The London City Selection, launched at International Confex in February, has forged a partnership with the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) to ensure all members are AIM accredited.
A board has also been formed to ensure the London City Selection continues to grow and develop.
Aim Accreditation
“If we are to promote the City of London as a leading events destination it is vital we back up our claims with credible qualifying criteria. In a decision taken by our new board and current members it was agreed that the AIM accreditation scheme (the only accreditation scheme for the meetings industry and endorsed by VisitBritain) is the most appropriate for our purposes.” London City Selection chair and Barbican business development manager, Samme Allen.
All current and new members of The London City Selection will be required to have the AIM Entry Level accreditation at the very least, which includes a code of practice, legal compliance and grading criteria.
Allen continues: “The London City Selection’s key goal is to develop the City of London as a world leading destination for business events, meetings, conferences, exhibition and parties. Accreditation demonstrates each venues commitment to excellence and ensures we are working together to provide the best possible standards across the whole membership.”
MIA, chief executive, Jane Evans: “Accreditation is vital for venues and destinations wishing to market themselves at the highest levels and AIM provides the perfect platform. Our standards – from Entry to Gold, ensure we can reward venues throughout their development, growth and improvements. It is very exciting to be working with a consortium such as London City Selection, which will also add further value to our newly formed Destination Group.
New board
In a further development, the London City Selection has created a board to oversee the destination’s development. As a Barbican led initiative, the board will be chaired by Samme Allen, supported by:
Membership officers: Ed Bolling (Ironmongers Hall) Carol Anderson (The Mermaid)
Marketing officers: Diane Waldron (HAC) Jihane Mamouri (Crowne Plaza Shoreditch)
Events officers: Ros De Vekey (America Square) Aimee Luxton (The Brewery)
Finance officer: Anthony Hyde (Barbican)
Partnerships officer: Brendon Smith (etc. venues)