EDGE Venues CEO Jacqui Kavanagh urged the event industry to embrace change and actively seek solutions at the company’s Winter Summit last week.
In her opening statement, Kavanagh said that while hotels and venues have made significant progress in reducing physical waste, the issue of inefficiency from unproductive RFPs remains.
These generate unnecessary noise, cost, and effort without driving real business. She outlined how EDGE is making a difference by transforming the approach to RFPs, focusing on well-prospected, high-performing opportunities that align with industry needs, prioritise efficiency, and deliver meaningful outcomes for all stakeholders.
The summit took place over three days across various London venues, with the pinnacle event held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms on 23 January.
Bringing together over 200 delegates, including agents, corporates, industry leaders, and stakeholders, the summit provided analysis of industry insights, discussions on future collaboration, and influenced policy shaping to the meetings and events sector.
Speakers and panellists represented agencies and corporates and included other industry professionals from the MIA, Mash Media, Davies Tanner and EDGE Venues’ Jacqui Kavanagh, managing director Scott Ford, marketing director Emily Butler, and data analyst Emma Lee.
Discussions addressed the sector’s challenges and opportunities, Labour Government policy, and strategies for maximising influence, as well as the potential impact of a Trump presidency. The agenda also covered industry insights with actionable takeaways from EDGE Venues, along with technology innovations, including the EDGE Venues
Kavanagh said: “The EDGE Winter Summit brings together some of the brightest industry minds to focus on its challenges, opportunities, and how we can impact Government policy.
“As we look ahead to 2025, we must focus on three key areas: influencing policies that develop growth and innovation within our industry, encouraging collaboration within our EDGE Development panels and addressing inefficiencies, such as human waste capital, to ensure we’re maximising the potential of our people and resources. This Summit shows we can achieve transformative outcomes together through purpose and intent.”