More than 800 approved senior buyers in the event industry attended the 21st edition of the BNC Event Show on Wednesday 19th April at Central Hall Westminster. It was the third time the venue has hosted the BNC Show, which offers a day of discovery, education, fun, networking, good food and well-being to all event professionals attending.
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CHW’s in-house caterers, Green & Fortune, created a mouth-watering selection of complimentary meals, drinks and snacks throughout the day - all with an emphasis on health and well-being. The menu also reflected Green & Fortune’s and the venue’s values on food sustainability and minimal food waste, with ingredients sourced from their own farm or from sustainable, responsible farmers with as few food miles as possible. For example, their apple pie chia pudding contained responsibly sourced fallen apples and their rolled oat bircher was made with repurposed buttermilk and wonky fruit. Meanwhile, their dish of whole roast heritage carrots and beetroot with carrot leaf salsa and curried spelt was created with zero waste in mind, using the entire plant.
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The UK’s leading networking exhibition with over 100 exhibitor stands including conference and event venues, hotels, airlines, tourist attractions and museums, entertainment specialists, production companies, and technology experts, was held in Central Hall Westminster’s iconic Lecture Hall and Library with seminars in the Robert Perks Room. There was also a welcome chill-out space in the George Thomas Room.
As part of the BNC Show’s charity initiatives, complimentary exhibition stands were offered to voluntary organisations such as Cook For Good, Hospices of Hope and UK Supports Ukraine. Organisers collected kind donations of unopened hotel toiletries to pass on to homeless and hospital charities. Gifts are always a popular feature of the BNC Shows and included Uber cards and Stoneglow candles. Delegates also had the option of either donating to charity or planting a tree via the BNC Show’s partnership with non-profit organisation, Just One Tree.
Attendees benefited from a packed programme of seminars with inspirational and educational speakers including topics such as women leadership, event tech, impactful events on a budget, sustainable events without the fuss and how to find the right venue.
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Feedback from the show was hugely positive. Claire Lee, Managing Director of Venue Queen commented: “We always enjoy attending The BNC Show at Central Hall, Westminster. Very conveniently located, great number of venues to meet, catch up with. All in stunning surroundings that flows really well. Everywhere is always clearly signposted, very clean, with scrumptious food and drink served to you whilst talking to the exhibitors. It allows us to make best use of our time, in a few hours we can catch up with multiple venues, all in stunning surroundings. A showround whilst there is always a bonus as a refresher to what the venue can offer for events.”
BNC Show’s Directors Alec Mumford and Kim Paulden commented: “We were delighted to be back at Central Hall Westminster for the 21st BNC Show and a fantastic day was had by all. There is no doubt it has been a tough few years for the events industry, but its resilience is extraordinary and 2023 feels extremely positive – exemplified in the high numbers attending, the rooms were buzzing with lots of great networking, educational sessions and exchanges of ideas.”
Sarah Ainsworth, CEO of Central Hall Venues, which runs Central Hall Westminster, added: “It is wonderful to work with organisations which share our values of ethics, integrity and sustainability and we were so happy to be chosen to host this popular event for the third time. With all the networking, education, and inspiration, not to mention the array of delicious food from Green & Fortune, this was a truly memorable event for everyone.”
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The next BNC Show will be held on 20th September 2023 at the HAC London.