Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment has she made of the potential role of the business events industry in achieving the Government's export strategy objectives.

Through our Export Strategy, the Department for International Trade (DIT) is working in partnership with business to help all UK firms, including those in the events industry, realise the benefits of international trade. Although the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has primary responsibility for the domestic events industry, DIT recognises and applauds the contribution made by the sector to the UK economy. The UK’s creative industries which annually organise numerous business events, exported £50.3 billion in services and goods in 2020, with creative accounting for 14% of total UK global services exports. (source: DCMS Economic Estimates)

DIT support for UK companies at such business events, including arranging inward delegations of buyers and curating B2B meetings onsite, illustrates our commitment to the sector and the pivotal role it plays in our economic growth and global soft power, through the export sales process.