New brand reflects diversity and growth of UK events sectorThe Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), the umbrella body and advocacy group for the UK’s £70 billion events industry, has today unveiled its new brand identity, UKEVENTS, at The Business of Events: UK Policy Forum, at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London.
Q3 2023 experienced a typical summer dip in July and August, yet September stood out with a significant surge in confirmed events, marking the highest level in recent years. Notably, forward bookings exhibited signs of softening, presenting a nuanced picture of the industry’s trajectory.
By Michael Hirst OBE, Chair of the UKEVENTS Advocacy and Government Relations Working Group
In the world of events, recognition and support are pivotal to fostering a thriving industry which delivers on government priorities in growing the visitor and wider economy. The recent announcement of a £5 million grant by Arts Council England for the grassroots music sector is indeed a positive step, demonstrating the government's acknowledgment of the significance of music festivals. However, as we celebrate this allocation, it raises an important question: Are all events being treated equally?
The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) has published the latest Economic Impact Study to quantify the economic significance of exhibitions in the United Kingdom.
Highlighting the value of apprenticeships to the event industry, an increase in funding from £12,000 to £14,000 for the Creative Industries’ Production Technician Apprenticeship is a clear indication of the importance of creating event industry-related apprenticeships. This increase emphasises the value of these apprenticeships and the need to invest in the next generation of event industry professionals.
On 1st November 2023, the Business Travel Association (BTA), the authoritative voice of business travel in the UK, has launched a Manifesto outlining a strategic pathway to tackle industry pressure points and support the UK economy.
The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) has launched its new manifesto and key policy asks in their second Parliamentary event as they look towards the next general election. A cross-party group of MPs, including Government ministers and members of the shadow cabinet, in addition to CEOs from across the business events industry were guests at the reception.
- NOEA Gives Support Behind New Association -
The Event Medical Association, a new body representing medical providers working within the events industry, launched today at The Showman’s Show.
By Nick Morgan, CEO of The Fair and Chair of UKEVENTS Outdoor Events Working Group
In the vibrant heart of the UK lies a cultural phenomenon that has enchanted the world for generations: our festival, music, and cultural events. These events have not only become integral to our national identity but have also fuelled our economy, attracted millions of visitors from around the world, and continue to provide countless jobs. However, the UK events industry faces continued challenges, and it is time for everyone to recognise the looming crisis and act collectively to preserve the spirit of our nation's creative heritage.
The Event Industry Forum invites applications for grants for projects that will benefit the outdoor events industry.
This is a call out to the events industry to look at themselves and work with us to create some amazing opportunities for the eventprofs of the future…
A message from Richard Waddington
“There's been a lot in the press recently about apprenticeships, with the government talking about inappropriate degrees that would be more suited to apprenticeships, graduates not being able to afford university and turning to apprenticeship degrees and apprenticeships creating more openness to a far greater diverse workforce, which is exactly what we’ve been banging on about for the last six months.
UKEVENTS, the umbrella organisation for the UK events industry, met with Sir John Whittingdale OBE, MP, the interim Minister for Tourism and Minister for Science, Innovation, and Technology, on 4th September, 2023. The meeting, initiated in response to a letter from the Minister, discussed specific areas in which the events sector could contribute to the United Kingdom's economy and growth prospects.
The Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) has launched a campaign to highlight the challenges that the independent hospitality sector is facing.
By Access All Areas - The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for independent festivals. The APPG will be chaired by Giles Watling, the Conservative MP for Clacton, who has been a longtime member of the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
VisitBritain has been putting the importance of the business events sector in the spotlight, hosting its first ‘Ambassador Reception’ to recognise city sector and academic ambassadors who continue to secure new international business events in Britain.
UKEVENTS, the umbrella organisation for the events industry, has confirmed the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) as its newest partner.
NCASS is the only membership organisation in the UK to support independent food and drink businesses and has been supporting its members to be safe, legal, and profitable for over 30 years. Its key priorities include raising the profile of its members among the wider events industry, raising safety standards, and to educate on LPG safety.
