The Cambridge Union is renowned for its debating and free speech society. Founded in 1815, it is the oldest debating society in the world! A vast variety of topics have been debated in the society’s chambers, with many prominent figures from all walks of life taking the floor including the Dalai Lama, President Regan, Winston Churchill, Stephen Hawkins and Ariana Huffington. Last week it was the event industries’ turn to debate and Ben Parker, Head of Events at Unlocked was in attendance.
In last week’s debate which was hosted in collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Event Agencies (AIEA) , the UK’s support of the event industry was put to question. The debated motion was “This House Believes the UK is failing and would rather go International”. There were three prominent industry leaders in proposition of the motion and three in opposition. Below Unlocked have detailed the six speakers and the key points to the arguments they conveyed in the order of lasts night’s debate;
Michael Dominguez, President & CEO of ALHI; In Proposition of the Motion
- Destinations and local authorities don’t consider the overall delegate experience, unlike destinations like Las Vegas and Dubai where delegates are made to feel special as soon as their flight lands.
- The current industrial strikes make visiting the UK unpredictable and worrisome.
- The UK has become complacent and relies on our heritage too much, we don’t develop enough new exciting and forward thinking initiatives.
Rachael Boraston, Head of Destination UK, London & Partners; In Opposition of the Motion
- All destinations are failing in some way. Many with much worse issues, i.e; The Human Rights Issues in Qatar and sky high Mini Bar prices in Las Vegas.
- We are such a diverse country with over 250 languages spoken in London and the range of activities our country has to offer is equally diverse; we have Mountains, Cities, Culture and Heritage. We offer something for everyone and that diversity keeps growing.
- We are world leading in so many sectors, we have more Tech Unicorns than any other destination outside of Silicon Valley and we are the third largest global hub for Life Sciences.
Joss Croft, CEO of UKinBound; In Proposition of the Motion
- For international travellers, applying for a UK Visa is not only expensive compared to most destinations, it is also one of the longest application processes globally.
- Our pricing is not competitive, for example VAT on hotel accommodation in the UK is the second most expensive in Europe after denmark. We also have one of the highest rates of air passenger duty in the world.
- The UK has had 13 Tourism ministers over the past 10 years, how can there be any long term focus on inbound tourism.
Philip Greer, Commercial Director of University Arms Hotel & Parker Tavern; In Opposition of the Motion
- The experiences on offer in the UK are incredibly diverse and world renowned. For example, being able to debate in the world famed Cambridge Union Debating Chamber, Enjoying a driving Experience at Silverstone, Watching Welsh Rugby. People come for those specific famed experiences only available here.
- British produce is second to none with so much organically produced on UK soil. I.e; English Sparkling Wine which rivals Champagne.
- We have many Green Accredited venues and as a destination we are taking sustainability seriously.
Hamish Reid, Associate Director MMY Hills Balfour; In Proposition of the Motion
- Although there are many figures floating around as to the supposed value of the event industry, it hasn’t been accurately quantified. How can we fight for more support from the government when the industry nor the government accurately understands the industries value to the economy.
- Unlike in many other countries, most of our event venues aren’t owned or run by local authorities. Many are owned by international firms such as the NEC which is owned by Blackstone and the Excel Centre which is owned by an Abu Dhabii firm. They are not incentivised to give discounts and flexibility to support the UK economy.
- There are too many industry associations and bodies in our industry, Hamish referred to it as the Alphabet Soup. We have MIA, BEAM, AIEO, AEO, etc.. We need to have one united voice. We tried in the pandemic with One Industry One Voice, but we couldn’t decide who’s voice should be heard!
Steve Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes and Current Chair of the MIA; In Opposition of the Motion
- How can we say we are failing when we have hosted and are hosting many huge global events, including: COP21, Women’s Euros, & Eurovision.
- The UK has some of the worlds fairest human rights & employment laws, data protection laws and health & safety legislation. We are seen as a safe country to host an event in.
- The UK is renowned for our institutions such as the Monarchy, Police Force & Universities, they will always attract visitors!
As is tradition, at the end of the debate the audience voted on the motion with their feet by leaving the chamber through the exit doors which were signs posted ‘Ayes’, ‘Noes’ or ‘Abstention’. Once the votes were counted, the delegates moved to the Union bar, the Orator, where the votes were later announced. The Ayes were in favour with the general consensus being “The UK is failing and would rather go International”.
