LIVE Awards: last chance to bag a place! 

With just one week until the ticket deadline, and all Platinum and Gold tables now sold, time is running out if you want to be part of the LIVE Awards 2023.  With a strong set of nominees, an attendance list packed with industry leaders, and a celebration of the one and only Phil Bowdery, this is sure to be another memorable night.  To be in the room on the night and recognise all those who have delivered excellence in 2023 click here.  The quality of this year’s nominations is a testament to the brilliance of individuals and companies, venues, festivals and events across the UK live music sector.  It is also an indicator of how quickly the LIVE Awards have established themselves as a must-win, must-attend event.  Not to mention its growing reputation as our industry’s Christmas party.  Here’s to another unforgettable evening.

Autumn Statement delivers ongoing support for grassroots venues

This Tuesday saw what is likely to be the final Autumn Statement before the next General Election.  LIVE welcomed the extension of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme for another year, which addressed a core ask of the LIVE Music Manifesto 2023  (see below). The UK’s live music industry is an engine of growth, generating £5.2 billion in 2022 and employing over 228,000 people last year, with a gig held every four minutes. However, grassroots venues have been operating on a knife edge, and it is crucial that government continues to support this critical part of our sector with the right reliefs and funding mechanisms. The extension of business rates relief will be pivotal for those grassroots venues that are responsible for so much of the R&D in the live music sector.
LIVE sets out its stall ahead of the next election

LIVE has published the LIVE Music Manifesto 2023, marking the first time the live music industry has presented Government with a comprehensive range of solutions to unleash the sector’s potential.

It is no secret that it’s at the grassroots that the challenges in our sector are most severe, but the wider industry is also dealing with issues such as well-intentioned but ill-formed legislation on safety at venues, an internationally uncompetitive and unfair system of VAT and business rates, barriers to international touring, and ticketing issues, all while navigating the transition to net zero.

With a General Election likely in 2024 it is critical that the sector’s voice is heard.  Our UK live music industry is truly world class.  It brings enjoyment to millions, drives economic activity in towns and city centres across the UK and brings in tourists from around the world.  This manifesto highlights how Government can set the conditions to allow us to do even more.

You can see the full LIVE Music Manifesto 2023 here. It’s important that politicians see the wide support for live music, so we’re asking all our members and supporters to share the Manifesto on their social channels along with the hashtag #LIVEMusicChampion. Click here to download the Social Asset.

Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill

LIVE will continue to lobby on this issue with activity coordinated through our LIVE Protect Duty group.  We have a roundtable with Home Office officials on November 23rd and, prior to that, a sit down with Dan Jarvis MP, Labour’s lead on this bill, who has already highlighted current weaknesses.With the King’s Speech confirming the Government’s intention to press ahead with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill (aka Protect Duty), LIVE continues to lobby and make representations on behalf of our sector.  This is a complex policy area, and one which venues and events handle with the utmost gravity.  In addition to lobbying on the format of the legislation, LIVE has also asked the Home Office to issue communications to local authorities and the police, in order to update on progress and timetable, and to clarify that since the legislation is still under development, it should not be incorporated into licensing applications and SAG policy. In addition, all should guard against consultants claiming to offer Protect Duty compliance.  We are years from having this legislation in place along with supporting guidance: it is simply not possible to offer compliance for something that has not yet reached Parliament, let alone the statute books.

Institute of Licensing hears from sector experts

LIVE chaired two packed out sessions at the recent Institute of Licensing annual conference.  A hospitality roundtable featuring LIVE, UK Hospitality, BII, and the NTIA was very well received by the audience of mainly local authority and police officers.  This was followed by a session on ‘Delivering Large Events’ during which Nick Morgan, of We Are The Fair, and Jen Mackley, licensing lead for Glastonbury, set out the challenges and opportunities for operators putting on festivals and events across the UK.  Over the course of an hour, a packed room of regulators heard first hand about the tight margins, operational concerns and wider economic contribution that comes from festivals and events.

Access All Areas: Audience Awareness conference

LIVE chaired an illuminating and entertaining panel session at the recent Access All Areas conference looking at changing audience habits.  Chris Kemp of Mind Over Matter and Julie Tippins of DHP Family discussed how things had and hadn’t changed since lockdown – how, for instance, some audience members now feel they are part of the show (and will sing, conduct and throw things if that is what they want to do).  Likewise, we considered how operators can respond to ensure their teams feel supported in the face of heightened uncertainty, such as through implementing a customer code of conduct.