BUSINESS EVENTS SCOTLAND’S FINEST VENUES
Meetings planners are increasingly creating programmes that present a festival-style, ‘curated experience’ for delegates
Roll-up to the Scottish Event Campus...where the Big Top awaits
Embracing ‘festivalisation’ at the SEC
BY KEVIN O’SULLIVAN A
t the ABPCO Chairmen’s Lunch and Awards, held this year at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), the winner of the ‘Best
Conference by an Agency Confer- ence Organiser’ was TFI Group, who worked with the Personal Finance Society to create the Festival of Financial Planning. Tis was the latest in a number
of events that have led the way in a trend that the industry is calling ‘festivalisation’. It’s important to underline that this isn’t a new phe- nomenon, more a new label from the industry on an existing move-
ment of events which are evolv- ing away from a traditional linear conference structure, and creat- ing programmes with more vivid content, and the ability to tailor it to more individual requirements. Tis is really important. Many
conference organisers will have seen technology open up new levels of pre and post event feedback from their delegates, and need to act on often conflicting views of what content should be provided and how it should be given. Like a fes- tival, more organisers are now able to react to more of the delegates’ content requests. Trough a variety of different ‘stages’ (or in this case, breakout rooms) festivalisation allows for more diverse content delivery, in more dynamic room set- ups that allow delegates to curate their own agenda at the conference. Tis is the essence of festivalisation.
Te SEC has evolved its business
to embrace market trends of this kind, and the campus layout of the venue is ready-made to host events that want to create a ‘festival’ expe- rience. To do so, the organiser needs multiple rooms and stages, but also central breakout and communal areas. Te SEC can do this on both a large and small scale, and can combine its iconic Armadillo, SSE Hydro and SEC Central venues, and the outdoor spaces that link them together on the campus. It’s worked incredibly well too;
brands like ScottishPower Renew- ables have felt confident enough to create events with multi-faceted seminars and keynotes, optimis- ing the campus set up, and offering different themes that the delegates can explore. When ScottishPower Renewables recently hosted their Annual Staff Conference at the SEC,
the organisers took the trend even further by combining formal meet- ing and presentation spaces with a funfair-style environment in the breakout areas, fully equipped with a Big Top, circus stalls and entertain- ment, to create an area for down- time between business sessions. Others lay down astroturf, creating a ‘village green’ effect with hay bales, and pathway signage, giving del- egates street food, connection areas, or even yoga and tai-chi classes. Te industry is embracing the
shift from traditional events, and festivalisation remains just the latest step in conference organisers’ growing confidence in creatively exploring the full capabilities of their event, and delivering the very best experience for their delegates. n
www.sec.co.uk EVENTSBASE | SPRING 2019 | 31
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