Paul Cook highlights the importance of rallying our energies to advocate for the power of our meetings and events industry.
Right now, as a new government takes the reins, it’s more important than ever that event advocacy has to be at the top of our agenda. What does events advocacy mean, and how can we get our messages clearly understood by politicians and business leaders?
Martin Fullard, associate director, Davies Tanner and The Business of Events think tank, tells us: “Events advocacy encompasses a range of activities to support and promote the events industry. This is not limited to financial support or schemes but knowledge transfer and policy advocacy. It’s a mix of ensuring the sector has the resources it needs to thrive, sharing best practices and innovations, and influencing policies that support industry growth.”
It’s worth pausing and looking at what we mean by ‘events’. The word covers many different activities. Sporting events, festivals, and music are easily understood. Less obvious is the critical role that business events such as conferences and exhibitions play. According to The Business of Events, the word ‘events’ hardly appeared in political parties’ manifestos, other than with passing mentions of cultural and sporting events.
So, we can see that advocating for events is a challenge but also a major opportunity. We know that advocacy works when we see changes in policies or regulations that benefit the events industry. The government has committed to implementing Martyn’s Law to strengthen the security of public events and venues, which comes in part from the lobbying by the events industry.
Advocacy is never just about money. Events are complex and decision-makers face competing priorities. The economic impact of an event isn’t their only consideration. Today, there’s an increased drive for sustainability, and stakeholders often have other perspectives that need to be factored in.
Event professionals can help advocate for the industry. But how? According to Dr Jackie Mulligan, director of Game Republic, a key way is to collect evidence of the impact of your events and share it. Evaluation should be less about the quality of the catering and more about how people feel and perceive the benefits of your event, such as feeling more motivated, meeting great new businesses, learning new things, etc.
Mahmood Noman, head of people and culture at Chemonics Group UK, agrees, “It’s important to publish impact studies that quantify the direct and indirect benefits of events on the community.”
In addition, Fullard encourages event professionals to advocate by staying informed about industry developments, participating in industry associations, and engaging with policymakers. He says: “My tip is to stay connected. Never be shy about writing to your MP and Local Authority to share industry developments.”
If you think this sounds like a lot of work, it’s worth remembering that the events industry’s future is in your hands. Kerrin MacPhie, chief executive of the MIA, says: “Advocacy in the events industry is about ensuring the industry’s voice is heard and its contribution is recognised. By actively promoting its value and working collaboratively, those in the industry can help secure a robust and sustainable future for events.”
I couldn’t agree more, and now is the time to take action. This is a time of change and the opportunity for events advocacy has never been better.
