National events strategy 2024 to 2035: business and regulatory impact assessment

2. Purpose and Intended Effect

Scotland’s events sector led by the Event Industry Advisory Group^[1], the Scottish Government and VisitScotland have worked together with trade unions, local authorities and a range of other partners to deliver the refreshed 2024-2035 National Events Strategy.

2.1 Background

The National Events Strategy was first published in 2008 in response to Scotland's increasing potential to be a global leader in the events industry. It was then updated to cover the period 2015 – 2025.

Under the current strategy Scotland has successfully developed a strong and dynamic events industry. This includes a world-class portfolio of business, sporting, and cultural events. These deliver against the key impact areas and generate valuable international profile for Scotland.

The term of the current strategy is nearing conclusion and Scottish Ministers’ Programme for Government^[2] committed to another review updating the strategy and extending its term to the end of 2035.

The scope of the National Events Strategy review was to undertake a comprehensive review and update of Scotland’s events strategy. This was to ensure it remained fit-for-purpose for an extended term from 2024 to 2035. The refreshed strategy supports the continued successful development and delivery of world-class business, sporting and cultural events. It also helps ensure Scotland retains its status as a world-leading events destination.

On the 24 March 2023, the Scottish Government launched a 14-week public consultation to seek views on the National Events Strategy review. This consisted of an online survey plus workshops led by VisitScotland. The workshops attracted a total of 222 participants. The online consultation survey received 102 responses from a range of individuals (33%) and organisations (67%).

A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment was also published on 24 March 2023 to inform the public consultation and help shape the review^[3]. No specific feedback was received on this draft as part of the public consultation exercise.

On 22 September 2023, the Scottish Government published an independent analysis of responses to the public consultation^[4], its response to the analysis and associated papers^[5].

This full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment updates the partial assessment. This builds on the analysis of the public consultation exercise and further related partner engagement. The full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been a central tool in the drafting of the refreshed strategy, which has been led by VisitScotland.

It should be noted that some of the aspects for cost/benefit analysis in this full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment are a result of regulation flowing from other government policy- for example around Fair Work^[6] or Net Zero Environmental Sustainability^[7]. These impact on the event sector- and they came up strongly in the public consultation component of the National Event Strategy Review. However, these aspects are not being progressed as a result of the National Events Strategy Review, they would be taken forward in its absence.

Alongside this full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, the Scottish Government has also led the delivery of an Equality Impact Assessment, Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment, Island Communities Impact Assessment and Child Rights and Well-being Impact Assessment for the National Events Strategy Review. These assessments identify some issues closely linked into this full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment. For example, the particular challenges faced by businesses located on the islands, and also boosting the accessibility of events, and some of the opportunities to help address these.

Following finalisation of the National Events Strategy 2024-2035, at the same time the series of impact assessments that were developed to help shape the new strategy were also published, including this Business Regulatory Impact Assessment.

How events collectively- and the sector as a whole- are performing on the five outcome statements identified for the strategy will be monitored. This will be done via a set of indicators. These focus on Economy, Community, Environment, Workforce and Reputation/Profile. These broadly align to the four capitals of a wellbeing economy (plus reputation/profile)^[8].

2.2 Objective

The Vision of the refreshed strategy is that Scotland is the Perfect Stage for Events.

The Mission of the refreshed strategy is to sustain and develop, through a Team Scotland approach, a dynamic, resilient, and responsible events sector that is recognised as a global leader and valued for its contribution to Scotland's wellbeing economy. It will achieve this through the delivery of a world-class, diverse, and inclusive portfolio of cultural, sport and business events - for participants, workforce, communities, and visitors.

