18
Cover Story
BRITISH
PRESS
IN EVENTS
CRISIS
Martin Fullard
explores how
the national
press can find
salvation
through the
events industry,
but need to
recognise it
first
For a while now, collectively as
an industry, we have been trying
to get the attention of
government. It is difficult to
comprehend that the UK
government does not openly
acknowledge the events
industry’s £70bn annual value
or the 700,000 people it directly
employs (or it did at least before
this crisis).
When you consider that
regional Britain’s regeneration is
largely down to both business
C
and
leisure
events,
it makes it all the more
bewildering.
Being cooped up at home
since the end of March, I am
sure you, like me, have realised
just how much we take events
for granted. As I’m sure the
government does as well.
Cabinet meetings are an event,
which for now are being
conducted digitally. The
www.conference-news.co.uk
government are
doing
most of their work
remotely over online meeting
software. Even the daily
briefings are digital, with Laura
Kuenssberg and Robert Peston
dialling in from home each day
with their questions. The
government must be feeling the
strain of it: surely, they can’t wait