What will an Event City of the Future look like?

Meet Birmingham has today launched an MICE survey to discover the challenges that will be faced by event organisers, venues and delegates over the next two decades. The results will provide an insight into how an event city of the future will need to adapt and evolve to respond to economic, environmental, social and technological changes.

Ian Taylor, Commercial Director for Marketing Birmingham, which manages the Meet Birmingham brand, believes that the speed at which challenges and opportunities are emerging globally will present a unique set of dilemmas for the MICE sector:

“The industry has not been immune to environmental and economic pressures in recent years, with event organisers and venues required to respond rapidly to changing demands from both clients and delegates. However, there have also been fantastic opportunities due to advances in technology whereby those with their finger on the pulse have capitalised to ensure an improved delegate experience - vital in a market where the provision of added value is a decisive factor.

“We are currently conducting a piece of research to evaluate where the industry believes it is heading over the next two decades, and what cities should be looking to implement now to ensure they are future-proofed in years to come.

He continued: “Birmingham has always looked to be a step ahead in the events industry, demonstrated by the brave decision by city leaders to build one of the largest events complexes in Europe with the NEC during the 1970s, a move which saw major events move from the capital for the first time. Be it through an increase in virtual events, higher-spec technology or simply more localised events schedules, cities with a large proportion of their economy reliant on the MICE industry must be prepared for what could be a radical shift in how the industry operates in the future.”

The survey link meetbirmingham.com/ecfsurvey

Findings will be evaluated by experts as part of a report launch in May.

Entrants will be in with a chance of winning a £250 Malmaison voucher – terms and conditions are outlined on meetbirmingham.com.

Contact our team