UKEVENTS, the umbrella organisation for the UK events industry, extends its congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer on his appointment as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. UKEVENTS is eager to collaborate with Prime Minister Starmer and his team, including Lisa Nandy, the new Secretary of State for Culture, to drive forward key initiatives that will strengthen the UK events industry and its contributions to the nation’s economy and cultural heritage.
UKEVENTS also looks forward to working with the Minister yet to be appointed for Tourism, as well as working with the Ministerial team at the Department of Business & Trade to ensure the economic growth opportunities from the events industry can be fully utilised as an integral part of the Government trade and inward investment policies.
Chris Skeith OBE, Chair of UKEVENTS, said: “We welcome Sir Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister and look forward to working with his ministers, particularly Lisa Nandy, to champion the interests of the UK events industry. The events sector is a vital part of our economy, driving growth, innovation, and cultural exchange. We are confident that under the new leadership, we can achieve significant milestones together.
“UKEVENTS is committed to working with the Government to help drive the UK events industry forward through a series of strategic initiatives. Central to our manifesto is the development of a comprehensive nationwide event strategy, designed to coordinate government resources across various departments, enhancing the UK’s event offerings and attracting international business.
“We advocate for the introduction of tax allowances similar to those in the TV and film industries to stimulate event growth in underserved regions and during off-peak seasons. Additionally, the manifesto encourages alignment of major events with government priority sectors to showcase the UK’s strengths in creative industries, science, technology, and cultural arts, thereby boosting exports, inward investment, and the UK’s global influence.”
UKEVENTS manifesto points
- Nationwide event strategy
- Develop a comprehensive nationwide event strategy, similar to that of UKSport and the Arts Council, to coordinate government resources across multiple departments and agencies.
- Objectives:
- Enhance the value of the UK’s event offerings.
- Attract more business to the UK, showcasing key industrial sectors and extending the visitor season nationwide.
- Tax allowances
- Introduce tax allowances like those in TV and film production to incentivise new events, particularly in regions and times of the year where additional demand is needed.
- Stimulate regional growth and fill capacity during off-peak periods.
- Tying major events with government priorities
- Align major UK-held events with government priority sectors such as creative industries, science, innovation, technology, and cultural arts.
- Collaborate with VisitBritain and various government departments to leverage events for boosting exports, inward investment, and soft power.
Areas of emphasis
- Government recognition
- Highlight the significance of the UK events industry and its strategic role in economic development, policymaking, and overcoming challenges.
- Contribution to green growth
- Promote sustainability, resilience, and creativity within the industry.
- Spreading prosperity
- Use events as a tool for levelling up, filling seasonal gaps, and enhancing connectivity across the UK.
- Trade, exports, and inward investment
- Showcase how events can drive trade, exports, and inward investment.
- Community and destination prosperity
- Emphasise the role of events in community spirit and local economic growth.
- High-skilled jobs
- Support the creation of high-skilled jobs and facilitate cross-border work for performers and production teams.
- Innovation and creativity:
- Advocate for the role of events in advancing science, technology, and creative industries.
- Regulation and growth incentives
- Call for better regulation and tax incentives to stimulate growth and investment in the events sector.
Support for broader industry issues
- Reduction in VAT on festival and event admissions.
- Business rates reform.
- Increased funding for local authorities to support the visitor economy and events.
- Easier access for overseas visitors, including visa reform and business visit exemptions.
- Improved working arrangements for international production teams and performers.
- Sustainable transport strategy for regional event connectivity.
- Reintroduction of tax-free shopping.
- Enhanced marketing funding for events via VisitBritain and the GREAT programme.
- Skills development funding and apprenticeship levy reform.
- Competitive visa regime for event attendees.
