In this very special edition, you'll find articles dedicated to these themes, along with some interesting tips on how you can make your meetings more productive, and a guest article from our friends over at The Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC).
First though, after realising just how many acronyms we use in the MICE industry, we've taken the initiative to publish a 'jargon-buster' for those of you who are newbies – whether it's looking up the meaning of IBTM, JMIC, or NTOs, we hope you'll find this useful.
The conferences, meetings and events industry has more than its fair share of organisations known only by their initials - so if the phrase, "IBTM is supported by SITE, ICCA, IAPCO and many more MICE associations," leaves you feeling a little light-headed, then you might want to read on; this jargon-busting list provides just the clarification you need.
Over the past decade the Business and Professional Events Industry has refined its value proposition to policymakers and local communities which fund much of the physical infrastructure and destination marketing relied upon to bid for, and host, business events.
Ask any CEO or FD about the things they worry about most, and the likelihood is that 'productivity' is towards the top of their list.
Why? Well, the fact of the matter is, Britain has a longstanding 'productivity problem'. Last year an All Party Parliamentary report concluded that UK output, on a per-hourly basis, was 17% lower than the G7 average.