The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) is pleased to announce the launch of the #CHOOSEEVENTS campaign, spearheaded by the AEO Development Board which is led by Alison Willis, divisional managing director at Easyfairs and James McGough, managing director at Clarion Events.
The Events and Industry Alliance (EIA) recently submitted a response to Westminster’s Business and Trade Committee’s inquiry on export-led growth.
Martin Fullard, Director, News & Content at The Business of Events (TBOE) introduced July's Briefing from TBOE.
'Over the past six weeks we have been working with Government on two fronts. Firstly, we have been in advanced discussions with the Department for Business and Trade about partnering with International Trade Week, which has been confirmed for 6-10 November 2023, and we look forward to announcing more details relating to this in August.
mia has been engaging with its members to find out more about the state of the industry. In the June 2023 edition of its Insights Report, mia shows results of its latest survey, conducted in May 2023, reflecting the response of 112 professionals representing organisations within the business meetings and events sector, with over three quarters (78%) representing an event venue and 22% an event supplier.
Apprenticeships are a vital tool for enhancing the availability of talent in the events industry, but Richard Waddington, Lead, Event Apprenticeships, argues that perceptions must change and that industry leaders should be more active in encouraging them.
The Tourism Alliance has confirmed that Susan Tanner, CEO of the National Outdoor Events Association and UKEVENTS Vice Chair, has joined its 2023/24 board as the UKEVENTS representative.
The EIF (Events Industry Forum, a not-for-profit organisation) has made a substantial funding contribution to www.eventsapprenticeship.org to help it develop and promote apprenticeships in the UK events industry.
New plans to maximise the potential of the UK creative industries and grow the economy have been set out by the government on 13th June 2023.
The latest research into the UK’s conference and meetings sector provides clear evidence of a strong recovery from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and significant optimism for the industry’s future. The ‘UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2023’ (UKCAMS), now in its 30th consecutive year, has quantified the scale of the recovery and documented other key characteristics and trends.
The Association of Independent Festivals has published its first ever Festival Forecast report, which provides economic forecasts for its membership, as well as detailing issues facing the sector and potential solutions.
The UK’s Film and TV industry is valued by the UK Government, and UKEVENTS Chair, Chris Skeith, suggests the country could benefit if similar incentives were offered to the events sector.
Click here to read the document.
Click here for more information about the Business Events Growth Programme (including criteria and the online application form)
Great events inspire change - Across innovation, technology & social impact, the #BusinessEvents industry in the UK is constantly looking for ways to give events a greater purpose and inspire change. Find out how you can do events differently here: https://visitbritain.com/gb/en/business
VisitBritain Business Events Resources page including: VisitBritain Business Events Legacy and Impact Toolkit; VisitBritian UK sector strengths; VisitBritain Sustainability toolkits; Bringing your business events to the UK; Business Events Target Segments; International Markets Profiles.
isla. - here preferred by the Business Events Working Group
Vision2025 - here preferred by the Outdoor Events Working Group
Other programmes used by Partners:
Green Tourism - here
Net Zero Carbon Events initiative - here + 'A Net Zero Roadmap for the Events Industry' Report (Nov 2022) - Full Report | Executive Summary
Positive Impact - The Race to Zero Accelerator Event Sector SME - here
Photo by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
Please click here to access the searchable database of research and reports for the meetings and events industry.
Report published on 6th September 2021 looking at impact of COVID and the industry's future - here.
Manifesto - here
Policy Document for UK Events industry (here)
Click here for latest edition of The DCMS Review
For the APPG For Events website click here.
Latest Briefing Note (31.01.2023) - here.
Announcement of Annual General Meeting & Policy Unity Briefing - here.
MIMN is a registered charity founded by leading figures in the UK conference and events Industry. The objective of MIMN is to raise funds for worthy causes relevant to the events industry which may not have the resources to raise sufficient funds without additional contributions.
Click here for more information
