Pubs, galleries, theatres, restaurants and a city’s wider cultural offerings are key to choosing a destination for meetings and events, new research reveals.
Some 93% of international event planners say a destination’s cultural highlights was an important part of choosing where they host meetings and events, according to a report published by the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency.
Hanneke Dannhorn, president at Brook Green UK DMC: “A good turnout is what defines success and delegates will be keener to attend an event in a city that has more to offer than just functional hotels and venues.”
When asked, 95% of event planners praised London’s cultural attractions as diverse and world-class, while 87% said that “unforgettable experiences” were likely while visiting the city, according to London & Partners.
Jackie Boughton, head of Events at Barbican added: “Ultimately, culture and the arts humanise an event, making it more emotional and ensuring the content is remembered long after the final PowerPoint slide or post event drink.”
“Culture sits at the very heart of everything we do. As a venue, we offer a host of arts-related spaces for organisers to choose from.
Research from Tourism Economics shows that business visitors to London were expected to go up by 16% by 2025, reaching 7.7 million.
Chris Lynn, North America & Emerging Markets at London & Partners vice president, said: “London’s 145,000 hotel rooms also mean that delegates are never far from the capital’s top spots. We want to help planners put on an event that will attract as many attendees as possible and highlighting all the activities on offer in the city is a crucial part of this.”
London & Partners’ convention bureau team will be exhibiting at IMEX America on October 10-12.
