David Chapple

➡️ Quick update from my side. Kind of quieter than usual on here as I am busy with a capital B. 🧑‍🎓 So much to learn - loving the vibe we are building Ray Bugg and Ben Whiting ❤️ Massive thanks to all those out there who have taken the time to explain what they do to me over the last few weeks - and how DIGIT.FYI may be able to help them elevate their brand and further engage the massive Scottish Technology ecosystem. ☑️ HubSpot is very cool! Thanks to Kristian and Anna from Automate Now - HubSpot Consultancy for clear explanations and implementations of my sometimes poorly explained ideas! 💁 Top Tip If you aren't using Fathom - AI Meeting Assistant yet for automated meeting note taking I'd suggest giving it a whirl. If you want to see a business application of AI, look no further. 👏 Great news below about the huge number of folks coming along to #DIGITExpo on 21st Nov - over 2,000 now registered!! 😶 💹 There may be a couple of exhibitor slots still available. If you are coming along on the day - and want to showcase the cool stuff you do - get in touch for a run down on just how simple and cost-effective it could be to exhibit.

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Great news story! Business/Industrial events that unite stakeholders & value chains, attracting both UK and international audiences, in a dynamic interactive experience, represent a crucial pillar in driving forward the UK's future industrial, creative and scientific leadership ambitions, for sure. In 2024 'Live' in-person events are stronger than ever, reflecting the immense value attendees on all sides see in such 'under one giant roof' industry coalescing for vital new business & ongoing business networking/commercial exchange, partnership & collaborative dialogue, vital supply chain procurement, technology transfer, innovation nurture & scale-up, industry intelligence and so much more .... The UK's business events portfolio has never been more 'at the heart' of delivering future growth

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A sobering session with Sir John Scarlett, former Chief of MI6, focusing on the current conflicts and the impact on the political and business communities with no end game currently in sight. #Geopolitics #GlobalEconomy #AEBAInspires #AEBA

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SundaySky used GDS Summits to generate attributable pipeline growth, access senior decision makers, and deliver thought leadership. From just 2 GDS Summits, they gained 15 follow-up meetings and over $500k in pipeline! Read SundaySky's story here: https://ow.ly/i75i30sCxHc Curious about how GDS Group can help you achieve your outcomes? Let's discuss - get in touch today! #SuccessStory #ClientSuccess #PipelineGeneration #GDSSummits #GDSGroup

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Booking event staff early for #Christmas events offers numerous benefits for venues and event planners. Here are the key advantages: 💰 Budget Management: Early booking allows for better financial planning, enabling organizers to spread costs over a longer period. This helps avoid last-minute financial stress and overspending. 🏛 Securing Preferred Venues: Popular venues tend to fill up quickly during the holiday season. By booking early, planners can secure their first choice, ensuring a memorable event location. And this year having parties in 🏢 Offices seems to be the plan in order to tempt staff for 2025. Accommodating Larger Groups: 💃 🕺 Early bookings increase the chances of finding venues that can accommodate growing guest lists, which is common during festive celebrations. Planning and Coordination 📋 Early bookings reduce last-minute stress, allowing for meticulous planning of all event details, from menu selection to entertainment. Vendor Selection: ⚒ Booking early gives planners the advantage of choosing from a wider range of vendors, ensuring they can align their selections with the event's theme and budget. Oxford has some fantastic venues that can be used for Christmas parties. Boosting Morale: Early planning can help build excitement among attendees, contributing positively to workplace morale as employees look forward to the celebration. 🏨 For events involving out-of-town guests, early booking allows ample time to arrange accommodations and transport, ensuring a smooth experience for all attendees. In summary, booking event staff and venues early for Christmas events not only helps in securing the best options available but also contributes to a more organized, cost-effective, and enjoyable celebration for everyone involved. #christmas #events #parties #venues #Oxfordshire #hotels https://lnkd.in/eNxpZvSH

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Planning a successful event without breaking the bank is more challenging than ever. With rising costs and tight budgets, effective negotiation with suppliers is crucial. In our latest white paper, we reveal powerful strategies to help you safeguard your event budget. From thorough preparation and market research to juggling multiple bids and securing long-term contracts, we cover everything you need to know to get the best deals and maximize value. Don't let financial constraints hold you back—learn how to protect your budget and ensure your event's success. Read now: https://lnkd.in/ei3BACyv #eventbudget #suppliernegotiation #eventprofs

