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Factory International will work with organisations hosting major events and brand experiences at the venue to create event management placements for local talent, alongside opportunities to teach and mentor.Factory International has launched a new Event Management & Operations course at Aviva Studios to address industry skills shortages and open doors for residents from Greater Manchester who lack the experience, connections, and opportunities needed to start their careers.The 12-week course will connect emerging talent with work placements on major commercial events and form Factory International’s new event talent legacy programme. It is the latest programme from Factory Academy, the organisation’s free training initiative, which has supported more than 2,000 people since 2018, with 56% progressing into paid work. Factory Academy is working to improve diversity and inclusivity in the creative industries. It was created to open up accessible career pathways into the creative industries and boost creative skills across the region.The course aims to support 15 Greater Manchester residents per intake, with two to three courses planned each year. Open to those who are unemployed or earning below the Real Living Wage, it combines industry-led training, practical projects, mentoring and networking. Participants will also be individually matched with placements on high-profile events, from major brand activations and award ceremonies to international sporting events.Partners can also contribute in ways that reflect their expertise and resources, including guest teaching, mentoring, industry panels and real-world project briefs. Factory Academy will work with each organisation to shape an opportunity that benefits participants while creating meaningful local impact beyond the event itself.Stephanie Williams, Head of Events at Aviva Studios, said: “Manchester has an incredible pool of creative talent, and we’re seeing more agencies open offices here or relocate to the city. As the sector grows, so will the demand for skilled people.“We want Aviva Studios to help nurture that talent and create a pipeline of people with the skills and experience to build successful careers here. By connecting local people with major events, industry expertise and high-quality placements, we can help Manchester’s creative sector continue to thrive.”Participants will learn to work with international brands, respond to creative briefs and develop skills relevant to the planning and delivery of large-scale events and productions.Gary Briggs, Director of Training and Skills at Factory International, said: “Our industry needs new talent, but securing that first meaningful opportunity can be incredibly difficult without experience or established networks.“Major events bring together an extraordinary concentration of knowledge, creativity and technical expertise. Opening up even a small part of that could help someone take their first step into the industry.“Partners benefit too. Bringing different experiences and perspectives into the room can challenge assumptions and help organisations understand how the communities around them view their brands and events.”Factory Academy is now looking for organisations and industry professionals to provide placements, teaching, project briefs, careers sessions and mentoring.

3rd November, London, UK: Live Group has been named winner of the Events & Sourcing Partner award at the 2026 Cvent Excellence Awards, Europe, the annual awards program that honors standout leaders across the meetings, events, and hospitality industry.Live Group received the recognition following the transformation of Live Group’s venue sourcing service over the past year. Once driven by team expertise the service has grown into a core strategic offering and a significant, fast-growing part of the business.Live Group expanded its venue sourcing with Cvent Supplier Network (CSN) and Venue Directory GRATIS. Enquiry volumes have since multiplied many times over and are still growing month on month. Colleagues across the Venue Sourcing, Client Services, Delivery and Sales teams in the UK and APAC now use the platforms, allowing Live Group to handle much higher demand while connecting more clients with the right venues.For clients, the results have been tangible. Live Group’s approach to sourcing and its strong relationships with venue partners have helped them get more value from their budgets. Customers have also run more events with one significantly increasing its confirmed events over the past year. Live Group maintains a strong conversion rate across enquiries, with clients rating the venue sourcing experience an average of 4.6 out of 5 over a six-month period.“We’re incredibly proud to be recognised as Events & Venue Sourcing Partner of the Year, and grateful to Cvent for the recognition. Over the past year our team has turned venue sourcing into something much bigger: a faster, more transparent service that fits the right venue to the audience and supports every event from the first enquiry through to delivery. This award belongs to a team that has embraced new ways of working and never lost sight of the people at the heart of every event.” – Stephen D. Pickett, Group Managing Director, Live Group

2nd November, IBTM World: IBTM Ignite is bringing a growing pool of $4m in potential investment together with ambitious startup businesses, as its mentoring and workshop programme prepares founders for introductions to investors at IBTM World.Delivered in partnership with specialist consultancy allpoints, Ignite is moving through its onboarding phase, with more investors joining and a greater pot to pitch for. Early work with participating businesses is revealing ideas across the event experience, from live AI interpretation, such as Voicefrom AI, to event operations technology, including KNO Events’ tools for managing budgets, suppliers and logistics.In audience engagement, businesses such as Bridged Media are helping organisers turn interest into registrations and commercial opportunities. Always Friday combines AI agents with event specialists to simplify corporate event planning and delivery, while platforms such as Sessionboard help teams coordinate speakers, submissions and programmes.As well as supporting the acquisition and onboarding of the investor community, allpoints is delivering the mentoring and workshops for the start-ups already on the Ignite programme. The team is helping founders strengthen their propositions and prepare for conversations with investors whose experience spans building, backing, acquiring and exiting businesses.Max Fellows, Founder and CEO of allpoints, said: “We’re discovering some brilliant businesses through the mentoring and workshops. Getting to know these founders and seeing how they’re tackling problems across our industry has been really exciting.“As we work together on their propositions and pitches, that potential becomes clearer. I know our investors will be delighted by what they see. With $4m in potential investment there’s a tremendous opportunity to make connections that help these businesses grow.”Ignite will once again match participating businesses with relevant investors, alongside opportunities to meet customers and commercial partners. Future Stage pitching, the Ignite Lounge and access to the buyer diary will connect founders withthe international industry community attending IBTM World in Barcelona, 17–19 November 2026.Claudia Hall, Exhibition Director, IBTM added, "The quality of the start-ups this year has been excellent, and they represent a real diverse view of the future of the industry. We're already getting really positive feedback from the onboarding, and we know the investors will be delighted with the businesses on show. It looks like a really strong programme."Places on the Ignite programme remain available for now, with interested startups and scale-ups invited to contact the IBTM World team as preparations continue