TTGmice's weekly round-up of MICE developments outside of Asia-Pacific.
P&J Live, Aberdeen opens for business
Scotland’s newest 48,000m2 state-of-the-art arena in Aberdeen, the P&J Live, has opened its doors to guests and event planners.
Developed by Aberdeen City Council and development partner Henry Boots Developments, P&J Live’s main arena can seat more than 10,000 people (with maximum capacity exceeding 16,000) and includes the exclusive 50-pax Show Deck and 16 luxurious private hospitality suites.
For dining events, planners are supported by a 150-seat restaurant and an in-house catering coffee shop. The venue also houses a VIP lounge, seven conference spaces, 2,000m2 exhibition halls – each with a seated capacity of 1,700 – and 11 meeting rooms.
There are also three on-site hotels, as well as 2,400 car park slots.
The £333 million (US$411 million) event complex has a naming rights partnership with DC Thomson Media, the owner of The Press and Journal regional newspaper.
Somerset House offers 24/7 exhibition as add-on to corporate events
Somerset House is combining its artistic and corporate offering, by allowing event planners who hold functions at the central London venue, to have private views, curated talks, and tours of its exhibition 24/7.
The 24/7 exhibition offers over 50 multidisciplinary works and explores how people can reset the natural rhythms of life – work, leisure, rest and sleep – through the work of international artists, designers, scientists and thinkers.
In addition to private tours and viewings, Somerset House can work with event planners to bring 24/7-related content into the corporate event programme and to allow delegate engagement with resident artists.
This offer is available between October 31, 2019 and February 23, 2020.
Washington DC plays up unique venues for business events
Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organisation for Washington, DC, is rolling out the Connected Campus initiative as part of its next-phase sales efforts, which shows planners how to use non-traditional spaces within three blocks of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to create a diversified meeting layout.
“Our Connected Campus initiatives is an opportunity for us to showcase how attendees can utilise unique spaces near the convention centre to accommodate larger groups and compete against cities boasting more spacious convention centers,” said Melissa Riley, vice president of convention sales and services at DDC.
Non-traditional venues such as the United Methodist Church have bookable meeting space that showcases the authentic DC.
The Connected Campus initiative will be launched at the 2020 PCMA Convening Leaders from January 5-8, 2020.
In 2020, DC will welcome 20 citywide conventions and special events (2,500 room nights on peak and above), generating 466,713 total room nights and an estimated economic impact of US$360 million.
