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Nick de Bois , chair of VisitEngland , says that England is working hard to facilitate safe events
he business events industry in England has shown incredible resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic , working extremely hard to ensure it is ready to welcome back visitors to the outstanding destinations , venues and experiences that make England a leading destination for business events .
If this year has taught us anything , it ’ s that there is no underestimating the importance of this sector . It is not only a vital vehicle to enable industries and businesses to connect with trade , investment , sales and the latest innovation , but it also is an important driver of economic development . The business events industry in the UK employs more than 700,000 jobs . To date , the Meetings Industry Association estimates more than 125,000 total job losses , with catering , front-of-house and events / account managers being the roles most severely affected . As someone who has spent most of their adult life working in this valuable sector , it is devastating news . With this in mind , the priority for us is to support the industry to safely restart events of all sizes , when the time is right .
Following the announcement by the UK prime minister that conferences and exhibitions will not reopen in England as previously planned , the industry has had to once again regroup and think of innovative ways to connect with our industry peers . Though large conferences cannot go ahead , groups of up to 30 can continue to meet and do business in Covid-secure venues in England ( subject to lockdown restrictions ). To date , we have seen many suppliers use this restriction to accommodate the needs of event planners in creative ways , such as the UKickstart event in September , where attendees were able to join the event in person
: Nick de Bois , chair of VisitEngland
“ The industry has had to once again regroup and think of innovative ways to connect with our industry peers .”
15 VisitEngland in one of the several venue hubs located across the country . We have seen the business events sector adapt time and again to meet the ongoing challenges , keeping the needs of its client ’ s front-of-mind and showcasing why it is one of the most innovative and resilient industries in England .
Throughout this challenging period , VisitEngland has been supporting destinations , venues and business event suppliers to assist them in developing creative ways to meet again . Crucially , we are encouraging buyers to creatively reimagine their future events and incentives here in England through our ‘ Events Reimagined ’ campaign . The campaign seeks to inspire buyers with how England is creatively adapting to the new normal in business events and reenergises the industry to meet again in new , innovative ways .
Looking ahead to 2021 our planning for MeetEngland Virtual is underway , providing continuity and the opportunity to forge valuable business connections . Following the success of VisitBritain ’ s MeetGB Virtual earlier this year , MeetEngland Virtual has been designed to keep England front of mind as a key destination of choice for international events . The online exhibition will connect English destinations with global and UK buyers in a two-day virtual trade show of one-to-one video meetings , a roundtable discussion and virtual showcase .
While we battle through this period of uncertainty , our priority remains to reassure event planners , delegates and suppliers that our planning towards future recovery continues . No one can underestimate the size of the challenges facing our industry . However , we are a sector that thrives on connecting people and forging business relationships and , although we are unable to meet quite yet , England is working hard to safely welcome events back in the future . www . conference-news . co . uk