BVEP Partners Put Their Views On Britain In Or Out Of Europe

The umbrella body for the UK events industry, the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) has surveyed members of its partner organisations to determine their thoughts on how ‘Brexit’ might affect events in the UK. 

The overall results show the industry to have concerns about the level of events that would be attracted to the UK and the amount of investment that would be made in the industry, if there is a vote to leave.

Just 10% felt more events would be attracted here after Brexit, with 60% predicting there would be less. Industry investment was predicted to decrease by half of all respondents. The other half said it would stay the same or increase - just 13% expected it to increase. 

56% believed the ability to recruit the right staff would be the same after leaving the EU and 39% felt that it would be harder with just 5% said recruitment would be easier.  

Business regulation was the topic that most divided the industry’s opinion. While the EU is often criticised for hindering UK businesses with bureaucracy and red tape, the majority felt this would stay the same or increase, with 44% believing a leave vote would lead to less regulation. 

Many of the specific respondents’ comments on possible post-Brexit issues for UK events business, highlighted increased regulation on events held in Europe as one of the largest concerns. Other issues raised were the potential loss of work to European contractors and destinations; additional transport and other operational costs and the possible perception of Britain as an “outsider” destination for European events. 

On the plus side the possible weakening of the pound could make Britain more competitive; there might be greater flexibility and ability to win more global events and trade outside Europe, with more opportunity for government to support events without breaching state aid rules.

Speaking of the results, Michael Hirst OBE, Chair of the BVEP says; “This is a timely piece of research, organised by the BVEP. It highlights some of the key considerations and demonstrates how many opinions there are in this important debate. On the one side there are concerns about some of the circumstances which will arise from a Brexit but there are others who feel there will be positive opportunities too”. 

He added; “The EU referendum is now just weeks away, no matter what the UK decides, the BVEP will continue to raise sector awareness and work with its stakeholders to support its future growth.”

The BVEP represents a broad base of opinion formers in the industry and believes the best way to contribute is to present the findings of its survey without prejudice to either point of view.

Business Visits Continue Growth in June

Results from the Visit Britain International Passenger Survey (IPS) have reported a record month in June 2014 for business visits, the area that tracks the contribution of international event visitors to the UK.

The latest research, which captures data on travelling passengers in and out of UK transport hubs, shows that business visits continued to show growth and in June 2014 were up 6% on 2013, setting a new June record.

The business visits sector has consistently grown throughout 2014 and has been a key contributor to the visitor economy. The report also showed that business visits are continuing to show signs of long-term recovery, up 6% in June 2014, compared to June 2013. Over the rolling 12 months to June 2014 there has been a 5% lift in business visits, reaching just short of pre 2008 levels.

“This is more great news for the UK events industry. Events are a big driver of the business visits sector and continue to make a massive contribution to the UK visitor economy,” comments Michael Hirst, Chairman of the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP). “June has been a record year for the sector, and again shows that business events can drive footfall throughout the year.”

Business events can identify growth opportunities from the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement today

Business Visits & Events Partnership Chairman, Michael Hirst OBE, has highlighted some of the opportunities for the business tourism and events market in today’s Autumn Statement from Chancellor George Osborne. 

“The Chancellor’s Statement is thankfully not all about Autumn leaves falling as UK growth forecasts drop and reduction in debt remain stubbornly high. There are some practical measures which should over time benefit Britain’s businesses and consequently buoy their commercial activities in many cases leading to greater use of events to disseminate information, communicate brand messages and show-off their products and services.

And what is good for business is good for business tourism.

These measures in the Autumn Statement include a +25% increase in budget for UKTI, an organisation that the events sector is already actively building strong relationships with to add further value to the trade, inward investment and export potential our industry promotes at conferences and trade shows. There’s also to be an additional investment of £30 million in the GREAT programme, in which the Events Sector already has a stake alongside the promotion of creativity, innovation, culture, music and sport together with the iconic attractions of Britain’s tourism offerings.

The additional money made available for Local Enterprise Partnerships should also help our destination partners where marketing of event venues and services is so critical to their success and strengthens one of Britain for Event’s objectives to highlight the benefits of events in local communities. There is also more money pledged for sport which should manifest itself in more sporting events too.

