Shonali Devereaux, CEO of the Meetings Industry Association (MIA), sees Andy Burnham’s appointment as prime minister as an opportunity for the sector – but only if we tell our story better.
A change of administration is a chance to reengage, refocus, and refresh. Andy Burnham has spoken of giving Britain the ‘circuit breaker’ it needs, and if that means a different approach to how government interprets our business, then our sector needs to be ready with something clear to say.
That work is underway, with trade associations and industry bodies collaborating to sharpen how we articulate our contribution to the UK. It’s no longer just about business events generating £33.6 billion a year for the economy, but about the practical solutions our sector can offer this government and how we can help tackle the challenges faced by people all over the country.
Take unemployment, sitting at its highest level in over a decade. We’ve always offered some of the most accessible routes into work, which makes us part of the answer rather than simply a sector asking for support. But a statistic alone won’t make that case for us. A conference filling a city hotel, local restaurants, and the train station’s taxi rank for a week will. So will a young person finding their first job at a venue, or a local supplier winning work because an exhibition came to town.
These are the things that show what business events actually deliver, and they’re the things a government focused on growth and living standards will recognise. This is where every one of us has a part to play.
Those stories exist in every venue, agency, and supplier across the country, and they only carry weight if we tell them together. The more consistently we tell our story, the harder we are to overlook. If you can help us show what business events deliver for your local economy, I’d love to hear from you.