The Meetings Show’s 2023 Hosted
Buyer Welcome Reception will be the first event held onboard Oceandiva
London, the UK capital's new
sustainable events vessel.
Attendees will be welcomed on board
the £25m floating venue operated by Smart Group for an exclusive evening of entertainment and
refreshments on Tuesday 27 June, before The Meetings Show kicks off at ExCeL
London on 28 June.
They will be the first #eventprofs to experience an event onboard Oceandiva London, which
is the first carbon-neutral powered vessel on the Thames. It is also
the world’s first to achieve the Platinum Label – the highest level of recognition
awarded by Green Award for shipping companies committed to environmental
protection, safety, and quality.
Capable of 100 per cent sustainable operation through its propulsion system and energy strategy,
Oceandiva London uses fast charging shore-based renewable energy, and a
back-up biofuel generator. With flexible event spaces, the vessel can host
conferences, exhibitions, receptions, gala dinners, award ceremonies, product
launches, and brand activations, with catering by one
of London’s leading caterers, Moving Venue, Smart Group’s own
catering brand.
Jack
Marczewski, portfolio event director, The Meetings Show, TEAMS Europe and
Business Travel Show Europe, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Smart
Group to showcase Oceandiva London to our hosted buyers. We are committed to minimising our environmental impact and promoting
sustainability, so we couldn’t think of a better location for our Welcome Reception than London’s innovative new sustainable venue.”
Chloe
Jackson, MD of Smart Group, said: “We are delighted to partner
with The Meetings Show to host the first official event to take place onboard
Oceandiva London. This particular event will be an incredible opportunity to
showcase the vessel’s unique design and production value. After much
anticipation of the arrival, we are thrilled to be able to showcase her to
event professionals from the UK and overseas in all her glory and demonstrate
the positive environmental and economic impact she will make on the industry.”
Prior to the Welcome Reception,
in partnership with Meet Boston, a Pre Show Conference, sponsored by
VisitBritain, will be held at ExCeL London. Hosted buyers will get the
opportunity to participate in a ‘deaf rave’ and immerse themselves in hands-on
design workshops.
The broad theme of the Pre Show Conference
is to “Raise the Vibrations” with a focus on immersive and inclusive event
design. Content has been created by experience design experts Samme Allen, CEO of
conferenceemcees.com, and renowned consultant, author and previous keynote
speaker at The Meetings Show, Claus Raasted, who have also revamped the
education programme for the main event.
Thanks to a
partnership with speaker consultancy Spectrum, the afternoon will kick off with
a deaf
rave with Troi "DJ Chinaman" Lee. Deaf inclusion is a little-known
area of inclusivity, and Troi will share 5 tips for more inclusive
soundscaping, explaining how we can raise the vibration of our events for all.
This will be followed by a behind
the scenes tour of one of the UK’s largest commercial kitchens, and workshops
with leaders in the fields of DEI, immersive design and community engagement
including VisitBritain, One Young World, and the Australian Psychological
Society. Topics covered include AI and its impact on the events industry as
well as how to create better and more cost-effective user generated content,
with a chance to practise this during the actual show.
Marczewski added:
“This year’s Pre-Show Conference is designed to inspire our hosted buyers to shape the future of the
meetings, events and incentives industry together. We have a fantastic programme lined up to
empower participants to think, connect, plan and live differently, setting them
up for a successful couple of days at The Meetings Show.
The Hosted Buyer Pre-Show Conference and Welcome Reception are
invite-only events for planners participating in The Meetings Show’s hosted
buyer programme.
The Meetings Show 2023, co-located with Business Travel
Show Europe and TravelTech Show is
at ExCeL London on 28-29 June. Register now to secure a place. To find out more
about the buyer, hosted buyer and visitor registration options, visit https://www.themeetingsshow.com/register.
