The wait is
almost over – The Meetings Show 2024 is about to kick off at ExCeL London, and
final preparations are in full swing for what promises to be THE must-attend
event for #eventprofs this summer.
Taking place
on 19-20 June, The Meetings Show features a jam-packed programme with a stellar
line up of meeting and event suppliers from across the globe, a
thought-provoking education programme, and countless networking opportunities.
There is
something for everyone, whether just starting out in the industry or a senior
leader. Here are just some of the highlights of this year’s show:
Brilliant
buyers
The Meetings
Show always attracts top quality buyers and this year is no different.
Representatives from corporate and agency brands such as Agiito, AXA, BCD
Meetings & Events, EDF, BNP Paribas, George P Johnson, Smyle, Top Banana,
Shell International, Santander, Identity, HSBC and many more are confirmed to
attend this year.
To maintain
The Meetings Show’s renowned reputation for attracting quality buyers, all
applications for complimentary attendance are fully vetted. Other meetings
industry professionals are welcome to attend by purchasing a non-buyer
visitor ticket.
Captivating
content
Working with
Samme Allen, Claus Raasted and the atex team again, The Meetings Show’s
education programme features an exciting line up that will deliver practical
takeaways for all who attend. It's split across four key themes: INFORM -
INSPIRE - INNOVATE - IMPACT, with a stellar line up of expert
speakers covering topics including event security, AI, inclusivity, wellness, experiential
design, contract negotiation, sustainability and legacy.
Speakers
include Emmy-winning comedy writer Beth Sherman, isla CEO & founder Anna
Abdelnoor, Louise Tratt, head of Meetings & Events at The British
Neuroscience Association and Catherine Southall, head of M&E Business
Development UK & Ireland at American Express Meetings & Events.
Sessions
will be introduced by graduates of the atex Young Host Academy - Amba Karsondas
from Yoti, Becky Bates from BH&P and Mathilde Gerritsma from Pagoda
Projects. The three were selected following a five-week journey to becoming an
emcee and will host with support from atex’s Samme Allen, Shonali Devereaux and
Lisa Moore.
Interactive
inspiration
Back for a
second year, the Blank Canvas stage will showcase best practice event design
with sessions featuring hackathons, a Neurodiverse Design Challenge, and an
innovation showdown. This is the place to get hands-on, try out new
experiences in a safe and supportive environment, and push creative
boundaries.
Don’t miss
the chance to shake it off with Taylor Smith. You've never seen a trend
retrospective presented in exactly this way before. It's Trends vs Reality, and
it's bound to be not just informative, but also rather hilarious. And yes, of
course there will be dancing!
Exceptional
exhibitors
With over
650 exhibitors from across the globe, buyers can discover hotels,
destinations, destination management companies, venues, conference centres,
technology suppliers, and more.
This year’s
impressive list includes Conference Leeds & Hull, Better Venues, Radisson
Hotel Group, Scenic / Emerald Cruises, Premier UK Events and Butlin’s to name
just a few. A strong international presence includes many major European
cities, key players from Asia such as Japan NTO, Penang, Sabah Convention
Bureau and Singapore Tourism Board, and the rest of the world.
Collaborative
communities
Event
industry communities, associations and media will also be present at the show,
including the Meetings Industry Association (mia), The Delegate Wranglers,
Meetings & Events Support Association (MESA), M&IT, micebook and more.
The MESA
Pavilion will feature its community of technology and event suppliers as well
as a range of educational campfires where you can find out more about
technology and events innovations, ideas and tips. Meanwhile, a new visual
identity reinforcing the positioning of the mia will be revealed at the show.
Next-gen
networking
With so many
passionate and knowledgeable event professionals under one roof, The Meetings
Show is well positioned to help the next generation of talent, and the ideal
place to introduce newbies to the wealth of opportunities the sector has to
offer.
The Meetings
Show is joining forces with Event First Steps to run a dedicated next
generation programme for students and individuals looking to get into the
industry and has partnered with M&IT to run its Tomorrow’s Talent scheme
again. This year’s winners and alumni are invited to attend the show, with a
celebratory drinks reception taking place on day one in the central lounge.
Wellness
and wellbeing
New for this
year, Go! Running Tours will be offering guided running and brisk walking tours for
attendees, before The Meetings Show opens on 20 June. It's a great opportunity
for visitors to see some sights of the city and get the energy pumping ahead of
a day of meetings and networking.
With
wellbeing and accessibility in mind, The Meetings Show has partnered with EventWell to support
those who may need help navigating the event, or would like a quiet break from
the show floor. As part of this partnership, all The Meetings Show attendees
have access to the EventWell Buddy system, which will provide help to those who
need special assistance - whatever that means to you.
Zero
waste stand
The world’s
first zero waste, reusable exhibition stand made from event waste carpet will
make its global debut at The Meetings Show.
Thanks to a
collaboration between creator Paradigm and partners isla, The Bulb, Informa and
The Meetings Show, a prototype of the innovative reusable zero waste stand will
be revealed to the world’s meetings and events community exclusively at the
show (stand A41).
The walls
and floor of the truly circular and sustainable stand are built out of Reform,
a ‘game-changing’ recycled plastic tile made from old exhibition carpet, with
the flooring made using post-consumer ocean plastic fabricated using renewable
electricity in the UK. The substructure of the stand is built out of repurposed
metal from disused shell scheme, meaning the structure of the stand is made
from 100 per cent post-consumer materials.
Sustainable
curious hosted buyers will also be able to receive sustainability support for
their events at a drop-in clinic with isla at The Hosted Buyer Insight Forum on
18 June.
Delegate
downtime
It’s not all
work and no play. As always, there will be countless networking events taking
place throughout the show and London, from the official welcome reception for
hosted buyers, to on-stand drinks and more, providing the opportunity to catch
up with industry peers and friends and make new connections.
Conference
Sheffield, Venues of Excellence, Spanish Tourist Office and Delegate Wranglers,
are among the exhibitors hosting drinks on their stands, while MESA has teamed
up with SongDivision for an immersive half hour of team building and rock.
There
are various ways to register to attend The Meetings Show 2024, which will be
co-located with Business
Travel Show Europe and TravelTech
Show.
Buyer
registrations can take up to five days to be processed and onsite buyer
registrations may take up to an hour to be reviewed, so #TakeTheTime to
register NOW to avoid the queues. For information on buyer, hosted buyer and
visitor registrations options, visit: https://www.themeetingsshow.com/register
Registered
already? Dowload the app here: https://www.themeetingsshow.com/app
