Because they hope to gain greater visibility for the $57 billion U.K. events industry, two British groups — the Event Industry Forum (EIF) and The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP) — have joined an alliance that aims to establish an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to represent the meetings industry in Parliament, they announced yesterday.
Being organized by Member of Parliament Nick De Bois, who is chairman of Rapiergroup, a U.K.- and U.S.-based events and communications company, the APPG intends to invite members of Parliament and representatives from all political parties to join the group, which plans to organize a program of activities designed to raise awareness about the economic value of meetings and events.
"During my time working in the industry I was conscious that government have not always recognized the contribution that this industry has made to the British economy, and more importantly its potential contribution for the future," De Bois said in a statement. "Equally, we as an industry need to have a voice to reflect the many issues we face."
Although its platform hasn't been finalized, the group says it plans to:
• Support marketing and bidding for more international events in the U.K.
• Highlight the value of export earnings created by the industry.
• Engage with national and local politicians in greater support for the industry.
• Support operational best practices as part of a new "Event Industry Safety Guide."
• Ensure that the events sector achieves a lasting legacy from the 2012 Olympics.
"The events industry is a major contributor to the UK economy but really does not get the recognition it deserves, in part because it has been so fragmented," said EIF Secretary Jim Winship. "We hope that an All Party Parliamentary Group will help in addressing this and will, at the same time, help to add to the legacy of the Olympics."
Added Phil Mist, general secretary of the Hire Trade Alliance, which is helping to organize the APPG, "The U.K. event industry is a truly vibrant industry that has often been overlooked in the past by legislators. The establishment of an APPG for the events industry will, I believe, be a vital means of not only raising the profile of the events industry itself, but it will also help to emphasize the increasing level of professionalism in U.K. event companies competing for major overseas events."