There is an urgent need to put business events high on
the government agenda, according to beam.
Following Nigel Huddleston’s departure from his role as tourism
minister to join the whips office, there is currently no minister at DCMS responsible
for business events.
Simon Richards, treasurer of beam and managing
director of Convenus commented: “While in-person events have been returning
strongly since March, the business events, accommodation and meetings sector is
still in recovery, with many members struggling with already higher costs and
to repay bounceback loans.
“We all urgently need to educate Nigel Huddleston’s
replacement as the minister responsible for our industry about the specific
needs of the sector and ensure that business events is high on his or her
agenda, not well down below sport and other events.
“This makes the need for all business events sector
companies to join the BVEP campaign and register under one of three SIC Codes,
particularly 82302, even more urgent so that the minister and the Government
have the data to recognise the sector’s issues more clearly.”
In his tweet announcing his departure from DCMS, Huddleston specified
a number of projects he had worked on, none of which were business events.
Richards also welcomed some of the measures introduced in new
chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget on Friday.
He said: “The Chancellor’s Growth Plan Statement contains
many new measures that will be beneficial to all beam members as
businesses so we welcome these initiatives, notably the previously announced
energy cap, and the cancellation of increases in corporation tax, National
Insurance and alcoholic drink duties. The liberalisation of some planning
regulations may also help our venue members who want to develop land and
expand.”
