Earlier this month, the MIA’s research into the loss of public sector business revealed large scale cuts in government spending are already having a negative effect on the industry and as a result, MIA Chief Executive, Jane Evans has requested an urgent meeting with the new Minister for Tourism, John Penrose.

Public sector business is vital to the health of the meetings and events industry, with 87.3% of respondents claiming their venue is frequently used by government departments and 64.3% revealing they have received notification of cancellations; for 45% these were greater than £50,000.

Explaining that she feels the government has a responsibility to send a positive message to the industry, Evans comments, “We are not a naive industry, clearly in the wake of the massive budget deficit the government has committed to tackle, cuts across the majority of spending commitments are inevitable. However, at the MIA we believe the government should be taking action to support the industry and this is why I have written to Mr. Penrose requesting a meeting.”

John Penrose is Conservative MP for Weston-Super-Mare. His recently appointment as the Minister for Tourism with the coalition government is seen as a positive move by many in the business tourism industry, including the MIA. Weston-Super-Mare is an area that draws a large amount of income from the meetings and events industry, and as its MP, Mr. Penrose is known to have a good understanding of the dynamics of the industry. The MIA’s proposal, which Evans is seeking a meeting to discuss with John Penrose, is for the government to recognise the AIM accreditation as a national standard and for government departments to secure value for money by only using AIM accredited venues.

“We believe Mr. Penrose will be responsive to initiatives that help drive up the standards and value within the UK’s business tourism industry. Making the AIM accreditation a national standard will achieve this, helping attract national and international business and sending a positive message of government support to the industry at a time when we are experiencing such a severe public sector business downturn. ”