ith its wealth of leading convention centres and venues , its rich heritage and culture and an abundance of industry expertise , the UK has an outstanding business events offer . And as we reflect on the past 18 months and the challenges the industry has faced , and continues to overcome , we have also proven that we are a destination that has a stand-out ability to adapt and to innovate whatever the circumstances .

In April this year , the UK held its first large ‘ in-person ’ business event since March 2020 . Taking place in one of the UK ’ s leading convention centres , ACC Liverpool , the 400-person conference marked a significant step in the industry ’ s recovery . The event was testament not only to our ability to host safe and professional events , but to our hard-working industry ’ s creativity , resilience and agility .

Reassurance The UK business events industry has worked tirelessly towards recovery , embracing new ways of working to build confidence and reassurance on both a domestic and international scale . In summer 2020 , VisitBritain launched the ‘ We ’ re Good to Go ’ industry standard , a mark that offers planners a ring of

confidence that the industry is ensuring the highest standard of safety and operational procedures . In the UK to date , more than 48,500 tourism and events businesses have registered , demonstrating they are adhering to Government and public health guidance .

Innovations Earlier this year VisitBritain announced that ‘ We ’ re Good To Go ’ registered businesses automatically qualify to use the World Travel & Tourism Council ’ s Safe Travel ( WTTC ) stamp , enabling planners and their delegates to recognise destinations around the world which have adopted global standardised protocols .

Our industry ’ s ability to collaborate is also what sets it apart . UK destinations , venues and suppliers are working together to offer a range of innovations to support future events . From the newly launched Hybrid Events Solution UK ( HESUK ), a free-of-charge initiative to deliver national hybrid events in COVID-secure venues across England , to the UK ’ s wealth of ambassador programmes , enabling destinations globally recognised for their achievements in key sectors to share their expertise . These exciting developments further enhance the UK ’ s already

“ We have shown time and again that we can adapt to deliver outstanding events in the face of huge challenges .”

VisitBritain ’ s We ’ re Good To Go standard

Kerrin MacPhie

extensive business events portfolio .

So , to sum up , what does the UK do well ? It adapts , regroups , collaborates and embraces the ‘ new normal ’ with creativity , enthusiasm and agility . It has developed ambassador programmes which allow us to share our knowledge and expertise , industry initiatives including ‘ We ’ re Good To Go ,’ and developed advanced hybrid technology solutions – to highlight just three examples .

In short , the UK business events industry has demonstrated time and again its innovation , passion and determination , cementing its reputation not only as a world-leading destination but as an industry that can adapt to deliver outstanding events in the face of huge challenges .