The Alliance of Independent Event Agencies consolidated future plans and strategies at the inaugural AGM and was brilliantly hosted by the Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham last Friday. What a great venue and what a great team in control!
Together we are stronger.
So what is the Alliance all about? It is a body embracing smaller, independent agencies from 1 – 20 employees. The core objectives are to promote the sharing of information, encourage greater education within our industry and to create a recognisable collective buying power. As smaller agencies in the UK we collectively represent a sizeable chunk of MICE business placed annually and having been there myself, I know what it is like to go it alone and not to have a support structure to turn to; I wish the AIEA had been around twenty years ago when Avenue was founded. By sharing information and experiences, we can mentor our fellow agents and hopefully make their forward journey more risk-averse and less time consuming. The Alliance also embraces the need to recognise and address any issues and trends in our industry that raise areas of concern. Our clients rely on our experience and our advice. By sharing pertinent information through the AIEA, whether good or bad, we can expand our knowledge and understanding of venues and services. We can also benefit by sharing contacts and destination experience. Another major benefit is the Alliance’s focus on education and covering off important topics via industry specific speakers, for example – the impending Data Protection laws that will affect the MICE industry.
You only get out of life what you put in and that also applies to the AIEA.
We work in a people business and sometimes that is easily overlooked with the ever-burgeoning effects of automation. We feel passionately about what we do, delivering personalised events for our clients. Every element of our client relationships involves collaboration, interaction and communication, and the Alliance will provide an enhanced network and the opportunity to increase knowledge. The AIEA is founded on and relies on member involvement and contribution; please come and join us.
If you are reading this and interested to learn more, you can do so via the information on this website www.aiea.co.uk or better still contact Nicola Miller at Lime Blue Solutions on: nicola@limebluesolutions.com and she will be able to tell you more on how you can become part of this alliance.
With thanks to Helene Kemsley of Avenue Events, an AIEA Member and holder of the inaugural AIEA Cup!