As predicted by the polls, Labour won last week’s election and have formed a new government with Keir Starmer at the helm as the country’s new prime minister.

We asked some of our nineteen event agency leaders to share their thoughts on the election outcome and what they would like to see from the Labour government.

Sarah Yeats, MD, Sledge

Change means a fresh perspective and doing things differently, and it’s often what is needed to advance towards a more positive future – for our own sector, and the UK as a whole.

Labour has committed to growing the arts, culture and creative industries, through actions such as making our work more accessible to all, providing greater support and protection for freelancers, and reforming the Apprenticeship Levy to encompass more creative-based skills.

While this is positive, the event industry was largely forgotten during some of our toughest times – particularly the pandemic – and I hope that the sector is not an afterthought within this overarching ‘arts, culture and creative’ category.

The talent shortage – which remains after so many people exited events amid COVID, budgetary and lead time challenges, and reducing our environmental impact are all pressing issues right now.

I’d therefore like to see the Labour government create further training, education and opportunities for young talent considering entering the industry, highlight the value that event professionals bring to the economy, people, and organisations to drive investment in our sector, and actively support us to develop and ingrain sustainable policies throughout all that we do, so that environmental best practices become standard across the board.

Ian Cummings (ex global head, CWT Meetings & Events)

“Change begins now” is all we’ve heard for the last four days since the announcement of the landslide Labour win. Whatever our individual political leaning I think we could all agree that change in the political arena should be a good thing and hopefully provides a new impetus for focus on the events sector.

To date we’ve heard a lot of talk around the £40bn value of the sector, but not much concrete action from Government to recognise, support and invest in this important engine for economic growth for our economy. We’ve seen good progress from the likes of “The Business of Events” and hopefully the change in government will bring a new refreshed approach to listening, understanding and eventually policy change to better support our industry’s ability to fuel economic growth.

I personally believe that having the sector sitting in Culture, media & sport hasn’t helped the main business events sector we are focussed on. Culture & sports events talks to festivals and major sporting events but somehow Business Events has always gotten lost in this sector. Other industry bodies are doing good work to break down and define the data and make sure there is a clear focus on education around the sector and especially attracting new talent, which is also a good thing. Being an optimist – my hope is, this new government will make a concerted effort to accelerate progress for our sector. We shall see……

Simon Hambley, CEO, Strata.

From the perspective of the event industry and the country, a change in government was necessary. The Conservatives have drifted too far to the right, losing their direction. This shift began with austerity long before Brexit, which has dealt a significant blow to our industry. The last government’s extreme right-wing stance was alarming.

I’m hoping this new Labour government might stimulate the economy and could eventually promote closer ties with Europe, which would benefit our industry. However, Labour’s economic track record is not impressive, and they haven’t clearly stated that Brexit was a mistake. For our industry, Brexit has only added unwanted complexity and costs. Additionally, Labour’s apparent disregard for long-term business owners and their likely tax increases on business leaders seem counterproductive to economic growth.

In summary, the choices on polling day were dismal: ‘potentially capable,’ ‘historically ineffective,’ and ‘keeping extremists out of power.’ This election offered us the most disappointing selection of leadership I’ve seen in my voting life.

Dale Parmenter, CEO, DRPG

Over the years I’ve been asked many times by politicians of all parties what would I like government to do for me, my answer is the same every time ‘As little as possible’. Businesses need to run businesses with very little political interference. Absolutely businesses need to be responsible and create a sustainable future for everyone, which the majority do, and those who abuse their people, customers or community should be held to account.

Politics can’t and shouldn’t dictate business success. We need a stable economic environment that encourages growth and innovation. Clear policies and robust infrastructure are essential, but ultimately, it’s our resilience and adaptability that drive us forward. To be clear, without a successful business community, there would be no NHS, no education, no security. Businesses create the wealth that in turn pays for all the public services and running of the country. So, it’s in the interest of any Government to make that process as simple as possible, reducing red tape and bureaucracy; have people in the government who understand business and collaborate rather than obstruct. I would go as far as to say no one should be a politician until they have spent at least five years in the commercial world, that’s how important business is to this country.

While election results always spark discussion, our business approach at DRPG remains unaffected by political shifts both at a national UK level and internationally, with our German and American offices. Our focus is steadfast: achieving our goals and delivering value to our clients and stakeholders through creativity and innovation. As a business we adapt and thrive, regardless of the political landscape and the challenges that sometimes creates, such as ridiculous rules and regulations. All I would say to the new government, business is not you enemy, the success of your next year is massively dependent on how businesses perform to create a stable growth economy. So, don’t make it any more challenging than it already is, create the environment to let us shine; in many cases that just means butting out and letting us get on with it.

Elizabeth Heron, founder & CEO, OrangeDoor