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“Looking back, I feel really proud of myself, as I would never normally say yes to presenting in front of large groups. I really enjoyed the whole process.” – Sagal Qodah, 2017 scholarship winner

Each year Millennium Point pay for the tuition fees of one young person to pursue a STEM related degree at Birmingham City University (BCU). This is part of the ongoing work of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in greater Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Sagal (Middle) collecting her award alongside 2015 winner Malik (left) and 2016 winner Abi (right)

MEET SAGAL

Sagal won the Millennium Point Scholarship (then called “The Young Innovator Prize”) in 2017, which funded her Civil Engineering course at BCU, and is currently working for Jacobs as a Graduate Geotechnical Engineer, having graduated in 2020 with a First Class Honours degree.

Sagal applied after hearing about the opportunity through her school; in fact, Sagal is the second pupil from Ark St Alban’s Academy in Highgate, Birmingham, to have received the scholarship, as a former pupil also received the funding from Millennium Point two years previously.

On why she chose BCU, Sagal says: “I liked the fact the university buildings were modern and had great laboratories to carry out experiments, compared to other universities. There were a variety of opportunities for me to develop, and, as a civil engineer, it was an exciting prospect to see the development of the city, along with the enabling works of HS2 over the three years of my course.”

Sagal with MPT Chairman, Simon Topman at the Live Final

SAGAL’S STORY

When asked why Sagal decided to apply, she says: “I did think about going abroad to study in Denmark at one point, but when I heard about the chance to have my tuition fees paid for and completely taken care of, it did make me rethink, and the financial assistance provided by the scholarship is the main reason I applied.

“The application process itself was easy and simple, and I was fortunate enough to have help from my careers advisor too, which made everything even smoother.”

While the 2021 final is a virtual one, Sagal reflects on her experience in 2017, when it was a live final in front of a panel of judges and audience of over 200 people: “It was nerve-wracking as I had never presented to or spoken in front of that many people before, and I did find it challenging beforehand when deciding what to include and how to structure my presentation, as well as preparing for any questions that I may have to answer. However, I had the encouragement and support from my friends and teachers which made the process and the evening itself less stressful.

“Looking back, I feel really proud of myself, as I would never normally say yes to presenting in front of large groups. I really enjoyed the whole process.”

Thinking about how the Millennium Point scholarship has benefited her, Sagal explains: “It has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and in turn, it has meant that my confidence has increased – something which was incredibly valuable to me as I was starting university not knowing anyone. Through the scholarship and support from Millennium Point, I’ve been able to increase my network, have been given access to industry events, and I’ve also been provided with help and guidance when needed.

“For anyone thinking about applying for the scholarship, I would advise making the most of the process and don’t doubt yourself, as anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

UNLOCK THEIR FUTURE

Millennium Point is helping young people across the region unlock their future. For more information on how to apply or get involved please, visit www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

Over the past few decades, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an important part of many businesses worldwide. Like many things, the coronavirus pandemic caused businesses to take a step back and question their purpose, value and impact. This in turn has increased the development of CSR initiatives, with more and more businesses feeling the pressure from employees and consumers to operate with a stronger social conscience. This blog will look at what CSR is and four reasons why you should care.

WHAT’S CSR?

In general terms, CSR is the responsibility of an organisation for the impacts of its decisions on society and the environment above and beyond its legal obligations, through transparent and ethical behaviour. Previously, CSR was more common among the biggest brands as a way of addressing the impact their practices had on the environment but over recent decades, it has become more commonplace due to factors such as shifting public interests in environmental and ethical issues and legal changes which have made some aspects of CSR compulsory.

A prominent local example of CSR in action is with Cadbury’s. George and Richard Cadbury created the model village of Bourneville for their workers in Southwest Birmingham. This was born out of their desire to create better working conditions and quality of life for their workers compared to squalid conditions that were common at the time. Today, Cadbury’s CSR has evolved into the Cadbury Foundation which delivers regular projects and donations to local communities.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Other than it being a nice way of giving back there are several reasons why CSR is important and if you don’t already think about it then you should.

