Louisa Daley chats to Rachael Boraston, head of destination, UK at London Convention Bureau, about what the city has to offer as a business events destination.
When people think of London, the first thing that often comes to mind is its iconic skyline, but amongst this is a plethora of venues waiting to be explored and utilised by eventprofs. To understand how London is well positioned as a business events destination, we spoke to Rachel Boraston, head of destination, UK, at London Convention Bureau.
Who are London and Partners?
“London and Partners is the business growth and destination agency for London. Within this umbrella organisation, you have London Convention Bureau, which is a promotional, not for profit government organisation which works to get the word of London out there to a global audience,” says Rachael Boraston, head of destination, UK, at London Convention Bureau.
In other words, the London Convention Bureau’s primary objective is to encourage delegates and event planners to keep London at the front of their minds for their events, no matter their purpose or delegation, as “bringing business events to London ultimately boosts the city’s economy and the events ecosystem,” Boraston adds.“In turn, this feeds our partner pipelines, allowing us to promote further investment into the city via the legacy of those events.”
London at a glance
With London being such a special and leading city, I ask Boraston exactly what we have to offer this global audience. “What doesn’t London have to offer?,” she responds. “We are so incredibly lucky the city has a multifaceted offering to suit a myriad of needs. Firstly, we are multicultural and diverse, we offer a warm welcome to delegates from all around the world. London has both heritage and culture, to allow visitors to carve out a niche area for themselves but also experience such a strong sense of place.
“On the flip side of that, we are cutting edge in terms of the contemporary products we offer meeting planners, as well as the way that London is, we are very forward thinking, we are at the forefront of a lot of industry,” says Boraston. This forward thinking, Boraston says, makes London stand out from its rival cities. “We have the ability, within our hotels, events and venues, that if you want to do something different and push the boundaries, we can help you achieve that,” she comments.
A destination to do business
Focusing specifically on London as a business events destination, Boraston tells me that innovation, product variety and accessibility are the top three things London does well.
Whilst 2021 has been a difficult year for many industries, businesses, and cities, London has refused to lay dormant, meaning innovation has been at its forefront. “2021 has seen London’s hotel and product offering explode,” beams Boraston, “from the new Londoner to the Pan Pacific and the Hilton London Metropole refurbishment, London is constantly investing in, and on top of, what it already has. These developments and renovations reflect that there is continued interest in London, and we are innovating and updating ourselves to reflect that.”
London also has a product for everyone, says Boraston. Whether event organisers are looking for larger venues like ExCeL London, or smaller and historic livery halls, “London can be sympathetic to any needs and budget. Our ability to reflect the historic, but also sink in with the new, is one of the most interesting things about the city from an events perspective,” says Boraston.
We can’t talk about London without mentioning its accessibility. “What is a good destination if you can’t get there, or get around there?,” asks Boraston. Luckily, accessibility is one of London’s strengths. The city is home to six airports which connects it to 400 international destinations and, of course, the Eurostar links us to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam. This accessibility ensures any delegate, whether local or international, can experience what London has to offer. “Accessibility makes London a really good business events destination that connects us to the rest of the world,” she adds.
Hand in hand with accessibility is sustainability, a key topic in the industry right now. “If you want a sustainable approach for your event, our transportation networks reflect that. We have train access to physically sustainable places. Alongside this, London is gearing up towards Net Zero 2030 with new buildings adhering to sustainability at their core, from concept to completion, and older buildings weaving in a sustainability ethos as best they can.
London is also a very walkable city, giving delegates the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint,” Boraston comments. Whilst these top three aspects position London well as a business events destination, Boraston reminds us that “the most important thing to consider is how you can carve out an experience to suit delegates.”
Because there is so much to do in London, no one experience is the same. Therefore, according to Boraston, “you must identify your event purpose and your delegates’ needs, and then tailor your event from there. To me, that’s such an exciting concept as it’s a bit like a pick and mix of programming and production”.
This bespoke nature is sure to give your delegates an experience they won’t expect, or forget.
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