New appointments have been made to the Events Industry Board to strengthen its membership. These are to ensure it continues to be fully representative of the various sectors of the industry that can influence the growth of international events that are held in the UK.

The new members are Leigh Jagger, CEO, EVCOM and formerly Director of the Banks Sadler Group (left on the picture) and Conrad Bird, Director of Campaigns and Marketing at the Department for International Trade and formerly the GREAT Campaign Director working in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Office Communication Department (middle on the picture).
Jennifer Jenkins, former CEO, EVCOM will be remaining on the Board as an independent member (right on the picture).

The Event Industry Board’s (EIB) Talent Taskforce is calling for industry colleagues to take part in a new survey launched by the Office for National Statistics and Warwick University’s Institute for Employment Research (IER), which will look to develop the current framework for the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code.

The ONS and IER launched the survey after a number of SOC users expressed a need for a greater level of detail than is currently available. The SOC is a recognised framework that enables all UK occupations to be classified according to skill level and specialisation. This classification is then, in turn, essential in the creation of the occupational and social statistics that inform policy and the public.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a survey to understand how businesses are preparing for a No Deal EU Exit scenario. The responses will help DCMS understand how they can best support them in their EU Exit planning and tailor their engagement to where it is needed and ensure they are providing the guidance our sectors require.

The survey can be accessed here and will take no longer than 5 minutes to fill in. It will close on 24th August 2019.

Tourism Minister Rebecca Pow has launched a competition for conference centres across the UK to apply for funding to improve broadband infrastructure with the aim of hosting more international conferences at UK venues.

• The competition is part of the UK Government’s Tourism Sector Deal.
• Investment will help to boost the £32 billion business events sector. 

The Business of Events has today announced an expanded programme for 2019, including its first international event, and a new venue for its flagship Senior Leadership Forum.

The Business of Events Global Policy & Practice Forum, created in partnership with IBTM, The Barcelona Convention Bureau and PCMA, will take place on the 18th November 2019, ahead of IBTM World, at the newly opened Hotel Seventy in Barcelona. The forum will focus on the global medical and healthcare sector and be attended by a number of leading Destinations and Convention Bureaus, alongside their Policy and Enterprise counterparts.