One Industry One Voice : how the industry came together , and the campaign to look out for
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Simon Hughes ( above ), chair of the Business Visits & Events Partnership ( BVEP ), outlines how the events industry has united
The UK has a proud tradition of delivering world class events , creating experiences and millions of memories for people around the globe . From celebrations to conferences , meetings to master classes , TED Talks to tradeshows , private weddings to product launches and everything in between , events are experiences that help us innovate , connect and grow . From the millions raised for charities every year in mass participation sports events to the thousands of small businesses that use trade shows and consumer exhibitions as their primary route to market , the UK events industry is diverse , fiercely independent , incredibly successful and full of creative and innovative teams working to deliver outstanding experiences . However , this year has been very different . Many in the UK events industry were predicting that 2020 would be a record-breaking year of growth and expansion after what was a successful 2019 . Instead , like so many other industries , we have watched businesses fail , people lose their livelihoods and our customers delay , postpone and finally cancel their planned events and experiences . We have worked hard with government to develop guidance to keep people safe at events . As an industry we are experts in safety ; this message underpins everything that we do . We manage risks , solve problems and come up with creative solutions day in , day out . That problem-solving DNA which runs through so much of our work led to the creation of the One Industry One Voice coalition of campaigns . For the
first time , the entire industry united behind all the various efforts being made to win support and help from the many and varied sectors within the UK events industry . The initiative won immediate and widespread support when it launched at the end of July after a Mash Media-organised summit . Exhibition organisers , creative agencies , travel management agencies , venues , suppliers , caterers , trade associations , the trade press , festival promoters and the freelance community are all represented unlike ever before . One Industry One Voice is a collaborative effort based on sharing industry information and data , supporting and aligning campaigning activity and ensuring that the industry focuses on the key issues facing it in this time of national crisis . Working together always creates more opportunities for solving problems , the sharing of best practice and producing evidence-based solutions to help manage risk and build confidence . This is where the planned # WeCreateExperiences campaign comes into play . Set to activate in early December , subject to the prevailing national situation , this will be a forward-looking , positive campaign designed to inform , educate and inspire people about what role events play in their lives and how they will be returning to them safely in 2021 . We are one industry , with one voice : this is what we do . # WeCreateExperiences
£ 84 billion
The entire events industry is worth £ 84bn to the UK economy in direct spend annually , according to the BVEP ( 2019 ). This figure includes business events , festivals , music , sport , and weddings . www . conference-news . co . uk