Registration is now open for the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter Annual Conference in Birmingham on April 4-5.
This year's conference has the tagline “Navigating uncertainty – on so many levels!” and takes place at the ICC Birmingham.
Moderated by Patrick Delaney of SoolNua, the conference will encompass the following five main pillars of learning and education:
Navigating uncertainty
Sustainability
Challenges
Personal development
Social impact
The keynote address will be delivered by Sandy Kennedy, director of ScotFIN at IGS Ltd and will explore how event professionals can best respond in volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and hyper connected (VUCAH) times.
Kennedy is an entrepreneur, investor and until recently CEO of The Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation. He writes for the Herald newspaper on entrepreneurship and is currently an advisor to the Scottish Government on its 10 Year Economic Transformation Plan.
There will also be a session discussing the Commonwealth Games, which takes place in Birmingham this summer, its values and aims and the role it can play in supporting the recovery of the sector from Covid.
On the first day, Tracy Halliwell of London & Partners will give a session entitled “The State of the Nation: Recovery levels, future forecasting, global tourism trends and the future of travel”, while Johnny D Martinez of Shocklogic will head up a presentation on "Hybrid Events: The Importance of Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility".
On the second day Ross Calladine, head of business support, government disability and access ambassador at VisitEngland, will speak on “The Value and Importance of Accessible Tourism for the Meetings and Events Industry”.
Delegates are encouraged to arrive on Sunday 3 April to take full advantage of the networking programme which starts on Sunday evening with an informal dinner and quiz.
Registration is open to ICCA members and non-members alike. There is also a voluntary donation option of £25, the proceeds of which will go to a charitable initiative in Birmingham.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
