From Meetings & Incentive Travel - Nick de Bois has been announced as the chair of the new Business Visits & Events Board.
The board is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) cross government strategy for the UK events industry and will be tasked with identifying business opportunities and to win more events for the UK.
The DCMS tweeted: “Happy to announce Nick de Bois as new Chair of Business Visits & Events Board, we welcome his expertise to help boost the UK events industry.”
Nick de Bois said: “I am delighted to volunteer my services and look forward to helping support events industry and contributing to the Government growth agenda.”
It is proposed that the Business Visits & Events Board will report to the Ministerial GREAT Programme Board and will comprise membership from the business visits and events industry, relevant government departments, VisitBritain, UK trade & Investment (UKTI), VisitScotland, Visit Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland and VisitEngland.
The board will identify a priority list of business visits and events, along with appropriate actions for bidding, and will assess requests for ministerial support from the UK regions. The Home Office will discuss special arrangements at ports of entry, and produce UK visa ‘mythbusting’ advice.
De Bois was the founder and MD of events agency Rapiergroup for 20 years, before serving as MP for Enfield North from 2010-2015, during which time he launched the first ever All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) inquiry into the events industry in 2013.
During his time in Westminster, De Bois urged the events sector to have greater relationships with government, and also encouraged the industry to back BVEP’s manifesto for the UK meetings and events industry, Events Can Win For Britain.
He lost his seat in the General Election, but in June de Bois annouinced that he would be chairing Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith’s campaign to become Mayor of London.
Credits: Meetings & Incentive Travel - http://www.meetpie.com/Modules/NewsModule/newsdetails.aspx?t=De-Bois-to-chair-new-Business-Visits-amp-Events-Board&newsid=21800