With just three weeks to go until The Meetings Show 2023 kicks off at ExCeL London, final preparations are now in full swing.
Thousands of #eventprofs are expected to attend the two-day event on 28-29 June, so if you’ve yet to register, don’t delay and #takethetime to sign up today, as it promises to be THE must attend show this summer.
All your favourite features will be back, but there are plenty of new highlights to look out for, and here’s just a few to help you plan your visit…
Learn something new
Be informed, inspired and empowered to think differently, connect differently, plan differently, and live differently with this year’s new look education programme, created in partnership with experienced design experts Samme Allen, CEO of conferenceemcees.com, and renowned consultant, author and previous keynote speaker at The Meetings Show, Claus Raasted.
Split across four brand new themes – Impact, Inform, Innovate, and Inspire – the 28 sessions will explore subjects such as how event technology can supercharge engagement, unpacking the power of passive data, building event communities, how to make events sustainable and how charities can help you plan events with meaningful experiences.
Day one will start and end with a choice of two keynote sessions, all featuring practical takeaways. Joel Sydenham, Artist, Spoken Word Poet & Creative Workshop Leader, will explore the concept of ‘Corporate Creativity’ and how it can be fostered in the workplace, while Farah Hussain, Networking & Faith Inclusion Expert, is leading an interactive session titled ‘How to network if you’re an introvert’.
Learn ‘How you can be a changemaker everyday’ at a closing keynote with Sal Naseem, Organisational Culture Change Expert, or explore ‘Mental-health and self-mastery’ with Ramat Tejani, Coach of Mastery, Rest & Play.
Other confirmed speakers include Elinor Honigstein, Business Development, LinkedIn; Rich Davies, Live Experience Director, DRPG; Julien Bouvier, Director of Event Marketing, swapcard; Olivia Salvage, Creative Manager, Agiito; Nick Child, Head of Analytics, Meshh Ltd; Sarah Yeats, Managing Director, Sledge; and Andrew Allen, Founder, Coach, Creative in Communication. See the full programme here.
This year’s show will also feature The Blank Canvas, a new space where visitors can experiment and try new things in a safe and supportive environment. From testing new technology to trying out new experiences, this is the perfect place to push your boundaries and unleash your creativity.
New exhibitors
More than 600 exhibitors from across the globe will be at the show to share their latest news and updates with buyers.
New UK exhibitors for 2023 include MM&Co, Tottenham Hotspur, NEC Group, Visit York, Pearl Representation and Ablemaxx. There are also many new exhibitors from across the globe, representing both destinations and properties, including Rwanda Convention Bureau, Rainbow Travel Group Zimbabwe, Mohegan Group, San Francisco, Visit Brussels, Netherlands Tourism Board, Aruba Tourism, Philippines Tourism, Barbados Tourism, Los Cabos, Convention Vienna, Hosts Global, Mangia’s Resorts and Clubs and Spain Tourist Office.
Meanwhile, the Meetings Industry Association (mia) has unveiled exciting new plans for its largest ever stand at The Meetings Show. For the first time, visitors to this year’s mia Pavilion will enjoy the benefits of a collaboration with beam, which sees the two trade association’s join forces to provide dedicated live education sessions on the stand as well as the opportunity to connect and network with their members.
The mia members in attendance on the sold-out stand include Bournemouth International Centre; CH Venues; Coin Street; Conference Eastbourne; Conference Plymouth; Crow Wood Hotel and Spa; Daniel Thwaites Hotels; First Travel Solutions; Foxhills Country Club; Hever Castle; Hyatt Regency London Stratford; London Metropolitan University; LGH Hotels Management; Meet Devon; RBH Hospitality Management and The Cumberland Hotel.
You can browse the full exhibitor list here, and via the event app.
New charity partnership
The Meetings Show recently announced a new charity partnership, naming Meeting Needs as its chosen charity partner for 2023. The partnership builds on the long-standing relationship between The Meetings Show’s parent company Northstar Travel Group and the event industry charity through the annual M&IT Awards.
Celebrating its 20th year, Meeting Needs is a registered charity founded by leading figures in the UK conference and events industry, which raises funds for worthy causes relevant to the sector.
This is the first time The Meetings Show has partnered with Meeting Needs, and the partnership will promote and raise additional funds for the charity in the run-up to and during this year’s show.
There are various ways to register to attend The Meetings Show 2023, which is co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show. To find out more about the buyer and visitor registration options, visit: https://www.themeetingsshow.com/register.