The BVEP feels the industry will have mixed emotions following the results of the General Election this morning. The most pressing is one of a fond farewell and thank you to Nick de Bois MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group, who failed to hold onto his Enfield North constituency. Nick de Bois has been a passionate supporter and advocate of the UK Events Industry, contributing to the huge progress the industry has made in its relationships with government departments.
However, as we look to the future, the BVEP has picked out a number of points the industry should be looking at in the weeks to come. Simon Hughes, Vice Chair of the BVEP, commented: “A stable continuity in government is good for business, and growth for SMEs will continue to be encouraged; a key part of the events industry. We will also see the continuation of the GREAT campaign, and its wider events remit in both tourism and exports, and most crucially the new Events Strategy from DCMS, that will deliver so much success for the country internationally.
“A Conservative Government does mean a continuation of austerity and cuts in spending; this will inevitably hit the UK events industry and the income many organisers gain from local or national government related projects. We should also be wary about international business specifically European inbound events. We know that corporates do not like instability and any referendum on Europe will be an issue in keeping these events secure.
“However it is not all doom and gloom, this government has shown itself to be supporters of tourism, but also of business and their push for export plays into the new positioning of the Events Industry; one that the BVEP has worked so hard to establish. It is again for us to show how our industry can be a driver to both business growth and international travel that will dictate our future; in this we are well set.
“One of the amazing dynamics of the election has been the growth in SNP, Plaid Cymru and DUP parties, all of which did well, and with an exceptional performance from the SNP. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all rely heavily on tourism so we hope that these regions will see more investment into business tourism as well.
“We also hope that as the new Tory Government turns to English issues, we will see more support for VisitEngland to both compete more within the UK, but to join forces with the other countries and present a strong Britain in front of international event organisers. This, twinned by this governments support for VisitBritain re entering business events should mean strong support in the winning of international events.'
On the loss of de Bois, Michael Hirst, Chair of the BVEP commented; “On behalf of all of our Partners and everyone within the UK events industry we would like to put on record our sincere thanks to Nick de Bois for the hard work, endeavor, but also the positive impact he has had on our industry. From his chairing of the All Party Parliamentary Group, to the Inquiry he led into our international competitiveness, Nick has been a supporter in making sure that the Prime Minister, the Treasury, DCMS and UKTI are kept informed of everything we have tried to achieve for the industry. He is a great loss, but his legacy is one of a stronger, better represented and more respected UK Events Industry.”
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