The Strategy to deliver the vision and mission is based around three interconnecting strands, each with a number of priority themes:

Interconnecting Strands:

1.Developing Events

Priority Themes:

• Inclusive Events
• Investment and Support
• The Portfolio Approach
• Measuring, Monitoring and Reporting Impacts

Interconnecting Strands:

2.Developing the Sector

Priority Themes:

• Attract, Retain, Develop Talent
• Quality Planning and Delivery
• Responsible Events

Interconnecting Strands:

3.Developing Scotland

Priority Themes:

• Infrastructure and Services
• Reputation and Profile
• Visitor Economy

The Outcomes: The above interconnecting strands and priority themes are vital to creating the environment that allows the sector to contribute to the delivery of national priority outcomes as part of a wellbeing economy for Scotland. Effective delivering of this strategy will ensure the following:

National Priority Outcomes: Economy

Event Sector Outcome: The events sector is financially robust, sustainable, and growing. It delivers significant economic benefit across regions, islands and to Scotland as a whole.

National Priority Outcomes: Community

Event Sector Outcome: Events contribute positively to the physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

National Priority Outcomes: Environment

Event Sector Outcome: The events sector is environmentally responsible and delivering the sector’s just transition to Net Zero.

National Priority Outcomes: Workforce

Event Sector Outcome: The events sector is an attractive sector for employment with Fair Work practices for its workforce through effective voice, security, fulfilment, opportunity, and respect.

National Priority Outcomes: Reputation and Profile

Event Sector Outcome: Events deliver excellent experiences and showcase Scotland, our values, and assets globally, achieving national and international profile and reputational benefits.

The National Events Strategy 2024-2035 focuses on Scotland’s events however there is a UK perspective to consider- for example related to national events programmes such as Unboxed Creativity in the UK^[9] where Scotland contributed the highly successful Dandelion initiative to a series of 10 projects across the UK.

Also, to secure mega events, Scotland sometimes submits a joint bid with other UK nations or with other countries- for example to host Euro 2028 where a joint bid with the rest of the UK and Ireland was successful.

2.3 Rationale for Government Intervention

This is a sector-led, rather than Scottish Government owned and led strategy. Its drafting has been led by VisitScotland with input from the Scottish Government and other lead partners including the Event Industry Advisory Group, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Trade Unions.

There are a range of agencies with a critical part to play in supporting the delivery of the refreshed strategy. A Collaborative “Team Scotland” approach between these organisations is vital for success. They include: Scottish Government, Local Authorities, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland, sportscotland, Enterprise Agencies, City Convention Bureaus, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland, UK Sport and the UK Government.

The refreshed strategy itself is advisory and places no new statutory obligation on any party – whether public, private or third sector. It does seek to take account of the existing statutory and policy environment.

The refreshed strategy has the potential to positively impact on all the National Outcomes set out in the National Performance Framework^[10]. However, there are particular opportunities around national outcomes focusing on: economy, fair work and business, international, communities, culture and environment.

In terms of impacts to date, research commissioned by the Events Industry Forum^[11] in 2018 showed that (pre-pandemic) Scotland’s outdoor events alone generated 52,801 Full-time Equivalent jobs, total annual spend of £3.5bn and Gross Value Added of £2.8bn.

Similarly, the 2020 UK Events Report ^[12]highlighted 2019 (pre-pandemic) as a landmark year for the event industry reporting direct spend of £70 billion, accounting for over 50% of spend in the UK visitor economy. The proportion of this activity attributed to Scotland was estimated by VisitScotland to be in the region of 9%^[13], equating to £6bn of direct spend and up to 50% of total spend in the Scottish visitor economy.

The refreshed strategy provides strategic focus for all involved in the planning, securing and delivery of events of all sizes in Scotland. It also responds to the challenges the event sector faces as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The sector also continues to be significantly impacted by Brexit and faces the dual challenges of the effectively responding to the climate emergency and the on-going cost of living crisis. Effective and strong partnerships are essential to address these issues. The refreshed strategy brings together all parts of the public, private and third sector that play a role in Scotland’s world-class event industry. The refreshed strategy will also help drive progress and safeguard Scotland’s global status as the perfect stage for events.