Following a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic, MUTA was delighted to hold its first in-person Members’ Day this April. With more than 50 members in attendance, it was the perfect forum to discuss many of the issues its membership is facing and unveil the association’s developments. These include a new brand, website and a programme that delivers compliance and developments.

As the many of the suppliers in attendance have gone from zero business to flat out in a short space of time, there was a panel discussion to share experiences and talk about the challenges members currently face. A good cross section of the industry was represented with the panellists - Joe Bailey, Bailey Marquees; Tim Hall, Neptunus and Matt Stevenson, Event in a Tent.

Inevitability, the lack of resources and the difficulty in retaining skilled and experienced labour were top of the list. Whilst no specific solutions were found there was a consensus that collaboration was key to moving forward. Feedback that won’t be welcomed by event organisers, is that the industry is learning to say no as it recognises the need to only take on work that it can safely deliver. Also, on the agenda was rising costs, with the majority of those in attendance sharing that they’re trying to negotiate increased rates for existing contracts to cover them.

Joe Chalk, MUTA’s general manager said: “It was great to get the membership back together. Members in attendance heard about MUTA’s latest developments and plans for the forthcoming year, in addition to some of the latest industry trends and projections. A huge thank you to our sponsors for their support.”

Event sponsors included:

MUTA president, Dean Foster, unveiled the association’s new logo at the event and marked the occasion as a “proud” moment. Dean said: “We’ve been working on the development of MUTA’s new website and branding for quite some time and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved. Our aim was to produce a logo that is contemporary and modern, but still recognisable to members and the wider events industry. A fresh look for the association aligns with our plans to help build a brighter future for members.”

The new logo is accompanied by a suite of accredited members logos for all membership categories. Members can display these in their own marketing material, promoting their membership of the UK’s only trade association dedicated to marquees, tents and structures.