The month at a glance
Mash Media launches Digital Event News and Awards
Mash Media , publisher of EN and organiser of International Confex , has announced a new set of awards aimed at recognising excellence in online events .
The Digital Event Awards will become part of a new portfolio that Mash Media has developed , including a quarterly magazine – Digital Event News . An online awards ceremony is scheduled for March 2021 .
Martin Fullard , editorial director of Mash Media , said : ” Since early 2020 , event organisers have had no option but to pivot from live , in-person events to an array of digital and online experiences in order to retain engagement with their customers and continue to educate and entertain their communities . The hard work , success and excellence of this year should not go unrecognised .”
The event will be powered by The Awards Room , a digital solution developed by Evessio .
The stories , topics and trends making headlines in recent weeks
Grants for businesses forced to close under new restrictions The Government has released guidance for local authorities , to help them distribute grants for businesses shut down or operating at a reduced capacity due to new COVID-19 restrictions .
There are several kinds of grants . The Local Restriction Support Grants ( LRSG ) apply to businesses that are forced to close due to new local COVID-19 restrictions . While the Local Restrictions Support Grants are aimed at businesses , which have been forced to close since March .
Both of these grants consist of £ 667 per 14-day closure period for businesses , with a rateable value under £ 15,000 . Businesses between £ 15,000 and £ 51,000 will receive £ 1,000 in the same two-week period . Businesses with a rateable value over £ 51,000 will receive £ 1,500 .
Local authorities have the final say on who receives funding .
Vaccine news sees exhibition organiser stocks rise
Following the news on 9 November of a ‘ milestone ’ vaccine , believed to protect 90 % of people against COVID-19 , stock prices of event companies saw a significant jump upwards . Exhibition organiser Informa plc was the third highest riser on the FTSE100 share index , with gains of over 30 % at one point during the day , before settling at 27 %. Large companies in the events sector , hospitality and airlines also saw large gains , with Compass Group the fourth highest riser and InterContinental Hotel Group seventh in the FTSE100 .
The vaccine developers – Pfizer and BioNTech – were quoted in news reports as describing Monday 9 November as a “ great day for science and humanity ”. The vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised to date .
Charlie McCurdy , CEO of Informa Markets , told EN ’ s sister publication : “ We are truly encouraged by the announcement that the vaccine in this trial has proven to be 90 % effective . This is a positive sign , not just for our industry , but for the business communities we bring together and for the cities in which we host our exhibitions around the globe .”
06 — December