Conference News Spring 2023 | Page 5

5 Editor ’ s Letter

THE SUM OF OUR PARTS

hat ’ s in a nation ? I ’ ve always found it interesting how national pride can be so intense , when the vast majority of us are results of numerous immigrations and / or displacements somewhere on the family tree .
Take me for example , born in the UK , Danish on the mother ’ s side , Irish on the father ’ s , Scottish first name , Welsh second name and somewhere in-between all of that , I ’ m supposed to be proud to live in South London ? Nonsense .
But this issue is called the best of UK & I , so I should probably make some vain effort to find a national identity in there somewhere . Which brings me back to my question , what ’ s in a nation ?
I suppose for the UK & I , it ’ s the melting pot of cultures and backgrounds that make us whole , the interaction between many vastly different ideologies creates an environment for free thought and creative growth . Ironic that the diversity of our group identity is what , in fact , binds us together .
This same variety is what makes the UK & I events scene unique , that combined with its creative influence and the accessibility of its local supply chains and you ’ ve got a collection of islands that stand out from the crowd .
In this issue of Conference News , we ’ ll find out the major trends impacting the industry , what makes the UK & I an international destination for events , how the events community here differentiates itself and much more .
That events community is the key thing for me , in a pressure situation that is a conference , the shared experiences bind us together in a way that is difficult to imitate , there ’ s very few communities like ours .
So , whilst I might not be getting a St George ’ s Cross tattoo , holding a Guinness in one hand , a haggis in the other , while singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , I guess I can say I am proud to be part of the events community in the UK & I . CN
Cameron Roberts Editor Conference News www . conference-news . co . uk