CSR ATTRACTS TALENT

Having a strong CSR is a gateway to attracting fresh talent, passionate about working for you. With Millennials making up around half of the workforce and Generation Z taking their first strides, CSR has never been more of a hook for attracting fresh talent. One report suggests that 82% of millennials consider CSR efforts of an organisation when deciding where to work. It goes on to suggest that 70% are actually willing to take a pay cut to work for a company with strong social values. This trend is likely only to increase as more of Gen Z and beyond enter the workforce.

CSR CAN REDUCE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

On the same notion, companies who actively engage their people in CSR projects reduce their employee turnover by about half. This helps employees feel that their work has purpose beyond their role, serves as a source of motivation and raises morale. In turn, this equates to more job satisfaction which is a major factor in retaining your workforce.

CSR CAN INCREASE REVENUE

Companies who invest in a social purpose have 4-6% higher market value and 20% more revenue compared to those who don’t according to a study in 2015 reported by The Telegraph. As collective social consciousness soars, so does a cultural shift occur and the demand from consumers for more ethical practises and CSR from businesses. CSR raises your profile and makes your company more attractive to consumers and investors. We only need to look at the rise in ethically driven SMEs over the past few years to see this in effect. It also shows that consumers are willing to pay a bit extra when they know the products and business are ethically driven.

Similarly, in a B2B space, business’ and investors are more likely to choose businesses with strong CSR profiles for the simple fact that it increases their own. Many of our clients here at Millennium Point cite our strong commitment to investing our profits into STEM education projects and initiatives – more of which you can read about here.

CSR IS A GREAT BRAND TOOL

In the same article, The Telegraph reported that a quarter (25%) of a company’s market value is it’s reputation. Brand is an important part of any business and CSR is an excellent way of elevating it. CSR gives another layer of engagement with your customers, which means more touch points for you to grab their attention and get their buy-in. In fact, 76% of the general population believe business leaders should take a lead on social and environmental issues — that’s 76% of the population who you could be engaging with right now with your CSR projects.

Engagement aside, it raises the overall perception of your brand. Businesses who show that they are taking an active role in tackling environmental and social issues are seen as more respectable and more human. This legitimises your brand and leads to more recognition and brand loyalty.

MILLENNIUM POINT’S CSR

Profits from our commercial activity as a multi-award-winning venue and landmark public building are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. This investment approximates to around £5m annually on projects, events and initiatives which promote the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. That means a percentage of any event booking or ticket purchase you make goes towards improving education locally. Read more about some of the projects we have funded here.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON CSR

Get your free ticket to our own hybrid conference Talking Point: The Future of Events from 2pm – 4pm on Wednesday 26th May. This two-hour event consists of two panels that will examine the impact of the pandemic and what the next 12-18 months has in store for the events industry – topics include CSR, sustainability and current trends. You can join online or in-person to see how a hybrid event at Millennium Point works as well as join in a vital conversation around kickstarting the events and hospitality industry across the UK.

To reserve your ticket, or for further information, visit the dedicated page here.

Virtual events exploded onto the scene in 2020. What was largely a a niche format, almost overnight, became an essential platform as event professionals worldwide pivoted to virtual events in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. While events in the UK are set to make a return on 17th May, virtual events are not going anywhere soon, with many speculating that they are here to stay. As Millennium Point Events recently unveiled our own virtual events packages, this blog will give you a bit more insight into why going virtual could be the perfect solution for your event.

WHAT’S A VIRTUAL EVENT?

A virtual event occurs completely online, with attendees interacting in a virtual environment over the internet rather than meeting in a physical space. A virtual event could be anything from a business meeting to an awards ceremony, conference or showcase. They occur on a variety of platforms, from being broadcast on YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook Live to dedicated software platforms.

