Best Association Event
British Insurance Brokers’ Association, The BIBA Conference 2024
The BIBA Conference is an annual B2B event held over two days that is now in its 47th year. The show brings together brokers and insurers to network and do business. We have held the event at MCCC continuously since 2014 and use the whole venue including the full 10,000 square metres of Central Halls 1&2 for our Exhibition. There is a full agenda of Keynotes, Seminars and Fringe sessions plus breakout rooms, exhibitor hosted meeting rooms, a Cyber Hub and a Wellness Zone. The show continues to grows year on year and is now the largest insurance exhibition in Europe. Our 2024 event saw record attendee numbers and a sold out Exhibition Hall with 9600 attendees networking and doing business with over 230 exhibitors.
As a membership association, BIBA is committed to delivering exceptional value to its members. The Conference provides unrivalled access to industry leaders, expert insights, and exclusive networking opportunities. Members enjoy complimentary entry, granting them two days of education, inspiration, and direct access to over 230 exhibitors. It is a unique platform to forge new business relationships and secure deals through our dedicated schemes and facility providers – opportunities simply unavailable elsewhere.
British Ports Association, British Ports Association Conference 2024
Freshwater worked with Portsmouth International Port (PIP) and the British Ports Association (BPA) team to transform the Port’s new passenger terminal into a venue to host the 2024 BPA Annual Conference and Exhibition. A sold-out, two-day conference programme was supplemented by three high-profile social events held at the city’s Historic Dockyard, including the 2024 BPA Awards and Gala Dinner.
The daytime programme included a trade exhibition featuring 41 international exhibitors over two levels, three sponsored ‘Insight Hub’ sessions, a port machinery showcase and a dedicated ‘surgery’ provided by the Maritime Management Organisation. Innovative event catering featured locally-sourced street food, coffee and pastries.
Freshwater handled all pre-event management and was responsible for managing delegate, sponsorship and exhibition sales to ensure the event was delivered on a ‘cost neutral’ basis. The event team worked with the BPA and PIP to introduce several sustainability features, finalise the speaker programme and execute the promotional programme, while managing all pre-event communications with sponsors, exhibitors and registered delegates.
On site, Freshwater oversaw the event build and ensured the smooth running of the event, managing event photography and video and working closely with the port to meet all health, safety and security requirements.
British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy, BSGE ASM 2024
Outsourced Events (OE) successfully delivered the 2024 British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) at ICC Belfast, marking a record-breaking year for attendance, engagement, and financial success. Building on the achievements of the 2023 hybrid event, OE elevated the 2024 edition into the society’s most impactful in-person conference to date.
The event hosted 816 delegates, surpassing initial expectations, with a robust scientific programme featuring live-streamed surgeries, expert-led masterclasses, interactive workshops, and a dynamic industry exhibition. The integration of the Swapcard app enhanced networking and engagement, with 70% of attendees actively using its features.
Commercially, OE exceeded targets by securing increased sponsorship and exhibitor participation, ensuring profitability. Logistical challenges, including complex equipment transport and tight build schedules, were expertly managed through strategic planning and partnerships.
A key success factor was the event’s ability to foster professional growth and inclusivity. The hybrid elements allowed remote participation, while the charity cycle ride and gala dinner reinforced community engagement.
With overwhelmingly positive feedback – 95% of attendees recommending the event – OE has set a new benchmark for association conferences, demonstrating excellence in event management and delivering lasting impact for BSGE and its members
British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, British Society of Lifestyle Medicine Annual Conference 2024 – Start Well, Live Well and Age Well,
BSLM provide “a conference like no other”, a diverse, educational and innovative 3 day fully hybrid conference In 2024, The Glasshouse, Gateshead hosted 1200 +, likeminded Lifestyle Medicines professionals, including industry leaders, healthcare professional, patients and key stakeholders
From hard-hitting science to feeling the power of breathworks or community, our conference has it all. Aiming for delegates to be immersed into the world of LM, understand the value it offers for the management, prevention and reversal of chronic illness and come away inspired, with strategies, evidence based and leading industry knowledge to benefit and enrich them as professionals and ultimately their patients too. Providing key insights, learning opportunities, network, practical experience, expanding their professional knowledge and beneficial impact on their patients, in a positive and relaxed atmosphere.
With Start Well, Live Well, Age Well as our theme, our goal is that by learning, debating, gaining confidence in and delivering lifestyle medicine, as well as enabling policy changes which reduce socioeconomic disparities, together we will drive an improvement in health and increases in life expectancy.
