|
 Members of the British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) have voted unanimously in favour of a proposal for the organisation to merge with the trade body Eventia.
The vote was carried out at the association’s AGM, held yesterday at Aston Business School in Birmingham, and was the culmination of a lengthy series of consultations and discussions between the two associations’ boards and members.
BACD chair Hamish Reid spearheaded the discussions on behalf of his organisation. ‘The board of BACD are delighted that the members of the association have made the decision to merge with Eventia,’ he comments. ‘The official merger takes place on 1 January 2009, but in the mean time we will be working closely with the board of Eventia to build an association that represents a significant proportion of the multi-billion-pound UK events industry. The motion was carried unanimously, and I believe this demonstrates the high level of support across the British Isles for such a trade body.’
Combining the resources of these two major industry bodies will mean greater benefits for both sets of members. Eventia and BACD already offer a range of training and support options through a variety of educational and networking events – benefits that will be greatly enhanced when offered through a single industry group. Each association also has strong ties to the Government – and speaking with a united voice will only strengthen the impact of messages put forward, raising the profile and the status of the industry as a whole.
Following the merger the BACD brand will disappear after nearly 40 years – but collaborative marketing opportunities will continue to be offered to the community of British conference and event destinations.
"This is fantastic news for the industry"
Commenting on the merger, Eventia chair Patrick Collins says, ‘This is fantastic news for the industry. We shall be giving BACD members a very warm welcome into Eventia and working hard to develop the synergies between the respective memberships. With a higher proportion of UK-managed events remaining in the UK, a joining of the two groups will mean that British destinations in particular can be promoted even more positively to the wider business community.
 'I have felt for a long time that our sector is too fragmented, which naturally dilutes the strength and authority that could be lobbying for and supporting our industry. We see many synergies with BACD and, collectively, we will have better communication, better understanding, better education, and a stronger, better-informed voice.'
Izania Downie, Eventia’s executive director, adds, 'I am thrilled and excited by the potential of the Eventia and BACD merger. We have already been developing close links with the BACD executive office team who have been providing an association management service to Eventia since April. There are now great opportunities to cement our relationship with the wider BACD membership and to create additional benefits and services for them and for the existing Eventia members.'
Eventia’s membership comprises UK and international event management companies, suppliers to the events industry, national tourism organisations, and affiliate and freelance members. Currently totalling over 270, the number will increase by 50 with the addition of the BACD membership. All members will receive extensive support from the merged organisation, along with a variety of networking opportunities, education options, social events, good practice guidance and benchmarks.
Contact
Website: www.bacd.biz
Website: www.eventia.org.uk
|
