Brexit Hasn't Slowed UK Convention Business — Meetings Innovation Report
Skift Take
A political meltdown and economic stagnation generally don't bode well for how competitive a destination can be at attracting meetings and events.
Travel to the UK, however, has surged in the last 18 months despite the constant distraction of Brexit drama. Across the UK, cities are investing in new venues for events and looking to attract business travelers from a variety of fields.
Last week I spoke to VisitBritain's chairman about the phenomenon, and he said a focus on improving the country's travel infrastructure, from airports to convention centers, has paid off. With prices low, travelers will likely continue to visit in record numbers.
We'll see if this success continues and whether the destination continues to resonate with business travelers as the Brexit negotiations move toward a conclusion.
— Andrew Sheivachman, Business Travel Editor
The Future of Destinations
VisitBritain Chairman Steers Tourism Boom Through Brexit Uncertainties: Tourism, along with business travel, is on the rise again in the UK due to a weak British pound and cheap flights. VisitBritain is trying to make the most of it despite the lingering ramifications of the political mess that is Brexit.
Meetings and Events insights
Behind the Scenes at C2 Melbourne Preview: A quick peek into the method and experimentation driving next year's C2 Melbourne event.
How to Actually Get People to Register: Create targeted landing pages for potential attendees, and then market to them across the Web.
Industry Trends
Execs Are Largely Satisfied With Meeting Planners: The leaders running global organizations think meeting planners are doing a good job, although budget and risk management concerns remain.
2018 Event Tech Predictions Focus on Social Networking and Artificial Intelligence: Better networking tools, and smarter data systems behind-the-scenes, are anticipated to make a splash next year. Haven't we heard this all before?
European Data Privacy Laws Are Getting Complicated: Companies outside of Europe will have to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation from the EU, adding a new layer of complexity to an event's digital operations.
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Skift Business Travel Editor Andrew Sheivachman [as@skift.com] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.
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