Supporting the UK's business events sector, previously successful applicants include global events that put the spotlight on some of the UK's top industries and academic strengths.
The programme, launched in 2016 as the Event Support Programme, has to date supported 40 events and bids across the UK from Aberdeen to Plymouth, London to Belfast, Brighton to Glasgow with more than £700,000 awarded.
Successful applicants 2018/19
The following events received funding from the International Delegate Growth strand of the programme, which supports UK-based business events to grow their international profile and attendance.
IPR Events London – The European Pizza and Pasta Show 2018 (London)
Supported an international marketing campaign to increase international delegates to the event.
Whisper Media – Blockercon 2019 (Bristol)
Absolutely Cultured - Hull IETM Plenary Conference 2019 (Hull)
London & Partners - SIBOS 2019 (London)
Energy Industries Council - Energy Exports Conference (EEC) 2019 (Aberdeen)
Supported an international marketing campaign and also helped secure an international speaker for the event to increase international delegates.
Farnborough International - Global Urban Air Summit 2019 (Farnborough)
Supported an international marketing campaign and also helped secure international speakers for the event to increase international delegates.
Liverpool John Moores University - Associate Schools of Construction conference 2020 (Liverpool)
The following organisations received funding from the Bid Enhancement and Support strand of the programme, which supports city-led bids for international business events.
London & Partners - support for a city bid of an international event. (currently confidential)
One Young World – One Young World Summit 2019 (London)
London successfully bid to host the 2019 One Young World Summit. This Tenth Anniversary Summit will be the largest ever staged, with 1,500 young leaders from every country in the world coming together in Westminster between October 22nd and 25th, 2019.
The following events received funding from the International Delegate Growth strand of the programme (formerly Internationalising Growth Events), which supports UK-based business events to grow their international profile and attendance.
IQPC – FinTech Connect Live 2017 (London)
Supported the expansion of an international database and a dedicated outreach programme to coordinate delegations of senior leaders of financial technology providers to the event. This resulted in an 88% increase of international visitors to the event.
Security Exhibitions - UK Security Expo 2017 (London)
Supported the increase of international visitors and exhibitors through the expansion of the international database and a targeted marketing campaign to international contacts, resulting in a 53% increase of international attendees to the event.
Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in GB & Ireland - SCTS Ionescu University, Annual Meeting & CT Forum 2018 (Glasgow)
Supported the broadcast of a live webinar highlighting the expertise of national cardiac and surgical techniques to an international audience and a live-stream of SCTS, to promote the UK meeting and encourage international delegates to attend the event in 2019.
Coup Media - The Online Influence Conference 2018 (Bristol)
Supported a social media campaign across Facebook and LinkedIn to attract international delegates to the event.
Action Trauma - International Trauma Recovery Summit 2018 (Belfast)
Supported the attraction of international speakers, as well as an international advertising and marketing campaign, which included creation of a video to attract international delegates to the event.
NetLaw Media - British Legal Technology Forum 2018 (London)
Supported an international marketing and advertising campaign to increase international delegates to the event.
Unbound Innovations - Unbound London 2018 (London)
Supported expansion of an international database and an international marketing campaign to increase international delegates to the event
DDNA - Digital DNA 2018 (Belfast)
Supported an international digital marketing campaign and also helped secure international speakers for the event to increase international delegates
Marketing Manchester - World Healthcare Congress Europe 2019 (Manchester)
Supported an international marketing campaign to increase the number of international delegates attendance to the event in 2019.
Glasgow Convention Bureau - Nine international medical and scientific Conferences across 2017-2020 (Glasgow)
Supported an international delegate marketing campaign to increase international delegates across nine international medical and scientific conference that will be hosted in Glasgow across 2017-2020.
Sheffield City Region Combined Authority - Horasis China Global Meeting 2017 (Sheffield)
Supported an international delegate marketing campaign which increased international delegates to the event. The programme also supported the delivery of a cultural event at Chatsworth House to encourage international delegates to extend their stay in the host city and the UK.
Newcastle Gateshead Initiative - BIM Show Live 2018 (NewcastleGateshead)
Supported an international marketing campaign to increase international delegates to the event and attract international speakers. The programme also supported a hosted inbound trade and investment delegation to the two-day conference.
Rough Agenda – Brighton SEO 2017 (Brighton)
Supported an international marketing campaign that increased the number of international attendees to BrightonSEO conference. The campaign led to 1,000 international attendees across both events in 2017, an increase of 548 international attendees on the previous year.
University of Aberdeen - International Conference on Mechanisms of Action of Nutraceuticals and the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology 2017 (Aberdeen)
Supported international delegate and exhibitor growth, as well as a campaign for delegates to extend their stay and explore other areas of the UK. Feedback from delegates indicated that 30% had extended their stay either before or after the conference.
The following organisations received funding from the Bid Enhancement and Support strand of the programme (formerly Live Bids), which supports city-led bids for international business events.
Marketing Liverpool - supported a successful city bid of a global conference, which will take place in Liverpool in 2023.
Marketing Manchester - support for a city bid of an international event. (currently confidential)
Glasgow Convention Bureau - support for a city bid of an international event. (currently confidential)
Marketing Liverpool - support for a city bid of an international event. (currently confidential)
London & Partners - Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (London)
London successfully bid to host the 2017 conference over 3 days with informative and industry knowledge on real estate from key members and speakers.
The following organisations received funding from the Business Events Growth Programme (formerly the Event Support Programme).
Marketing Manchester – EuroScience Open Forum 2016 (Manchester)
Supported a billboard campaign in the arrivals area at Manchester Airport, as well as the distribution of brochures from a welcome booth in Manchester Piccadilly train station. This support helped raise the profile of the North West as a leading area for scientific research and facilitated opportunities for businesses looking to invest and develop their products in Manchester. The event attracted more than 3,500 delegates and media to the city.
Newcastle Gateshead Initiative – BIM Show Live 2017 (NewcastleGateshead)
Supported the development of the BIM website into a wider platform for showcasing and sharing UK BIM expertise and offering support to specialist international delegates from key markets. The event drew 420 delegates from 30 countries to the city.
Marketing Liverpool – Global Symposium on Health Systems Research 2018 (Liverpool)
The Liverpool Convention Bureau, along with ACC Liverpool, successfully bid to host the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in 2018. The event is expected to draw at least 2,000 delegates to Liverpool.
Destination Bristol – VR World Congress 2017 (Bristol)
Heriot Watt University – European Robotics Forum 2017 (Edinburgh)
Supported a marketing and advertising campaign to attract international delegates to the event.
Plymouth City Council – Cybercon 2017 (Plymouth)
Supported digital advertising and helped attract key speakers and bespoke media to attend and raise the event's profile.
Midlands Aerospace Alliance – Aero Engine Forum Birmingham 2017 (Birmingham)
Supported advertising in key industry press and across specialist industry networks to attract international delegates to the event.
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau – European College of Sport Science 2021 (Glasgow)
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau successfully bid to host the Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS) in Glasgow. The event is expected to attract 3,000 delegates and contribute nearly £5 million to the city's economy.
London & Partners - Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India 2017 (London)
Marketing Manchester – support for a city bid of an international event.
More about the Business Events Growth Programme
Business Events Growth Programme overview
Bid Enhancement & Support
For enquiries about the Business Events Growth Programme please email eventsupport@visitbritain.org
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