The CEO of Manchester Central, Shaun Hinds, has been named the Chair of national organisation, the Association of Event Venues (AEV), and is set to also play a pivotal role in an umbrella organisation which touches all corners of the industry.
Hinds was voted as the Chair at the trade body’s AGM on Wednesday 21 September and will hold this role for two years. As an industry expert with more than 25 years of experience across travel, hospitality, property and business, he has been on the board of the AEV for several years.
Alongside this new role, Hinds is also the incoming Chair for the AEV’s umbrella organisation, the Events Industry Alliance (EIA), which represents the AEV, AEO and ESSA. This means that he is involved with all corners of the events sector bodies - venues, organisers and suppliers. He is due to start this one-year tenure in mid-October. These combined roles will see him support and lead the wider industry.
It comes at a time when the events industry has bounced back well from the pandemic only to be faced with major issues including the energy crisis facing businesses right now. Hinds regularly lobbies for greater recognition for the £70bn events sector and the role that it plays in underpinning national economic performance.
Hinds, who has been CEO at Manchester Central since 2017, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to work alongside esteemed colleagues from across the events industry as chair of the AEV and EIA. I’m proud that I can play my part in helping to support and shape things over the next couple of years and raise the voice of the sector’s fantastic achievements alongside lobbying on crucial topics to alleviate pressures as much as possible.
“Events are a huge part of the Northern economy and their continued success hosting large-scale, memorable occasions is essential to helping level up the country as they attract wide investment for areas and create thousands of jobs. I’ll be looking to represent the views of events professionals and businesses strongly from right across the North, to ensure that they are well represented in the national conversation.
“There have been severe headwinds in the last few years, which have been navigated so well by the industry as a whole thanks to collaboration. Now we are entering a time of worry for many as the fluctuating global situation drives up costs. I intend to do all I can to put forward solutions and support the sector to reduce impact.”
Another topic that Hinds is keen to drive forward is ensuring a sustainable future for the sector. He added that this is a huge challenge for the industry but one that businesses have to be on the right side of, at the risk of losing out further down the line. “We’re facing so many competing priorities right now, but we can’t lose sight of where we need to be for the longer term, not just in relation to our environmental commitments but the need to nurture our talent pool and ensure our entire ecosystem is positioned well for growth,” he added.
Rachel Parker, AEV director, welcomed Hinds as the new chair of the association. She added: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Shaun as the new AEV chair. His insight and experience have been great assets to the AEV board, and his unstinting work in support of the industry over the last few turbulent years has been an example to us all. I look forward to Shaun bringing his strategic insight and vision to the role, continuing the excellent work by his predecessor, Max Bull, executive director of the BDC."
Manchester Central is one of the UK’s largest and most versatile event venues. Earlier this summer, it reported that it had completed its first normal trading quarter since the pandemic. During the lockdowns, Manchester Central invested in high quality hybrid solutions to continue hosting interactive events for a variety of audiences. In an average year, Manchester Central attracts over half a million visitors to the city and brings approximately £150m into the Greater Manchester local economy.