Levelling up is a much-needed
government strategy to redress the economic imbalance between London and the
rest of the country, explains Liz Taylor, managing director of the northern-based Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC).
Being a Manchester-based company of course I welcome any
inward-investment to the region wholeheartedly. In my view and with regards to
the events sector – the Government needs to focus on its original plans
for HS2 – especially in Manchester.
Improved transport links will not only make it
easier to do business in the city and between cities in the region, but coaxing
large-scale conferences, meetings and trade shows, a huge revenue driver in the
events sector will be a much easier sell with improved transport
infrastructure. My focus is very much on live events and always has been.
However, it does seem that the plans have been
somewhat derailed by, among other things, the Conservative leadership contest.
Currently the argument is focused on whether Manchester’s HS2 station will be
underground or overground – the Government favouring the latter. Yet in this scenario
a viaduct will cut into prime development space and if Northern officials are
to be believed, ‘won’t be fit for purpose’ to service the volume of commuters.
As it stands, the original plans for better
interconnected transport links between Northern cities have been shelved and
with the Conservative leadership contest yet to be decided important decisions
will be delayed further. For me, HS2 in its original vision is not a nice to
have, it’s essential for the events industry to grow and thrive in this region
– and across the north of England as a whole.
HS2 in its original vision is not a nice to have, it’s essential for the events industry
Liz Taylor
Addressing skills shortages, upskilling workers is
another aim of levelling up that I am completely on board with.
In March 2021, the then chancellor announced an
extra £126m to fund work placements and training for 16 to 24-year-olds in
England - yet we are yet to see the planned increase in apprenticeships
materialise, in some part due to the pandemic.
Interns have and always will be
a hugely important part of my workforce. Some of my most valued team members,
including my senior events producer, Jess, started with me as interns and have
risen through the ranks. It’s again essential for the future of the events
industry that we upskill the young enthusiastic talent so that they are fully
prepared to take the reins in the future. More funding and a practical
framework for delivering internships and apprenticeships would, I’m sure,
greatly benefit the industry.
Within the levelling up debate there have been
calls for more power to be given to local governments – including moving civil
servants outside London and extending the powers of mayors in West Midlands and
Greater Manchester. It seems sensible that local decisions, affecting local
people and businesses should lie with local elected officials.
Manchester was successful in the first round of
bidding for levelling up funding, with much emphasis on regeneration.
Taking urban spaces and transforming them into hubs for creative
industries. My region is a hotbed of talent, which I tap into all the
time. Set developers, social media, creative designers, lighting,
musicians. All essential ingredients to our sector and in need of
genuinely affordable places to start up and grow their business.
Without
the regeneration funding to start this process, we risk losing a generation of
creative people from our industry. Plus, with regeneration there’s the
inevitable growth in hospitality venues that provide new opportunity and
innovative spaces for events to take place – essential for the growth of the
events market.
And on this note. The Manchester hospitality and
events scene is changing and for the better, despite criticism on the elements
of levelling up and I do believe it’s a brilliant time to be an events business
based in our region. There are new bars and restaurants opening all over the
city, we finally have our first Michelin-starred restaurant and thanks to some big
names in the hospitality industry creating bases in the region, it feels as
though we are levelling ourselves up.
The issues we face here are like those throughout
the country, cost of living, staff shortages, particularly within hospitality,
rising energy costs and of course areas which do see huge deprivation in
comparison to more affluent places within the city.
