Some of the biggest players within the global banking scene were at The QEII Centre on 8-9 March 2023 for the MoneyLIVE Summit, a two-day event including innovative talks and presentations on the subject of banking and payments.

Objective

The QEII Centre’s long-term client MarketforceLive required a large and prestigious conference space in central London to host its two-day MoneyLIVE summit on 8-9 March 2023.

The event, which attracts an international delegation and leaders within the global banking scene, needed a flexible venue to host and support simultaneous silent conferences and an exhibition space, alongside breakout spaces and refreshment areas. 

MarketforceLive also enlisted the services of QEII’s in-house AV team QEII Live to support all audio and visual aspects of the event, while QEII’s award-winning in-house catering team QEII Taste provided refreshments at breakfast and lunchtimes as well as at a Women in Finance networking breakfast, a private lunch for 16 people and a drinks reception on the evening of day one.

Execution

Having hosted its MoneyLIVE Summit and other events at the venue in the past, Market Force was keen to again work closely with a core team of trusted QEII members to devise the best approach for the event. With an in-depth understanding of the client and being mindful of its budget and specific needs, the QEII event team was well-placed to exceed expectations for the event.

The MoneyLIVE Summit took place on the third and fourth floors of The QEII Centre with the third floor Fleming, Whittle and Britten rooms hosting more than 65 speaker sessions over the two days. Fourth floor spaces St James and Westminster with natural light and enviable views of Westminster Abbey were perfect spots for receptions and break-out sessions.

To best meet the client’s needs, the wall between the Fleming and Whittle rooms was taken down to allow space for an exhibition to be set up. In the Britten, QEII Live set up an LED wall and a studio from which they could manage lighting and audio. This was also used by the client’s film crew.

The QEII Live team liaised with the client before and during the event to ensure a seamless delivery of all AV and IT requirements, including the support of the delivery of silent conferences – designed to maximise the use of the space also hosting an exhibition – and the creation of printed and branded stage sets.

To keep delegates fuelled throughout the two days and cater for special events, QEII Taste worked with the event team and the client to devise the ideal fare.  

A grab-and-go breakfast of vienoisserie, granola bars, fruit, bacon baps and morning cake with Fairtrade tea or coffee and fruit juice, was served on day one, while plant-based savoury muffins and overnight oats replaced bacon baps and morning cake on day two.

Boxed food lunches – designed to minimise queuing and maximise networking – were served in the Britten and Whittle rooms on both days. Delegates could choose from hot or cold dishes such as Scottish confit salmon poke bowl, harissa roasted baby aubergine; truffled chicken wellington with confit celeriac and parsley pesto; tandoori cauliflower with sag aloo and seared seabream kohlrabi barley ‘risotto’.

A range of freshly baked snacks, including sausage rolls, cookies and cakes were available during breaks alongside coffee, tea and soft drinks.

Day one of the event was left on a high with an evening drinks reception for all delegates who were served fizz and canapes, including vegetable pakoras, teriyaki salmon fishcake and lamb belly fritters, before tucking into freshly-made tortellini created by chefs at a dedicated pasta station or fish and chips

Results

The event was a success, with the strong relationship between the venue team and the client a key reason for such seamless delivery. Indeed, Market Force was so pleased with the 2023 event that has already signed a contract with the QEII to host the Summit in 2024.

While QEII’s central location and flexible spaces are a big draw, the support of QEII’s professional and experienced team is the reason why MarketforceLive returns each year.

As Gabriela D’acri, Operations & Experience Director at MarketforceLive, says, the event always presents challenges ‘in terms of budgets, set-up requirements, additional room requirements’ and more. However, she says knowing the QEII team are on hand to support and find a solution is invaluable.

She says: “The QEII is one of my favourite venues to work with and as far as conference venues go, the QEII offers an incredibly high standard in terms of the modern look and feel of the building, and the amount of natural light is a real bonus.

“The customer service is at the highest standard – from reaching out to the Head of Sales on availability, to the dedicated Event Manager, we do feel that we are in the safest of hands.

The team know us and our requirements, so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time which makes the entire planning process easier and smoother. Having access to dedicated staff who are real experts in their respective fields makes the organisers job much easier.”