The events industry now falls under the responsibility of a new minister following the prime minister’s cabinet reshuffle, 7 January.
Matt Hancock was promoted to secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, replacing Karen Bradley, who was shifted to the Northern Ireland brief. Hancock was the former digital minister and entered parliament in 2010.
Asked to comment on the appointment, Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) chairman Michael Hirst told CN: “Matt Hancock’s appointment provides good continuity within DCMS given he is already a minister in the department.
“He has had previous responsibility for Skills and Apprenticeships which will be beneficial as we discuss with government the issues of resourcing a skilled labour force in a post Brexit Britain.
“The industry’s direct dealings are with John Glen, minister for tourism, who is expected to stay in post. No matter the outcome of the reshuffle the department together with the Department of International Trade (DIT) has a strong action plan for the Events Industry Board in 2018 and industry representatives will be working with officials to implement this.”
