CONF ERENCING
to the area. Perhaps predictably, a high volume of conferences reflect the business orientation of our area and are dominated by medical science and technology, with many run by international associations. So popular is the region that in 2018, according to figures from Meet Cambridge (the conference and events bureau for many venues in our area), our city was among the top ten in the UK, based on the number of international association events it hosted. According to Meet Cambridge, international conferences taking place over the next two years are estimated to bring in over 3,000 delegates and add over three million pounds to the local economy. It’s not just the venues themselves that benefit. International delegates, in particular, make a substantial contribution to other businesses, spending on average £124 in local shops and £135 on food and drink. And who could blame them for splashing out? You could, being only slightly hyperbolic, describe the city itself as being like a particularly luscious chocolate; the centre tightly packed with the most tempting and beautiful of buildings, many dating back hundreds of years, others ultra modern. And it’s all easily accessible, not just from other parts of the UK, but from other countries as well. All of this enrobed in an ever more effective infrastructure that makes travel an increasingly stress-free experience. One reason for the success of our area’s venues is their ability to predict event managers’ changing priorities and adapt accordingly. Take sustainability. Increasingly, it matters. According to research by Eventbrite (a platform that lets anyone create and share events), it’s ranked as either somewhat or very important by over 70% of event organisers. Venue managers are taking note. At Madingley Hall, “we have switched fully to refillable bottled water, so we don’t use any plastic there at
“You just know there is lots of progress being made”
ordinary, according to Meet Cambridge. Once again, our area is unlikely to disappoint, not least because of venues’ willingness not just to think outside the box, but to reconfigure it first, so organisers can have it dressed up, down or completely transformed in the way that suits them best. Take the Granta Centre. “The spaces we have can be many things, but what we do well is corporate day meetings and training – it by far makes up the core of
all,” says conference and sales manager Rebecca Barnes. It’s one of the initiatives, together with others, including 100% recycling of food waste, that’s resulted in Madingley Hall receiving a coveted Cambridge University Green Impact platinum award. And sustainability is just one of the ways in which venues chime with event organisers’ priorities. Increasingly, organisers also want new, different conferences offering something out of the
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