The UK sector's reputation for world-class events is at stake if it can't recruit more young people, according to trade association beam.
Ahead of chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget on Wednesday (15 March), beam says that unless young people are incentivised to join the sector there will be no next generation of event staff to maintain its international reputation.
And the association for the business events, accommodation and meetings sector is calling on the chancellor to include sector-specific support in the budget.
Simon Richards, finance director of beam
and MD of Convenus, said: “While beam
fully supports the widespread call for an extension to energy cost support,
what the industry also needs is support more specifically appropriate to its
issues.
“Most
people in the industry are under great pressure because, while the sector is
very busy, it is struggling to recruit enough staff to deliver the events. Nor
can it afford to recruit them with costs rising and Bounceback loans still
being repaid.
“What our
industry needs is a job support scheme to incentivise people under 25 to enter
the meetings and events industry. We can’t compete with so many sectors.
“We have a
long heritage of creating and producing world-class conferences, meetings and
events - the Coronation in May will once again showcase our skills - but
unless we recruit more young people, there will be no next generation of event
staff to maintain that reputation.”
The Spring
Budget will be Hunt’s second since he
became chancellor, having set out the Autumn Budget in November following predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous 'fiscal event' in September. A forecast from the
Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) will be announced alongside the budget.
The Spring Budget is expected to see the Government’s cost-of-living packages slimmed
down to “target those most in need and rein in government spending.”
There are also likely to be changes to tax and military
spending, possible fuel and alcohol duty changes and a rumoured increase to the
state pension age.
