Meet In Wales presented a snapshot of the future at The Meetings Show, with a presentation consisting of three case studies, in thirty minutes, that each demonstrated aspects of contemporary and future event thinking.
Wales was joined on stage by partners Orchard Media & Events, a creative marketing and experience design agency, the ICCWales, and Simon Sabin, Event Director from SQLBits, a major association event that took place in 2023 for IT and engineering professionals. Each of the examples bought to life specific trends relevant to the future of meetings and events
and included Wales’s international promotion around the FIFA World Cup 2022, the forthcoming arrival of the World Chef Congress in 2026, and the ground breaking strategies implemented at SQLBits last year.
The session was packed out, with event professionals gathering around the seminar theatre and standing room only available to many. It is also the latest example of Meet In Wales positively influencing the industry’s agenda whilst working collaboratively with partners to bring challenging new thinking to the wider meeting and events community. It also underlines the growing influence Wales across larger topics affecting business events.
Last month, Heledd Williams, Head of Business Events, Meet In Wales, was asked to speak at the inaugural launch of the Temperature Check Report, created by industry sustainability think-tank isla. Wales was one of a small number of commentators, and the only destination, to share its work around sustainability, with Heledd bringing to life the significance of Wales’s National Events Strategy, its impact on bringing sustainable events to the destination, and how it complements government strategy, specifically the country’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.
The Meetings Show then became a platform to understand what future events could look like. “There is a natural fit for Wales to be talking publicly both on sustainability and the future of event,” commented Heledd. “We’re a nation that is looking to the future, and one that wants to share its ideas. We were really touched to be asked to speak at the isla Temperature Check launch.
The response to that presentation, and what we had to say at The Meetings Show was incredible. It’s so nice to have so many eyes on what we’re doing, to what our partners are up to, and to be bringing genuine value to important conversation in the industry.”
As well as the speaker sessions, Wales provided a platform for some of the most dynamic meeting and incentive businesses in the destination. This year, saw Meet In Wales working alongside 15 venues and destinations (Academic Venues Wales, Adventure Tours UK, Bespoke Business Events DMC, Call of the Wild, Cambria@ASA, Celtic Collection, Hilton (Cardiff), ICCWales, Meet in Cardiff, Meet North Wales, Orchard Media & Events, Swansea Arena, Vale Resort / Hensol Castle, Venue Cymru, and Voco St David’s Cardiff), the highest number to attend the show with the destination and again, underlining the ambition and
desire of more and more businesses to promote Wales to the business events community.
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