Further delay could cost over £53 billion of GDP and the loss of over 500,000 jobs
The Business Visits & Events Partnership, the advocacy group for the UK’s £70 billion events industry, has today warned of ‘a catastrophic and irreversible’ impact to the industry if the government further delay publishing clear and practical guidelines on the opening of the UK’s vital events sector and relax the current two-metre physical distancing rule.
The warning comes as the UK events industry continues to face further uncertainty over the release date of the long-awaited guidance for the events industry. Also, and in light of the huge debate taking place over the current two-metre physical distancing measure, the BVEP has decided to share the outcome of evidence that it has gathered, and shared with the government, from its partner organisations on the business impacts of social distancing measures and the current lack of guidance, with a clear threat to over £53 billion of GDP and the loss of over 500,000 jobs.
Sentiment within the events industry has shifted in recent days, with many of our partners finding the current situation intolerable, given the potentially calamitous consequences. There is now a clear view from within the BVEP that if the government cannot give us a clear date for reopening, supported by practical guidance that provides us with really effective ways of managing risk and creating confidence amongst all our clients, guests and visitors, then we call for the government to get out of the way and leave it to the experts in the event industry. We’ve heard people promising world-class solutions during this crisis – but everyone in the event industry knows that as a sector we actually deliver organised events around the globe that are world-class, brilliantly organised, safe, secure and which deliver economic and cultural benefits, drive our industrial strategy, secure jobs and cement our international reputation, so now is the time to allow us to do that.
