Reflect and rebuild
Andrew Harrison , ESSA , Director
Carina Bauer , AEO , Vice Chair
In the pre-Covid era , the Event Industry Alliance ( EIA ) was already making some strides in building relationships with the government . The EIA , together with representatives from allied sectors , had attended successive meetings with ministers , but as Association of Event Organisers ( AEO ) CEO Chris Skeith explained , the relationship didn ’ t run deep . Skeith said : “ Before the pandemic , few in Government really understood the sector , the differentiation that exists within it or the value the sector brings to the UK economy . We were hidden under the Department of Culture Media & Sport ( DCMS ,) with no direct relationships with the
THE EVENT INDUSTRY ALLIANCE
Chris Skeith , CEO , AEO
Dan Thurlow , past AEV and EIA Chair
Department for Business , Energy & Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ), the Treasury or senior government advisors . That ’ s not to say that relationships with Government weren ’ t good , but they were mostly limited to tactical activities , very much in tune with the needs of a sector which was very successful without much government intervention or support .” By March 2020 the events industry had become yet another badly affected economic sector facing extreme hardship . The chancellor was quick to respond with furlough schemes and grants , but businesses and people were slipping through his nets , particularly in the historically intertwined worlds of events ,
Austen Hawkins , past AEO Chair
Jeremy Rees , AEV and EIA Treasurer
entertainment , hospitality and travel , where trade was quickly grinding to a halt . Terrible circumstances and challenges were thrown up in the faces of event industry businesses , and the three constituent associations of the EIA - the Event Supplier and Services Association ( ESSA ), the Association of Event Venues ( AEV ), and the Association of Event Organisers ( AEO ) - had to meet them head-on . Each association ’ s members ’ experiences of the pandemic were wildly divergent , and as this industry has discovered before , what exactly constitutes “ the event industry ” can be a tricky definition . A well-defined and unified response was needed that embodied the needs of all the members . The events industry was
hardly alone in having the financial taps suddenly turned off . Nor was it alone in agitating for financial support . The EIA , while mindful of the financial damage being wreaked on the industry and its supply chain , understood that one more voice calling for sectorspecific support , essentially competing for attention with other industries , was an uphill struggle , when every other sector was shouting louder and jumping higher . Without diluting its efforts in that direction , the EIA began reiterating the pivotal importance of events and exhibitions to kick-starting the economy when the time finally comes to do so . This approach was first epitomised by the All-Secure Standard which combined efforts on all fronts to define a plausible , covid-safe , route back to events . Rachel Parker , AEV director , said : “ Our great advantage , when charged with devising the All- Secure Standard , was our well-established working group culture , particularly the cross-association and industry-wide groups . The groups , including the newly created Events Reopen Group for senior venue directors , examined the needs of an All Secure Standard from every aspect , and were able to address every point , query and issue raised .” EIA chair Lou Kiwanuka added : “ We worked with the government very closely on creating the All Secure Standard , gained sign off for our pilot events ,
March — 21