Associations UK Congress & Expo Preview
UPCOMING…
Written by Stuart Wood
Did you
know?
There’s more to Birmingham than
meets the eye. Here are some fun
facts that may surprise you.
What can we expect from the AAE’s Associations UK
Congress & Expo, coming to Birmingham later this year?
6
The Associations UK Congress & Expo is
coming to ICC Birmingham this year, from
16-17 December.
The event is organised by the Association of
Association Executives, which has developed
a new structure for the congress based on
themes. It will run in five parallel sessions
each day, so delegates can move around
according to their interests.
New formats have been introduced, such as
crash courses and focus sessions, to create an
environment that stimulates interaction and
cultivates learning. As well as these changes,
the Leaders’ Forum has also been extended
over both days, and a new Association Events
Strategy Forum has been introduced.
Traditionally, the Leaders’ Forum took
place the afternoon prior to the congress,
but it has become an integral part of
the programme following its successful
extension at the Associations World Congress
in Gothenburg.
The Association Events Strategy Forum was
borne out of the one-day Events Strategy
Conference, organised annually in London
by the AAE. The forum is for senior event
strategists, with opportunities to discuss
and learn new strategies for association
meetings.
Linda Best, association account director at
the ICC Birmingham, said: “This is the perfect
occasion for associations from across the
UK to come together to share learning and
best practice, and the ICC team are proud
to host such an influential event. Over 28
years of experience in the sector, combined
with a relentless drive and passion to keep
association events exciting and insightful,
makes the ICC the UK’s top associations
venue.”
Damian Hutt, executive director of the
Association of Association Executives,
added: “We are delighted to be bringing
this leading congress for association
executives and event organisers to the
ICC in Birmingham. The ICC is a fantastic
venue for association events, and many
associations will get to experience the very
highest quality of service and experience
by attending the Associations Congress in
December.
“I have personally been very impressed
with all the refurbishment at the ICC, the
very professional support of the events
and catering team, and the extensive work
on the whole centre of Birmingham, which
makes it a delightful location for the event
to be based in.”
www.aenetwork.co.uk
Birmingham has more canals
than Venice, with 56km of
waterways.
The National Exhibition
Centre (NEC) and International
Convention Centre (ICC) host over
850 events per year.
Lord of the Rings author
JRR Tolkien was from Birmingham,
and was inspired by the city.
The city is the birthplace
of heavy metal, as the home
of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest
and Led Zeppelin.