The Autumn beam All Members Meeting, held at Woughton House Hotel on 13th November brought together leading voices from the meetings and events industry for a full day of insight, discussion, and practical takeaways.
Thank you to KDM Events for kicking off the event with some Beat Boxing, certainly got the vocal cords warmed up for a full day of healthy debate and discussion.
Thank you then to Jason Gutteridge, Venue Directory and Ed Lines from Amadeus, for sharing your trends and insights.
The event then turned to our three key panel sessions for the day.
Question Time – BBC Style with a mixed panel of Agents & Venues
Moderator: David Tremmil (Inloco Events)
Panellists: Sharon Bannister (HTS), Debbie Collins (The Belfry), Danny Yates (The Clermont Group) Callie Richards (Inntel), Niki Rule (The Conference People)
This interactive session explored best practices for sharing event success stories and addressing the perennial issue of no-shows. Panellists agreed that authentic storytelling, case studies, and client testimonials are most effective for communicating achievements and positioning venues in a competitive market.
On the topic of attendance, the discussion highlighted the importance of qualifying invites, setting clear expectations, and providing flexibility to reduce no-shows, ensuring events run smoothly and deliver value for both organisers and attendees.
Panel Discussion: Service Charge on MICE
Moderator: Louisa Watson (Wyboston Lakes)
Panellists: Jonathan Ashley-Cowan (Priority) Julie Shorrock (HTS) Jonathan Read (Leonardo Hotels) Linden Beattie (Down Hall Hotel & Spa Estate)
This session explored the increasing importance of service charges within the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) sector, emphasising transparency, consistency, and fairness for staff and clients alike. The panel discussed the need for clear guidelines, as outlined in the upcoming Code of Practice review, to ensure service charges are applied correctly and communicated from the proposal stage.
Speakers highlighted how discretionary service charges help attract and retain talented event staff, ensure fair compensation compared with food and beverage teams, and maintain trust with clients.
The discussion also addressed practical considerations, such as making charges transparent, managing client expectations, and safeguarding against post-event disputes. Panellists agreed that standardising service charge practices across the industry is key to professionalism, clarity, and a positive experience for both staff and clients.
Panel Discussion: Beyond the Meeting Room: Growing Sales & Elevating Event Experience
Moderator: Tracy Winsworth (Trinity Event Solutions)
Panellists: Ryan Brierley-Doyle (Switch Hospitality) Caroline Medcalf (XSEM) Sarah Shirly (Brightvision) Adam Roberts (Convene)
The final session explored strategies to enhance event experiences and drive long-term value. Speakers stressed moving beyond transactional sales to a consultative, advisory approach, understanding client goals, and tailoring events to deliver meaningful outcomes.
Creativity and risk-taking, such as immersive activities or informal dining experiences, were encouraged to engage delegates. Face-to-face interactions were highlighted as valuable when purposeful, and post-event follow-up was emphasised as essential to building trust and repeat business.
We would like to thank everyone for attending and contributing to the discussions, and to express our sincere appreciation to all our speakers and panellists for sharing their expertise and insights, helping to make the day both engaging and informative.
And an special extra thank you to everyone for supporting Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, where we successfully raised £1020 from our raffle – we know this will mean a lot to the Charity.
Save the Date for our next All Members Meeting – 28th April 2026
