National events strategy 2024 to 2035: equality impact assessment

Background

General

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 a review updating the strategy and extending its term to the end of 2035.

The scope of the review was to undertake a comprehensive review and update of Scotland’s events strategy to ensure it remained fit-for-purpose for an extended term up to 2035. This would enable the continued successful development and delivery of world-class business, sporting and cultural events, and retain Scotland’s global sector status as a world-leading events destination. Due to its long term and wide-ranging nature, it was decided that an Equality Impact Assessment was required for the strategy early in the planning process for the review.

On 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 a series of workshops. 222 participants attended the workshops. The online consultation survey received 102 responses from a range of individuals and organisations.

On 22 September 2023 the Scottish Government published an independent analysis of responses to the public consultation,^[3] its response to the analysis and associated papers.^[4]

The refreshed strategy draws on this analysis and wider stakeholder engagement exercise which took place across 2023.

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

Scottish Government teams with a policy interest have been involved in the development of this Equality Impact Assessment. Scottish Government analysts have also contributed. VisitScotland has also been closely engaged throughout.

Scope of Equality Impact Assessment

At the start of the review it was agreed that the Scottish Government would lead the Equality Impact Assessment process for the National Events Strategy Review, supported by VisitScotland.

This Equality Impact Assessment is informed by a range of data and wider evidence. This includes engagement with a range of organisations. It also includes responses to the public consultation and regional engagement workshops led by VisitScotland.

Development of this Equality Impact Assessment began by reviewing the current evidence available. This provided an opportunity to identify where published evidence in the context of events was missing or limited. The strongest evidence available was found to be around the accessibility of events building on VisitScotland’s Inclusive Tourism initiative.^[5] There was much more limited published information for the other protected characteristics. However, there was existing evidence from previous partners engagement around initiatives such as Themed Years and earlier individual event evaluations to build on.

In December 2022, the Scottish Government hosted a series of four themed groups around the strategic priorities for the National Events Strategy Review. This included a group on Well-being/ community experience which covered equality, diversity and inclusion in its remit. Where possible, evidence on protected characteristics informed discussion in other themed groups too, for example, in relation to workforce.

Building on these themed group discussions, a 14-week public consultation provided a key opportunity to engage with the public and a wide range of stakeholders on the proposed strategic outcomes. This consisted of an online survey and a series of nine face-to-face and one online workshops. The workshops were hosted between April and June 2023 and 222 participants attended. The online consultation survey received 102 responses from a range of individuals and organisations. The analysis of the consultation^[6] was used to inform development of the refreshed strategy and the associated impact assessments, including this Equality Impact Assessment.

In preparing a draft Equality Impact Assessment, sources of quantitative evidence for each of the protected characteristics was gathered, this included from sources such as the Scottish Household Survey,^[7] Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings^[8] and sportscotland research into equality and sport.^[9] While this provided data on age, sex, and disability, there was more limited data available on race, sexual orientation and religion and belief. There is a lack of relevant quantitative evidence related to gender reassignment, and pregnancy and maternity. This quantitative evidence is included at Annex A. Collation of this evidence informed plans for stakeholder engagement.

The initial draft of this Equality Impact Assessment supported the design of the public consultation and the related partner engagement led by the Scottish Government and VisitScotland. This included the questions set out in the online survey.

The draft Equality Impact Assessment also helped shape the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion roundtable hosted by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture on 9 August 2023 and other wider stakeholder engagement related to the strategy review. For example, based on the data set out in the early draft of this assessment, it was agreed that the main opportunities to boost equality via the National Events Strategy 2024-2035 continued to be around disabled people (accessibility of events), young people (central engagement at all levels of events design and delivery – building on the 2018 Year of Young People), and the LGBT and ethnic minority communities (enhancing cultural delivery at events and the welcome to attend). Intersectional aspects were also identified as an opportunity linking into the other protected groups. These aspects were then explored further with stakeholders as an integral part of the review.

The organisations attending the roundtable 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. Partners invited, but unable to attend, were offered follow up meetings with Scottish Government officials. Building on the roundtable, the Scottish Government hosted a series of follow-up meetings with lead representative organisations including Accessable, BEMIS Scotland, Scottish Trans and YouthLink Scotland.

The views shared by partners at the roundtable and follow-up meetings have been factored into the development of this Equality Impact Assessment.

This Equality lmpact Assessment was shared with VisitScotland during the strategy review to help inform the development of the refreshed strategy, particularly after the consultation analysis was published on 22 September 2023 and during the strategy drafting phase which was led by VisitScotland.

This Equality Impact Assessment has been published alongside the refreshed strategy. Its content will help influence implementation which will be led by the events sector with support from the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and other lead partners.