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Incentive travel works. 91% of employees say group travel is ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ motivating whilst 48% of senior leaders consider it an ‘essential strategic differentiator’. It’s clear an incentive programme is a vital part of the marketing and event mix so it’s important that these events are designed to maximise the emotional experience and create the best return. Thoughts from me on a great incentive programme: 💡 Design across generations, leveraging what motivates each group  ❤️ Understand what your audience love and tailor programme elements to meet their individual needs 🎥 Use visual storytelling to tease what’s on offer 📧 Communicate regularly 😎 Strike the balance between group activity and individual downtime ✂ Understand it’s not a one size fits all approach 🎉 Surprise and delight – always keep something up your sleeve 🏯 Give authentic experiences for a true sense of place and culture 📣 Create lasting memories your guests will want to shout about Incentives give access to incredible destinations and experiences. Creating memories = emotional connection = deeper brand loyalty. Get it right and people will be champing at the bit to secure a place on the next one.

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Industry Data Update: Venue Verdict 2024 📊 It’s always fascinating to see how customer experience trends in the hospitality sector evolve. Venue Verdict’s recent findings show real improvements, with metrics like response times and pre-event communication on the rise. Here are some key takeaways: - Understanding client priorities remains the top driver of positive customer experiences. - It’s a reminder that building strong relationships is more crucial than ever. - Soft skills matter! Friendliness and flexibility in venue teams are outperforming 2019 levels and making a real difference. - Response times are improving. 86% of venues now send proposals within 8 hours, with 80% getting it done within 4 hours – higher than pre-pandemic figures. These numbers underscore the importance of continued investment in customer service and communication strategies. Want to look deeper into the full data? Visit my website for a full webinar recap. https://buff.ly/3UidJ7h #HospitalityTrends #CustomerExperience #CorporateEvents #EventPlanning #EventVenue #CorporateOffsite #TeamBuildingEvents #EventManagement #LondonVenues #UKEvents #LondonHotels #UKVenues #InternationalVenues #BoutiqueHotels #LuxuryHotels #UniqueVenues #EventIndustry #VenueFinder #EventProfs #NetworkingEvents #EventBuyers #ConferencePlanning #EventTrends #NewHotels #VenueSourcing #EventExpert #ContractNegotiation #SiteVisits #EventConsultant

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After a year or so of feverish AI hype, our CEO Graeme Freeman took a look at what’s actually happening with AI and mid-market businesses, and how to ensure you’re making the most of it. https://okt.to/KyWbkN ➡ Subscribe to our Newsletter, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. It's a great way to stay updated on issues that matter to mid-market businesses. https://okt.to/2YWoDJ #newsletter #businessinsights #AI #midmarket #insights #freemanclarke

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Great tips here from Forbes Communications Council on ensuring your Internal Comms are being heard ⬇ For the bigger corporate message delivery we’re seeing an increase in company roadshows at Bien Venue Ltd bookings as an alternative to traditional company conferences. For anyone interested in the trend, we wrote about it here: https://lnkd.in/eGMQg49H #InternalComms #InternalCommunications #CommsProfs #MarketingProfs

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Really Insightful interview with the Core Story. A good listen if you manage a brand or business and need to connect meaningfully with stakeholders.

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Interesting article on key aspects and challenges of the current M&E landscape

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💡 brainstorming the challenges of measuring & reporting ROI ahead of ICE HUB conference & expo next month with Nick Moore, Sean Philby, Gregory Baur. What a juicy topic... #ICE24 #eventprofsuk #eventprofs #ROI #measuringsuccess

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A balancing act between economic recovery and business support - how will the new measures shape the hospitality and ticketing landscape? The Autumn Budget, presented by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, brings significant changes Key Changes and Implications Business Rates Relief - Stability Amid Uncertainty A 40% business rates relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses is introduced, capped at £110,000 per business until 2026. A permanent lower multiplier from 2026-27 provides predictability for future planning. Labour Market and National Living Wage The National Living Wage increase to £12.21 and a higher employer National Insurance rate (from 13.8% to 15%) will heighten payroll costs, impacting workforce management strategies. VAT Reform Hopes Unmet Despite strong industry lobbying, there’s no reduction in VAT, placing UK hospitality at a competitive disadvantage compared to Europe. Investment in Digital and Green Initiatives The budget emphasises digital adoption and energy efficiency measures, aligning with net-zero goals, which are crucial for sustainable growth. Travel Sector Specifics - Air Passenger Duty Higher duties on private jets have been announced, impacting the luxury travel segment, while regular flight rates remain unchanged. For Go Privilege and others in the hospitality and ticketing space, these changes underscore the need for strategic planning. As costs rise and incentives evolve, the ability to adapt and innovate will be key. We are closely monitoring how these policies unfold and are prepared to adjust our strategies accordingly. Feel free to connect if you’d like to discuss how these changes could affect our industry and future collaborations #AutumnBudget2024 #Hospitality #BusinessStrategy

