New In Events

IBTM World 2024 is here! Multi-hyphenate Shonali Deveraux tells us why this year's show theme of People, Power, Potential sings to her soul. She talks Mike Fletcher through her journey from event planner to lecturer, mentor and now the new host of New In Events, a podcast from IBTM, Season Two!We discuss her battle with cancer, forging a path through the meetings and events industry, inspiring others, and how daily gratitude helps her stay positive. Shonali and Mike will be recording interviews for Season Two in the Media Centre's podcast studio on the show floor throughout IBTM World 2024 in Barcelona so hit follow and new episodes will start dropping in the New Year.

She's appeared on every episode of Season One as the voice that thanks everyone for listening but has never been formally introduced. In this bonus interview, IBTM World Exhibition Director, Claudia Hall discusses plans for this year's show, what the Welcome Party has in-store, drinking Rosé on the Côte d’Azur and how she got into the events industry.

IACC’s European Director, Gail Tomlinson-Short discusses the key trends impacting how operators run their meeting venues in this episode of New In Events.Alistair Turner then discusses how Artificial Intelligence, the economy, and the four billion global voters heading to the ballot box will shape 2024.Plus, co-hosts Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook take a look at the findings of IACC's Meeting Room of the Future 2024 trends report.

In episode seven of New In Events, Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook discuss AI, innovation and the tech supplier relationship with three event technology experts. Vok Dams CEO, Colja Dams explains how AI will change the planner’s role forever and how greater societal adoption of AI will drive live events as a more authentic and trustworthy form of marketing and communication. From the podcast booth at IBTM World, creative technologist, Nick Fagan talks about his role and introduces listeners to Holoplot, the sound technology that powers the Las Vegas Sphere. Plus, Vanessa Lovatt, strategy consultant at the Financial Times, offers advice for getting the most out of supplier relationships and how to embed new technologies into the event management process. 

Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook catch up with ICCA President Marta Gomes to find out how her home city of Paris is gearing up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. Marta also talks about the importance of advocacy to highlight and emphasise the events industry's relevance, and importance to global enablers, policymakers, industry stakeholders and the global MICE community. Continuing the advocacy theme, in episode six we also hear from the Business of Events’ Martin Fullard in our regular series of interviews from the podcast booth on the show floor at IBTM World in Barcelona last year. Martin had just come off stage having revealed the findings of the 2023 Global Destination Report - an annual survey of destinations and convention bureaux. The report can be used as another advocacy tool when talking to governments about the importance of funding and the value that business events bring to a destination. 

For World Earth Day, Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook chat with Shawna McKinley about her work documenting events in Canada that have been impacted by changing and unpredictable weather patterns. From her home in North Vancouver, Shawna advises a better understanding of event insurance policies, along with emergency preparedness and better crisis communication. Continuing the climate theme, in episode five we also hear from Kai Hattendorf who sits on the board of JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council) and came by the podcast booth at IBTM World in Barcelona last year. JMIC is the organisation responsible for administering Net Zero Carbon Events, the MICE industry’s global strategy to reach net zero by 2050 in alignment with the Paris Agreement.Kai provides an update on how the roadmap is progressing and why ‘falling’ into the MICE industry shouldn’t have negative connotations, as it results in a broader, more diverse workforce with different skills that can better tackle challenges presented by the climate crisis. 

For episode four, Mike Fletcher chats with ICE Strategy Director Anita Howard and ExCeL London’s Executive Director James Rees, while Paul Cook hears from Meet in Wales ambassador Dr Lee Parry. Dr Lee Parry, a biosciences lecturer at Cardiff University tells Paul about the unseen power of conferences and why he was in Barcelona to support Meet In Wales as an ambassador for bringing major scientific congresses to the Welsh capital. Anita talks about ICE’s annual benchmarking member survey and the shift to where in-house corporate event planners now sit within organisations. She also provides an update on ICE activities, plus the work the association is doing to define roles so that corporate planners can educate their employers and help set goals for career development, training or mentorships.  Finally, ExCeL's James Rees discusses the venue's Event with Intent study into key drivers behind visitor behaviour and the factors influencing event attendance.

For episode three, hosts Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook go stateside to discuss incentive travel with the Incentive Research Foundation's President, Stephanie Harris.She starts by explaining some of the different roles that people enjoy when working in the incentive travel sector, before going on to talk about the findings of the annual Index - a global survey of almost 2,500 incentive travel professionals.  We then cross over to the show floor at IBTM World 2023 in Barcelona to hear from Darren Green from the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board on why LA is an exciting destination for both incentives and events. 

For episode two of Season One, hosts Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook meet up with Fay Sharpe, Founder of the industry mentoring initiative, Fast Forward 15. With Fast Forward 15 now in its tenth year, Fay tells us why career development through structured mentoring schemes like hers is so important, no matter who you are and what stage of your career you may be at. We then cross over to the show floor of IBTM World 2023, which took place in Barcelona last November to hear from Elena Clowes, Senior Creative Producer at Cheerful Twentyfirst and the Co-founder of Event First Steps, a community that helps industry newcomers build their networks. Elena has some great advice for forging an events career path and for finding out which industry role may suit you best. 

Welcome to New In Events, a podcast by IBTM. For this opening episode of Season One, hosts Mike Fletcher and Paul Cook visit Cvent's European headquarters to interview its Marketing Director for Europe, Felicia Asiedu on all things tech and audience engagement. We then cross over to the show floor of IBTM World 2023, which took place in Barcelona last November to hear from Catherine Southall, Head of Business Development UK & Ireland, American Express GBT Meetings & Events. Catherine discusses the findings of Amex’s 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast.