Business of Events announces programme for UK Policy Forum in London

The Business of Events a cross sector not for profit series of events and reports, designed to raise the importance and profile of business events in the UK, as an economic, policy and societal driver, has announced the programme for its 2022 UK Policy Forum, which will take place on 2 November at the QEII Centre, London. The Policy Forum is being held in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, VisitBritain and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Events. It will see leading destinations, venues and event organisers from across the UK come together to discuss how to achieve growth in the business events sector and how business events can support the delivery of national policy objectives. The invitation-only event will comprise a series of moderated sessions, with topics including ‘Advocacy and Government Relations’ and ‘Business Events for Growth’. Speakers and contributors will include the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Events; Jason Geall, senior vice-president, EMEA, American Express Global Business Travel; Tania Baumann, chief operating officer, World Energy Council; Kerry Prince, chief growth officer, RX Global and Cressida Prout, group event director, Bray Leino Events. Further sessions will include ‘Business Events for Policy and Society’, with inputs from Paul Black, Neil Brownlee, and Heledd Williams, head of events for VisitBritain, VisitScotland Business Events and Visit Wales respectively, and the ‘Venue Pathway to Net Zero’, with Anna Abdelnoor, CEO of isla. The final session of the day will see Chris Skeith OBE, chair of the Business Visits and Events Partnership, discuss ‘The Future of UK Events’ and reveal a new development, which organisers say will be ‘transformational’ for the UK events sector. Following the UK Policy Forum, a senior leadership reception and dinner will also take place, held at {10 – 11} Carlton House Terrace.