Insights from the BNC Show Panel Discussion
Last month, I was delighted to be invited to speak as part of a panel at the Buyer’s Networking Club (BNC) Show in Central Hall Westminster held on April 16th, where alongside other event professionals, we discussed ‘Hotspots for 2024 – Venues that Wow’. From sustainable venues to those venues that are employing certain tactics to attract event planners, being up-to-speed on who is doing what, where and when is an essential part of my role, one that I love and one that is constantly changing!
A Diverse Educational Programme at the BNC Show
The team behind the BNC Show always ensures that their education programme covers a wide range of industry topics where they aim to both inspire and educate their audience in a relaxed environment. Designed to deliver the latest, essential events industry updates alongside eventprof-led discussion panels, the agenda covered topics such as how to create a dream events team and the use of AI in event planning, to the benefits of bringing nature into corporate events and the importance of getting the most out of event ‘data’.
Morning Preparations and Learning About Sustainability Initiatives
My particular session was scheduled to take place at 1pm and so I spent the morning walking the show to ensure that I had all the latest up-to-date news and initiatives from those venues that were exhibiting (I learnt that The Grove, for example, are planting 2000 trees with their local community each year until 2028, highlighting their commitment to sustainability). Along with my fellow panellists (Liam Farrelly of Central Hall Westminster, Duncan Welsh – Head of Commercial Development at Wellcome Collection and Ellie Foster, Sales Director of Potting Shed Events) we were delighted to see that our topic of ‘Hotspots for 2024 – Venues that Wow’ had also attracted plenty of interest; despite the room only seating 60, they had to bring extra chairs in, there was standing room only and at the last count, 120 attended! Although I am fairly used to taking part in these kind of events and panel discussions, I still do get nervous (or perhaps it’s just the adrenalin kicking in…) and I somehow managed to drop my cue cards at least 3 times before going on stage!
Highlighting Exceptional Venues and Future Developments
With the nerves settled, we kicked off with our own interpretation of a venue that ‘wows’ and for me, this refers to those new venues that perhaps offer their delegates an immersive experience or something a little different to the norm. For example, at Tower Suites by Blue Orchid, they have a Partnerships Manager to help enhance events taking place in house or if you’re looking to host a dinner externally, they can help organise this through their relationships with local partners and suppliers. We went onto discuss those London venues that have exciting new event spaces launching such as 34 Bloomsbury, a stunning Georgian townhouse who have just opened their courtyard garden up for event hire and a personal favourite of mine, The Caledonian Club who are having a refurbishment of their terrace which will be open in time to host summer events (when the weather finally improves!).
Q&A Session and Practical Tips for Event Planners
We then looked at those venues with exciting developments in the pipeline, such as The Belfry Hotel & Resort in Sutton Coldfield who are undergoing an impressive £80 million investment, including the addition of 149 bedrooms and the creation of a flagship 852sqm event space – The Masters Suite. This led to an influx of visits to the Belfry’s stand at the show for which they were very grateful for! The floor was then opened up for Q&A’s and I concluded with top tips to ask a venue when planning an event:
- Can you send me your sustainability initiatives? (although many are on websites, they can be tricky to find and not necessary up to date. Most have a PDF they can send)
- Do you have any refurbishments planned when my event is due to take place? (so important to know in case this is going to impact your event)
- What is your cancellation policy with regards to rail strikes? (with more planned it’s important to either have a backup plan, look at alternative travel arrangements, or be aware that full cancellation charges may be charged)
Conclusion and Invitation to Next Event
A big thank you to Nathan and his team at the BNC for putting on such a wonderful event – as they say themselves, it’s ‘the show that #eventprofs recommend’ and always delivers an invaluable day of networking, learning, fun and entertainment. Their second event of 2024 is due to take place on 15th October at Mansion House in London – why not pop the date in your diary and I may well see you there!