The UKEVENTS Terms of Reference were reviewed and adopted on 29th November 2022 and are available to read / download below:
UKEVENTS Terms of Reference
- The organisation’s name is UKEVENTS
- These terms of reference were adopted on 29th November 2022.
- UKEVENTS is the recognised and collective voice of the UK’s world leading events industry which represents every part of the diverse, creative, and dynamic sector across the whole of the UK and champions the economic, societal, and transformational value of events.
- The role of UKEVENTS is to support the work of its partners to help create a strong, growing and sustainable events industry in the UK. The industry comprises many diverse and individual sectors, covering meetings, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, incentive travel, event hospitality, ceremonies, sporting, cultural, outdoor and festivals, events education and training, as well as other services provided by the wider supply chain.
- The objectives of UKEVENTS:
To provide an inclusive and open forum for events industry leaders to share thoughts, experiences and insights that enable us to communicate with one clear and collective voice.
To establish a series of sector specific working groups which meet regularly to discuss mutual areas of interest and advance those areas.
To engage with Government and policymakers to raise awareness of events to the UK economy and society and their ability to progress policy objectives.
To advance the message of business events being a driver for international trade and exports and inward investment.
To advance the message of sporting, cultural and festival events being a key driver of community cohesion and social wellbeing providing countless opportunities to destinations.
To amplify the work of its partner organisations and sharing best practice, research, and other areas of activity.
To undertake regular research, trends analysis and insights to help the industry make informed decisions and shape the future of events.
To work in partnership with Government departments and agencies, to provide regular market insights and intelligence and identify areas where events can support their objectives and agendas.
To contribute to and support the work of allied organisations, including the Tourism Industry Council, All Party Parliamentary Group for Events and The Business of Events, VisitBritain, devolved Nations and key UK Cities.
To support the event industry’s focus on professionalism, skills, and talent development.
To oversee The Events Apprenticeship Framework (EAF), working with relevant parties.
To commit to advancing access, diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing of all people in UK events.
To support the drive for environmentally sustainable policies and practices throughout the events industry. - Membership - Partners
Full membership is open to all associations or representative bodies in the private, public or voluntary sectors whose primary activities are in the field of Events in the United Kingdom. Membership can also apply to international organisations with divisions or arrangements which represent the interests of their members in the United Kingdom.
Full membership is also open to collective representative organisations that have complementary interests in supporting the Events Industry in the United Kingdom and whose interests are seen by existing Partners as being beneficial to the UKEVENTS.
Full membership shall entitle Partners to vote at general meetings of UKEVENTS.
Every organisation that wishes to become a Partner will complete an application for membership.
Approval from the existing Partners will be sought via email at the time the application is received. If no objections are received from the existing Partners within 10 workings days of advising the application has been received, then the application will be considered as approved and the membership process will progress for that application.
If any objection to an application is received from an existing Partner it will be referred to the Executive Committee for investigation and their final ruling on the application.
Membership shall not be granted until the subscription fees due are received in full.
The period of membership is continuous providing the relevant fees have been paid and no objections to continuing membership are upheld by the majority of existing Partners.
Partners may at any time withdraw from UKEVENTS by giving notice in writing. No refund of any unused proportion of the full or fee will be refunded in such circumstances.
UKEVENTS shall have the right to terminate membership of any Partner if it deems that the Partner’s conduct or operation of their activities does not represent acceptable practice or may bring the events Industry into disrepute. - Strategic Partners
The Partnership will from time to time engage with other organisations and business entities on long term collaborations or on specific projects, including sponsorship opportunities.
Arrangements for strategic partnerships will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Committee and approved by Partners at a General Meeting, or via email. - Fee
Full Partnership fees as determined from time to time by the Executive Committee and approved by the full Partnership shall be payable by each Partner in full on the 1st of January of each year.
The membership fee for each Partner would be set at an equal level for all Members. There will be no differential based on the size or turnover of each Member.
for the period in which the membership commences shall be payable as applicable pro rata.
Membership fees shall be used to fund the proposed budget, reflecting the proposed services and activities required by UKEVENTS from year to year, with a reserve fund maintained by UKEVENTS.
Partners may, by agreement, subscribe additional funds in respect of specific projects or additional activities, as agreed from time to time.
UKEVENTS shall have the right to terminate the membership of any Partner if the annual subscription has not been paid within three months from the date on which such subscription was due. - General Meetings
All Partners will meet together, as a general meeting, four times each year, to discuss and agree the business of UKEVENTS and receive report backs from working groups.
General meetings can by either in person or online. However, every effort will be made to arrange two in person meetings per year, one of which will be organised alongside an events industry conference, exhibition, or other similar showcase.
General meetings will include opportunities for networking, updates from Partners covering their own activities, industry presentations and opportunities for collaboration and joint events.
It is expected that general meetings will take place over a two/three-hour period.
The location of the meetings will be determined for each meeting. Whilst the majority of meetings will be held in London, a meeting hosted by Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or a regional destination in England will also be held from time to time.
Partners may agree to invite non-members and observers to attend General Meetings.
The quorum for meetings of UKEVENTS shall be ten Partners.
Where Partners are required to approve matters through a vote, the votes of non-attending Partners will also be sought? - The Executive Committee
The Partners will elect an Executive Committee of five persons representing full Partners of UKEVENTS.
The Executive Committee will progress the work of UKEVENTS, facilitate its general meetings and make satisfactory arrangements for the day-to-day conduct of the management, administration and financial functions of the Partnership.
It is envisaged that the Executive Committee will meet four times a year, in advance of the general meetings of UKEVENTS. Meetings may be face to face or by teleconference.
The Executive Committee will agree roles and responsibilities amongst the members of that Committee. These will include a Chair, the immediate past Chair, a Treasurer, a Membership Secretary, and a Member responsible for developing commercial arrangements and sponsorships with external entities.
