21 The Great Debate
ITS PEOPLE ?
motion , expressing solidarity with the three and a half million people working in the hospitality and events sector and emphasising the positive impact and opportunities it provides .
Team Proposition The Proposition was made up of Rachel Belliere-Wilson , an access and inclusion educator ; Lindsay Conroy , national head of apprenticeships , USCAS ( whose speech was read-out by John Brown , the Union ’ s Bursar ), and Martin Fullard , director of The Business of Events and Davies Tanner .
Belliere-Wilson opened the debate for The Proposition . In a personal reflection , she recounted her journey in the events industry , highlighting the challenges she faced as a person with a disability .
Despite facing initial scepticism from colleagues and superiors , she successfully rose to a leadership position , highlighting the unique problem-solving skills that her disability cultivated . She urged the industry to embrace diversity and shared statistics that reveal prevailing biases against disabled individuals in the workplace . Indeed , some 16 million Britons have some form of disability .
Belliere-Wilson offered practical suggestions for fostering inclusivity , such as engaging individuals with lived experiences , reviewing recruitment strategies , and challenging prejudices . She highlighted the moral and legal obligations of creating accessible and inclusive workplaces , envisioning a positive shift in the
“ The crux of the industry ’ s challenges lies in the lack of recognition through SIC codes ”
Photo : Courtesy : creative-corporate-photography . co . uk
industry by 2024 . She concluded by stressing the economic value of catering to the disabled market and the broader benefits of inclusivity for everyone .
Conroy , absent owing to illness , highlighted the improvements that need to be made for apprenticeships within the industry . She expressed concerns about the perception and opportunities within the hospitality and events industry , challenging the longstanding notion that hard work alone guarantees career success , highlighting the inadequacies of the education and apprenticeship systems .
The speech drew attention to the diminishing number of apprenticeships in hospitality , indicating a lack of viable pathways for aspiring individuals . Comparisons to countries like Switzerland underscore the industry ’ s potential for growth and success .
Conroy highlighted the need for clear career paths , increased apprenticeship opportunities , and a concerted effort to inspire the future workforce . It was argued that the industry must act now to tap into the growing pool of potential talent and present hospitality as an appealing and viable career choice . Fullard closed the Proposition . While acknowledging the sentiment of the industry failing its people , he argued that the responsibility doesn ’ t solely lie with the events industry itself , but rather at government level . The crux of the industry ’ s challenges , he said , lay in the lack of recognition through Standardised Industrial Classification ( SIC ) codes .
Fullard elaborated on the inadequacies of the current set of codes available , noting that out of the 752 codes businesses can choose from to define their activities , only five relate to the events sector , and they were dispersed among other sectors .
The lack of proper representation through SIC codes , according to Fullard , results in the industry being administratively incapable of effective regulation or governance . He noted that while the hospitality and events sectors were cousins , they are two separate entities serving different purposes . He stressed that the government remains oblivious to the sector ’ s true scale and impact due to this lack of recognition , leaving it in a perpetual state of underappreciation and neglect .
The audience verdict was No , the industry is not failing its people . The Noes to the left : 43 . The Ayes to the right : 26 . Abstentions : 7 . The Noes have it . CN www . conference-news . co . uk