Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) financial and (b) other support his Department provides to the UK events and exhibitions industry.

In order to support our important business visits and events sector, DCMS published the Business Visits and Events Strategy in 2015 which laid out our commitment to the sector. We also created the Events Industry Board, which brings together key stakeholders to discuss opportunities and concerns from the sector, and act as a sounding board between the industry and ministers.

VisitBritain(VB) provides support with two funding streams for the Business Events Growth Programme and increasing awareness and consideration of the UK as a business event destination. VB also provide a Government advocacy programme, using cross-Whitehall contacts to provide Ministerial support to aid cities’ bids for international events and conferences.