It’s safe to say this was not an easy ride – we had to put all our efforts into making M&I Private Europe 2021 in Budapest a safe, responsible, but still enjoyable event for all, which in the midst of a global pandemic is no easy feat, let us tell you! And after 18 months of umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether we would actually be able to bring people together in 2021, it felt truly incredible to welcome our resilient industry to beautiful Budapest. Our comeback event was officially happening.
We actually started with the smallest event in our roster. M&I Private Europe is designed to bring boutique & independent hotels and small hotel groups together with event planners who are looking for properties of character and out-of-the-box venues. Over the course of 3 days, delegates experienced smart-matched 1-2-1 meetings, along with a range of unique networking activities and social experiences. The defining characteristic of this event is its intimate size, which gives delegates a rare chance to network and connect with absolutely everyone, and form strong bonds that lead to lucrative business relationships.
“40 supplier meetings, memories made, relationships developed and Budapest explored. I’m flying home with a huge smile on my face. I wish I had the right words to express how good it feels to see the industry bounce back with so much positivity and optimism. Every meeting I had was greeted with huge smiles and relief for face to face contact.”
Bethany Orrow, Senior Account Executive at Make Happen, UK
And where better to host an intimately sized Forum than in the charming city of Budapest, which has more incredible sights and places to explore than we could possibly fit into one event schedule! Thankfully, we did manage to include a wide variety of exciting activities for delegates, including bike tours, traditional cooking classes, spa trips, museum tours and, of course, a chance to experience the city’s famous ruin bars. Not to mention our insanely beautiful dinner venues, which included a Europa Boat trip along the Danube, EXTRA ruin bar, and the magnificent Lion’s Court at Buda Castle.
“I just told today my entire team how amazing M&I Private was in Budapest. I met so many new industry colleagues who weren’t aware of our property, generated 2 strong new leads from my 1-2-1 meetings, and had a great time in general.”
Fabian Gruetter, Senior Group Sales Manager, The Dolder Grand, Switzerland
From start to finish, it was obvious that our industry had been craving the chance to reconnect face-to-face. For many people, this was not only their first industry event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the first time they’d travelled abroad full-stop.
There were, of course, some initial doubts and fears about whether it was the right time to return to travel, but we did everything in our power to reassure delegates of our enhanced health & safety policy, which had been planned to the very last detail. For example, all delegates were required to show proof of a negative PCR test and were encouraged to social distance and wear face masks. It seemed to have the right effect because every single person showed up to this event and we are so humbled by the faith and trust they put in us as a company, allowing us to pioneer, for many, their first live tradeshow in almost 2 years. Our CEO, Richard Barnes, really said it best:
“I was struck by the positivity, warmth and excitement that we felt from our clients – it felt like a big, beautiful family reunion.”
As part of our COVID-safe Policy, we highly recommended the use of facemasks, but it seemed clear that delegates felt safe in their environment and opted to show off their smiling faces instead. Everyone seemed to be having a great time! But don’t just take our word for it…
“A perfect format with quick meetings that helped me find new products. The processes & organisation were amazing and the whole event was a major success. I have to share my admiration that m&i had the guts to make this event happen. As the first to bring top industry players together again, you’ve been the pioneer of a ‘post-war’ situation. The world moves because of companies like you – history is not made by the ones who are afraid to be bold.”
Natasha De Caiado Castro, CEO at Wish International Events Management, USA
We have a calendar packed with MICE events for every need so you can get back to building those all-important face-to-face relationships with potential clients.
© M&I is part of Worldwide Events, a division of Worldwide Events Group Ltd, 27 Furnival St, London EC4A 1JQ
Global Buyers
16-20 Mar 2025 | Morocco
American buyers
24-27 Mar 2025 | Canada
UK & EU buyers
27-29 Aug 2025 | Croatia
The M&I Forum experience streamlined into two impactful days
Open your property up to a new range of events and opportunities by taking advantage of an online assessment created by our event partner, Healthcare Venues, which will determine if your venue is capable of hosting healthcare meetings and events.
If your property passes, you’ll receive Healthcare Venue certification, verifying you to our buyer network as a specialist healthcare venue.
Tim Chudley
Managing Director, Sundial Group
