AEO News

EIA has issued an open letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to request a firm open date for Business Events reiterating how our industry has worked closely with government officials, unequivocally demonstrated our collective ability to deliver events of capacity safely and effectively with the mitigations currently required in place.

Event industry associations, the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), the Association of Event Venues (AEV), and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA), have announced the launch of their new Diversity and Inclusion hub.

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) is pleased to announce its chief executive officer, Chris Skeith, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2021 for services to the events industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AEO (Association of Event Organised) is delighted to launch its first live event of 2021; the AEO Summer Soirée.

The event, which takes place on the evening of the 21st of July at the HAC, invites industry peers to get back to face to face with some overdue networking drinks.

The live events and music industry which includes exhibitions; conferences; music arenas; festivals; theatres and indoor sporting events, welcomes the establishment of the Events Research Programme and the safe return of live events as part of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Association of Event Venues (AEV) and the Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA) have announced that their members' only "heads up" well-being tool kit has been made available to the public as a free resource for anyone needing help or support with their own mental health or that of colleagues, friends or family.

The AEO is pleased to announce the launch of its Keep in Touch Portal.

This portal, spearheaded by Alison Willis and James McGough, Chair and Vice-Chair of the AEO Talent Working Group, has been designed to keep the talent of our industry who were made redundant, connected with the AEO.

AEO, the Association of Event Organisers, and the Virtual Events Institute (VEI) have announced a strategic education and training partnership. The partnership will see the organisations sharing knowledge and best practice on digital and hybrid events to help upskill event organizers in the UK.

 

Request for publication of information on the Events Research Programme

The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) represents the UK’s event and exhibitions organisers, venues, and suppliers - a sector that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic was generating £11bn in economic activity and supporting 114,000 jobs. However, unlike many other parts of the UK economy, the exhibitions industry has been effectively shut since March 2020 due to national Covid-19 restrictions and faces additional unique challenges to resuming operations once restrictions are eased. 

EIA welcomes the Chancellor’s focus on supporting jobs and businesses but seeks urgent clarity and action on specific measures to support the still-closed exhibitions sector

The EIA welcomes the Chancellor’s statement that he intends to help businesses and individuals through the challenging months ahead. However, it is essential that all measures announced yesterday that give support to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are also extended to those in the exhibitions and events sector, given the identical nationwide restrictions to their activities they are facing.

The Event Industry Alliance (EIA), comprising the AEO, the AEV, and the ESSA, has studied yesterday's announcement by the Prime Minister, giving it a mixed review from an event industry perspective.

Thousands of businesses across England facing further job losses or bankruptcy due to local authorities failing to pay up to £1.4bn of emergency COVID-19 grants

• Freedom of Information Request by the Events Industry Alliance to Local Authorities across England has shown that an estimated 87 per cent of the £1.6bn Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funds announced by the UK Government have yet to be paid out to companies, despite the scheme being launched four months ago.
• The ARG scheme was announced in October to help businesses forced to close due to COVID-19 restrictions, including those in the events, exhibitions and hospitality sectors
• Businesses closed by COVID-19 restrictions face being forced into making further job cuts or bankruptcy due to local council delays