Events Archives - Page 12 of 19

There’s only a few days remaining before we bring together a panel of experts to debate the future of events in a post lockdown world.

Talking Point: The Future of Events is a free, two-hour hybrid conference taking place both online and in person at Millennium Point’s newly refurbished Auditorium on Wednesday 26^th May, from 2pm – 4pm.

The conference will feature perspectives from across the sector, as well as provide valuable insights and a platform to debate the road to recovery, current trends, sustainability, and the impact of Covid-19 on customers’ relationships to events and hospitality. It will also give the public a first look at our auditorium since it’s £350,000 refurbishment which now features a larger stage, lighting and enhanced AV technology alongside the launch of our hybrid and virtual packages.

The first panel, Events & Hospitality: Roadmap to Recovery (2pm-3pm), will discuss key trends, innovations and roadblocks to consider over the next 18 months. Panellists include Rebecca Delmore, Commercial Director at Millennium Point alongside Chris Peacock, Head of Events at Conference Care, Jo Parkin, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Alpro and Paul Colston, Managing Editor of the International Portfolio at Mash Media (Exhibition World and Conference & Meetings World), and Holly Andrews, Head of Producers at DRP Group.

During the second panel, Going Green: The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (3pm-4pm), guests will hear a range of views on the growing demand for sustainable events, the challenges and opportunities of hybrid events and the impact of green initiatives such as clean air zones. Panellists include Victoria Webb, Sales Manager at Millennium Point, Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Solutions, Anne Shaw, and Chris Peacock, Head of Events at Conference Care.

We’ve reached a pivotal moment for the events industry, as venues are finally able to reopen, and the government’s pilot events for larger audiences are underway.

Our conference will provide the opportunity for guests from across the events sector to come together, both in person and virtually, to share insight on the challenges and opportunities that lie in store over the year ahead. We’ve had a fantastic response so far and we’re looking forward to what promises to be a lively and engaging series of debates.

Tickets to Talking Point: The Future of Events are free and available for either physical attendance or viewing online via a live stream. To find out more and book tickets, visit www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/talking-point/.

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.

Neil Thompson, Founder and Managing Director of The Delegate Wranglers will be the host of Talking Point: The Future of Events.

With just under 4 weeks to go until Talking Point: The Future of Events, we are delighted to announce that Neil Thompson, Founder and Managing Director of The Delegate Wranglers, will lead the discussions at Millennium Point’s critical hybrid conference examining the events and hospitality industry’s road to recovery over the next 12 – 18 months. We are excited to see what unique insights Neil brings to the discussions over the two panels with his more than 22 years experience in events and hospitality industry, having organised and managed events across the globe.

He founded The Delegate Wranglers Facebook group in 2014, which brings together professional conference organisers and events industry suppliers. The Delegate Wranglers has become a platform where more than 21,000 members worldwide share information, ask questions, advertise industry positions and services and provide advice and support.

Neil comments: “The pandemic has hit our industry hard and we’ve lost a lot of good people and businesses over the past 12 months. I’m thrilled to be heading up Talking Point, which is going to give event professionals and bookers meaningful insight into into important topics such as the latest trends, consumer attitudes and current obstacles we face in the immediate future of our industry with.”

Get your free ticket to Talking Point: The Future of Events

Talking Point: The Future of Events runs from 2pm – 4pm on Wednesday 26th May. It’s two panels will cover vital topics relevant to the industry including 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.

The panels comprise local leaders across key industries including Chris Peacock, Co-Founder of Conference Care; 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 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As the festive period fast approaches, somewhat in unusual circumstances, things wouldn’t be the same without watching a Christmas classic. We’ve put together six Christmas films that you need to watch this Christmas. So what are you waiting for, sit back, open the chocolates and enjoy some cinematic festivity.

6. THE POLAR EXPRESSAt six we have Robert Zemeckis’s animated classic The Polar Express. The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve who embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on The Polar Express to meet Santa Clause. The boy’s journey is a memorable one and shows the ways of friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.

Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, who was also one of the film’s executive producers, in multiple distinct roles, with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett and Eddie Deezen in supporting roles.

5. THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROLNumber five brings us to another festive classic, where Michael Caine stars in the 1992 hit, The Muppet Christmas Carol. The film is a retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his dastardly ways. Come Christmas Eve night though that begins to take a different shape as he is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future.

Featuring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit The Frog as Bob Cratchit and The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens.

4. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

At four, we have the 1946 classic It’s A Wonderful Life. The story tells of a young George Bailey, overwhelmed by family obligations and a sense of responsibility toward his community. As George increasingly becomes more unhappy, he thinks about ending it all until his life takes a positive step when he meets his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence goes on to show George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds over the years.

Featuring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers.

3. DIE HARDOur film choice at number three brings us to LA on Christmas Eve for the action hit Die Hard. Bruce Willis plays NYPD cop John McClane who sets off on a Christmas vacation to visit his wife Holly who works for the Nakatomi Corporation. The couple head to the Nakatomi headquarters for a Christmas party where things start to take a turn for the worst. A group of robbers led by Hans Gruber take control of the building and hold everyone hostage, with the exception of John. With no immediate police response, John embarks on a mission with the lives of the hostages in his hands.

Featuring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson and Paul Gleason.

2. ELFIt wouldn’t be Christmas without watching Will Ferrell’s great performance as Buddy, in the Christmas hit, Elf. The film begins 30 years prior to the films events. A baby crawls into Santa’s sack and ends up at the North Pole. The baby grows up to be named Buddy and is raised by a group elves. After believing he was part of the elf family, buddy discovers the truth about his birth farther Walter Hobbs and heads to New York to track him down. Buddy soon experiences human culture and when Walter’s relationship with Buddy interferes with his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities.

Featuring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart and Edward Asner.

1. HOME ALONESo we finally get down to number one and how could we forget about Kevin McCallister fending off the troublesome duo of Harry and Marv in Home Alone. As Christmas time arrives the McCallister family set off for their vacation trip to Paris. As the family embark on a mad rush to the airport they completely forget about Kevin who is left at home. Kevin soon realises the situation and starts to enjoy having the house all to himself. As Christmas Eve arrives, Kevin soon learns the danger he is in as two burglers Harry and Marv attempt to break into the McCallister’s home. Kevin acts quickly by wiring up well designed booby traps in order to bring the burglers to justice.

Featuring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Roberts Blossom.

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. 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.

On Wednesday 9^th December our award-winning venue Millennium Point hosted an exclusive audience with two of the candidates for Mayor of the West Midlands. Our Level 4 Auditorium space welcomed Mayor Andy Street and Liam Byrne MP, where they were interviewed by Simon Topman (Chairman of Millennium Point).

How The Event Was Presented
The event was lived-streamed to the Millennium Point YouTube channel and was hosted by The Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity. Each mayoral candidate discussed their vision for Birmingham, giving us an insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the region. The event also offered the opportunity for audience members to send in questions for both mayoral candidates. These were read out by Simon Topman, with Andy and Liam giving their responses.The Interviews
Andy Street was the first interview and he discussed some prevalent topics including job opportunities in the construction industry, more leisure potential in Birmingham, addressing industry skill gaps in the region and the road ahead for the hospitality industry recovery, including the need for larger grants.

Once Andy Street had concluded his vision for Birmingham, Liam Byrne was next to discuss his with Simon. Liam discussed a number of topics including building new careers for young people in the region, green manufacturing to support local organisations, building new cancel homes and putting an end to hunger and homelessness.If you missed the event last week or would like to watch any of the discussions again you can access all the content by clicking the button below.

Live Streaming at Millennium Point
Our Events team worked hard behind the scenes to set up this live stream and make sure everything was delivered successfully. There was a number of features included on the live stream including on screen graphics, switching of different camera angles and an introduction video by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham’s Charity. Below you can see some different shots of the set up.We are delighted to announce this package is now available for you to add to your events package. Our award-winning venue prides itself on being forward thinking and always looking ahead for new and exciting ways to enhance our clients event experience. This package offers a professional and affordable live streaming service designed to ensure that your delegates can enjoy your event wherever they are.

If this is something you are interested in then don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Events team today on 0121 202 2200 or email events@millenniumpoint.org.uk.