Published by Neil ThompsonThe Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) has announced that both the Meetings Industry Association (mia) and Meetings Professionals International UK & Ireland (MPI) have re-joined the partnership as full members. This takes the number of full partners in the BVEP, which is the umbrella body and advocacy group for the UK’s £70 billion events industry, to 28.
The mia represents more than 800 members within the business events industry from hotels, venues and industry suppliers. The association also runs the AIM accreditation scheme, the UK’s only recognised accreditation scheme for the meetings and events industry.
Jane Longhurst, Chief Executive, mia said: “Business meetings and events have been decimated by the impact of COVID-19 so there has never been a more crucial time for us to work collaboratively to gain government recognition and ongoing support for our sector. With our objectives now aligned, the mia is delighted to be re-joining the BVEP under the unified goal of helping the UK to continue to host world class events and cementing the nation’s position on the global stage.”
MPI, which is the largest meeting and events industry association globally, represents more than 17,000 event planners, suppliers and students worldwide. The association has more than 70 chapters and clubs across 75 countries.
Judy Elvey, President, Meetings Professionals International UK & Ireland said: “BVEP are a crucial voice for the business events industry here in the UK and through these uncertain times it is working hard, with its members, to gather and feedback information and evidence to the government to ensure that the sector can recover as quickly as possible. As a global association we can feedback best practice and initiatives to our global chapters to help aid the recovery of the international meetings and events industry.”
Commenting on both mia and MPI re-joining the partnership, Michael Hirst OBE, Chair, of the BVEP said: " I'm delighted that the BVEP's activities and voice on behalf of the Events Industry is being strengthened by the membership of MPI and MIA, both of which are leading representative bodies in their sectors. This is clearly the time for the Industry to come together to demonstrate it is unified around core messages and working collaboratively to resolve the many issues arising out of the consequences of COVID19"
