The industry-wide campaign to restore public confidence in events and experiences, across all events industry sectors, has raised £30,000 towards its planned PR campaign. Further support is needed, and the organisers are calling on more businesses to get involved.
The campaign is fronted and chaired by the Business Visits and Events Partnership.
Work on an industry-wide awareness campaign is moving at pace as the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) confirmed the provisional members of the Action Group, 31 July.
Selected representatives from across the events and experience industry will meet next week to discuss and finalise the details of an industry-wide campaign, which has so far achieved £30,000 in support from events businesses and trade associations.
Further support is required, and businesses from all fields of events and experiences are urged to get on board. Nearly 100 businesses have already pledged support to date.
The aim of the campaign, which will support the movement #WeCreateExperiences, is to raise awareness among the general public and national media about the true value of the industry to daily life, the wider economy, and to reassure both the public and corporations that events are safe as standard come 1 October, when larger events will be able to run again in England.
The money raised so far will fund a professionally-led PR campaign, which the Action Group will put out to tender once the details of the brief and message are finalised by mid-August.
The #WeCreateExperiences movement was conceived by Rick Stainton, executive group director at creative agency Smyle, who put the idea forwards at Mash Media’s #GetBritainMeeting summit in July, and will be fronted by the BVEP.
Stainton said he was delighted to have received £30,000 in pledged support, and added he believed there was more interest out there. “The supporters list is ever-growing as it needs to achieve a credible representation of as many sectors as possible,” he said.
“We have already raised £30,000, which is great, but we feel there is likely a higher level of firepower needed for the PR budget. There are more on-going conversations, referrals to association members, leveraging of industry networks and a particular focus now on more venues, exhibitions organisers, and hotels to get engaged.
“We are also looking at potentially aligning or bringing together other initiatives, and are confident we will further increase on this figure in the coming days, with the aim of reaching £40,000 to give the PR campaign enhanced resource.”
Businesses employing fewer than 50 people and annual turnover below £10m may pledge £250, while larger organisations can contribute £500.
Those wishing to contribute should contact Stainton on rick@smyle.co.uk and Simon Hughes, chair of the BVEP, on simon@mchassociates.co.uk
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
