It’s no secret that 2021 hasn’t been the fresh start we were hoping for. With the UK back in national lockdown, we’re seeing tight limits on what type of events are able to go ahead. As an event venue, we know the ins and outs of what’s allowed and can say with confidence there is not a lot of wiggle room.
Yet, in other countries, events as we know them are finally beginning to return. For now, it is only small pockets of places where this is possible but we’re hopeful we’ll start to see green shoots in this country this year.
As an opportunity for some escapism (and a reminder of what’s possible!), we wanted to take a look at what’s happening around the world this month.
When: January 27th – 1st February 2021
Where: Madrid, Spain
Alongside London, Paris, New York and Milan, Madrid hosts one of the world’s largest Fashion Weeks every year and in 2021, it’s going ahead as scheduled.
Top and emerging designers will debut the latest trends for the upcoming 2021/22 Autumn/Winter season. This year is will be the 7th edition of this now world-famous week of runway shows and we’re sure it’ll inject some glamour and excitement into the city.
Rather than being at hosted in different venues across the city, all runway shows will be hosted at IFEMA – Feria de Madrid, a large tradeshow and exhibition-style venue also part of a wider consortium. The five-day event is an important showcase for increasing the presence of Spanish designers on the international fashion scene as well as solidifying Spain as a top destination for the fashion industry.
Alongside the fashion shows, there will also be out-of-programme activities on offer. This includes a series of workshops that are expected to run, highlighting the work and creations of some of Spain’s greatest fashion designers.
Fashion shows are such an intricate and exciting type of event to host and we can’t wait for the next chance we get at Congress Centre. Fashion’s Finest was the last company we hosted a fashion show with. The unique event saw collection debuts from emerging talent in the UK’s fashion scene and the show was concluded with the Britain’s Top Designer Awards. Read more about it below.
Fashion’s Finest & Britain’s Top Designer Awards 2019
When: 25 – 26 January 2021
Where: Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Over in Taiwan, many conferences, exhibitions and tradeshows are continuing ahead and that includes the World Conference on Science Engineering and Technology.
The aim of the conference is to gather top minds, scholars and students to help problem-solve the latest issues present in these industries. It’s a two-day event with morning and afternoon technical sessions each day, presentations from industry leaders, as well as breaks during the day to network.
The conference is set to be concluded with an awards ceremony to recognise members for career achievements, important contributions and professional excellence.
What’s unique about this conference is that there are several editions of it taking place over the next month in multiple destinations. These include Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, UAE, India and more.
Conferences in the technical industries like science and technology are some of the most important, so seeing them still go ahead elsewhere in the world is such an encouragement. We’ve hosted events like the 5G Realised series, Qlik Analytics Tour, STEM Women and more at our conference centre. London has always been a hub for science and technology events, so we hope to see them able to return soon. Plus, our Congress Hall is always a winner for conferences like these!
When: 20 – 21 January 2021
Where: Bakau, Gambia
Music festivals were non-existent in the UK last year, and whilst some are hopeful there will be some to speak of this year, it’s safe to say Gambia are way ahead of us!
Ready to go ahead at the International Stadium in Bakau, the Gambia International KORA and Cultural Festival will see over 50 kora artists, groups and African icons perform on four different stages in two days. There is set to be a televised opening ceremony and coverage of the event across a range of other platforms too. It’s clear this will be a major event!
This music festival is a vibrant celebration of a well-loved instrument (the kora) and a one-of-a-kind national culture. It’s a joy to see musical performances going ahead elsewhere in the world, so our fingers are crossed we have some here to enjoy safely this year.
When: 21 – 22 January 2021
Where: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The textile industry took a massive hit worldwide last March, with Vietnam being one of the worst hit producers. Their regular production levels are yet to be recovered so the 6th Annual Textile Summit will be instrumental to starting this recovery.
On the 21st and 22nd, delegates will be able to get a glimpse into what the future holds for this country’s core industry. There will be discussions on exactly what COVID’s impact has been both on the industry and supply chain, the outlook for 2021, global trade issues to be aware of, new industry practices and more.
This event has both online and offline elements – now a must for international events, especially while potential attendees remain limited by travel restrictions. But whether it’s in-person or online, this is the Summit to attend for any business that has links to textile production in Vietnam.
We know how powerful summits can be for driving change in an industry or business. From the Event Safety & Security Summit to the Global Resilience Summit, we’ve seen first-hand the impact they can have on organisations. In 2019, we even hosted the first ever C&IT Summit from C&IT Magazine and were lucky enough to host more than 100 eventprofs for the day.
When: Ongoing until 24 January 2021
Where: Madrid, Spain
This is quite a one-off event! Back in Madrid, Saurios provides quite a contrast to the upcoming fashion week – this enormous open-air event is an exhibition of… dinosaurs!
Covering more than 4 km2, over 100 realistic, life-size dinosaurs have been installed in the Spanish capital for locals to explore. Well-known favourites such as the Tyrannosaurs Rex, Triceratops, Pterodactyl and Velociraptor are all there to be explored, with plenty more to discover.
This is such a unique and exciting event – we can’t help but be a little bit jealous! It’s great to see open-air events for the public going ahead safely elsewhere, but of course we’ll be pleased when we can host exhibitions at our own London venue again.
Seeing all these events going on around the world makes it just that bit easier to imagine coming out the other side. We know it will take time for events to return as we knew them – and there might be some permanent changes – but in the meantime, we’ll be getting ready to go back to doing what we love doing.
Last month, we actually looked at the ways that physical events may change in the long term. From the rise of premium content to popularising paperless information, check out the 10 ways 2020 has changed live events forever.
Our venue remains open for essential events such as training or educational activities, as well as filming and TV productions. The team is available to answer any questions and talk about options for your event now, or in the future.
Get in touch on 020 7467 1318, at congress.centre@tuc.org.uk, or visit our Contact page.