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Have you considered building your own bespoke sales lead database? If not, here are two excellent reasons to do so. First, you can invite your most coveted buying contacts to visit. That can be at your office, their office or your next trade show. Second, it will also serve as a lead-generating resource for your business. Both are subjects covered in the recently published How To Use Trade Shows To Get Sales Appointments. You can see what's covered and order a copy via https://lnkd.in/e4w7R-dD And, if you need help building a sales database, we can help with that too.

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1016 UK tradeshows vs 301 UAE tradeshows. A Comparative Analysis between the UK and Dubai The UK exhibitions industry has proven to be a significant economic driver, generating an impressive £10.9 billion for the national economy in 2023, according to the latest report by the Events Industry Alliance (EIA). This figure represents 1,016 exhibitions attended by 6.92 million visitors. In contrast, the Dubai World Trade Centre hosted 301 exhibitions and events in 2023, attracting 2.47 million visitors. If Dubai were to host the same number of exhibitions as the UK, extrapolating from the UK’s visitor data, Dubai could potentially welcome approximately 6.92 million visitors annually, nearly tripling its current figures. This influx could translate into a remarkable economic boost for Dubai. Using the UK’s metrics, Dubai could generate an additional impact in the range of £10.9 billion (approx. $13.8 billion) in total output, significantly enhancing its GDP and supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the region. Such growth underscores the resilience and potential of the exhibitions industry as a key economic pillar. As Dubai continues to expand its event-hosting capabilities, it stands poised to achieve new milestones in economic contributions, aligning with its broader goals of becoming a global hub for business tourism and economic activity. fyi Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism Ministry Of Economy, UAE Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy

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Government Transformation Magazine tracks and ranks government DDaT priorities - providing our partners with the insider insights they need to achieve product-market fit. Expanding your reach to new government organisations can be a challenge, especially when it comes to understanding their priorities. Fortunately, we have valuable insights into the specific priorities of different personas within government. If you'd like a copy and you're interested in receiving regular insight, drop me a quick note below. #governmentpriorities #solutionsprovider #marketresearch #citizenexperience #analysis #datatransformation #governance #opendata #digital #AI #servicetransformation #delivery #people #hrtransformation #operations #performance #operationalefficiency #digitaltransformation #greeninnovation #automation 

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On Monday the Cvent & HelmsBriscoe 'Winning the MICE Game' European roadshow rolled into London. We were joined for the day by eighty or so local hotel representatives along with some of our #London based associates to hear key insights into meetings and events bookings, how to maximise the use of the Cvent tools, and how best to interact with our HelmsBriscoe associates to gain market share. Both Shawn Pisani and Catherine Morris gave interesting and useful workshops going through our business model, the RFP process we follow and some key tips that help increase a hotels chance to win that contract. The Cvent team highlighted to us all that 57% of RFP's are awarded to properties that respond with an average time of 8 hours and 7 minutes (golden response times between 8-13 hours). An RFP has an average of 10 properties it has been sent to, and only 50% of those properties send an RFP response with a proposal (38% turndown, 12% don't reply!). 96% of HelmsBriscoe RFP's convert to a contract somewhere. So if you firstly respond and second do it in the golden response time you can work out the statistical chance of winning that business, and it's high. So the key takeaway: For those venues out there with a pile of RFP's everyday, we know you are all busy, be strategic with your responses. Look at the business that converts. With your responses, read and answer the RFP properly, answer all questions in full (hopefully the soon to be introduces AI in Cvent Supplier Network will help you with this), and when appropriate pick up the phone. In 2023 we booked $1.67 billion in room revenue (in 2024 we surpassed the $1 billion in August, our earliest time to do this), so there's lots of business to go around. Make sure you are in touch with your local HB associates, that they know who you are and how you and your property can help them. Reach out to them now so you know, when they send you an RFP how to help them. Alternatively, if you've had enough of property sales, or are looking for more autonomy, flexibility and a new challenge feel free to either get in touch and we can chat to see if a HelmsBriscoe associate position would be your perfect next step or take a look here and complete the form https://lnkd.in/eE6Bj2yP Big thanks to our hosts Accor and Sofitel London St James. #education #winningbusiness #smartsales #eventprofs #hotelsales #eventindustry #whyHB #IAMHB

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