AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030 | Page 30

4. TIME TO IGNITE THE NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY (NTE)
Yes, it’s true that a world economic crash, and especially one
accompanied by a liquidity drought, might see some of the UK’s
cash-constrained events independents wiped out. That, though, is a
reason for every independent to become better at what it does. And it’s
a reason for every far-sighted local authority, Business Improvement
District and mayoral office to value and encourage events SMEs, and
to do its best not to hold them back.
Brits like to put on a show. The next 12 years are a time for the
UK to become more ambitious about events, not less – for that is
what the public will demand. In particular, the night is still an
enormous untapped opportunity for events.
As a Museum of London exhibition of after-dark photography
confirmed in 2018, the night is a cultural arena in its own right. In
and after October 2019, a Barbican exhibition and set of performances
will reinforce this, by highlighting how the world’s avant-garde artists
have long gained creative inspiration from cabarets and clubs.
The night has its own dynamics, and its own surprises. That
is why the Greater London Authority issues extensive guidance on
the night-time economy, and conducts in-depth research on the
subject; it is also why the Mayor of London has appointed a Night Time
Commission, so as to help London become more of a 24-hour city.
In Britain the NTE also commands the attention of the London
Assembly, the Welsh government, the Office for National Statistics
and public policy analysts. In 2018, Aberdeen hosted Scotland’s
first conference on the NTE. Yet bringing better leadership and
organisation to the NTE is also a worldwide trend. New York City has
an Office for Nightlife, and other US cities run something similar, too.
Scandinavia has an annual night mayor summit. Amsterdam has an
elected night mayor, councillors in Prague appointed a night mayor
early in 2019, and Dublin may follow suit.
This is all welcome. But in the UK the need now is to ensure that
official recommendations about the NTE are acted upon. That way,
the NTE can truly, by 2030, become a round-the-clock economy.
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