High Court rules that Hiscox and QBE must pay out
The High Court has ruled that insurers Hiscox and QBE must pay out disputed business interruption policies to policy holders in the events industry . A lengthy group action lawsuit has been ongoing since June , combining a wide spectrum of disputed insurance policies into one representative case . The Meetings Industry Association has welcomed the ruling , which suggests Covid-19 claims should be paid in most cases if policies had pandemic or notifiable disease clauses . Jane Longhurst , chief executive of the Meetings Industry Association said that a recent survey among members revealed that 92 % of respondents stated that their financial losses to date have not been covered by their insurance policy . “ This test case is promising news for the many who have suffered immeasurable losses due to the ramifications of the pandemic ,” Longhurst noted . The ruling examined 21 policy wordings used by 16 insurers , and Longhurst advised the sector to revisit their existing , as well as any previously outstanding policies , where the policyholder may deem themselves eligible to make a claim under pandemic or notifiable disease clauses .
Manchester ’ s EventCity closes its doors
Manchester ’ s EventCity conference and exhibition centre has announced its closure , and pulled plans for its new venue . The venue in Trafford had been planning to close and relocate to a new site ( rendered below ). However , owners Peel Group now say EventCity will cease trading completely from 31 March , 2021 . The announcement came days after Boris Johnson said the 1 October restart date for conferences and exhibitions was now ‘ under review ’, and may be pushed back . In a statement , a Peel spokesman said : “ EventCity ’ s business strategy throughout the Covid-19 crisis has been focussed on the health , safety and wellbeing of our people , while protecting as many jobs as possible during this exceptionally challenging period . ” In recent weeks , it has become increasingly clear that the depth of the economic contraction , particularly in the events and hospitality sectors , is far more extreme than anyone could have envisaged . “ Regrettably , we have had to take the decision to close EventCity by 31 March 2021 and withdraw our plans for a new facility , which were approved by Trafford Council in February of this year .”
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EventsAir says it has recorded more than 100,000 delegates attending online events over the last three months . The 100,000 attendees equates to over 300,000 registrations .
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