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

3. Consultation

3.1 Within Government

A Project Team was established to manage all activity across the lifecycle of the strategy review. The work of the Project Team was under-pinned by a Project Plan setting out the key dates and project milestones and assigning a Red-Amber- Green rating to each contributing activity/element.

The Project Team was co-chaired by Scottish Government (Cultural Futures and Major Events Division) and VisitScotland representatives. It included team members from the Scottish Government and VisitScotland with defined responsibilities to deliver the project within the scope and in adherence with the agreed timeframe and budget. The project team met weekly from July 2023 until the launch of the refreshed strategy.

A wide range of directorates across the Scottish Government were engaged in the strategy review. These include:

• Chief Economist;
• Performance, Delivery and Resilience;
• Culture and Major Events;
• Economic Development;
• External Affairs;
• International Trade and Investment;
• Economic Strategy;
• Local Government and Housing;
• Energy and Climate Change;
• Agriculture and Rural Economy;
• Justice; and
• Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights.

Transport Scotland were also engaged.

Local Authorities have been directly engaged in the strategy review via the public consultation process and via the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities Contributions from Trade Unions have been sought via the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

The feedback from lead policy officials across the Scottish Government and other lead bodies was gathered and processed by the Scottish Government’s Cultural Futures and Major Events Division at appropriate points during development of the strategy document which was prepared by VisitScotland.

This Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been shared with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Trade Unions prior to publication, for awareness and any feedback.

3.2 Themed Groups

In addition to consultation within Government, short life Themed Groups were established by the Scottish Government/VisitScotland in the early stages of the review. The aim was to help ensure a strategy for and by the sector. Further details of the Themed Groups are set out in the partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment for the National Events Strategy Review^[14].

3.3 Public Consultation

On the 24 March 2023, the Scottish Government launched a 14-week public consultation to seek views on the National Events Strategy^[15]. This consisted of an online survey via Citizen Space and a series of nine in person workshops and one online workshop, led by VisitScotland. In person workshops were hosted between April and June 2022 in Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Lothians, Dundee and Tay, Highland and Moray, Orkney, Argyll and Bute, Glasgow City and Scottish Borders.

A partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment was also published on 24 March 2023 as part of the consultation process^[16].

The online survey was set around a series of 27 questions as set out in the consultation paper.

The opportunity to contribute to the review via the survey and/or the workshops was widely promoted by the Scottish Government/VisitScotland via their networks.

The workshops attracted a total of 222 participants. The online consultation survey received 102 responses from a range of individuals (33%) and organisations (67%).

On 22 September 2023, the Scottish Government published an independent analysis of responses to the consultation- presented in English and Gaelic^[17]. There was also an easy read version of the analysis^[18].

On 22 September the Scottish Government also published its response to the analysis and information on individual responses to the analysis subject to the appropriate permissions^[19].

The following Local Authorities provided a written response to the National Events Strategy public consultation (see section 3.3): Argyll and Bute Council, East Ayrshire Council, Glasgow City Council represented by Glasgow Life, Renfrewshire Council and the Highland Council. The following Local Authorities (also) participated in the engagement workshops led by VisitScotland as part of the National Events Strategy public consultation: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dundee City Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, Glasgow City Council represented by Glasgow Life, Moray Council, North Ayrshire Council, Orkney Islands Council, Perth and Kinross Council, Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Borders Council, the Highland Council.

Details of the other consultation respondents are provided at Annex 2 of the analysis.

Key findings of the analysis included:

General

• 92% of respondents supported the proposed ambition of the strategy as set out in the consultation paper.
• Boosting the economy and enhancing wellbeing and community engagement were considered to be the most important strategic priorities for events over the next 11 years. Promoting inward investment and a greater focus on equality, diversity and inclusion were also highlighted.
• Priorities for mega events included ensuring legacy, clear benefits for local communities and maximising skills development opportunities.
• Case studies could help measure event impacts and it was important to measure both the direct and indirect impact of events.

Wellbeing/Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• 83% of respondents agreed events are welcoming; 52% of respondents agreed that events in Scotland are inclusive; 48% agreed that events in Scotland are accessible; and 41% agreed that events in Scotland are affordable.
• Some respondents were keen to see the development of wellbeing measurement frameworks to enable consistent data collection and evaluation.
• 55% of respondents agreed that event organisers involve communities in planning. Boosting community engagement and ownership were identified as particular opportunities.
• The majority of people responding to the survey indicated that the diversity of events in Scotland is very important. The barriers to diverse events were inadequate infrastructure ,an absence of suitable event spaces outside of cities, supply chain capacity and funding.

Working in the sector

• 61% of those responding to the survey think that the event sector is an attractive place to work.
• The majority of respondents felt that better regulation of the sector on working hours, pay and conditions would boost Fair Work.
• The majority of respondents did not think that there are sufficient opportunities to learn about what it is like to work in the event sector, to gain the relevant skills and experiences and to further a career in the sector.

Net Zero and Environmental Sustainability

• More information and guidance would help event participants/attendees limit any negative environmental impacts.
• Tools to help enhance environmental sustainability could be developed for event organisers.

The analysis has fundamentally informed and shaped the refreshed National Events Strategy. For example, around future priorities, including key areas such as Inclusion, Community and Workforce.

Findings from the analysis have helped shape this full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and feature as evidence across the document.

3.4 Business

Engagement with businesses was central to the review of the national events strategy. This was particularly important as the new strategy required events sector leadership, with support from the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and other Team Scotland partners.

