National events strategy review: business and regulatory impact assessment - partial

3. Consultation

3.1 Within Government

A Project Team has been established to manage all activity across the lifecycle of the strategy review.

The Project Team is co-chaired by VisitScotland (Events Directorate) and Scottish Government (Cultural Futures and Major Events Division) representatives. It includes team members with defined responsibilities to deliver the project within the scope and in adherence with the agreed timeframe and budget.

Policy, Analysis and other Divisions/bodies across the Scottish Government are being engaged in the strategy review. These include Directorates for:

• 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; and
• Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights.

The Scottish Government’s Analysis Division and Civil Law and Legal System Division are also providing specific advice to underpin the development of this Business Regulation Impact Assessment. Transport Scotland are also engaged.

Local Authorities are being engaged in the strategy review via the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Trade Unions via the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

3.2 Themed Groups

Short life Themed Groups have been established to draw on industry expertise in the collation of relevant data, research and analysis. These help ensure a strategy for and by the sector. Details are set out below:

3.2.1 Group 1: Economic benefit and financial sustainability

Considering aspects such as: the economic impact of events; financial sustainability; types of events; enhancing Scotland’s place on the world stage by hosting major international events; spreading the economic benefits of events across Scotland and measurability and sharing good practice for this theme.

Membership: Scottish Government, VisitScotland, sportscotland, 21CC group, The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, the R&A, DF Concerts, Dandelion, Scottish Event Campus Ltd, Scottish Enterprise, Aberdeen City Council.

Date of meeting: 7 December 2022

3.2.2 Group 2: Skilled workforce and Fair Work practices

Considering aspects such as: improving accessibility in terms of fair work practices; developing, and maintaining globally significant talent; attracting talent to and developing skills within the event sector workforce; building an attractive employment offer; instilling confidence in the security of the industry as key elements in promoting the sector as a great place to work; helping ensure workers have an effective voice in influencing workplace practice and decisions; and measurability and sharing good practice for this theme.

Membership: Scottish Government, VisitScotland, sportscotland, Creative Scotland, BECTU (Union for Creative Workers), Scottish Live Events Network, Edinburgh Napier University, The National Outdoor Events Association, Capital Theatres, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Event Campus, Experience Scotland, Renfrewshire Council, West Lothian Council.

Date of meeting: 8 December 2022

3.2.3 Group 3: Net zero and environmental sustainability

Considering aspects such as: environmental sustainability as a lever to attract events to Scotland; home-grown world class events taking the lead and setting a new standard for sustainability; measurability and sharing good practice for this theme.

Membership: Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland, sportscotland, Zero Waste Scotland, Cycling World Championships Ltd, DF Concerts, Foundation for Sustainable Golf, Festivals Edinburgh, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Glasgow Life, Cryptic.

Date of meeting: 7 December 2022

3.2.4 Group 4: Wellbeing and audience/community experience

Considering aspects such as: extending the social and cultural benefits of events; tackling inequality and improving accessibility in terms of audience and community experience; spreading the wellbeing benefits of events across Scotland, through a portfolio of different sizes and types of events; and measurability and sharing good practice for this theme.

Membership: Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Creative Scotland, sportscotland, Dundee City Council, Cycling World Championships Ltd, Glasgow Life, Royal Scottish Highland Games Association, Edinburgh International Festival, The Enchanted Forest, Scottish Society of Playwrights, DF Concerts, Writers Guild, Dumfries & Galloway Council, The Royal National Mod, HebCelt Festival, Findhorn Bay Arts.

Date of meeting: 8 December 2022

3.2.5 Headline discussion points emerging from Themed Groups

All Themed Groups considered what success looks like and broadly, for them, this meant an event sector that:

• is financially robust and sustainable;
• delivers significant economic benefit for Scotland;
• is an attractive sector for employment that fairly rewards its workforce in payment, conditions, security and opportunity;
• is environmentally responsible and delivering the sectors just transition to net zero;
• showcases Scotland and our values and assets globally; and
• is contributing positively to the physical, mental and social health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Shared areas of focus include:

• excellent event experience;
• best practice, innovation and continuous improvement;
• promotion and profile; and
• an approach of partnership and collaboration.

More information on the discussion points emerging from the Themed Groups are set out in the National Events Strategy review consultation paper. This is being published alongside this partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment as part of the public consultation exercise.

3.3 Public Consultation

We expect a public consultation in support of the National Events Strategy to be launched on 24 March. This will run for 14 weeks. Further information on the public consultation will be available at the Scottish Government’s Citizen’s Space^[8] website. VisitScotland and the Scottish Government will also undertake a series of workshops across Scotland. These will under-pin the public consultation exercise and the wider national events strategy review. More information on how to take part in the workshops will be provided by VisitScotland shortly.

3.4 Business

Engagement with business is central to the review of the national events strategy. A number of event businesses have already been engaged in national event strategy review via Themed Groups. Further information on the Themed Groups and their membership is set out under the consultation within government section of this Business Regulatory Impact Assessment.

Businesses from the event sector will also be central to the planned public consultation exercise and engagement workshops in support of the national events strategy review. The views of businesses participating in the public consultation and workshops will inform the Scottish Firms Impact Test section of the final version of this Business Regulatory Impact Assessment . We expect to publish this later in the year alongside the National Events Strategy 2025-2035.

Meantime views have been gathered from businesses taking part in the Themed Groups and other relevant consultation. This has informed the Scottish Firms Impact Test section of this partial Business Regulatory Impact Assessment.