Theresa Villiers MP |
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organisation which speaks directly to Government must do what it says on the tin . On that note , sitting next to Theresa Villiers on stage , Chris Skeith OBE , chair of the Business Visits and Events Partnership ( BVEP ) and current umbrella body for the sector , unveiled its rebranding to UK Events .
“ The changes [ rebrand ] better reflect the diverse nature of the events sector our partners represent which has grown to not only include meetings , conferences , exhibitions , and trade shows , but also incentive travel , event hospitality , ceremonies , sporting , cultural , outdoor and festivals ,” said Skeith .
“ Many positive things have been executed under the BVEP name , I know I speak for many of our members and executives when I say we ’ re proud of all that we have achieved and how we ’ ve evolved since the partnership was formed in 1999 .
“ But progression is about moving forward and adopting alternative approaches , and I look forward to continuing our work with a fresh and exciting new look . The UK Events name incorporates how our members are adapting and growing in line with the UK ’ s ever-changing events industry , and demonstrates that as a collective , our sector is a serious contender for international trade , exports and inward investment .”
Villiers added that she welcomed the rebrand , which is now more in line with the branding of UK Hospitality , UK Sport , and UK Music ( all independent organisations from each other ).
She said : “ There are clearly lots of trade associations in the sector , understandably , because it ’ s very diverse and it covers a huge range of businesses with some things in common . But there are a lot of things that are very different , therefore it needs multiple trade associations . The important thing is
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“ We need to ensure that the government has a focus on using events as a form of regeneration .”
- Theresa Villiers MP
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The Business of Events policy forum
all those representatives and trade associations are talking to one another regularly .”
UK Events is not a trade association itself , but rather a conduit to Government , with trade body membership , including the likes of the Meetings Industry Association , Business Events and Meetings , the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers and the Event Industry Alliance .
Levelling up
Villiers has grown into her role as chair of the APPG for Events , and noted she is actively courting further backbench MPs to join her on the group , particularly those in constituencies which host large events or have significant venue stock . She also called for ministers to be more proactive in using events as launchpads for further investment and to market Britain to the world . “ We need to ensure that the
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Government has a focus on using events as a form of regeneration ,” she said . “ Even in these difficult times , there are still sizeable budgets available to destinations the Levelling Up Fund .
“ Ministers should understand that one of the best ways to potentially deploy those resources is at events , and to ensure that the Government ’ s activity , in terms of exports , trade , and inward investment recognises that . We should have our ministers out there in the wider world selling this as a destination for fantastic business meetings and conferences .”
Business events can support Government policy and leave a lasting positive legacy . The industry is ready to deliver , and the door to parliament is ajar . It ’ s time to walk through . As James Latham from the Iceberg so eloquently put it , the story should be less about value consumption , but rather the value creation . CN
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