A busy week for Experience Oxfordshire Venues with the announcement of its joining the mia (Meetings Industry Association) and launching a new digital Venues Guide for Oxfordshire.
Experience Oxfordshire Venues (operated by destination marketing organization (DMO) Experience Oxfordshire) is a promotional and referral service for venues and suppliers across the midlands county that links buyers to products, venues and suppliers.
This autumn the team from Experience Oxfordshire will also attend a series of international trade events, showcasing the county’s offer to the global meetings industry.
The DMO says business events visitors are spending on average 54% more per visit than other inbound travellers to the UK, with the sector back on track post pandemic and direct spending in 2024 expected to hit pre pandemic levels. Experience Oxfordshire says it is working hard to ensure the county benefits from this. Prior to the pandemic business visits and events activity accounted for 29% of visits to Oxfordshire.
Meetings will take place with selected buyers and bookers from the travel trade across America and Europe starting in San Francisco this week at VisitBritain’s Destination Britain North America flagship event.
The Experience Oxfordshire Venues Referral Service says it has received recent requests for advice and information from USA, UAE, China and Scandinavia, as well as from enquirers within the UK and the DMO’s increased programme of activity aims to build on this pipeline.
The latest edition of the digital Experience Oxfordshire Venues Guide, published this week, offers 50 pages highlighting the range, diversity and depth of quality of the venues and experiences available within the county.
The DMO’s chief executive, Hayley Beer-Gamage said: “We recognise the importance of maintaining the county’s profile within the business visits and events sector both internationally and here at home. We have recently received accreditation from the Meetings Industry Association, which demonstrates Oxfordshire’s commitment as a destination to attracting this market and we look forward to working with the mia to grow the value of this sector.
“Our latest edition of Experience Oxfordshire’s Venues Guide showcases the fabulous range and the unique product and experiences offered by venues and suppliers across the county. It also highlights the county’s location with easy access from points of arrival within the UK, which is also a major selling point. On every level Oxfordshire is the perfect place to host an event.”
Kerrin MacPhie, CEO of the mia said: “ We are delighted that Experience Oxfordshire has joined the mia at this exciting time for the business meetings and events industry in the UK.
“Oxfordshire has a wonderful selection of meeting, conference and event venues from UNESCO world-heritage palaces and ancient libraries to high-tech venues. Its diverse range of venues are suitable for everything from bio-tech conventions to luxury incentive breaks to corporate retreats from nearby London.”
This activity follows a successful Experience Oxfordshire Venues partner meeting at the Bodleian Library in August where attendees received presentations from MeetEngland, GWR and Experience Oxfordshire Venues.
The Experience Oxfordshire Venues Guide can be viewed here: https://www.experienceoxfordshire.org/oxfordshire-venue-guide