BENEFITS OF CHOOSING A VIRTUAL EVENT

It’s the safest option against Covid-19

This one is obvious but an incredibly important benefit. Hosting a virtual event means no physical attendance, therefore no concerns over managing large groups of people. It also eliminates concerns for delegates and attendees over their health and wellbeing. Similarly, hosting a virtual event means that it wont be affected by lockdowns or changing restrictions so therefore much less likely to be cancelled or postponed.

Even now with restrictions easing, we can’t predict what is round the corner – hosting a virtual event eliminates any uncertainties around the ebbs and flows of covid restrictions which is why many big brands, such as E3, are opting to remain virtual for the time being.

Linking entities. Network, networking, social media, internet communication abstract. A small network connected to a larger network. in paper linked together by cotton with a black tint

Increases your audience through accessibility

Despite what you may think, virtual events are actually likely to register higher participation figures than their in-person counterparts. The reason for this is simply because it’s more accessible. With an online event there are no travel times, attendees can drop in and out as they please, they don’t have to socialise and are not committed to staying for the full event. It’s also more accessible and inclusive, allowing people with personal or logistical challenges to be included. Lastly, a virtual event eliminates geographical barriers which means people around the world can now access your event increasing the reach significantly. In short, hosting a virtual event is a lot more flexible, convenient and accessible for attendees compared to a physical event, which widens appeal and opens up a larger audience.

Male hand putting money coin stack growing business, saving money concept.

Reduced expenses

Virtual events are generally more cost efficient than physical events. In most cases, you have no operational costs or overheads such as venue hire, staff and catering. In other cases, such as a virtual award ceremony, you might need a studio space prior to film some content but while there will be some overheads these will be considerably less. Similarly, there will be no travel costs for your attendees and participants, which in turn lead to a more appealing event.

Behaviour Analytics

Being 100% online gives you the opportunity to track, capture and make the most of attendee data in ways that would be more difficult to achieve in a physical event. Virtual platforms offer deep data analytics such as attendees, views, reactions, engagement, drop offs during the event – all of this type of data allows you to determine your users interest and behaviour during your events and after. These analytics can also be used as a hook for prospective attendees, sponsors and partners who can use the data to find who requires follow-up after the event based on their interactions.

More value for exhibitors and sponsors

In 2020, reports found that exhibitors and sponsors felt they gained more value out of virtual events. As mentioned above, virtual events tend to have more attendees and deeper analytics. Exhibitors/Sponsors can connect with participants virtually at any time, showcase & promote their services through virtual social communities, and no longer worry about empty event booths at the physical venue. Less of travels, more of valuable, effective interactions.

Feed your pipeline

All of the content can be recorded – from the action on screen to the live chat. Compared to a physical event this gives you a lot more opportunity to feed your marketing pipeline after the event. You can break the recording into bitesize segments for social media, share the full event and capture new audience members and you can also use it as an example when pitching to new sponsors to give them an idea of what to expect.

HOW TO HOST YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT

We hope this has given you a lot to think about when planning your next event. Whether you’ve planned a virtual event before or not, it’s easy to get started.

Here at Millennium Point, we have both virtual and hybrid event packages available that are both affordable and top quality. Start exploring how adding a virtual element to your event can benefit you today by getting in touch with our multi-award winning events team.

WATCH A HYBRID EVENT IN ACTION

Get your free ticket to our own hybrid conference Talking Point: The Future of Events from 2pm – 4pm on Wednesday 26th May. This two-hour event consists of two panels that will examine what the next 12-18 months has in store for the events industry. You can join online or in-person to see how a hybrid event at Millennium Point works as well as join in a vital conversation around kickstarting the events and hospitality industry across the UK.

To reserve your ticket, or for further information, visit the dedicated page here.

Every year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grants programme gives out grants of up to £20,000 to support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects in the West Midlands. Applications are now open for 2021.

Here is one of the many projects that the programme has funded in 2020.

