Exhibition News July 2019 | Page 17

Cover Feature As the Association of Event Venues celebrates its 15th birthday, we take a look back at the formation of the association and the evolution of the UK’s major venues I f you want to track the evolution of the exhibition industry in the UK, you could do worse than starting with the industry’s three key associations. And, if you wanted to understand the changing face of the UK’s exhibition venues, a good place to start would be with the Association of Event Venues (AEV). Since the AEV is celebrating its 15th birthday in the summer of 2019, EN decided to take a trip down memory lane, and reflect on both the formation of the association and also the key moments and trends that have shaped the UK’s key exhibition centres. As in many other areas of the industry it’s been a period of evolution and growth – with the notable exception of the loss of Earl’s Court in London – characterised by significant M&A activity and competition, alongside collaboration. And, arguably, collaboration is at the root of the AEV’s formation, all the way back in 2004… AEV origins To learn more about the formation of the AEV, EN caught up with Trevor Foley, former MD of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) and current MD of exhibition recruitment company tfconnect. It all began, he recalls, when frustrations with the previous venue association, the EVA, began to boil over. “It was a classic sleepy trade association,” he tells EN. “There was a lack of co-operation with organisers, and what really kicked it off was when we started a promotional campaign for the industry. We wanted to raise money for a big ad campaign for promoting exhibitions, and we found that the venue association was dragging its heels.” Foley met with Andrew Morris, former CEO of Earl’s Court and “The AEV allows us to talk together to find best practices that aren’t just beneficial to venues but can also become beneficial to our customers.” – Kathryn James, MD – conventions & exhibitions, the NEC Group “On behalf of everyone at ExCeL, I would like to extend our congratulations to the AEV on their 15th anniversary. I would also like to say an enormous thank you for their years of service, hard work and dedication.” “We derive great value from the AEV across the business. As part of EIA, the open dialogue with ESSA and the AEO on wider industry issues and representation is really important, not just for the SEC.” – Jeremy Rees, CEO, ExCeL London – Dan Thurlow, head of exhibition sales, the SEC “The AEV provides an invaluable service representing UK venues of all sizes and profiles, both in Britain and internationally. It is a hugely relevant platform converging and promoting the industry’s interests; being it in lobbying, sharing expertise or encouraging best practice.” – Nigel Nathan, MD, Olympia London Olympia London, and Jamie Buchan, former CEO of ExCeL London, to gauge their frustrations, and discuss an umbrella organisation representing the three key industry groups – organisers, suppliers and venues – and their associations. “That’s how we created the Events Industry Alliance, which still exists in more of an administrative function now,” he continues. “The industry had designs on promoting itself, and there were associations that were too small or ineffective to achieve it. And so, I launched the AEV. There was a meeting, which was just industry networking, and I was presenting the plans for the promotional campaign, and Andrew Morris said, ‘next year my subscription is going to the new association’. At the next meeting of EVA, it didn’t have any London members. The rest is history; it died quite quickly. “That’s my main legacy from the AEO – bringing the associations together under one umbrella, which allowed us to promote the industry as a great place to do business. “It became an incredibly collaborative state of affairs between the three sides of the industry.” The association at 15 From that somewhat contentious beginning, the AEV has grown into an association that offers a wide range of benefits to its members. In the early days, says director Rachel Parker, there were several key goals. “It was about trying to get the organisers and the venues to work together, but it was also about getting venues together to share knowledge,” she tells EN. “Any industry that takes itself seriously has associations in it,” says Kathryn James, MD – conventions and exhibitions at the NEC Group. “Having an association says that we don’t just take our own businesses seriously, but we take the collective seriously as well. “The best way to do that is to July — 17