Published by Neil ThompsonThe BVEP is aiming to produce a new report ‘The Shape of Events to Come’ by June this year. This aims to provide an overview of: The impacts of Covid on the events sector; The Road to Recovery – focusing on what the sector needs to do in the short term and the support it requires; and Building Back Better – the future of the events sector in the longer term – the opportunities and challenges it faces. The report will be based on existing plans, policies, and research but BVEP needs help to gather as much evidence as possible.
BVEP is seeking contributions from businesses and organisations across the whole of events sector to identify the changes that have emerged due to the pandemic following its 2019/20 UK Events Industry Report that identified the £70 billion value of the sector in the UK.
The study has begun with its 20+ Partner organisations but is also open to any organisation involved in events. Venues, intermediaries, corporate planners, AV suppliers, exhibition companies, festival organisers, destination management organisations, and others are invited to contribute by midnight on 24th May 2021 at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BVEP-ShapeofEvents
“We need to understand the impact of the pandemic on the sector, identify the plans that the industry has, what changes have emerged due to the pandemic, what might shape policy and the future role of events in a global Britain through the use of events as part of its soft power to grow domestic and international opportunities.” comments Simon Hughes, chairman of BVEP.
The study seeks to identify business pivot examples, the impact to the supply chain, the increased use of online/broadcast/hybrid events, loss of talent, development of skills, use of government support packages, impact on the visitor economy in urban and rural economies and the changing nature of meetings and events.
“Case studies that demonstrate the future of events will be very welcome as we look to the emergence of a new vision for events. To build back better, there has never been a more important time for increased collaboration and representation across the industry to influence future policy. This study should provide evidence to underpin the sector’s importance as part of the government’s industrial strategy”. added Simon
Data for the study has been pledged by BVEP Partners, VisitBritain, various national and regional destination management organisations, DCMS, BEIS and several universities, such as Bournemouth, with event management programmes in their curriculum. The report is being prepared by Richard Smith of Team Tourism with support from John Gallery, chairman of the BVEP research group.
