Venues across Newcastle and Gateshead have launched a Covid-19 recovery campaign to recapture the £150m a year business events and meetings market.
A total of 35 venues, ranging from hotel chains to historic buildings, have collaborated to help build back event organisers’ confidence in running events in Newcastle and Gateshead.
The campaign, titled ‘Tyne To Get Back To Business’, has seen all 35 venues gain AIM Secure accreditation, a government recognised accreditation for business meetings and events.
NewcastleGateshead is the first destination in the UK where venues have joined together to create a coordinated group of AIM Secure accredited hotels and meeting places.
Tyne To Get Back To Business aims to take NewcastleGateshead’s post-pandemic confidence across the country, with a comprehensive campaign showcasing the benefits of staging business meetings and events in the area.
The campaign is being led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) in collaboration with the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) and has been funded by Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.
Paul Szomoru, director of business events at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “Before Covid struck, business events attracted almost 1m people a year to Newcastle and Gateshead to attend meetings, conferences and exhibitions. It was a huge part of the visitor economy in the area, accounting for an estimated £150m in revenue every year, but it was virtually wiped out due to lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic.
“Venues and hotels in Newcastle and Gateshead have faced a very challenging time over the past two years but they are determined to bounce back and that’s what Tyne To Get Back To Business is all about. As well as helping venues gain the AIM Secure accreditation, we are raising their profile to regional and national audiences, helping to build confidence and encourage events professionals to host business events in Newcastle and Gateshead.”
Kerrin MacPhie, chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association, added: “This initiative is typical of the determination and tenacity of the sector, its people and venues who operate within it.”
