As this torrid year stumbles to a chaotic close, drafting a traditional festive message presents something of a challenge. Where to begin? Applaud our mastery of virtual meeting technology – no, you’re on mute. You’re still on mute! Unmute please! Give me strength. Then there has been what I have fondly called the BLQ or the Bad Language Quota. As we lurched from vague but bad bat news in China to ski holiday spreading and then total lockdown, I noticed that with each déjà vu month that passed the amount of bad language being used on virtual meeting started to creep up. Wrong kind of quota, with no tariffs involved, but massive queues already forming on the M20. Marvellous.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) held its first meeting today following its re-establishment as an official APPG in Parliament, to elect its Officers and outline its objectives for the year ahead.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Events (APPG) has now been re-established as an official APPG in Parliament following the appointment of a new Chair and Vice Chair.
By Simon Hughes, BVEP Chair. Suspense and Strain - The constant media references to Churchill when the PM makes a speech or addresses the nation in this moment of national crisis are wearing very thin with me, particularly as I’ve been ploughing through Churchill’s ‘The Second World War’, which I quoted from in the last update. There is simply no comparison between these two leaders once you learn how the former used expert advice, dealt with the detail, delegated effectively and built a Cabinet around him based on trust, strength, unity and talent. I realise these updates are reading more and more like the manic thoughts of deranged blogger, but I’m trying to keep it real despite everything that’s going on, so please either bear with me or just stop reading now.
By Simon Hughes, BVEP Chair - After the wave of gloom that overtook vast sections of the UK events industry as a result of the latest government rule of six announcement – and the subsequent confusion in relation to the actual impact on permitted event activity – it is perhaps time to regroup and refocus on the ups rather than the downs. One event that certainly lifted spirits across both the UK and further afield was the UKickstart Event 2020 hosted by etc.venues and supported by a number of our partners. This hybrid event linked 12 hubs nationwide with live audiences of 30 and many hundreds more virtually. Although it felt like a slim downed version of Eurovision, with glamorous hosts joining us from the ICC Belfast and Farnborough (nice jacket Carlo), the two main panel sessions hosted by Martin Fullard and Calum Di Lieto were well received, judging by the response on social channels.
Event First Steps (EFS) & CIT have released a sector wide survey on Racial Diversity in the Events Industry. EFS is an initiative for industry newcomers founded by Caitlin Kobrak, Elena Clowes and Priya Narain.
- VisitBritain to Start Promoting The UKickstart Event 2020
- One Industry, One Voice Campaign Update
- BVEP Launches Events Reopening Survey Ahead of October Go Date
- Media Statement from Simon Hughes, Chair Business Visits & Events Partnership
- Small steps are not big enough or bold enough for the UK Event Industry
- BVEP welcomes three new members
- EIB - Industry leaders express urgency about naming a reopening date to Minister
- BVEP Blog by Simon Hughes - Go Large, Go Local
- BVEP welcomes change to physical distancing rules but calls lack of specific reference to events in statement from PM ‘shameful’ and continues to push for support for the UK events industry
- Event Industry Support Debate