Europe: Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

Elliott Sparsis shares his entrepreneurial journey from founding Sociable Surveyors at university to launching Together, a hospitality-led meetings and events business. He discusses how COVID-19 transformed corporate demand for meeting spaces, why companies are abandoning in-house auditoriums, and his vision for creating human-first experiences that combine real estate expertise with exceptional hospitality.

New discretionary powers for mayors and local leaders to introduce visitor levies have sparked controversy in the UK hospitality sector. With Manchester, Liverpool, and Edinburgh already implementing accommodation taxes ranging from £1 to 5% per night, the industry faces questions about whether these charges support local regeneration or place unsustainable burdens on an already heavily-taxed sector. As more cities consider following suit, the debate intensifies over balancing municipal revenue needs a

Soges Group S.p.A., a company listed on Euronext Growth Milan and active in the hotel and conference hospitality sector with the Place of Charme brand, has concluded a strategic operation for the future management of a new prestigious hotel located in the Municipality of Lerici (SP), which will be operated under the Melià Hotels International S.A. brand. The operation marks Soges Group's entry into Liguria, in the splendid setting of the Gulf of Poets, one of the most attractive tourist destinations in

The EU's Cyber Resilience Act establishes comprehensive cybersecurity obligations for manufacturers, importers, and distributors of products with digital elements. With reporting requirements now in effect and full compliance required by December 2027, economic operators must navigate conformity assessments, incident reporting protocols, and enforcement mechanisms that include substantial penalties for non-compliance.

Denmark is proposing legislation that would ban children under 15 from creating and using login-based profiles on major social media and video-sharing platforms. The draft bill targets Very Large Online Platforms designated by the European Commission, potentially requiring age verification for all users while exempting professional networks and content accessible without login. If passed, these rules are expected to take effect on July 1, 2027.

Healthcare sits at the heart of the UK's critical national infrastructure, yet faces a perfect storm of sophisticated cyber threats, complex supply chains, resource constraints and growing reliance on digital technologies. This article explores why cyber resilience has become a board-level priority and what CNI designation means for organisations across the healthcare sector.

The UK's Sporting Events Bill has undergone significant amendments in the House of Lords, removing restrictions that previously excluded annually held events like Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix from its protective framework. With cross-party support in the Commons and a new organiser-choice safeguard, the Bill now offers major annual sporting events access to protections against ambush marketing, ticket touting, and unauthorised commercial association.

Law No. 424-VIIQD of 19 June 2026, effective from 3 September 2026, substantially amends the Customs Code...

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court has ruled that combining descriptive words like "flower" and "box" does not automatically create a descriptive trade mark, finding FLOWERBX valid and infringed by a competitor's similar branding. The decision demonstrates how strong evidence of brand recognition and actual consumer confusion can be decisive in trade mark enforcement cases, particularly in the context of online retail where visual similarity carries significant weight.

Malta's Tax and Customs Administration has issued new guidance on the VAT treatment transition for gambling and betting services, effective October 1, 2026. The guidance addresses critical compliance considerations for gaming operators as previously exempt activities become taxable, including revenue stream mapping, contract management, input VAT recovery opportunities, and cross-border cost implications.

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, introducing age-based restrictions and comprehensive safety-by-design obligations for social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, and AI chatbots.

The Financial Action Task Force has released a comprehensive report examining how the gaming and gambling industry's evolution into online, cross-border platforms has created new vulnerabilities for money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. The report identifies critical gaps in international regulatory frameworks and provides strategic recommendations for jurisdictions to strengthen their oversight of this increasingly interconnected digital ecosystem.