We thought we should write to bring you up to date about a number of things going on in the background to support the outdoor events industry. Although the Events Industry Forum has been working tirelessly to get support for the outdoor event sector over the last year, we have been remiss in not always keeping everyone up to date with what’s going on. In order to address this, you can now access minutes of all our meetings on our website at https://www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk/index.php/activities/eif-board-committee-minutes
We have also lodged a number of recent documents on the site which you may find of interest. These include:
• A submission to DCMS for funding for the sector, which we are continuing to pursue.
• A submission to the Business in COVID Parliamentary All Party Group outlining the support the industry needs to return.
• A letter to Mark Harper MP, leader of the COVID Recovery Parliamentary All Party Group setting out the case for allowing outdoor events to return this Spring.
• A report from a recent meeting with the Chief Scientific Advisor to DCMS.
You can find all the above at https://www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk/index.php/activities/document-archive
In addition to the above:
Outdoor Event COVID Guidance – The EIF/DCMS guidance has been comprehensively updated and is currently with the Government awaiting approval. We will notify you as soon as this is available on our website.
VAT – The Forum is supporting a campaign, organised by the LIVE group, for VAT to remain at 5% on tickets etc. at least until the end of 2021.
Events APPG – The Parliamentary All Party Group for Events has been reformed with Theresa Villiers MP taking over as Chair. One meeting of the group has already taken place and a number of questions have been raised by it in the House of Commons in support of the industry. If you have any issues you would like to raise with the APPG, please direct them to me and I will pass them on to the Secretariat.
Insurance – EIF is supporting a campaign being led by LIVE for the Government to underwrite insurance for events going forward. This is urgently needed as the commercial sector will not insure events for risks associated with the pandemic, particularly given the uncertainties of the virus.
I would also like to acknowledge the work that has been done across all the organisations that support EIF to help the industry through these impossible times. Through the individual work being done by these organisations, and the collective voice of EIF, we are helping to make sure that the outdoor event sector is recognised and heard. This is only possible through the support your give to the organisations in membership of EIF – thank you.
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