Chatbots provide an easy, automated way for you to connect and monetise customers and delegates for a fraction of the cost of a customer services team. With the advance of AI, it’s not uncommon to see chatbots popping up on websites for all kinds of businesses, and there are several ways these nifty bits of tech can be of use to help event professionals. Chatbots can offer immediate assistance and support to event attendees, sponsors, or vendors at any time of the day, providing instant answers to frequently asked questions and can even offer guidance for some concerns expressed.

Before the single use plastic ban comes into effect, Julie Burniston explores what this means for the events industry, and how it can embrace alternatives. Single-use plastic products have long been a staple in the hospitality and events industry due to their convenience and affordability. However, their detrimental impact on the environment cannot be ignored. The ban, which comes into force on 1st October, will target a variety of items such as plastic straws, cutlery, plates, and food containers. Additionally, single-use plastic bottles, balloons, and packaging materials will also face restrictions.

Cvent have recently announced the top destinations and hotels for meetings in Europe for 2023…

With hundreds of companies beginning to surrender to the four day working week, is it time the events industry caught up?

The ninth edition of the Off to Work Event Photography Awards saw an intimate wedding shot take home the top prize. This year’s awards, which saw a record number of entries, culminated in a gallery viewing and awards ceremony at RIBA at 66 Portland Place in London on Monday 5 June. Check out some of the winning shots…

Conference Care owner Chris Peacock has died aged 57. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at 4.14am on Thursday 8 June, according to a message posted by his family on Linkedin. Peacock himself broke the news of his illness on his Linkedin profile the day before, revealing he had terminal stage 4 bowel cancer.

Following hot on the heels of Glasgow’s best ever year for hosting international conferences (ICCA Statistics 2022), 2023 promises to be just as successful, as the city prepares to welcome back almost 13,000 delegates to the city as part of a series of conferences who loved Glasgow so much the first time, that they’re coming back for more.

The winners of the Off to Work Event Photography Awards 2023 have been announced after a record number of entries. The ninth edition of the awards culminated in a gallery viewing and ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects on 5 June.

Diversified Communications has announced the closure of the world’s longest running kosher food expo. In a statement, the organisers said: “After a very thorough analysis, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Kosherfest for 2023. Due to today’s changing supermarket ecosystem and the consolidation of responsibilities in many major supermarket chains, we feel we could not provide the value and experience that our audience has come to expect from Kosherfest. We thank our loyal attendees and exhibitors for many years of support.” Launched in 1989, the annual B2B event had been held in Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, New Jersey, since 2014, an attracted up to 500 exhibitors and 12,000 buyers a year. Kosherfest founder, Menachem Lubinsky, who sold the show to Diversified Communications in 2004 but remained involved in its production, said in a statement: “Looking back, I can proudly say that the show had an amazing run and […]

Global Exhibitions Day (GED), the annual celebration of the exhibition industry, will take place on 7 June 2023. This year’s GED theme, “We Run the Meeting Places and Marketplaces for Everyone,” sets out to underscore the pivotal role of global exhibitions in shaping the marketplaces for customers of the future. UFI president Michael Duck says: “On this Global Exhibitions Day, we invite you to join us in celebrating the extraordinary comeback of the exhibitions industry, a remarkable story of resilience, transformation, and triumph.”

With machine learning and generative artificial intelligence booming, EN asks if chatbots can improve exhibition marketing workflows and what pitfalls we need to look out for if the robots take over the world.

The judges have been announced for the EN Supplier Awards 2023 which will be held in August. The deadline for entering is 15 June.

The UK’s Film and TV industry is valued by the UK Government, and UKEVENTS chair, Chris Skeith, suggests the country could benefit if similar incentives were offered to the events sector.

Nathalie Haxby, global head of corporate communications at RX, talks to EN about unifying the company and show brands and her pride at seeing their stories shared.

Global Exhibitions Day (GED), the annual celebration of the exhibition industry, will take place on 7 June 2023. This year’s GED theme, “We Run the Meeting Places and Marketplaces for Everyone,” sets out to underscore the pivotal role of global exhibitions in shaping the marketplaces for customers of the future.

Bruce Rose, Head of Audience at Live Group, explains why events must be focused on audience expectations if they are to succeed.