UK's mia inaugural summit looks to future

The Meetings Industry Association, which supports the meetings industry in the UK, hosted its first miaSummit last week at London’s Park Plaza, Victoria. Opening the event with a virtual welcome address, Tourism Minister Sir John Whittingdale congratulated the mia for its ongoing counsel to the government. He encouraged the sector to keep responding to the mia’s insight requests as he said they provide “vital intelligence – demonstrating the continued value of the sector and its ongoing contribution to the UK economy”. He explained that the Tourism Recovery Plan guides the government, and it now has an ambition to move from a state of recovery to one of sustainable growth, so that all regions of the UK feel the benefits of a “dynamic and thriving visitor economy.” He added: “The business events sector has a central role to play in this, and the government is keen to do all it can to help make the case for the many fantastic venues for business meetings and events across the UK.” As well as exploring the current economic state of the industry, the forthcoming Martyn’s Law and the journey to net zero, the programme examined the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset. Other topics included a panel discussion on menopause in the workplace and intergenerational diversity. Kerrin MacPhie, chief executive, the mia, said exclusively to Conference News: “This year, we are not just focusing on the issues that we have. We are no longer talking about the past, instead, we are looking to the future. I think that’s the major difference, and was the major change of my mindset when putting the content together. “There’s a more positive outlook and at the mia, we are all about positivity.”