Business Visits & Events Partnership re-elect vice-chairs
At a recent meeting in Belfast the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) re-elected its current vice-chairs for another two years. The meeting saw Samme Allen, Richard Foulkes, Simon Hughes, and Chris Skeith sign up again for the committee.
In addition, John Gallery from the MIA and Great Potential, was confirmed as chairman of the BVEP's sub-group on research, which looks at pulling together the large amount of research available to the industry and identifying opportunities to source new intelligence which will help better inform the industry’s promotional efforts and business planning.
John Gallery will take over from Tony Rogers, who presently co-ordinates the partnership’s Britain For Events Report due out at the turn of the year. Rogers will remain a member of the sub-group.
The vice-chairs continue to serve alongside Michael Hirst, chair of the BVEP, with the remit to support the partnership in influencing and developing the policies, practices and strategies that support and generate growth in the sector, and to raise industry awareness through communications of the social and economic benefits of the industry.
Brian Kirsh, head of regulatory affairs at Eventia and MD of Event Assured, is to lead a group in developing a new manifesto for the events sector ahead of the 2015 General Election while Juliet Price, chief executive of HBAA, leads on professional development and represents the partnership on the establishment of the Institute of Event Management.
Samme Allen, who represents MPI UK & Ireland Chapter on the partnership and is head of sales at The Barbican, commented: "Over the last few years the BVEP has become a valuable knowledge sharing forum which represents the wide diversity of the UK events industry. Now it’s about taking this intelligence and using it to best benefit the future growth and sustainability of our industry.”
Michael Hirst said: "Our vice-chairs and other leading members of the partnership are drawn from a wide cross-section of industry organisations all wanting to collaborate for the benefit of the sector. We're looking to evolve the partnership to focus in areas that add most value to the industry, while still remaining an ideas exchange between the key associations and organisations representing UK events."