Major Events International (MEI), a membership and community body for sporting, festival and cultural event organisers, returned to Destination Emirates Old Trafford once again in 2024, for The Events Summit 2024.
The event convened over 320 delegates and comprised of a symposium for MEI members on day one, followed by the main conference and exhibition event on day two. In the evening of the main event, Major Events International also put on a gala awards dinner for all attendees.
The return to Emirates Old Trafford marked the venues 4th successful hosting of the event; with every aspect held within the Destination Emirates Old Trafford meeting and event facility. The Summit was attended by delegates from across the events industry with over 90 buying organisations, 140 expert suppliers, 45 sponsors and exhibitors in attendance. The complexity of the event, the international nature of it, and its affinity with events, has made Emirates Old Trafford an irresistible host partner, and one which the organisers have worked collaboratively with in the story telling of the event.
“We were delighted to return to Emirates Old Trafford for The Events Summit 2024, it’s a place the event now calls home and has grown around us to accommodate everything we need,” commented Andy Rice, COO, Major Events International. “We had a great experience last year and grew into 2024. Fortunately, the new 100 bedrooms, the spaces, and their integration with our favourite, The Point all gave us the space we needed to grow comfortably, and still deliver an unforgettable experience.”
The evening reception took place at the newly launched Hilton Garden Inn Hotel extension with its contemporary and relaxing space, The Edge, providing an ideal setting with pitch views for delegates arriving the night before. Many took advantage of the on-site hotel, a short walk away from The Edge, and an equally short distance, the morning after, to The Point, where the main event was held.
The Point is one of the most sought-after event spaces within Emirates Old Trafford, comprising of an independent welcome and registration area, where The Events Summit used state of the art badging technology by FieldDrive. The venue was then divided up into three areas: a central exhibition and catering hall, with the two main conference spaces on either side. A third conference space was situated in the venue’s 1864 space.
The conference rooms provided the space, technological capability, and room flexibility that enabled MEI to produce high quality conference set ups, with a combination of natural light, and high-quality digital effects, and on-screen presentations. Meanwhile, the central exhibition area provided a networking and business space, with catering that offered a mixture of local flavours, light options and old favourites.
The Gala Awards Dinner took place later in the evening, following a swift turn around which saw the conference rooms and exhibiting spaces all combine into one visually stunning evening experience.
“It’s a cliché to talk about venue flexibility but this really is something we need with this event, and one that Emirates Old Trafford provides,” concludes Andy. “We use multiple spaces, in different areas of the ground, from The Point to the hotel. But we also flip the rooms from day to evening. This requires agility from the staff, as well as the space. It’s a great venue to work in.”
MEI’s, The Events Summit will return in 2025 in November and will expect growth again. This is an event with a clear message to its community, and a heavily engaged delegation.
Interested in hosting your event at Emirates Old Trafford?
Interested in learning more about how Destination Emirates Old Trafford can elevate your next event? Contact us today to explore our facilities and start planning your unforgettable event experience.