Spread across four rooms the programme at MEET South West 2020 is designed to help you create even better events.

09:00 – 10:00
Registration

09:45 – 09:55
Welcome to MEET South West 2020 (Showcase stage)

10:00 – 16:00
Exhibition, Event Clinic, Showcase Stage and Programme (See below)

16:00 – 18:00
Networking drinks

10:00 – 10:45
Remaining distinctive in a busy market: how the South West can champion the business events industry

In this session, Kathryn will explore the ways in which the South West can maintain a competitive edge in the busy business events market.

Niche market development is commonplace in the leisure market – can the same principles be adopted pro-actively for business events?

Looking at trends both in the UK and internationally, Kathryn will look at best practice and collaborative ways in which we can work together to develop business, taking into account disruption in the industry and climate change.

[This session is predominantly aimed at venues and suppliers, though all are welcome to attend]
Kathryn Davis, Head of Tourism, Destination Bristol and Interim CEO, Visit Bath
13:00 – 13:45
A sustainable approach to events: theory and practice

Sustainability should be part of everything we do as event managers, but at times it’s hard to know where to start and how we can really have an impact. This session will outline a five-step methodology for organising sustainable events and provide industry insight and examples of sustainable event management in practice.
Clare Mackay, Senior Lecturer, University of the West of England
Tiina Wastie, Events Manager, Soil Association
14:00 – 14:45

The top 10 tech trends in events for 2020

Technology is part of the fabric of every industry now, and live events and meetings are no exception. But how do you cut through the hype, and understand which technologies are going to have the most impact on you and your audience next year?

This session gets straight to the point, giving you a handful of simple tech-takeaways that will allow to make immediate improvements.

Mike Piddock, Founder and CEO, Glisser

11:00 – 11:45
And… relax. Instantly find clarity, focus and a sense of calm, right when you need it most (Workshop 1)

Stress is a major performance killer. Our brains go into survival mode and our bodies follow. Fight, flight or freeze.

In this session, Emma and Simon explain how stress and anxiety hold us back. How we react, what we can notice and how to choose “what we’d rather have”.

You’ll learn about the performance model, plus you’ll leave with some simple, practical tools to help you transform your performance and handle stressful moments in an instant.

Emma Stubbings, Founder, Emma Jane Coaching
Simon Walker, Founder, Firecracker Coaching
13:00 – 13:45
And… relax. Instantly find clarity, focus and a sense of calm, right when you need it most (Workshop 2)

Stress is a major performance killer. Our brains go into survival mode and our bodies follow. Fight, flight or freeze.

In this session, Emma and Simon explain how stress and anxiety hold us back. How we react, what we can notice and how to choose “what we’d rather have”.

You’ll learn about the performance model, plus you’ll leave with some simple, practical tools to help you transform your performance and handle stressful moments in an instant.

Emma Stubbings, Founder, Emma Jane Coaching
Simon Walker, Founder, Firecracker Coaching

10:00 – 10:45
Sell out without selling out – how to launch and grow a successful event

Networking evenings, training sessions, trade shows… Events are a typical part of the marketing mix for most corporates. But, what happens when you take your networking events to the next level?

Join Claire and Jon for a session where they’ll share their secrets to growing a monthly meet-up into a sell-out biannual conference for over 200 marketers.

You’ll learn:

  • How events can demonstrate your expertise in a way which sets you apart from your competitors
  • How you can use events to convert more of your prospects into customers and more of your customers into brand advocates
  • How you can leverage sponsorship to facilitate referrals and grow new business relationships within your industry
  • Practical examples of what works and what doesn’t when launching and growing an event
  • Tips and tricks for creating a truly remarkable event which gets people talking about your brand (both in real life and online!)

This session is best suited for corporate event managers who are looking for inspiration to start their own events or need some tips to improve what they’ve already been doing.

Claire Dibben, Events and Marketing Managing, Noisy Little Monkey
Jon Payne, Director, Noisy Little Monkey
11:00 – 11:45
So you want to promote a B2B event on LinkedIn without advertising?

The global success of LinkedIn Locals demonstrated dramatically the appetite for in-person events and prompted LinkedIn to reintroduce an event page. Based on his experiences in the LinkedIn events pilot group and promoting the popular LinkedIn Local in Bristol, Greg will look at some suggested strategies for promoting your event on LinkedIn, both with and without the new event feature, including objectives, defining your target audience, research, marketing, LinkedIn promotion, other promotions and case studies.
Greg Cooper, Founder, Front Of Mind
14:00 – 14:45
Stakeholders: how tapping into your network can drive more event registrations

Word of mouth is a powerful and effective marketing tool but how do you engage your network to help spread the word about your event?

In this session Lis will discuss how to identify your stakeholders (we all have a network) and the best ways to engage them. The session will also cover strategies that you can implement and platforms readily available to you, including social media, so that you can encourage stakeholders to help you drive more registrations for your event.

Practical tips and advice, example case studies and a check list to help attendees mobilise their own stakeholder network will also be covered.

Lis Anderson FCIPR, Director, AMBITIOUS
15:00 – 15:45
How to lose your sponsors in ten easy steps

Sponsorship expert Rob Eveleigh talks us through how to lose sponsors, reduce commercial revenue and ensure that your commercial partners disengage with your organisation.

Rob will explore specific ways in which you can alienate both sponsors and exhibitors quickly and efficiently.

Rob Eveleigh, Managing Director, Brightelm

11:00 – 11:45
AI and VR for events: an introduction to the art of the possible

In this jointly delivered session you are invited to jump feet first into the world of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality for events. Presented by award-winning leaders in their fields, this session will provide inspiration, practical advice and a “safe space” to discuss ideas.

Virtual reality for events
Join Limina Immersive’s CEO Catherine Allen, as she shares the magic potential of virtual reality – and what it can bring to the events sector. Explore the opportunities VR can bring, whilst looking practically at how to deliver it with a duty of care to every audience member.

Embrace the machine: how creative uses of AI can help you engage your audiences
We’ve heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence creating new ways to engage, inform and inspire delegates. But where do you start? In this quick-fire session, Kerry and Norts from Tiny Giant take you on a tour of the possibilities of AI, showing you how this technology can be used to enhance and market your event. You’ll leave the talk with a wealth of practical tips and exciting ideas to implement at your next conference, meet-up or festival.

Catherine Allen, CEO, Limina Immersive
Richard Norton and Kerry Harrison, Co-Founders, Tiny Giant
13:00 – 13:45
Event trends for 2020

In this forward-thinking session Martin will share his predictions for events in 2020 highlighting key trends and opportunities.

Martin Fullard, Editor, Conference News
15:00 – 15:45
How to create a successful event app

Mobile apps are powering the industry’s digital transformation, handing personalised experiences to attendees while driving down our use of paper. The truth is, while most apps are built with the intention of adding value, some risk falling into the ‘gimmick’ territory. This only leads to poor download rates, low engagement, and potentially thousands in wasted spend.

In this session Jon Tupper, Enterprise Account Executive at EventsCase, will explore the anatomy of a useful event app. Jon’s session will guide you through the end-to-end process of creating your own app, offering crucial details on the features to look for, costs, and how to ensure your delegates can’t put your event app down.

Jon Tupper, Enterprise Account Executive, EventsCase