Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from 18-24 May, HBAA is calling on the government to support a 1:50 ratio of Mental Health First Aiders to staff across all industries including the events, hospitality and travel sector to help people cope with heightened stressful issues created by the pandemic.

VisitBritain has today announced that its flagship annual Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) event MeetGB, will this year be run as a virtual educational event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will take place on the 17 and 23 June 2020.

MeetGB Virtual, in partnership with MeetEngland, VisitScotland Business Events, Meet in Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland and London Convention Bureau, will see international buyers from around the world connect online to discover the diverse business event opportunities from across the UK.

For this year, the event is being opened up to UK-based event planners, who want to discover more about event opportunities in the nations and regions.

Registration for the virtual event opens from today.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: 

“I'm pleased that VisitBritain is going ahead with its MeetGB event virtually. The event will showcase the UK's fantastic events sector to international buyers from around the world."

"When it is safe to do so, we will work to bring the biggest and best international business events to the UK to help our tourism sector's recovery."

VisitBritain Head of Business Events, Kerrin MacPhie said:

“It was a difficult but necessary decision to cancel MeetGB’s live event this year however through this virtual experience we know that our objective can still be achieved in educating buyers on the UK’s outstanding offer. Using tried and tested software MeetGB Virtual will provide event professionals with the opportunity to connect and forge relationships with UK suppliers, uncovering the high-calibre, world-class conventions, events and meetings products the country has to offer.

“As the events industry tackles this difficult period during the COVID-19 pandemic we want to support the industry and help them plan for the future, welcoming their events back to the UK when the time is right. Whilst we can no longer connect in person we are excited to provide this digital platform and to continue to educate event professionals on the diverse offer that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland represents.”

MeetGB Virtual will be split to accommodate both European and North American time zones, starting with US buyers on Wednesday 17 June followed by European and UK buyers on Tuesday 23 June.

The virtual event is hoping to connect more than 68 European and North American hosted buyers with more than 60 business event destinations and suppliers from across the UK, including convention bureaus, tourist boards, venues, hotels, events and incentive agencies and destination management companies.

Hundreds of one-to-one virtual business meetings will take place during the event with delegates also able to explore a live exhibition, with UK suppliers showcasing their products and services on virtual exhibition booths.

VisitBritain promotes business events worldwide under Events are GREAT, part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign. Events are GREAT drives awareness of Britain’s destinations and products, highlighting its history of research, innovation and high-quality infrastructure, positioning it as a leading destination for business events.

Buyers and trade visitors interested in finding out more and registering to attend, please visit: www.visitbritain.com/meetgb 

“The job retention scheme extension has prevented thousands of redundancies in this industry at the end of June - but further support is essential for the sector’s survival”

“The extension of the job retention scheme to the end of October, without change until the end of July, will save thousands of jobs in the events, hospitality and travel industry as many staff would have been made redundant at the end of June. The industry would have been decimated.

The National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) is outlining a ‘Risk Roadmap’ for the industry following the Prime Minister’s announcement at the weekend. The association is also asking government for more detailed information on its own roadmap, and to clarify its commitments to support events-based companies manage their businesses for the remainder of the year.

Please see below letter from NOEA explaining the NHS Rock initiative, backed by NOEA.

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