The Variety International Convention

Written by James Gadsby-Peet 7th May 2009

The Royal Lancaster Hotel played host to over 200 delegates from around The Variety world this weekend as the Variety International Convention rolled into town. The Convention takes place once a year and is a chance for members of Variety tents to come together to discuss the issues facing Variety in the future, and to celebrate the achievements of the past.

The Convention inlcuded dozens of meetings and workshops discussing a wide range of topics all essentialt to the future of Variety. Ranging from 'the future of e-philanthropy' to 'building a winning team' to 'Variety marketing & branding' there was a huge amount of information to take in and a great deal of work to be done. As well as these 'operational' meetings, there were also a number of International Officer meetings where members of the International Board discussed the long-term direction of Variety, across the world.

Of course there was also plenty of opportunity for Variety members and staff to meet in a more informal setting, with numerous lunches and dinners laid on. Highlights included the Corporate & Media Awards Lunch on Tuesday, the Heart Awards on Sunday evening and the Variety International Awards Banquet held in the Guildhall. As well as these very enjoyable events there was also a chance for convention delegates to be reminded of their mission by the 'We serve the kids Lunch' event, which saw hundreds of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children attend a fun filled afternoon at the Royal Lancaster.

To find out more about the Convention read below:

The Presidential Citation Lunch

The Heart Awards

We Serve the Kids

Corporate & Media Awards

The Variety International Awards Gala Banquet

As well as these amazing events and the hard work of the workshops and meetings, the International Convention was where the International President Graham Mapp AM, handed over his 'crown'  to the next President, Julia Morley. The handover took place at the Guildhall on Tuesday evening, in front of 10 former Miss World winners - the first time that group of people has ever been in the same room. Julia Morley is the Executive Chairman of the Miss World pageant and has been involved with Variety for a number of years and given countless hours to the causes which we support. Her father Eric Morley was also a Chief Barker of The Variety Club of Great Britain.

See the rest of the stories from the International Convention