The Meetings Show’s 2023 Hosted Buyer Welcome Reception will be the first event held onboard Oceandiva London, the new state-of-the-art sustainable events vessel operated by the UK’s leading hospitality and events company, Smart Group.
Attendees will be welcomed on board the £25m floating venue for an exclusive evening of entertainment and refreshments on Tuesday 27 June, before The Meetings Show kicks off at ExCeL London on 28 June.
They will be the first #eventprofs to experience an event onboard Oceandiva London, which is the UK’s first carbon-neutral powered vessel on the river Thames. It is also the world’s first to achieve the Platinum Label – the highest level of recognition awarded by Green Award for shipping companies committed to environmental protection, safety, and quality.
Capable of 100% sustainable operation through its propulsion system and energy strategy, Oceandiva London utilises fast charging shore-based renewable energy, and a back-up biofuel generator. With flexible event spaces, the vessel can host conferences, exhibitions, receptions, gala dinners, award ceremonies, product launches, and brand activations, with catering by one of London’s leading caterers, Moving Venue, Smart Group’s own catering brand.
Jack Marczewski, portfolio event director, The Meetings Show, TEAMS Europe and Business Travel Show Europe, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Smart Group to showcase Oceandiva London to our hosted buyers. We are committed to minimising our environmental impact and promoting sustainability, so we couldn’t think of a better location for our Welcome Reception than London’s innovative new sustainable venue.”
Chloe Jackson, Managing Director of Smart Group, said: “We are delighted to partner with The Meetings Show to host the first official event to take place onboard Oceandiva London. This particular event will be an incredible opportunity to showcase the vessel’s unique design and production value. After much anticipation of the arrival, we are thrilled to be able to showcase her to event professionals from the UK and overseas in all her glory and demonstrate the positive environmental and economic impact she will make on the industry.”
Prior to the Welcome Reception, a Pre Show Conference is being held in partnership with Meet Boston at ExCeL London. Hosted buyers will get the opportunity to participate in a ‘deaf rave’ and immerse themselves in hands-on design workshops.
The broad theme of the Pre Show Conference is to “Raise the Vibrations” with a focus on immersive and inclusive event design. Content has been created by experience design experts Samme Allen, CEO of conferenceemcees.com, and renowned consultant, author and previous keynote speaker at The Meetings Show, Claus Raasted, who have also revamped the education programme for the main event.
Thanks to a partnership with speaker consultancy Spectrum, the afternoon will kick off with a deaf rave with Troi “DJ Chinaman” Lee. Deaf inclusion is a little-known area of inclusivity, and Troi will share 5 tips for more inclusive soundscaping, explaining how we can raise the vibration of our events for all.
This will be followed by a behind the scenes tour of one of the UK’s largest commercial kitchens, and workshops with leaders in the fields of DEI, immersive design and community engagement including VisitBritain, One Young World, and the Australian Psychological Society. Topics covered include AI and its impact on the events industry as well as how to create better and more cost-effective user generated content, with a chance to practise this during the actual show.
Marczewski added: “This year’s Pre-Show Conference is designed to inspire our hosted buyers to shape the future of the meetings, events and incentives industry together. We have a fantastic programme lined up to empower participants to think, connect, plan and live differently, setting them up for a successful couple of days at The Meetings Show.
The Hosted Buyer Pre-Show Conference and Welcome Reception are invite-only events for planners participating in The Meetings Show’s hosted buyer programme.
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
