A group set up to represent the business events industry has said it is heartened by the recommendations of the Life Worth Living Report published this week by the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce.
Event Industry Ireland (EII ) describes itself as ‘a group of event professionals and business owners from the Irish events industry who have been brought together by our collective concern for the future of events in a post-Covid19 world’.
EII stated: “In Ireland, the events industry generates €3.5 billion for the Irish economy annually and €850 million from the export market. It is comprised of a number of diverse industry sectors including, but not limited to, conferences, music events, exhibitions, trade shows, sporting and cultural events, event hospitality, venues, festivals, promoters, incentive travel, theatre and arts, as well as other services provided to people traveling to and attending events.”
Two representatives from Event Industry Ireland participated in The Arts and Recovery Taskforce set up by Minister Catherine Martin. EII ‘welcomed the Taskforce’s recognition of the challenges the business events industry is facing and its constructive proposals for dealing with the fact that many operating in this sphere do not fall within the broad range of supports announced in Budget 2021.
The Life Worth Living Report recommends the introduction of a Business Supports Grant Scheme for SMEs in the event industry, designed to provide grants for: Bank Loans and lease payments; Insurance costs; Warehouse and office rents; Cash flow to pay wages as part of the EWSS system
The Report also recommended that primary responsibility for the implementation of this recommendation should go to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
EII board member, Paul Davis, commented: “The dual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and public health guidelines left our sector at the point of decimation. We are confident that if flesh is put on the bones of these recommendations, the sector will be able to retrain and rehire many of the 55% of staff lost during the economic shutdown, to augment the sector’s export value and to help strategically place Ireland as a global digital events hub. Overall, we are grateful that our enormous contribution has at least been recognised, but now delivery is key.”
