This page contains resources and information on the action being taken and the resources available to support companiues which operate in the UK events industry.
If you have any questions or wish to speak to us about these topics please contact us on 0121 380 4600 or email marketing@hae.org.uk.
The UK Weddings Taskforce represents the UK wedding sector, a £14.7 billion industry. The past week has once again been a busy one for the Taskforce and the key updates can be read below.
Weddings Minister
Firstly, the Taskforce approached the Cabinet Office suggesting it would be beneficial to all concerned to have a designated official to liaise directly with the Weddings Taskforce. The benefit would ensure that policy and guidelines for the sector are informed, workable, effective, and fair. The Taskforce is delighted to share the news that it anticipates the announcement of a Weddings Minister very shortly.
Events Research Programme
Following a direct Taskforce appeal, weddings will now be included in the Events Research Programme. The Taskforce will be liaising over the number of events and how events will be chosen, with more announcements expected soon. This reversal, together with achieving a revision of guidance for Step 2 - which allowed an estimated 7,000 weddings to go ahead - is evidence that the taskforce is facilitating change.
Step 3 Guest Numbers
Behind the scenes the Taskforce are pushing for parity with wider events from Step 3. As you will be aware, in Step 3 numbers are currently limited to 30 guests. Alignment with wider events (indoors 1,000 guests/50% capacity) in Covid-secure venues would secure viability for much of the sector, the supply chain, and safeguard jobs and consumer confidence. It gives industry and couples clarity on a worse-case scenario if Step 4 is not reached by June 21st.
Grants & Loans
The new £5 billion Restart Grants Scheme has now launched as well as an extension to the Additional Restrictions Grant. Both are available via your local authority. If yours has not yet put them live, do keep checking. The Recovery Loan Scheme has also opened this week:
The Taskforce will continue to press for access to existing grants for more businesses who have been excluded. Minister Scully has offered his assistance in working with us on this.
Fundraising
Lastly, as you may know, the Taskforce is made up of industry volunteers who have given up their time and resources, and inevitably some administrative and professional costs have incurred. While the Taskforce appreciates how devastated the sector is, it has set up a Go Fund Me page and would be grateful for any amount you are able to give.
To view more information on the UK Weddings Taskforce, including updates, visit the website.
Weekly Update from the UK Weddings Taskforce - 26th March
Last week was once again another busy week for the UK Weddings Taskforce, and the main updates can be read below. The Taskforce has been back and forth with officials on the incomplete Weddings Guidance, attended a meeting with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to discuss them and hosted a roundtable with the industry's championing MPs.
Weddings Guidance
On Monday 22nd March, the Wedding Ceremony Guidelines were updated to reflect the newly introduced 'Steps'. The incomplete Wedding Reception Guidelines published mid-week without reference to Step 3 are expected to be released "imminently".
The intervention of the Taskforce, alongside Minister Scully and his department, has now achieved the re-opening of most wedding venues for indoor ceremonies from the 29th March. There are caveats in place for visitor attractions that individual premises should look into. Other clarifications include:
Discussions on the confusion around venue showround dates have been taking place with BEIS, asking for urgent confirmation that they are allowed to resume from Step 2 at the latest.
MPs Roundtable & Meeting with Senior Cabinet Minister
On Wednesday 24th March, Neil Parish MP facilitated another roundtable with the Taskforce, alongside MPs that champion the wedding industry. Neil Parish has been attempting to facilitate a meeting with a Senior Cabinet Minister and has been successful in securing a meeting for a small group of MPs led by Edward Timpson MP. A paper has been produced by the Taskforce outlining key enablers for the sector to remain viable and prosper.
The UK Weddings Taskforce represents the needs of the wedding industry, a diverse and viable £14.7 billion industry. Read the full weekly update here.
MPs Demand Prime Minister and Chancellor Meet with Wedding Taskforce Before Sector Collapses
Representatives of the £14.7bn wedding industry have met with a group of over 30 cross-party MPs who have agreed to lobby both the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss urgent support for the sector.
The UK Weddings Taskforce, the official body designated to negotiate with Government on behalf of the industry, has been locked in meetings with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, along with HMRC and Public Health England (PHE), subsequently submitting a safe, workable and commercially sensible proposal for the reopening of the sector. There is a strong feeling in Whitehall that the PM needs to personally turn his attention to the matter.
The calls come after the Prime Minister announced in his roadmap that live performances and sporting events could resume from 17th May with up to 1000 attendees indoors or 4000 outdoors, at the same point that wedding capacities increase from 15 to a maximum of 30 attendees.
Sarah Haywood, Spokesperson for the UK Weddings Taskforce, commented "We have been very clear in our discussions with both BEIS and No.10 that anything less than 50 guests at a wedding is not commercially viable. Whilst Monday's announcement was good news for some, particularly couples with weddings booked on or after 21st June 2021, many of the 60,000 businesses employing 400,000 people in our sector are now facing the prospect of four long months with zero income, no financial support from the Government and the real threat of mass redundancies. The pipeline of work in this sector is enormous. It simply does not make sense for us to be wiped out."
The Taskforce is urging businesses in the weddings sector to follow updates and guidance via:
Boris Johnson is set to make an official announcement about his exit from lockdown strategy on Monday 22nd February, which may or may not also include information about venues reopening and kickstarting events. The Prime Minister has hinted that a national approach may be a better strategy rather than regional tiers this time around. However, the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will be responsible for setting their own social gathering rules and COVID-19 restrictions. Key data to inform any decisions made will be vaccine rollout, Covid infection rates, hospital admissions and mortality rates.
UK Weddings Taskforce Update
The UK Weddings Taskforce have had a busy week, including a meeting with 10 Downing Street to propose solutions for reopening, along with further discussions with Minister Paul Scully MP and the Treasury. MP's and Government officials have asked the UK Weddings Taskforce to clarify its position which has been addressed overnight.
It is more important than ever that this week we are giving a strong message as to what we need for our industry to reopen safely. Please see attached UK Weddings Taskforce statement from Chris Naylor, Chair. Key updates for the week include:
For further information visit the website.
5th Annual UK Wedding Report for 2021 Released
In the past year, the wedding industry has weathered the most difficult storm we’ve seen in decades, while couples and businesses alike have persevered with strength, patience and resilience. Now at the start of 2021, we look forward to an optimistic recovery for weddings with a boom about to begin from all the postponements of 2020.
As an industry, it is also imperative that we understand the life and routines of millennial couples so we can better meet their needs as they plan their weddings. This tech-savvy researching generation does everything on their mobile phones and our businesses will thrive if we can deliver more mobile-friendliness, personalisation, and social proof into their wedding planning experience.
Bridebook has released its 5th annual UK Wedding Report looking ahead to 2021 and beyond. Download here.
We Make Events Campaign Events sector urgently needs more support to survive the Covid-19 crisis
Live events around the world have been devastated, from major festivals and landmark theatres, to grassroots venues and business events. Without urgent support from the government, the entire supply chain is at risk of collapse. Join the growing collective of businesses, organisations, freelancers, and public figures who are raising awareness of the events and entertainment industry through social media, writing to the government, and planned outdoor activities with #WeMakeEvents hard-hitting campaign.
Published: 15-04-2021
