‘Strictly’ beam Annual Forum

On 27th and 28th June 2024, we held our Annual Forum at Winter Gardens and Blackpool Conference Centre.

beam Events, Strictly beam

On 27th and 28th June 2024, we held our Annual Forum at Winter Gardens and Blackpool Conference Centre.

This year’s forum in the Lancashire seaside town at the end of June featured a range of panels and discussions covering topics such as collaboration, diversity and inclusion in events, the evolving nature of events and menopause in the workplace – currently a critical topic within the hospitality sector.

Here’s a quick recap from the Annual Forum…

Our moderator for the event was Calum Di Lieto who was on point: uplifting, on time, kept us on our toes, and took the time to chat with all of our speakers, panellists, and board to get a solid understanding of their content and how we wanted the event to run.

Day One

Julie Vincent from Meet Blackpool gave us an insight into Blackpool as a destination. Whether planning a large-scale conference, an intimate meeting, or a team building retreat, Blackpool and its venues and entertainment ensure your event is a success. Julie gave a perfect insight into the destination and venues, including our Strictly beam host venue, Winter Gardens & Blackpool Conference And Exhibition Centre.

Panel Sessions

In our first panel session, our Chair, Julie Shorrock, joined the Meetings Industry Association‘s Kerrin MacPhie, The Delegate Wranglers® Neil Thompson, and IACC Meetings‘ Mark Cooper to explore why our industry community is crucial to the sector’s success and the vital role associations play. It really set the tone for the event to hear from industry experts about the power of collaboration and community in driving progress.

In our exciting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion panel, Linda Bekoe, Rachel Belliere-Wilson, and moderator Louisa Watson explored the critical role of DEI in the events sector. They discussed best practices for venues and event planners to create more inclusive environments, pitfalls and constraints, effective approaches, and real-world examples.

Keynote Speakers

Super knowledgeable keynote Jo Fuller from The Merry Menopause took to the stage to talk about menopause at work. According to the NHS, there are around 13 million (one-third of the female population) Perimenopausal and Menopausal women in the UK. They are often at the peak of their careers, yet two-thirds report that Menopausal symptoms negatively impact their work lives.

Jo’s session focused on significant numbers like these, plus how education, supportive policies, and simple adjustments can help us retain experienced, talented employees who might otherwise leave due to unmanaged symptoms. We had a super engaged audience for this one – not a mobile or laptop in sight!

Our next inspiring keynote speaker was Purusha Gordon. Purusha used to be an eventprof having founded and owned Zest Global Events. Purusha couldn’t be better placed to talk to our delegates on resilience and positivity, having lifted herself out of deep depression and poor physical health and into world competitor status. In 2021, with no prior rowing experience, she started The Ocean Sheroes rowing team.

Together, they broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest all-female team of four to row across the Pacific Ocean, raising £225k. For 35 days at sea, they rowed: two hours on, two hours off, 24/7 from San Francisco to Hawaii – enduring sea sickness, acute fatigue, biting winds and biblical storms. Purusha’s full story is remarkable, and we were so lucky to hear first-hand how the team’s strong values, positive mindset and culture of kindness got them through it all.

Fantastic Breakout Sessions

Some learned how the Government apprenticeship programme works, how to access it, and how to draw down funding from Richard Waddington from EAAB – Events Apprenticeships Advisory Board.

Some chilled in our Wellness in the Workplace session, with a breath work and a mini sound bath, all courtesy of the brilliant Camilla S., Wellness Consultant.

Some grabbed their dance shoes for a super fun lesson in ballroom dancing, where they learned two dances from Elliott Lythgoe and Eve Richardson, Professional Dancers representing the UK and World 10 Dance Finalists.

Into the evening…

Later that evening, once guests had freshened up at their hotel, they travelled in style back to the Winter Gardens for a perfect evening of dinner and entertainment, with stunning opera singer – Francesca, dancing from our professionals – Elliott and Eve, a dance competition to showcase the skills of those who joined the dance lesson breakout, our raffle, and disco & drinks.

We are delighted to have raised over £1000 for MEETING NEEDS.

Day Two

We kicked off day two with updates and plans from your board members, Julie Shorrock, David Tremmil, and Louisa Watson – moderated by the fabulous Katie Niland. The panel included an overview of UKEVENTS (Org)‘s work, beam’s new website (check it out at beam-org.uk), the announcement that Louisa Watson is our incoming 2025 Chair, and lots more.

Team Building

Our guests had the best time completing a GPS treasure hunt with Eventurous Ltd around Blackpool. Our members took on the ultimate urban team treasure hunt challenge and embarked on an adventure around the seaside town.

Using nothing but their mobile devices, our teams searched for hotspots across Blackpool to unlock a whole host of hilarious challenges. Our guests adored this session and had such a fun time exploring!

Panel Session

Our day two panel was all about evolving events with Caroline Medcalf – XSEM, Ellen Mutimer – Inntel , Martin Stephens Off Limits® Event Professionals, and Julie Vincent – Meet Blackpool , moderated by Richard Smith – Wyboston Lakes Resort. The panel discussed how innovation is driving engagement at events, from cutting-edge technology and creative team building activities to unique venue experiences and fresh perspectives from the next generation of event professionals.

Closing Messages

Victoria Hughes from HotStats provided data insights on the industry. She took guests through up-to-date, detailed information on where revenue opportunities lie, segmentation possibilities sit, and cost implications.

Finally, Julie Shorrock and Ryan Doyle shared all of the wonderful achievements of the board in 2024 so far—with lots more to come.

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