Who’s running the project?
South Bromsgrove High School is a co-educational, secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

What’s it all about?
The initiative funded by the grant forms part of a much wider international project, based in The Netherlands, called HiSPARC.

It is a network of cosmic ray detectors situated in schools and universities that feed their data into a public database, allowing students to analyse it and carry out original research. They can start with a simple task, which might be looking at the variation between night and day or winter and summer, then progress to more complex investigations including identifying sources of the cosmic rays somewhere out there in space.

Atmospheric conditions are a factor in the number of cosmic rays hitting the detectors, so the automatic weather station which the grant will fund will extend the scope of the school’s investigations as well as those of other students in Britain and The Netherlands that use HiSPARC. In addition, each project completed can be submitted for a CREST Award at Bronze, Silver or Gold, depending on the level of challenge as certification for their contribution to scientific research.

The remainder of the grant will ensure that more staff at South Bromsgrove High School can also be trained to lead groups of students to help build capacity and expertise on this project.

Who will benefit?
At least a dozen students will be involved from Years 10 and 11. The aim is to keep the programme rolling so that over time more students will have the chance to learn about cosmic rays, the scientific process and handling data.

What they said:
Steve Clark, Career Lead and Assistant Head of Science, said: “This is a project that has really grown at South Bromsgrove High School. It started off as one student joining as part of a summer school run by the University of Birmingham and as it was relatively easy to join and accessible from any computer with internet access, we decided that it was worth pursuing. We first installed our own detector and now with the support from Millennium Point Charitable Trust the project will evolve into something even bigger and for generations to come.

“STEM subjects are a key component of the curriculum here. Our science department is very successful, having four students leave in 2020 to take up science subjects at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Space topics always stimulate interest and don’t have an inherent gender bias either, so we hope to encourage as many students to take part and look forward to unveiling our new weather station enhancing the project even further.”

When’s it all happening?
During 2021 but then ongoing.

About educational grant funding from Millennium Point
Educators, Charities and Not-for-Profits within the West Midlands Combined Authority can apply for up to £20,000 from Millennium Point to fund their STEM activity. For more information on how to access this funding please visit www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/grants

Hybrid events are becoming an increasingly attractive spin on traditional events. Outside of the benefits during the current pandemic, there is also a lot to be said about how they can enhance your event and return on investment. As we launch our own hybrid event packages, this blog will give you a bit more insight into why you should consider making your next event a hybrid event.

What’s a Hybrid Event?

Hybrid events allow people to attend an event in person AND online. This allows for greater audience numbers as additional attendees can join virtually and enjoy the same content as the physical attendees. Hybrid events allow the same interaction within an event such as Q&A, whether your watching in person or virtually.

Benefits of choosing a hybrid event

It Makes Your Event More Resilient to Covid-19

Getting the obvious point out of the way, a hybrid event helps you to navigate the restrictions of the pandemic significantly. It means you can have reduced physical capacity compliant with social distancing and safety measures without losing out on your potential audience – because you can make up for it with online attendance.

It also means you’re not losing attendees who don’t feel comfortable turning up to a physical event because they can still join online from the safety of their own home.

Lastly, your event is more resilient to cancellation because you would already have a virtual element. This means that you can quickly and easily move the physical elements online with minimal impact on the overall scope of your event.

Increased Reach & Attendance

Hybrid events allow you to increase your reach and gain more attendees in several ways. Firstly, it allows people who otherwise could not travel to your event to attend. It makes it more accessible to people with disabilities who may have had challenges attending in person. It also allows people to duck in and out at their convenience, which makes it more appealing to attend rather than just outright needing to commit for the whole event.

Additionally, there will always be people who want to come but can’t for one reason or another. This negates that problem by not only letting them attend live online but catch up with it after the fact. This latter point also means you can reach new audiences even after your event has passed by posting it online, it also gives audiences a flavour of what kind of events you run when promoting your next one.

