“Yesterday’s Budget is disappointing for the UK’s business events industry. Once again, businesses are facing rising costs, with little in the way of meaningful support to help them.
Our members, from hotels and venues to agencies and suppliers, are already dealing with higher employer National Insurance contributions, increasing wage bills and pressure from business rates. We fully support fair pay, but there has to be a balance. Businesses need to be able to afford to employ people, invest in their operations and plan for the future.
If the Government wants businesses to grow, it needs to understand the pressures they are under and give them the confidence to invest and employ more people.
Business events play a huge part in the UK economy. We bring people together to do business, generate trade, support jobs and help other industries grow. That contribution needs to be properly understood when decisions are being made that affect our sector.
We need to see more than words about growth. We need practical support that actually makes a difference to businesses, particularly around employer National Insurance, business rates and the increasing cost of operating.
The Government’s plans for an overnight visitor levy is another concern. Adding further costs to overnight stays could make residential conferences, meetings and business travel more expensive, at a time when clients are already watching their budgets closely.
Over the next year, beam will be working closely with the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) and the Business Travel Association (BTA) to make sure our collective voice is heard on this issue.
We will be engaging with Government and policymakers to push for proper accountability and transparency around the money collected through any levy. If businesses and delegates are being asked to pay more, we need to know where that money is going and how it will benefit the destinations concerned. It should be reinvested in local infrastructure, better transport links and improving the experience of delegates travelling to and attending events in our cities.
The money raised must make a genuine difference to the places generating it, rather than simply becoming another cost for businesses and their customers.
Our members want to grow, invest and create jobs. They just need the right conditions to be able to do so.
We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for a fair deal for an industry that makes a significant contribution to the UK economy.”
David Tremmil
Chair, beam