There really is no medical conference quite like this in the UK, one which brings together clinicians, scientists, researchers, health professionals and patients.
International Occupational Hygiene Association, IOHA 2024 Conference
IOHA 2024 – The 13th IOHA International Scientific Conference took place in Dublin, Ireland June 9th-13th 2024. Jointly hosted by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) and the Occupational Hygiene Society of Ireland (OHSI) on behalf of the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA). The conference was 3 years in the making from the bidding stage in 2021 to execution in 2024.
The aim of the event was to promote occupational hygiene with the objective of minimising worker exposure to hazardous agents, actively assisting in the reduction of worker exposure globally.”
National Housing Federation & Chartered Institute of Housing, The Housing Community Summit 2024
The Housing Community Summit is a new concept for housing events. Bringing together the power and influence of the sector’s two largest membership organisations – the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) – this flagship partnership event has been created by the sector, for the sector. The event brings the UK housing sector together under one roof to discuss and tackle the issues facing the sector economically and politically.
In its first year the Housing Community Summit surpassed all expectations, welcoming over 2,600 participants on-site, all of whom had purchased their tickets in advance, meaning the event was completely sold out days before.
Exhibition space also sold out months in advance, with many organisations requesting to join a waiting list for an opportunity to exhibit at the event. With sold out capacity, the event still achieved a remarkable 91% satisfaction rate among attendees.
Delegates expressed their enthusiasm for this ground breaking and brand new collaboration between the two biggest housing membership bodies in the UK, National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) each time new information was announced.
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, RCPCH Conference 2024
The RCPCH Conference 2024 set a new benchmark as the largest and most commercially successful event in the College’s history. Held in Birmingham in March, the conference welcomed over 2,300 attendees, marking a 30% year-on-year increase and the highest delegate numbers to date. The event also saw record-breaking sponsorship and exhibition (SPEX) revenue, achieving an impressive 180% growth compared to the previous year, solidifying its position as the UK’s premier paediatrics conference.
With an expansive programme featuring 80+ sessions, world-renowned speakers, and cutting-edge clinical and policy updates, the event provided delegates with invaluable learning and networking opportunities. The hybrid format ensured global accessibility, with attendees from over 40 countries engaging both in-person and virtually. Beyond academic sessions, wellbeing and networking activities, including yoga, a fun run, and gala receptions, fostered an inclusive and engaging delegate experience.
A standout feature was the active involvement of RCPCH&Us, embedding the patient voice throughout the conference. This commitment to advocacy, combined with strategic innovations in sponsorship, digital engagement, and audience experience, made the RCPCH Conference 2024 a landmark event, with unprecedented growth, outstanding feedback, and lasting impact.
The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, 42nd ESCRS Congress 2024
The 42nd ESCRS Congress 2024 in Barcelona reinforced its position as a leading global event in ophthalmology, welcoming a record-breaking 16,735 attendees from 126 countries. The programme featured symposia, instructional courses, wet and dry labs, and hands-on surgical training, providing invaluable mentorship for surgeons at all career stages.
Innovation was at the forefront, with the BOSS (Building Our Sustainable Society) programme addressing DEI challenges, leadership diversity, and career progression. The IOL Museum, celebrating 75 years of intraocular lenses, offered an immersive historical experience and has since become an ongoing educational roadshow.
A commitment to sustainability was embedded across the Congress. Partnering with MCI and the United Nations, ESCRS introduced a hotel sustainability rating system, empowering delegates to choose environmentally responsible accommodation based on waste management, energy efficiency, and ethical procurement. Additionally, waste reduction in medical packaging, responsible catering, and recycling initiatives reinforced sustainability efforts.
Accessibility remained a priority, with live-streamed and on-demand content, plus facilities for working parents. By championing education, innovation, DEI, and sustainability, ESCRS continues to drive global excellence in ophthalmology, ensuring a lasting legacy for the profession.
World Federation of Advertisers, Global Marketer Week
Global Marketer Week is a 4-day event, bringing together the global marketing community from WFA’s international membership, from 40 different countries. It boasts “the most senior” lineup of speakers and delegates in the global marketing industry, making it the industry’s must-attend event for regional and global marketers.
Global leaders enjoy different local cultures every year – and benefit from a variety of events, ranging from provocative and productive peer-to-peer working groups, to the conference which brings all attendees together for a day of discovery, inspiration and learning. There are also plenty of opportunity to network during the Welcome Cocktail, VIP Dinners and Gala Dinner.
