The Business of Events (TBOE) has today announced its partnership with Marketing Manchester and Manchester Central to host the very first TBOE North of England Advocacy Forum. This landmark event, set to take place on 23rd January 2025, will be hosted in the heart of Manchester, at Manchester Central.
The forum aims to bring together senior stakeholders from the business events industry, policymakers, and government representatives from both national and local levels.
The North of England Advocacy Forum will spotlight the newly published Policy Agenda by The Business of Events, released in July 2024. This comprehensive agenda outlines seven key policy initiatives designed to turbocharge the North of England’s event economy and transform its towns and cities into vibrant hubs for skills and knowledge exchange.
The content will be built around these seven key policy initiatives:
- Updating SIC Codes: Ensuring accurate representation and targeted support for the events industry.
- Easier Visa Schemes: Facilitating international collaboration post-Brexit for both inbound and outbound events.
- Event Tax Credit Scheme: Attracting new events and supporting existing ones through financial incentives.
- Attracting International Events: Providing more support to position the UK as a top destination for global events.
- Practical Support for Competitiveness: Using events as a catalyst for growth across various sectors.
- Investment in Convention Bureaux: Empowering national and regional bureaus to drive economic development.
- Leveraging Events for Policy Objectives: Using business events as platforms to deliver and promote government policies.
Martin Fullard, Director of The Business of Events, commented: “We are delighted to partner with Marketing Manchester to host this crucial forum. Our Policy Agenda aims to address the key challenges and opportunities within the events industry, and we believe this event will be a significant step towards realising these goals. The North of England is an industrial powerhouse, and we believe a strong events economy will only make it stronger. It is vital that we have an open discussion with policymakers to demonstrate the potential of this sector.”
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, added: “Manchester has long been a leading destination for business events, and we are excited to collaborate with TBOE to further enhance our region’s capabilities. We recognise the significant economic benefit that hosting events like this brings to Manchester and the entire North of England, and this forum provides an exceptional opportunity to discuss and implement strategies that will continue to drive growth and prosperity in our region.”
Lori Hoinkes, CEO of Manchester Central, also expressed her enthusiasm: “Hosting the TBOE North of Engaland Advocacy Forum at Manchester Central underscores our commitment to being at the forefront of the events industry. We look forward to welcoming industry leaders and policymakers to our venue and contributing to the development of a robust, future-ready business events sector.”
The TBOE North of England Advocacy Forum promises to be an influential platform for dialogue and collaboration, setting the stage for innovative solutions and policies that will drive the region’s economic and social progress.
The forum will be invitation only, but prospective delegates may register their interest to attend here.
