Tourism minister Nigel Huddleston will be the opening guest speaker at the Meetings Industry Association’s Ignite conference.
The conference aims to support the business meetings and events sector’s recovery and will take place at London’s Millennium Gloucester Hotel on 4 November.
Following Nigel Huddleston’s address, global innovation strategist Will Higham will explore how venues can attract more bookings in a post-Covid environment, identifying the motives and values of the future event delegate and how to serve them.
Reflecting a shift in consumer behaviour, business anthropologist Lucia Laurent-Neva will uncover how such patterns have impacted organisation’s positioning, and how brands can continue to connect with consumers.
With a new eco-system for business events, Matthias Schultze of the German Convention Bureau will proceed with an assessment of forecasted recovery scenario’s, providing organisations with response plans to mitigate future risk.
Dr Eliza Filby will assess the future of work in a post-pandemic age, while Green Tourism’s Scott Maclean draws attention back to sustainability and Simon Stenning explores the future of food service.
Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association, said: “The last seventeen months have no doubt been the most challenging of times for event professionals spanning the entire supply chain. When delivering our last physical event in February 2020, the first in our Extraordinary Matters series, we didn’t quite know just how powerful all the advice, guidance and pre-cautionary measures would be, and we have very much set out to replicate this level of pertinence to now drive the sector’s recovery forward.
“We have been listening to our members and their needs throughout the pandemic and have consulted with expert strategists, government bodies and more to compile a programme that offers practical advice that will stimulate business recovery no matter whether you’re a venue, booking agent, corporate, supplier or destination.”
Longhurst added: “Given the current state of affairs, this will undoubtedly be one of the mia’s most pertinent events to date, and we are looking forward to providing exciting insights that will certainly inspire. We will also be building in plenty of time throughout the day to allow delegates the opportunity to raise any burning questions.”