A number of event businesses were engaged early in national event strategy review via Themed Groups. Further details of the Themed Groups are set out in the partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment for the National Events Strategy Review^[20].

In addition, many event businesses also contributed to the public consultation and engagement workshops (see Appendix 2 of the analysis for further details^[21]).

Building on the Themed Groups and public consultation, the Scottish Government and VisitScotland also engaged with lead industry bodies and other key partners to further explore the issues relevant to this Business Regulatory Impact Assessment including the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland and Environmental Health (Food & Workplace Safety) Fife Council.

Feedback included:

Strategic priorities

• Respondents to the public consultation were asked their opinion of the relative importance of key strategic priorities for the events sector over the next ten years. 69% of the organisations responding felt that enhancing well-being and community engagement was very important, 66% thought that boosting the economy was very important, 65% thought showcasing and promoting Scotland’s assets was very important; 53% thought that contributing to the drive towards net zero and environmental sustainability and; 53% thought that making the events sector a better place to work were very important.

Creating an excellent event experience

• Respondents to the survey highlighted the importance of events creating a welcoming, inspiring, enjoyable atmosphere, of being accessible and inclusive and the event experience being high quality.

Working in the event sector in Scotland

• For those that responded to the consultation to say that the sector is an attractive place to work, the reasons provided broadly centred around a view that the sector supported transferable skills, that it was engaging, creative, innovative and collaborative and could be an exciting and fun environment to work in.
• Workshop discussions included feedback about the range of different roles in the events sector not being visible and as a result people outside of the sector having less information about the attractiveness of working in the event sector.
• As part of the public consultation those working in the sector were also asked whether there was anything that they would like to see changed in relation to Fair Work practices. Around two thirds of respondents provided a response to this question. The most prevalent theme in responses was a desire for better regulation of the sector in terms of working hours, pay and conditions. Connected to this was respondents wishing to see increases in wages offered in the sector and improved benefits such as sick pay provisions or maternity leave.

Developing the approach

• A more consistent approach to regulation across Local Authorities was suggested. We have also heard that Local Authorities need to be able to respond flexibly taking into account local need and that there is different appetite to risk across Local Authorities. Feedback suggests that there are opportunities for better co-ordination and taking a common approach across Local Authority boundaries when the conditions are right.
• Building on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Act 2008 a robust framework for regulatory engagement was developed across Local Authorities and this could be a model for future development. This doesn’t necessarily need to be driven by legislation.
• With all major events there is a risk to public health and a framework to escalate emerging issues - building on the Commonwealth Games model - could be helpful for future major events.

Communities

• The analysis highlighted that in the workshop discussions participants cited examples of good practice and recognising the need to involve communities in event planning. However, feedback in the workshop sessions also highlights challenges in involving communities due to a lack of resource (notably time and money), training or where event organisers had limited or no links into the community in which their event was taking place. Workshop participants also acknowledged the importance of managing community expectations.
• Complaints around the high levels noise and more general disturbance created by events remains a key concern of communities and is a significant challenge for regulators and other partners.

Regulation

• Regulators are a diminishing resource with recruitment and retention issues being faced across Scotland. There are also significant pressures on regulators due to the scale of policy change underway. The Scottish Government Policy Co-ordinating Group for Environmental Health has been established to help manage environmental policy change and this could provide a model for other areas.
• The growth in community events is welcome but can be especially resource intensive for regulators.
• A practical toolkit to assist with the delivery of community events would be beneficial to people organising local events and help ease the pressure on regulatory teams.
• It is important to be realistic about what regulation can achieve. The compliance expectation also needs to be carefully considered.

Details of the partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment were also shared with the Event Industry Advisory Group on 29 March 2023. We received no feedback on the draft. This full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment was also shared with the Event Industry Advisory Group on 24 January 2024. We received one email in response which highlighted concerns related to the costs/benefit analysis of the skilled workforce and fair work component of this assessment. The feedback was that this appeared to be weighted towards the benefits without this being fully evidenced. We have updated the assessment to address these concerns. No other feedback was received on the draft.

3.5 Other consultation

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

On 9 August 2023 the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture chaired a roundtable meeting of lead stakeholders to discuss Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the context of the National Events Strategy Review.

The organisations attending this meeting were Scottish Government, VisitScotland, YouthLink Scotland, BEMIS Scotland, LEAP Sports, Interfaith Scotland, World Cycling Championships (EDI consultant), Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, Deaf Action, Euan’s Guide and the Scottish Refugee Council. To further boost accessibility and inclusion - and building on the roundtable - separate virtual meetings were hosted by the Scottish Government/VisitScotland with Scottish Trans, Accessable, BEMIS Scotland and YouthLink Scotland.

The views shared by partners have been factored into the development of the Equality Impact Assessment and Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment for the National Events Strategy Review. Many are also relevant to this full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment; including:

• Early engagement with communities on the ground is key to creating an excellent event experience for diverse communities.
• Affordability, transport and other infrastructure matter in particular to whether communities engage in events.
• Monitoring who is volunteering at/working for events helps to diversify workforce.
• Making accessibility information readily available is very important for disabled people to feel like they can attend/volunteer/work at events. This information needs to cover the event site itself and also accommodation, transport and other parts of the journey to and from the event.
• A clear delivery plan is essential to make the most of the key opportunity the National Events Strategy offers to boost Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across Scotland.

The views of all partners participating in the themed groups, public consultation, engagement workshops and via other related consultation has been central to the shaping of this full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment, including the Scottish Firms Impact Test at Section 6. The evidence gathered has also helped inform Section 4 of this full Business Regulatory Impact Assessment which considers the options.