It appears that many Australian event producers were pretty impressed by the funeral of QEII.

I didn’t get to watch it live because I had a job on that night and I’ve only just had a chance to catch it on iView. It was certainly spectacular, and precise. So a couple of observations…

• Planning for this event has been going on for at least five years – so it was certainly not something pulled together at the last minute.
• According the BBC commentator, over 3,000 military personnel were involved – making it easier to create a spectacle when you don’t have to pay for that many “performers”, especially the ones in fancy dress.
• It was interesting looking for the lighting and camera positions which were tucked away in all sorts of places including specially constructed hides painted to look like the sandstone of the church – imagine being the camera person stuck in there for a few hours.
• The most poignant moment was the lone piper at the very end of the ceremony. Very reminiscent of the lament that closes the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
• The “stiff upper lip” adopted by the official party. The only emotion evident came from the commoners watching from the sideline.

Well that was my take. For a more nuanced approach Peter Jones shared his views on it.

When it comes to events was Queen Elizabeth’s funeral the G.O.A.T?

Over 4 billion people watched the Queen’s funeral, making the event the most watched broadcast in history; even more than Princess Diana’s funeral and the moon landing by Apollo 11. There was no avoiding it unless you were watching Channel 10.

And in other news…

Many have been questioning what our associations have been doing to support the industry over the past two and half years. Well there has been a lot going on behind the scenes and I urge everyone with something to say to participate in the survey being conducted by BECA.

BECA announces review to lead the industry into the future

Australia’s peak industry body uniting various business events industry segments, the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), is leading a review to explore the opportunity to create a larger, more impactful, and sustainable organisation to better represent the interests of the business events industry. Business events are highly valuable to the Australian economy, providing $36 billion in economic contribution in FY19, and supporting the visitor and knowledge economies.

Emma Bowyer finalist in 19th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business

 Owner and Managing Director of ICMS Australasia, Emma Bowyer, has been named a Finalist in the Woman of the Year – Business Services category in the 19th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business. Winners will be announced in Las Vegas in November. 

How we consume news & communicate has changed for ever

Gary FitzRoy writes – In three short years the world has seen more changes and impacts than most of us have seen in our lifetime! A lot has been written post covid about how things have changed and will continue to change. However, perhaps the biggest change is how we communicate, how we consume news and information and how we stay in touch. The biggest shift has been to social media!