What's Floating Around? 21 January 2019

Welcome to another week and this week we're looking forward to the AIEA event on Friday which takes place at the Doubletree Chester and is a combination of a member meeting, an introduction to a new platform for #eventprofs by MICE Book, a supplier showcase and our irreverent awards.

It's also fancy dress and as we are in Chester the instruction is that all attire should start with the letter C, and no doubt we will see endless Cowboys and Clowns, Cavemen and Crayons dotted about!

Perhaps more seriously is that we step into the chair role for the Alliance for the next two years and have a great opportunity to shape the future of this amazing organisation.

     The Alliance of Independent Event Agencies is an Alliance of incredible people and agencies and we can only drive it forward with the engagement of members, so we have three key objectives for our tenure - Expansion,  Education and Engagement.

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Expansion is the easy bit. We want to recruit more members, and make the application process simpler, and Sally Clift and Ellis Salsby are looking at members recruiting members, a simplified entry process and more member benefits.

Education is next, and we have plans for our first member conference in September of this year. It might be that you want to learn how to develop your social media skills, understand how to generate more business or bring yourself up to date with GDPR or TOMS. We are keen to ask members just what they want the event to be. 

Engagement is next, and this is a split into four key areas starting with Partnerships engagement, with other trade bodies and the industry at large. The second string to engagement is with suppliers and not just increased commissions but with new and improved communication channels. Charity is the third element and we are very much about giving back to the industry. Lastly is our most important element which is the engagement of members in our events, our objectives and our education.

It's going to be a great year for the Alliance, so if you are not yet a member then its time to sign up!

Have a great week and don't forget our free venue finding service!

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 27 August 2018

Welcome to another week and who can believe it's August Bank Holiday already? Where has the summer gone and more importantly, where has the sun gone?

However, for event professionals there is still plenty to look forward to in the coming months with a range of great events to enjoy. We're listing a lot of them on Famtastic.Rocks, a Cloud 9 Event Management initiative, that lists not only the industry main events, but also a selection of fam trips, Christmas and Commission offers. 

If you haven't checked it out as yet, then please make sure you follow Fred as soon as possible - especially if your diary is looking a little sparse...

But for now, make sure that these events are in your diary..September is certainly going to be a busy month for #eventprofs...

The Association of Event Organisers Conference is the business networking forum for event industry professionals and takes place from 6-7 September. Taking place at The Grand in Brighton, the event offers a combination of leading industry speakers, cutting edge content and top-line peer-to-peer networking. The AEO Conference attracts an impressive delegate profile of CEOs and senior event teams from across the organiser, venue and supplier communities so its well worth a look and is open to non members. 

Although it's invitation only The International Festival Forum is the only event for #eventprofs who specialise in Festivals, so booking agents and buyers alike. Held in London this coming September, make sure you get in touch if this is your area of expertise. 

The C&IT Awards on 21 September at the London Hilton on Park Lane will recognise all manner of #eventprofs in a range of categories and there have been a few changes this year with the aim to bring together event planners from agencies, corporates and associations across everything we do within the industry. The shortlist is out so you can see who is in the running online here and good luck to everyone in the industry.

Unfortunately, we have never managed to make Square Meal Venues & Events Live, as we always seem to have a client event that clashes, but if you can attend its well worth a visit. Being held in London on 19-20 September at Old Billingsgate, the show features five floors of event inspiration.

 With over 250 venues and event suppliers to meet, plus a jam-packed programme of workshops, masterclasses and SquareMeal Sessions, Venues + Events Live will give you a world of ideas to create exceptional events and for AIEA Members there is a special meet up at 4pm in The Hive with a drinks reception.

If you find time to hop over to Hamburg from 19-22 September, then you can check out the Reeperbahn Festival  which is Europe’s B2B platform for the music and digital industry. The Reeperbahn Festival Conference offers industry professionals a pretty packed programme that includes more than 300 sessions, networking events, meetings, showcases, and awards shows. They get around 4,700 professionals and media representatives from 56 countries attending - wow!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 13 August 2018

Welcome to another week and this coming Friday is the AIEA AGM and Summer Carnival at the Daventry Court Hotel and Spa and - we are super excited about the event as its hould be a great event with lots fun and education in equal balance for #eventprofs.

We're kicking off the day with a training session for members about response action plans and crisis communications, and this will be followed by the second AIEA AGM. A great chance for members to catch up and help shape the future of the organisation.

After the networking lunch, its time to get ready for the Carnival and we have some great suppliers attending and a range of activities to look forward to from Hook a Duck to Hoopla, Darts to a Dance Off and a fabulous selection of great stalls, games and attractions. 

There will also be an AIEA Bake Off Area where eight suppliers are bringing their show stoppers for agents to judge, and our headline partners Accor/Mercure have some special surprises in store with their dance competition.

Each agent will be given a passport, so they can register their scores throughout the day ready for the prize giving and they are encouraged to visit as many suppliers as possible throughout the afternoon. 

 

There are a range of fun and whacky races all sponsored by our fabulous suppliers, including egg and spoon, three legged and inflatable, and the sports day ends with a giant tug of war between agents and suppliers.

The evening will kick off with a drinks reception and a BBQ and there will also be a prize giving recognising the success stories on the day, and we will be inviting suppliers up to make the presentations. The evening will end with a disco and carnival party with lots of networking so show off your dance moves! 

You can follow the action on social media using #AIEACarnival18 so look our for lots a great pictures and we hope it will be sunshine and no soggy bottoms!

Have a great week everyone!