Investment

Another £600 million investment in scientific research, on top of the £300 million already provided earlier in the year plus support for Aerospace, Advance Manufacturing and Exports should help boost events in these sectors and strengthen the knowledge economy on which Association events so heavily depend. 

Reductions in corporate taxes and increases in business investment allowances should incentivise business growth – always good news for business events and potentially encourage more international businesses to locate themselves in the UK growing the potential domestic market base.

Investments in road and rail infrastructure and the dropping of the intended three pence additional fuel duty in January will be valuable too in improving communications with key business destination where conference and exhibition venues depend upon ease of access to attract delegates and attendees. 

Of course there’s some disappointment that there are no direct responses to industry pleas on VAT reductions and Air Passenger Duty but if Britain’s businesses can feel that some of the measures will give them a more competitive playing field then ultimately the business visits and events sector will be one of the key beneficiaries as those very businesses step up their commercial activities through the use of events”.

Business Growth

These changes create the right environment for business growth, and which event related organisation’s could use to their advantage to bring growth to the industry.

We’ve no doubt that there will be many in the industry that will not be pleased by much of the content from today’s address, however It is the role of the BVEP to take a long look at announcements of these kind and work with our partner associations to provide positive recognition of the measures that may help their businesses.

To find out more about Conference Centres of  Excellence and British Visits & Events Partnership visit our website: http://www.cceonline.co.uk/about_cce/Links

An important step forward for the meeting industry

Conference Centres of Excellence says that the recent meeting between the Business Visits & Events Partnership and the new Minister for Tourism is an important step forward for the meeting industry generally, and potentially for specialist conference venues in particular.

BVEP is a key ‘voice’ within the event industry, a leader in the effort to develop a competitive, high quality and more profitable business visits and events sector in Britain. Conference Centres of Excellence joined the group in 2007 to help represent the specialist conference venues sector.

BVEP’s chairman Michael Hirst met with Minister for Tourism John Penrose in July to discuss a number of issues. Mr Hirst said: "We had a good meeting and the minister was very switched on to the sector.” The minister agreed that bilateral meetings should continue to take place with his officials and BVEP on a regular basis.

“The meeting provided encouraging evidence that the Government understands the real significance of business tourism and the role of conference and events providers such as our members,” said Conference Centres of Excellence’s Executive Director Anthony Lishman (pictured), who represents the consortium at BVEP meetings: “ We hope it will come to recognise fully that, as the public sector comes even more pressure to cut costs, specialist venues provide a high value method of optimising expenditure on events and the receptiveness of those involved.”

Mr Lishman emphasised that its participation in the BVEP initiatives was not the only way in which Conference Centres of Excellence and its members were responding to the business challenge of economic pressures on the public and corporate sectors. “We are already capitalising on the versatility of the specialist venue concept in responding to changing patterns in demand and the nature of events,” he added: “ For example, our members are perfectly placed to respond to the increased need for training and teambuilding facilities, as organisations of all kinds seek to get the most out of a reducing workforce.”

BVEP reviews three main Party Manifestos ahead of election

Industry body prepares to publish its own manifesto and issue to new government and newly elected MPs.

Conference Centres of Excellence are among the members of the Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), the umbrella organisation for the UK business tourism and events industry.

The BVEP has reviewed all three of the main political party manifestos and is set to issue its own industry wide document to the new government and parliament following the forthcoming elections on May 6th.

Chairman of the BVEP, Michael Hirst OBE, said the contents of the party manifestos were “encouraging” with “a recognition that the importance of events to the economy and the community is beginning to gain some political traction and the creative industries, of which Events are a part, should be further supported.”

The BVEP’s own ‘Manifesto for Business Visits & Events’ which has been created by a separate government affairs group within the BVEP after extensive consultation with all of the major UK industry associations in membership of the Partnership, is to be published at the end of May and distributed to all incoming Ministers and MP’s following the general election.

Michael Hirst concludes; “Whilst we still have a long way to go to establish business visits and events firmly in the minds of politicians, the three main manifestos are certainly encouraging, and demonstrate that the work we have done over the past 12 months has, at the very least, caught their attention. The publication of our own manifesto will continue to push forward that message and ensure the industry receives the recognition and support it deserves”.

The publication of the ‘Manifesto for Business Visits & Events’ comes ahead of the event at the House of Commons on 20th October, during National Meetings Week, where all new MP’s are being invited to attend a reception and presentation on the sector.