Village fetes and other local events are top of people's wish list, survey finds

Village fetes and other local events are the experiences people are most looking forward to when government restrictions are lifted, according to a poll seen by Nub News.

The finding comes in a survey of more than 2,000 consumers for #wecreateexperiences, a campaign being launched today (March 30) by One Industry One Voice, a group representing the UK's events industry.

Leading names from music, sports and showbiz are encouraging people to plan for starting to share live experiences again, with the message: 'Together, we can do this right'.

The £84bn industry includes big music and cultural festivals, sporting events and mass participation sport, but smaller local events are top of most people's wish list, showing their importance to the community.

In the survey, 37 per cent of respondents said they are very likely or likely to attend a village fete or local event once current restrictions are lifted, ahead of 33 per cent who voted for a music concert or show, 31 per cent who expect to attend a sporting event and 26 per cent who were likely or very likely to take part in a charity fundraising event.

So, today we are asking you – what is the local event you are most looking forward to attending this summer? We would love to get your feedback and find out Sidmouth's top attraction. You can use the Facebook comments, or email [email protected]

The poll of 2,010 consumers conducted for #wecreateexperiences by research agency Censuswide found:

• 77 per cent have missed attending an event since the start of the pandemic, with music shows and concerts, sport events and local fetes the events people have missed most
• Sharing experiences with family and friends (36 per cent) is the most important reason for attending events, followed by the positive impact on wellbeing (31 per cent)
• 84 per cent would agree to terms and conditions put in place by organisers, including additional bio-security measures, when booking an event
• 81 per cent would be willing to provide evidence of a vaccination or a negative Covid test, 72 hours before attending the event
• 41 per cent would be prepared to pay more for an event ticket to cover the costs of additional safety measures or reduced capacity – more than one in three of those people (37 per cent) would pay up to 20 per cent extra for their ticket
• 65 per cent would be happy to roll over their ticket, rather than demand a refund, if an event had to be postponed.

The campaign is backed by sporting and entertainment venues and festivals from across the UK and a campaign video released on March 30th includes contributions from World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson and Will Greenwood; Olympians Daley Thompson and Alistair Brownlee; England cricketers Stuart Broad and Sir Andrew Strauss; and showbiz personalities Claudia Winkelman and Ronan Keating.

People are being encouraged to take part in a social media campaign through @1IndustryVoice channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, sharing details of the event they would most like to attend and tagging the person they would like to share it with.

Simon Hughes, co-founder of One Industry One Voice, said: "Life is all about experiences and our poll shows that some of the experiences we value most are those shared with family and friends in our local communities.

"The events industry is ready to get back to work, but we recognise this is a journey of recovery, and safety is paramount, so live experiences will return gradually and only when it is safe to do so.

"We are encouraging people to commit to supporting safety measures put in place by organisers and venues. We are known for our world-leading expertise and together we will do this right".