An Aberdeen events boss has claimed the whole industry is being let down by the Scottish Government’s “lack of understanding”.
Carol Fowler, the owner of Prime Events, said the Rosemount-based company would soon have to make staff who have been with them for more than a decade redundant, if financial aid is not forthcoming.
Ms Fowler, who makes a living organising corporate hospitality events, feels her industry has been left to fall through the cracks of government Covid funding.
‘There is no support for us anywhere’
While money had been allocated for the sector, it is claimed the main focus has been cultural and tourism-driving events rather than day-to-day occasions organised on behalf of other businesses.
She said: “There is no support for us anywhere, I have tried every single grant and I keep getting knocked back.
“I was asked to go to the council’s discretionary fund and I was told I would hear back in five days – it’s now 10 days on and they have just got back looking for more information.
“We managed to get a strategic closure grant as we have been shut.
“But we didn’t get the one-off £6,000 grant as we are not a hospitality company, and that’s a joke as it is all I have done all my life.
“This new one that has opened – as with all the rest – has been about cultural events, looking at festivals and big events incentivising tourism because it’s being distributed by Visit Scotland.
“There is a group advising the government but no one has spoken to us – what about successful companies like ours which have paid all our taxes, employed people? There is nothing.”
Ms Fowler has secured a £2,000 monthly grant through the government scheme for closed businesses – but has so far only received it in January, having not been eligible for help in the first lockdown.
She missed out on other aid as the four-person Prime team does not generate enough in annual turnover, despite being one of the most prominent corporate events firms in the north-east.
The final straw came when the 23-year-old business again was excluded by the criteria for events relief funding, launched recently by Visit Scotland.
“I feel very let down about Prime,” Ms Fowler added.
“We have been in business for 23 years, had a very successful company and all these grants released have missed us.
“Quite frankly we are almost at the end. I’m heartbroken.
“I have worked with one staff member for 20 years, another for 14 years but how can I go on indefinitely after being closed for 11 months?
“It’s beyond belief how we have been forgotten and we are facing walls everywhere we turn.
“There is a whole industry being left behind by a government not understanding the events sector or the magnitude of it.
“It’s not about festivals or tourism – it’s about offering a service.”
Last night a Scottish Government spokeswoman highlighted the more than £3 billion in business support, set aside since the outset of the pandemic.
“We have allocated £31.5 million of support specifically for the events sector.
“This includes the Events Industry Support Fund Two which will open for applications on Thursday.
“Our local authority discretionary fund is empowering local authorities to direct funding to specific groups or sectors within their areas.
“Where a business is not eligible for other funding, including that for the events sector, then we would encourage the business to apply to the local authority discretionary fund.
“The use of this funding is entirely at the discretion of local authorities and we recently announced that it will be doubled again to £120 million.”