The 2016 edition of International Confex is set to be themed ‘Ideas Factory: Innovation that Shapes the Industry’ with the educational programme, event branding and exhibitor marketing promoting the importance of shaping the look and feel of events to come.

Organiser Mash Media is encouraging exhibitors, association partners, and event visitors to get behind the theme to create an ‘ideas-driven’ environment.

The theme will also be implemented across UK Events Week, where several sessions look at innovation within meetings and experiential, and how to manage and create ideas within business.

The theme will be visible across the show, with EvenTech16 showcasing tech innovations for the future. Equally, existing plans from exhibitors will showcase the innovations being made at venue and destination level, as well as throughout the event support chain.

Meanwhile, Mastercard has confirmed one of the standout sessions of UK Events Week, with their head of European brand activation flying in from Italy to host a question and answers session for event organisers.

Liz Agostini, event director said: “We’ve got a brilliant group of people working with, for and alongside the show, from our exhibitor partners to our associations, and of course our outstanding Steering Group.

“All of them are passionate about Confex and want it to represent and reflect the very best of the industry and are bringing their ‘A’ games to the show.”

Other significant events of note will include a CEO Dinner hosted by Nick de Bois and attended by some of the leading CEO’s in London, discussing their vision of the events industry.

There will also be two breakfast sessions before Confex on Wednesday and Thursday, the first looking at technology innovation and showcasing some of the future tech on offer for 2016 and beyond. The second session will look at the latest new private dining and restaurant venues event organisers may want to consider for the coming year.

Following on the partnership with MPI UK&I and its CMP programme, the show has confirmed a partnership with ISES UK to support the event tech hub with a ‘sign posting’ activation that helps event organisers find the creative solutions they need for their events. The MIA will host its AIM Pavilion and EVCOM will host its annual board meeting and a membership refresh seminar during the show.

International Confex is expecting to attract more than 12,000 visitors at Olympia London on 2-3 March 2016. It is co-located again with the Event Production Show