The UK's International Confex 2021 kicked off, 1 September, with exhibitors, visitors and speakers travelling to ExCel London for the two-day event as the UK events industry gathers once again in person. There was plenty of content on show on the first morning, with the Association Event Forum presenting its first discussion held under the title, ‘Keeping the fire burning’.
The panel explored how associations have risen to the challenges of maintaining diverse event programmes in an increasingly different world.
Speakers for the event included: Emma Barr, events and training advisor for the Royal College of Midwives (RCM); Ben Agnew, CEO of Emerging Payments Association; Veronica Lake, head of events and marketing for UK – ASEAN Business Council; and Heather Lishman, associate director for ABPCO.
In terms of how to approach the challenges of maintaining diverse event programmes, Lake said: “You need more flexibility in terms of the style of content put on websites to engage with individuals more readily and effectively. It forces us to ask the question of how we can create content that engages audiences in a more captivating way.”
With regards the importance of association’s events, Agnew added: “I don’t think there has ever been a more critical time for communities than now. The pandemic has galvanised individuals and brought them together. As a result, people want to be aligned with associations that help improve society and show why their business matters.”
For further information on International Confex 21, which runs to 2 September, visit here.
