Event overview: The beam Annual Forum is one of the two flagship annual events run by one of the UK’s leading associations focused on business events, accommodation, and meetings sector.

The event is an opportunity for the association to bring together its members, provide updates on its activities, and facilitate educational and networking opportunities.

This year’s forum featured a range of panels and discussions covering topics such as collaboration, diversity and inclusion in events, the evolving nature of events and menopause in the workplace, which is currently a critical topic within the hospitality sector.

Event Set-up: The main plenary sessions across the two days were held in the Circle 3 and 4 rooms in The Blackpool Conference & Exhibition Centre, with extensive branding and AV production including a bespoke lighting scheme which complemented beam’s brand colours. A small exhibition, as part of the event, was held in the Foyer Lobby.

On the first evening, delegates were treated to an immersive Blackpool experience including private transfers on vintage trams from their hotels on the iconic Promenade to the Winter Gardens Blackpool for a gala dinner. The Strictly Come Dancing themed dinner was hosted in the striking Spanish Hall, with entertainment including an Opera singer and performances from ballroom dancers.

Earlier in the day, delegates joined a dance workshop with two professional ballroom dancers who guided them through some Latin dance steps. After dinner the delegates performed their dance and completed against each other to win a grand prize

Catering: Lunch on both days of the event featured a mix of traditional and innovative fare, including a fork buffet with lasagne and vegetarian options and grab and go bags for the second day.

The gala dinner displayed Blackpool’s culinary heritage, with locally sourced dishes including fish and chips with a twist and traditional seaside treats including Blackpool rock, ice cream, and candy floss for dessert.

Event support: The Winter Gardens Blackpool and Meet Blackpool teams provided excellent support to beam from initial conception to delivery of the event and beyond.

Before confirming Blackpool as the host for the event, the team were invited on a two-day site trip, where they had the opportunity to explore the Winter Gardens Blackpool, accommodation offering, transport options and the town from the eyes of a delegate.

In the lead up to the event, both the venue and destination team provided beam with several recommendations including hotels, transport, and suppliers.

The Verdict:

“The Winter Gardens Blackpool was the perfect location for our Annual Forum, offering two wildly different experiences under one roof, which was exactly what we wanted. The venue team were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process and alongside Meet Blackpool, were instrumental in bringing the event to the town.

Blackpool’s collaborative spirit is evident, and this aligns with our mantra of a collective and supportive industry, which is one of the key reasons for choosing the town to host our event. Blackpool is undergoing a huge transformation from new accommodation and venues, extensive improvements to its public transport network and attracting well-known brands to the town. It is great to see Blackpool returning to a thriving destination for both business and leisure.”

Julie Shorrock, Chair, beam