BVEP Statement - 12th June, 2020

BVEP warns of catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the UK events industry without immediate practical opening guidelines being provided by the UK Government

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 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.

Simon Hughes, Chair of the BVEP, said “We have been providing advice and information to government for almost 4 months now, responding to requests for information and data and working with many of our partners to produce really fast responses and feedback on many of the measures that have been put in place to support businesses.  Yet we are now expected to continue waiting for decisions to be made over the release of guidance for the entire visitor economy, and a start date for the event industry to begin rebuilding our significant contribution to that economy, which we now consider to be unacceptable.

“There are only three countries in the world currently operating on the two metre social distancing model – Canada, Spain and the UK.  This is a risk based assessment, not a rule founded on the best available guidance.  It is also putting the UK under a massive competitive disadvantage, as other competitive markets open up ahead of us with different protocols and regimes to help manage the risks in a variety of ways that don’t rely exclusively on social distancing measures.

“If clear guidance that allows the event industry to open up safely is not received by the end of June at the very latest, our world class industry, which has taken decades to build, will be decimated.  Based on the evidence that we’ve seen from across the whole industry the overall loss of GDP, if we have to operate with the current two metres of physical distancing will be £53 billion, while at 1 metre it will be £42.5bn.  Based on achieving only 25% of potential business in the two metre scenario, this puts over 500,000 jobs at risk.”

Sentiment within the events industry has shifted in recent days, with many of our partners finding the current situation intolerable, given the potential calamitous consequences. There is now a clear view from within the BVEP that if 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.