Under the theme “Navigating uncertainty – on so many levels”, the education programme at the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter conference tackled some big issues.
Attendees heard from Compass Group’s Amanda Scott on what inclusion really means, while ShockLogic’s Johnny D Martinez delivered a session on the importance of diversity, inclusion and accessibility in hybrid events.
The event took place at ICC Birmingham on 4-5 April and welcomed more than 110 delegates, including 30 first-time attendees.
“Seeing such a significant growth in attendance is testament to the hard work our chapter continues to do as we support each other both personally and as organisations,” ICCA UK & Ireland chair Diane Waldron said.
The education programme also confronted the topic of sustainability as Green Tourism managing director, Scott MacLean spoke practically about how the meetings industry can achieve Net-Zero.
Wellness was also on the agenda with a session from Jack Owens, Failte Ireland and Adam Baggs, Soaring Worldwide. The ‘Finding Your Headspace/Keeping Your Headspace’ session looked at how to maintain good mental health and introduced strategies for doing this.
Waldron added: “Thank you to Birmingham for their incredible hospitality throughout the event as well as Levy UK for their ongoing support. The speakers demonstrated the importance of legacy and wellbeing through all the sessions, and I am sure everyone in attendance left with new ideas, connections, and opportunities for their business.”
The event was organised in partnership with ICC Birmingham and the West Midlands Growth Company. The 2023 ICCA UK & Ireland Conference will be held in Glasgow from 30-31 March 2023.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
