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Tuesday Buzz: London Calling

London's official convention bureau plays up the British metropolis as a hub for major technology events. Also: Why you need a strong content calendar.

London wants the world to know it has the potential to be the center of tech events.

The city is already home to 40 percent of the European headquarters of the world’s largest tech companies, and its convention bureau, London & Partners, is highlighting the metro area’s value as a technology-events hub in a new report, London: The Capital of Cutting Edge [PDF]. The report highlights the growth in sectors such as financial services, education, and advertising.

“Companies bringing their events here will be within reach of inspirational speakers from establishments that are specialists in their field and which can be used as venues for conferences, receptions, meetings and events or knowledge exchange with peers,” the report states. “The networking opportunities are unparalleled.”

It also helps that the London area has a robust population of 8.6 million people.

The group’s goal, in some ways, goes beyond events: It plays up London as a center of smart ideas and technological skills. London & Partners has been working diligently to attract technology conferences to the city, launching London Technology Week in 2014, an annual event that takes place June 20-26 this year.

About the report, Chris Lynn, a vice president at London & Partners, told Skift, “It builds on the unique selling points of London’s sectorial expertise and our business strengths that is very much putting us at the cutting edge.”

Download the full report at London & Partners’ website.

Live by the Calendar

Should you plan your social media content in an editorial calendar? Abby Wright-Parkes, founder of Optimist Consulting, says definitely. In her latest post for the Professional Associations Research Network, she lays out a number of reasons why such a calendar will improve the quality of your content.

For one, it’ll remind you to balance the topics on your website, so you’re not just throwing the same thing at your readers.

“Maintaining a balance of different post types lets you engage with the widest possible audience and maximizes the engagement potential for your posts,” she explains. “As an example, if you are just posting images then you could be missing opportunities to engage with followers who want more in-depth content.”

Other Links of Note

Startups are everywhere, but knowing which ones are worth your time isn’t easy to figure out. Fortunately, Event Manager Blog‘s list of innovative event startups is a great starting point.

Take a seat. If your posture isn’t chiropractor approved, you may want to check out Lifehacker‘s recent live Q&A session with Lumo Bodytech cofounder Dr. Charles Wang. His company is creating sensors designed to encourage better form and posture.

Firefox user? Take extra care in what extensions you download. CMS Wire reports that many of the most popular extensions can create security and malware risks.

(iStock/Thinkstock)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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