A restructuring of VisitBritain’s business events division
has resulted in a number of roles being cut, including head of business events
Paul Black.
Black announced his departure in a LinkedIn post, ending
almost five years at VisitBritain/VisitEngland, where he led the agency’s
business events strategy and worked with convention bureaux, destinations and
event industry partners across the UK.
The changes follow reductions to VisitBritain’s government
funding announced last year. M&IT previously reported that the tourism
agency’s grant-in-aid funding would fall by 41 per cent to £10.57m, leading to
concerns within the meetings and events sector about future international
bidding and promotional activity.
Industry sources have indicated that several positions
within the business events team have been affected as part of the wider
organisational changes, although VisitBritain has not confirmed exact numbers.
Before joining VisitBritain in 2021, Black held roles with London
& Partners and NYC & Company.
During his time at VisitBritain, the organisation increased
its focus on areas including association conferences, sustainability, DEI and
event legacy, alongside programmes designed to attract international business
events to UK destinations..
Editor's comment - by Paul Harvey, M&IT editor
Despite the difficult financial realities facing
VisitBritain, the loss of Paul Black feels like an extraordinarily
short-sighted move at a time when many competing destinations are doubling down
on business events investment, not retreating from it.
Over the past four-and-a-half years, Black has been one of
the UK industry’s most respected advocates - not simply promoting Britain
internationally, but actively helping build a more joined-up, collaborative and
strategically aligned business events ecosystem across England, Scotland and
Wales.
His departure also raises a much bigger and more
uncomfortable question: at a time when global competition for business events
is intensifying, why does the UK appear to be reducing its commitment to the
sector?
Over the past few years, destinations around the world have
increasingly recognised business events not simply as tourism, but as economic
infrastructure - drivers of inward investment, trade, innovation, talent
attraction and global influence. Cities and countries are investing heavily in
convention bureaux, international bidding activity and strategic business
events programmes because they understand the long-term value these events
generate.
Against that backdrop, the restructuring of VisitBritain’s
business events division feels deeply concerning.
Black has been one of the UK sector’s most visible and
respected advocates during an extraordinarily difficult period for the
industry. Joining during the latter stages of the pandemic, he helped
strengthen collaboration while championing the wider economic and societal
impact of business events.
The reaction to his departure has been strikingly
consistent. Industry leaders have described the move as “short-sighted”, “a
massive loss” and “genuinely shocking”. That strength of feeling reflects not
just personal respect for Black, but wider anxiety about what these cuts signal
for the future.
Business events is an intensely competitive global market.
Relationships, visibility, national advocacy; they all matter. And once
expertise, networks and momentum are lost, rebuilding them is rarely quick or
easy.
At precisely the moment the UK should be strengthening its
business events voice internationally, with this latest move it risks becoming noticeably
quieter.
