The mia’s first ever Agents Day gathered would-be masterminds from a selection of the UK’s top event booking agencies on 21 May for a grilling from our own Custard MD Petra Clayton on their wants and wishes from the venues vying for their event bookings.
The event, newly launched this year as part of the mia’s 25th anniversary celebrations, took place at Centre Parcs Woburn Forest and brought together venue professionals and agents for a day of networking and team building challenges, in addition to the ‘Agents in the Spotlight’ quiz session hosted by Petra.
Event booking agencies present included ArrangeMyGroup, Hospitality Guaranteed, Capita Travel and Events, Eventful, Banks Sadler, Inntel, Bien Venue, HTS and tobook. Their advice to venues was loud and clear, with emphasis put on the importance of cost transparency, relationship building, investment in people and the need for venues to promote the substance and value behind the accreditations they have received.
Speaking of the intentions behind the new event, mia chief executive Jane Longhurst said: “The Agents Day was just one initiative to bring people together who normally don’t get the opportunity to ask candid questions and to give people the time and space to think in a different environment. We came away with lots of answers which will impact the way venues think about their approach to agents and we have already received an overwhelming response encouraging us to host more events throughout the year.”
View the photo gallery from the Agents Day day here: http://capturise.pixieset.com/miaagentsday/
The next event on the association’s calendar is the mia’s 25th Anniversary Conference on 12 June, taking place at BMA House in London. With a themed programme encouraging general managers, venue directors, sales professionals, conferences organisers, suppliers and agents to ‘Stop and Think’, the conference aims to challenge delegates’ perceptions of what’s possible in business, leaving them motivated, invigorated and armed with new ideas that could make a real difference to them as individuals and to their roles as industry professionals.
Speakers on the line-up include journalist and broadcaster Steph McGovern, MindMeeting’s Mike van der Vijver, umi Digital co-founder Steve Lowy and Hiver Honey Beer founder Hannah Rhodes.