With a hybrid event, you lower the barrier to entry for both demographics – those who want to attend but can’t, those who are unsure if it’s worth their time, and those who initially miss the event.

Higher Engagement With Your Audiences

Adding a virtual element to your live event opens up more engagement opportunities than would be possible at a strictly physical event. Virtual audiences can actively participate on their devices, from liking and sharing the stream to participating in Q&As, activities or conducting live polls.

Improved Return on Investment

Hybrid events offer an increased return on investment due to the increased reach and scalability of your event. With an online element, you’re likely getting more attendance and more views of your content. An enormous benefit comes from the data and the insights it shows.

Beyond doing simply a headcount, you know the participation numbers, plus how they engaged and when they dropped out of the session. You also gain information on your attendees’ interests through matchmaking data and session participation, which can help you improve your optimise the content of future events.

Lastly, this makes sponsorship a lot more attractive because you have tangible metrics for your sponsors and a wider platform for them to promote their business via online engagement.

How to host your hybrid event

We hope this has given you a lot to think about when planning your next event. Whether you’ve planned a hybrid event before or not, it’s easy to get started.

Here at Millennium Point, we have a hybrid event package that is both affordable and top quality. Start exploring how choosing a hybrid event can benefit you today by getting in touch with our multi-award winning events team.

Watch a Hybrid Event in Action

Get your free ticket to our own hybrid conference Talking Point: The Future of Events from 2pm – 4pm on Wednesday 26th May. This two-hour event consists of two panels that will examine what the next 12-18 months has in store for the events industry. You can join online or in-person to see how a hybrid event at Millennium Point works as well as join in a vital conversation around kickstarting the events and hospitality industry across the UK.

To reserve your ticket, or for further information, visit the dedicated page here.

We are proud to announce our first hybrid conference – Talking Point: The Future of Events. This two-hour hybrid conference covers the roadmap to recovery for the events industry and coincides with the relaunch of our multi-award winning events businesses.

Fourteen months ago the events and hospitality industry in the UK was forced to close due to Covid-19. Now with the industry reopening, venues, booking agents and customers have a lot to consider on the road to recovery.

Talking Point: The Future of Events runs from 2pm – 4pm on Wednesday 26th May. It consists of two panels that will examine what the next 12-18 months has in store for the events industry. Topics covered will include the latest trends, the rise of hybrid and virtual conference solutions, the importance of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and what the roadmap to recovery will be for events and hospitality.

This will be an opportunity for agents, event bookers and professionals to see how a hybrid event at Millennium Point works as well join in a vital conversation around kickstarting the events and hospitality industry across the UK.

The panels comprise local leaders across key industries including Chris Peacock, Co-Founder of Conference; Michael Anderson, Director of Projects at West Midlands Metro and Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Solutions – with more to be announced over the coming weeks.

Rebecca Delmore, Commercial Director and Victoria Webb, Sales Manager both at Millennium Point, will also join the panels to give insight into the current position of being an events and conference venue.

This event will be hosted live from our newly refurbished 354 seat Auditorium and is available to attend online and in limited numbers in person at Millennium Point. This will be the first glimpse at our Auditorium since it’s refurbishment in spring this year with brand new features which include a larger stage and inmproved lighting and AV technology.

This event is free to attend both online and in person. The event will be broadcast live across our digital channels and will be available for replay on our Youtube following it’s conclusion.

To reserve your ticket, or for further information, visit the dedicated page here.

We’re delighted to announce the panel of judges for this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship competition. The panel consists of professionals influential in their respective fields from a broad range of STEM industries.

The distinguished judging panel, which will be headed by Millennium Point CEO Abbie Vlahakis, also features:

Professor Hanifa Shah – Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University
Kari Lawler – Founder at Youth4Code and Youth4AI
Mike Ridler – Head of Business Development and Education at Learn by Design
Sam Gibbs – CEO at IT specialists 81G

The calibre of finalists for this year’s scholarship is impressive as ever, so it’s only right that the quality of our judging panel is equal to it. This is a phenomenal opportunity for all five students – not just the winner of the life-changing scholarship, but the advice and support they all receive from the Trust, both before and after the final.

