A report by the Night Time Industries Association has called on towns and cities to embrace the Political Economy of Informal Events.

The report by James Woudhuysen, Visiting professor, forecasting & innovation, London South Bank University, “aptly” called the Political Economy of Informal Events is has concluded that , for any kind of event, its “benefits can spread into every nook and cranny, whether locally or beyond, whether noticed or not.”

The report found that there has been a substantial increase in the number of events being held in the UK reaching an all-time high of close to 3000 in 2019.  Notwithstanding this however, the report also found that:

“The picture isn’t entirely rosy. Night-time clubs, though more fashionable than ever, have suffered a number of closures, especially in London. In 2017, a House of Lords Select Committee scrutiny of the Licensing Act 2003 reported some respondents telling it that overzealous regulation was to blame.”

Some of the conclusions reached in the report were:

•    Good, balanced research about events is key to local authorities making the right, proportionate decisions around the risks that any particular event may pose.
•    Councils should couple such research with an active policy of events development. When they draw up their 10-year master plans, they should give events a central position within those plans.

The consequence could be more dynamic, cohesive and distinctive wealth-making events sector by 2030.