PUSHING BOUNDARIES IN THE CAPITAL
Louisa Daley chats to Rachael Boraston , head of destination , UK at London Convention Bureau , about what the city has to offer as a business events destination
hen people think of London , the first thing that often comes to mind is its iconic skyline , but amongst this is a plethora of venues waiting to be explored and utilised by eventprofs . To understand how London is well positioned as a business events destination , we spoke to Rachel Boraston , head of destination , UK , at London Convention Bureau .
Rachael Boraston
Who are London and Partners ?
“ London and Partners is the business growth and destination agency for London . Within this umbrella organisation , you have London Convention Bureau , which
‘ We have the ability , within our hotels , events and venues , that if you want to do something different and push the boundaries , we can help you achieve that ’ is a promotional , not for profit government organisation which works to get the word of London out there to a global audience ,” says Rachael Boraston , head of destination , UK , at London Convention Bureau . In other words , the London Convention Bureau ’ s primary objective is to encourage delegates and event planners to keep London at the front of their minds for their events , no matter their purpose or delegation , as “ bringing business events to London ultimately boosts the city ’ s economy and the events ecosystem ,” Boraston adds . “ In turn , this feeds our partner pipelines , allowing us to promote further investment into the city via the legacy of those events .”
London at a glance
With London being such a special and leading city , I ask Boraston exactly what we have to offer this global audience . “ What doesn ’ t London have to offer ?,” she responds . “ We are so incredibly lucky the city has a multifaceted offering to suit a myriad of needs . Firstly , we are multicultural and diverse , we offer a warm welcome to delegates from all around the world . London has both heritage and culture , to allow visitors to carve out a niche area for themselves but also experience such a strong sense of place .
“ On the flip side of that , we are cutting edge in terms of the contemporary products we offer meeting planners , as well as the way that London is , we are very forward thinking , we are at the forefront of a lot of industry ,” says Boraston . This forward thinking , Boraston says , makes London stand out from its rival cities . “ We have the ability , within our hotels , events and venues , that if you want to do something different and push the boundaries , we can help you achieve that ,” she comments . www . conference-news . co . uk