What’s the Millennium Point Scholarship?

Now in its seventh year, the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship has already funded six inspiring young people from the region through their degrees at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. Previous winners of the scholarship include Sagal Qodah in 2017, who has since gone on to graduate with a First Class Honours degree in Civil Engineering and has now landed a dream graduate role at Jacobs.

How will a winner be chosen?

The panel will assess our five Scholarship finalists for 2021, who will be announced later this month. The assessment includes a formal presentation and an informal interview about the finalist and their motivation to win the scholarship. While the assessment will take place behind closed doors as a precaution against covid-19, the results will be announced in a closed ceremony which will be broadcast from our multi-award-winning venue on Friday 26th May.

The Livestream will be announced in the coming weeks and will be available to view across our digital channels. For more information on the Scholarship competition, visit www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship

Image (L – R): Professor Hanifa Shah, Executive Dean of the BCUCEBE, Abigail Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, Shennice Talburt, Scholarship Winner 2020, Prof. Nick Morton, Head of the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at the Scholarship Live Final in 2020.

Maximise the reach and impact of your next event with a hybrid or virtual package, now available from our multi-award-winning venue.

With four available to choose from, our hybrid and virtual event packages give you and your event greater flexibility and impact – making them an ideal choice for your big come back once events are allowed from 17th May.

Packages available are:

Package 1: HD Video Conferencing from £250
Package 2: Studio Package (On Demand Recording) from £1200
Package 3: Studio Package (Live Stream) from £1500
Package 4: Auditorium Hybrid Conference (Live Stream) from £1750

Further details and demonstrations can be found on our dedicated page.

Virtual Event at Millennium Point. Jade & JP Acoustic Duo.

What’s a virtual event?

Virtual events are 100% online with no physical presence at the event. For example, this could be an online conference, presentation or webinar, where attendees watch via an online platform such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Setting up for a Hybrid Event in the Auditorium at Millennium Point

What’s a hybrid event?

Hybrid events are slightly different to Virtual events, they combine physical attendance with an online presence. This allows for greater audience numbers as additional attendees can join virtually and enjoy the same content as the physical attendees. Hybrid events allow the same interaction within an event such as Q&A, whether your watching in person or virtually.

Virtual Event. The Wolfpack Howlers Charity stream live from Millennium Point’s Studio.

Why choose one of these packages?

Virtual and Hybrid conference solutions are incredibly attractive in 2021. Pandemic aside, they offer greater flexibility to your event by minimising issues such as travel and accessibility due to being available remotely. They’re also less affected by local or global events, so less risk of postponing or cancelling your event.

You will reach a wider online audience. This not only gives your event more gravitas but gives you access to more data and insights, which helps grow your business and keep stakeholders happy. Lastly, this makes sponsorship more lucrative and therefore your event more attractive to sponsors or investors.

Explore our hybrid and virtual conference solutions today and see how we can help you make a big come back to events.

Here is one of the many projects that the programme has funded in 2020.

Who’s running the project?
The project is run by Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School who is the third oldest school in the West Midlands and one of the leading state schools in the country, offering education to boys in year 7-11, with a co-educational sixth form. The school aims to become an educational hub offering resources to other schools and communities within the area.

What’s it all about?
The school’s new timekeeping project is aimed at Key Stage Three pupils, specifically those in year 8, with a focus on students designing and making their own working clocks, using the new laser cutter the grant will help buy.

STEM plays a massive part in the school’s culture, including a specialist STEM block that opened in 2017 and science A-Levels the most popular in terms of uptake. This latest project’s aim is to raise skill levels and give students access to areas of DT (Design Technology) they would not normally cover in lesson time. Interest and uptake in the project is expected to be high, so the school has scheduled to run the project twice during the academic year.

