The meetings industry association (mia) has formed a new group, Sector Intelligence and Politicisation Group (SIP), with its primary objective to ensure the mia membership’s representation within the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) is coherent.
The mia says the new group creates a structured method to gather industry intelligence, enabling it to identify and provide an informed voice on industry issues for its members, especially in its contribution to efforts to represent the importance of the sector to government.
The group is currently overseen by the mia chairman, Gary Payne, while mia board member John Gallery provides the link between the mia’s membership and the BVEP. The other current members of SIP are Gwyneth Gibbons, Michael Stott, Alan Robinson, Mark Chambers and Peter Chubb, with Jane Longhurst, mia chief executive, as an observer.
“We are currently gathering feedback from our members, they are outlining the key issues within the meetings industry that affect their businesses, so that SIP, through the BVEP, can take action,” says Payne. “While it’s an on-going process, initial feedback will be completed in September, and we will make further announcements at this stage.
“Through SIP, mia members have a stronger voice when lobbying government through the BVEP, or entering into industry wide discussions or campaigns covering the various issues that affect us all. SIP is an opportunity for mia members to act together to effect change and build a stronger meetings industry.”
The group will meet every three months, or when political circumstances deem it appropriate.
The overall strategy of SIP is to:
- Identify appropriate campaigns and use the proper voice to support the needs of the members and the industry
- Create a pro-active strategic lobbying group
- With pre-approval of the mia Chair Lobby effectively through the appropriate channels (BVEP)
- With pre-approval of the mia Chair provide intelligent and appropriate comment on behalf of the mia and its membership on issues of sector importance
- Take responsibility for and report back to the mia Chair and Council all sector or non-sector specific issues that could directly impact on the industry or the association
- Identify and instigate appropriate sector research
- Identify funding channels for appropriate sector research.
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