The Executive Committee will have the power to co-opt members to undertake specific roles. Any such co-options will be ratified by the full membership annually.
Appointment to these roles will be endorsed by Partners at a General Meeting.
Each Executive Committee Member will serve for a period of two years in their agreed role.
When a vacancy occurs on the Executive Committee, each Partner is entitled to nominate one person for election to that Committee.
The person nominated must either be a member of the nominating organisation or a person held in high standing by that nominating organisation.
All candidates for election to the Executive Committee will be given an opportunity to present their credentials to the Partners prior to any election.
Only Partners may vote for Executive Committee Members, each Partner having one vote only for each vacant position.
The Executive Committee will determine the requirements for any administrative and secretarial services, website management, marketing, and public relations, either on an internally employed basis or on an outsourced arrangement. Such proposals will be put before a General Meeting for approval. Changes to any approved arrangements will be similarly approved at a General Meeting.
The Treasurer will prepare regular financial statements for reporting to a General Meeting and an annual budget for approval at a General Meeting.
The Executive Committee will prepare an annual business plan for approval by the Partners at a General Meeting.
The Executive Committee will review on an annual basis the relevance and value of the work of UKEVENTS and propose alterations to the Terms of Reference as appropriate.
The Executive Committee will be responsible for proposing new members, both full Partners and associates, to the Partners at a General Meeting.
UKEVENTS welcomes sponsorship from organisations and individuals with objectives that align with and support the overall strategies and activities of the organisation and bring benefits to both parties.
The Executive Committee will be responsible for proposing commercial arrangements and potential sponsorship to the Partners at a General Meeting.
Partners may remove by simple majority, before the expiry of their term, any Executive Committee Member. - The Role of the Chair
Lead the Executive Committee, agreeing, supporting, and overseeing the responsibilities of each role/member of the Committee.
Agree the agenda with the Secretariat ahead of each meeting, to ensure the agenda includes progress reports on the activities of the Partnership and matters raised in advance by Partners for discussion at General Meetings.
Chair the meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Meetings.
Facilitate discussions at General and Executive Committee meetings.
Help progress the ongoing work of the Organisation between meetings.
Liaise with the Secretariat to ensure papers for meetings and other communications are circulated to all members and that information and the organisation’s website is kept up to date.
Identify opportunities to promote and communicate the work of the Organisation to industry, government, and other stakeholders.
Liaise with UKEVENT’S communications advisers to ensure announcements and updates of the work of UKEVENTS are properly communicated to all members and external interested parties.
Represent UKEVENTS on external bodies and organisations except where another Member is invited to undertake the role. - Development of Policies and Working Groups
Partners will seek to develop policies that have the support of all Partners. Policy development can be facilitated by the Executive Committee taking the lead role, or by identifying a lead Partner who will take responsibility for developing a specific policy with the support and endorsement of other Partners.
Partners at a General Meeting may determine to establish working groups to review and progress policy and other matters agreed by the Partners.
These groups may cover issues within the framework of the Partners’ Annual Business Plan
i.e. Skills and Talent; Advocacy and Government Relations; Business Events, Outdoor Events, Research and Business Intelligence and any other areas of interest and policy development as determined and agreed by the Partners.
Partners will agree the key criteria and objectives for each Working Group.
Partners will agree whether a Working Group has an ongoing role or is established to achieve a specific goal and will be disbanded after that goal has been met.
The Chair for any Working Group will be nominated and agreed by Partners as being the most suitable candidate. Working group Chairs may come from within UKEVENTS or be an external individual with relevant experience best suited to lead that Working Group.
The Chair of each Working Group will be at liberty to recruit Group participants from members of UKEVENTS, and from external organisations or individuals best suited to the purpose and objectives of that Group.
The purpose of creating membership of the Working Groups is to ensure as wide an engagement as possible with the industry.
It is the intention to involve the “next generation” of industry leaders in Working Groups to recognise their perspective on industry issues and potential solutions.
Each Working Group will determine its procedures, number of meetings and method of communication with other members of that Group.
Each Working Group is required to regularly report back on its activities at a General Meeting of UKEVENTS. - UKEVENTS Representation on External Bodies.
In recognition of the importance of maintaining and raising the profile of UKEVENTS and the work it performs on behalf of the Events Industry, UKEVENTS will seek to be represented on external bodies or form a strategic partnership that can assist in influencing UKEVENTS’ objectives and agenda.
These bodies currently include but are not limited to: The Events Industry Working Group of the Tourism Industry Council; Visit Britain’s Tourism Immediate Emergency Group; “LIVE”, UKSport, The Arts Council, Creative UK and other ad hoc groups covering policy development such as Aviation and Transport policy, APD and various Industry campaigns.
UKEVENTS is a member of the Tourism Alliance and currently holds a Board position. The Tourism Alliance, as the collective body for all tourism industry representative organisations, enables policy development, information sharing and mutual representation which enables the events industry’s interests to be included in the work of the Alliance. The intention is to have a continuing arrangement with the Alliance to safeguard the present benefits of membership.
Partners and the Executive Committee will agree from time to time UKEVENT’s continuing membership of external bodies.
A representative of UKEVENTS will be nominated to represent UKEVENTS on each of the external bodies or ad-hoc committees that the Partners agree to join or participate in.
Ideally such a representative should be an Executive Committee member or Partner representative but another industry representative, agreed by Partners, may be invited to undertake this role.
All representatives undertaking these roles on external bodies will report back to the Partners on the outcomes of the work of the external bodies and the potential impacts for the Events industry of the polices being pursued.
During their time on an external body, the person representing UKEVENTS should be bound by that organisation’s code of conduct and also act in the best interests of UKEVENTS.