The funding will also allow the school to support outreach work with local primaries, which will develop Key Stage Two pupils and give them access to cutting edge technology, inspiring them to consider a future in STEM.

Who will benefit?
As many Year 8 students as possible, depending on the uptake and practicalities of the sessions and bubble timetables. The sessions will be with groups of a maximum of 20 students.

What they said:
Mrs Skye Bowen, Head of Design Technology, commented: “This is an interesting application of the capacity of the laser cutter; it gives the students a physical and working product at the end, and exposes them to CAD and CAM processes. It’s also outside of the realms of projects they might undertake within the confines of the curriculum.

“We have focused on Key Stage Three because due to curriculum restrictions our pupils do not have as much exposure to the practical elements of Design Technology as we would like. Ultimately, it’s our aim to encourage greater numbers of pupils opting for Design Technology as a GCSE subject; we then aim to put on A-level courses in the near future, to support the design and engineering careers.”

Recently we talked about how environmental sustainability has been gaining significant traction in-light of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, with a tentative date for conferencing and events to make a return, many event bookers are starting to consider ways in which they can ensure their events are more considerate of the environment. We’ve checked in with our multi-award winning events team as they’re gearing up to re-open to bring you three ways to make your event more environmentally friendly.

Make it a hybrid event

A hybrid event combines a physical event with an online presence through live streaming and virtual conferencing technology. This allows for an online audience as well as a physical one, eliminating capacity issues and increases the reach and engagement of your event. Other benefits to a hybrid event include being more accessible to vulnerable people, or those restricted by location or transport; greater flexibility and security from cancellation caused by local disruption; and valuable data and metrics that give a deeper insight into your event.

Hybrid events go a long way to reducing an events carbon footprint. With people accessing online, it reduces carbon emissions that would have been generated from travel; it also reduces the energy and water consumption required and cuts down on wasted food and products venues will have leftover from the event. Outside of the event itself, you would also be reducing the carbon footprint of attendees who may have had to travel and stay in a hotel by giving them the option to attend virtually.

Sustainable food and drink

Adopt sustainable food and beverage practices when providing for your attendees. Examples of this can be vegetarian and vegan meal options and locally and ethically sourced produce that support the local economy, and managing food waste rather than simply binning it. These practices not only help the environment but also provide more choice and for your guests, allowing them more opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint and feel good about themselves and by extension creating a more positive event experience. Having these practices may also increase engagement from your audience, reducing any concerns they have over their carbon footprint and making your event more attractive to attend.

Most venues, like Millennium Point, should have their own supply chains for sustainable food and drink should you wish to go through them rather than source your own.

Use recyclable and environmentally sustainable materials

Complimentary to your sustainable food and beverages, you can also look at switching to more recyclable and environmentally friendly materials for use at your events. This can be anything from using paper or canvas bags to hand out to attendees to using paper plates, paper straws and wooden cutlery and serving drinks in biodegradable cups. Similarly, ensure that these items are recycled properly after the event rather than binned through dedicated recycle bins or recycle “stations” set up throughout the event.

Switching to recyclable and environmentally sustainable materials save on waste products, energy and water consumption (from cleaning). Like we mentioned above, they are also a great way of visually demonstrating your commitment to the environment to your attendees. Their event experience may also be improved knowing that both you and they are taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint.

Start planning your next environmentally sustainable event at Millennium Point

Our multi-award winning venue is located in the eastside of Birmingham city centre. We have seventeen versatile indoor and outdoor conference and event spaces from intimate meeting rooms to a large 354-seat auditorium with a giant screen. We offer hybrid and virtual conference solutions with seamless HD live streaming and advanced audio and visual technology. We are proud to be an ECOsmart venue for the measures we are taking to be environmentally sustainable. Speak to one of our highly trained and friendly events team, with over 40 years of combined experience, about planing your next environmentally sustainable event or conference at Millennium Point.