Meetings Industry Association releases updated contract guidance

The Meetings Industry Association has updated its contract and cancellation guidance to help mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on future bookings and ensure all parties are protected.

Working with legal experts Mishcon de Reya, the latest version of the step-by-step guide details all the actions venues operators should take to ensure they are totally transparent, and their cancellation policy is both fair and reasonable in all cases.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, said: “Things have obviously moved on since we initially published our ‘Guidelines for contracts’ in May 2020 and then revised them in January 2021, so we were keen to ensure that the sector remains armed with the latest best practice guidance.

“Our advice remains that we strongly recommend a specific Covid-19 clause is used in all contracts and having worked with the legal team at Mishcon de Reya, the sector can rest assured that the one provided within our document is safe to use. Alternatively we suggest that operators work with their own legal teams to ensure they have an appropriate clause for their business.”

The mia is also encouraging venues and agent bookers to always ask their clients to seek adequate insurance cover that is now available for business meetings and events and is underwritten by UK Government.

To download the latest contract guideline, click here.