The UK’s Meetings Industry Association (mia)’s Connect Day, on 28 March in Sheffield, is set to facilitate the association’s largest gathering of booking agents.
The industry gathering is being held in partnership with Vine Hotels and Marketing Sheffield and will be hosted at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park, part of the Vine Hotels group.
The mia’s latest Connect Day will provide a platform for those working in UK business meetings and events to engage and build relationships with 25 leading booking agents, while also gaining exclusive insights.
The programme will kick off with an interactive presentation from professional relationships strategist Andy Lopata, in which he will explore the importance of seeing things from different perspectives. A panel discussion led by Edge Venue’s Jacqui Kavanagh will then explore the status quo of commissions before the agents reveal what’s important to them in a quickfire debate.
In addition to team building activity, dedicated time is being incorporated into the action-packed programme to allow attendees to network and build connections to potentially facilitate business opportunities as well as discuss hot topics such as sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion and data compliance.
While visiting the region, the agents will also be treated to a tour of some of Sheffield’s hidden gems on 27 March, which is being led by Marketing Sheffield. The itinerary commences with the architectural splendour of Sheffield’s most popular networking space – the Winter Garden. It then calls at the Cathedral and the famous Cutlers Hall (the home of cutlery) before culminating in a visit to its largest city centre venue Sheffield City Hall where the agents will enjoy drinks on the Oval Hall’s impressive stage.
Emma France, Marketing Sheffield, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to host delegates from the mia Connect event in Sheffield. We’ll be giving them a flavour of all things Sheffield – from stylish venues and hip regeneration projects to our wealth of green space and sustainability credentials. It’s a fantastic time for event organisers to consider Sheffield after the city was listed as the second-best city break in Europe by TimeOut and as this year’s UK foodie hot spot by Observer Food Monthly. There’s so much going on that delegates will love.”
Kerrin MacPhie, chief executive of the mia, said: “Our Connect events have continued to evolve into highly sought-after networking opportunities for agents and venues alike. We’re really looking forward to taking the event to Sheffield.”
To find out more about the Connect Day on 28 March at DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield Park visit https://www.mia-uk.org/March-Connect-Day.
