and provide a unified voice.
Foreman added that the number of associations meant it was important that ABPCO found a specific area where they could be heard and he said its Conference Cloud campaign helped do this. “The Conference Cloud campaign took free Wi-Fi from an issue to something that is now on everyone’s agenda,” he added.
When asked about the aspects of the industry that they most wanted to improve, the need to raise the professionalism and accreditation in the industry was high up on the agenda. “When we ask where we are on a par with professionalising our industry, the answer is very far,” said Allen. “Regulation, education and professionalism are key areas for improvement in the industry.”
The panel also addressed the Bribery Act with Foreman arguing that there is a real disconnect between what it is and how it affects events. “Whether the Bribery Act is enforceable or not is questionable. It does have value in its integrity and works well in the pharmaceutical sector. The Pharma code is very strict, and hospitality does not happen in this sector where they follow the code precisely for events, but we need more linkage between other sectors at the Act.”
The issue of sustainability raised wider discussions about how associations could collaborate more in terms of initiatives. Foreman said: “There are many issues and campaigns among the associations but we need more collaboration. Merging initiatives as opposed to associations could be an option.”
For the full report on CN’s Conference Question Time make sure you read the January issue of Conference News.
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