Event professionals have described MEET South West – the region’s only trade show dedicated to their industry – as an invaluable opportunity to learn, connect and network.
The show, which took place in Bristol two weeks ago, brought together more than 350 people from all parts of the sector for a full day of learning about new trends, connecting with new venues and suppliers, and networking with movers and shakers from the across the industry. 
Registrations for the second annual MEET South West were 31% up on the inaugural event last year with more than 60 businesses from across the region taking part in the exhibition.
There was also a packed programme of practical workshops – 10 hours of tailored educational content in total to help organisers deliver more engaging events – led by industry experts and inspiring presentations on a range of topics essential to everyone in the South West’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry.
With the industry across the UK worth an estimated £40bn, keeping up to date and being able to demonstrate the value of events is essential for planners.
Sessions included:
● Top trends for 2020 (including event tech)
● Delivering sustainable events
● Using events as a marketing tool
● Strategies for remaining calm when under pressure 
● Marketing your event online and offline with LinkedIn
● Engaging stakeholders to drive event registrations
● Engaging and secure event sponsors
MEET South West, which was staged at the Mercure Bristol Grand, also showcased entertainment curated to spark further conversations and highlight the breadth of talent available in the region to enhance events.
Meet Bristol convention bureau manager Amy Bramhall said of the event: “MEET South West is a perfect example of achieving success through collaboration. The event brought together top event professionals and suppliers throughout the region to facilitate networking and knowledge exchange.”
MEET South West was produced by a trio of West of England event professionals – Franco de la Croix-Vaubois, founder of the Event Organisers Network; Thomas Heiser, managing director of Focal Point Event Management and corporate events manager Paola Davis.
Thomas said: “The show has evolved. We listened to our delegates from last year, offering a show with more diverse content and exhibitors.
“The venue/supplier ratio at the exhibition was equally split, as was representation from destination marketing organisations (DMOs) within the South West. This gave the delegates the opportunity to discover the fantastic MICE offering we have across the region.”
MEET South West was also strong on regional collaboration with many of the South West’s key suppliers and agencies coming together as show partners show partners to make it happen, including:
Alliance Partners: Meet Bristol, Visit Bath, VisitWiltshire and the Event Organisers Network. Delivery Partners: Mercure Hoteles, Evans Audio Visual, Floating Harbour Films, Event Reference, EventsCase, Glisser, Colour Studios and Jon Craig Photography
Entertainment: Trevor George Entertainment
Travel Partners: GWR and Bristol Airport
Swindon Business News and its sister titles Bath Business News and Bristol Business News were again MEET South West’s regional media partner.
