“We’ve worked very hard with the government to get a ‘start date’ for the events industry and, while it has been far too long in coming, we now have the 21st June. Unfortunately though, this is still bad news for many of our members; June is a key month for the events industry, and those organising events before then will have to wait another year for much needed income. Equally, there is still a lack of clarity around social distancing, mask wearing and the results of the Event Research Programme, which will have an affect on the industry’s confidence in planning meetings. We’re also sceptical about the lack of notice if any of these dates are to shift, ours is not an industry that can shift quickly and this will mean many events will be more cautious in their planning. This means at best, we could be operating at 50% of our usual capacities.
Therefore, what is imperative is that we continue to get the support we need right up to the 21st June and well beyond. Equally, repayment of debts and loans will need to be deferred until the end of the year and into 2022. We need this support in place now if the industry is to be allowed to get back on its feet again and begin to recover in 2022.”