Hosting the Olympics, without doubt, placed London and the UK on the world stage and demonstrated that the country and London can stage the largest of events.
The challenge in garnering wider political support at municipal and national level and from civil servants who play the important policy advising role is substantial.
We need enhanced international destination marketing to attract international meetings to the UK, but the harsh reality is that we have to demonstrate unequivocally just how important the business of events and meetings, in all their guises, are to our national economy, at a time when funding for destination marketing is being reduced and in some cases eradicated around the world at state and municipal level.
It does appear that politicians only take up a cause if they understand it and have data on which to base their assertions.
The economic impact study being carried out under the umbrella of the MPI Foundation and the funding partners throughout the UK will demonstrate, using the government’s own national accounting system, that the business of meetings and events contributes significantly to GDP-more significantly than most politicians and public servants realise.
Once we have this proof we can go armed to the politicians and their officials at all relevant levels and show them how economically important our industry is and that the ROI of their future proactive involvement would bring further benefit to this country.
I urge the industry to get behind this important research so that everyone will, at last, know our worth to the UK.
Any comments or a different opinion? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
