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Escape from Freight Island in Manchester hosted the Night-Time Economy Summit, which brought together industry moguls from across the globe over two days. Through panellists and networking, the event aims to share information and knowledge, as well as, advice when navigating difficulties in the next few years.‍

The showcase provided invaluable information and details from different sectors that come together to create The Night Time Industries Association. Plans were laid out for the coming years, and connections were made between key players in the industry. Here are the key takeaways from the second day of the Night-Time Economy Summit. ‍

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Navigating the Cost Of Operating in a Challenging Global and UK Economy: Mike Grieve Chairperson NTIA Scotland, Ben Newby Chairperson NTIA Wales, Holly Lester Free The Night NI, Sunil Sharpe Southern Ireland, Michael Rodrigues NSW 24hr Commissioner.

‍Kicking off the final day of the Night-Time Economy Summit, the panellists were posed with the question 'What is the key challenge they’re experiencing at the minute in the industry.' And unsurprisingly, that challenge was indeed the spiralling costs, whether that be business rates, energy bills or rent. But before the industry can gain that support, Mike Grieve said: “We need to recognise the importance of our culture to the economy. We need the economy to thrive and to get that appreciation from the government. Especially at the grassroots level as it is on life support.

Ben Newby said: “The hard times make us more creative and more innovative. We have got to be innovative. Work fucking hard and get people into your venue. It isn’t going to be easy, but it never was entering the sector.” An anecdote to gain more support was given by Sunil Sharpe, in the form of every time you attend a larger event, support a smaller venue too. “A one for one I like to call it. Big promoters have to have that responsibility.”

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A Manifesto for Music - How can this years General Election make a difference to the night-time economy? Jeff Smith MP Withington Manchester, Luke Fletcher MS Plaid Cymru Wales, Cllr Richard Kilpatrick Lib Dem, Kate Lowes Brighter Sounds

‍All eyes will be on this years General Election with which party can offer the best support for the sector. Whether that be more funding for music education, which Kate Lowes called for, as “There is a drop of 50% of people taking A-level music in the past 10 years.” Or whether the next government can start to support venues at a grassroots level and reduce the number of the 125 that shut their doors for the final time in 2023. “Protection of music spaces is paramount. These venues are heritage, and it is really important to do everything we can to protect these venues.” Richard Kilpatrick added.

From the perspective of Labour, Jeff Smith states that the party is committed to “The radical reinvention of business rates. We hope the next government will have a different approach to how we deal with those issues.” Whichever party forms the next government, the financial struggles will strongly weigh down on the Prime Minister. Because of this reason, Jeff Smith couldn't commit to any financial package that his party would offer, as the first issue to tackle was the cost-of-living crisis. ‍

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Featured Artists Coalition Presents Where is Counterculture in 2024: Ellen Beth Abdi Artist, Jeremy Pritchard Everything Everything, OneDa Rapper/Vocalist, Graeme Park DJ/Producer/Senior Lecturer.

‍In short, the term ‘Counterculture’ is doing something completely different to the societal norm. Think 1970s Punk, or Acid House, the very movement that Graeme Park was pivotal in. But the legendary Hacienda DJ believes it’s more difficult to achieve counterculture, as it is easier now to understand the trends through your phone. This was echoed by Ellen Beth Abdi, who believes “Now you have to adhere to the norm to be successful and to make it in the industry.”

Rapper and vocalist OneDa spoke incredibly passionately about her views on society. Being a black, female and gay musician, it can feel easy to feel marginalised, but Ms Pussy Power heralded her individuality, and nobody can change her to conform to societal expectations - the true epitome of counterculture. “There is only 3% of female producers in the industry. Being a female producer is counterculture as it is so underrepresented.”‍

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‘Dealing with Disaster’ Live Table Top Session: Lauren Down MD End Of The Road, Jason Dolmna Events Manager, Supt Int Gerry Parker MO6 GMP.‍

The concept of a Live Table Top Session gets all the stakeholders around one table to assess what went well, what went wrong and how to navigate future scenarios when dealing with large-scale event management. So when Jason Dolmna started to dissect his Remembrance Sunday event in Liverpool, he began to elaborate on how he had to navigate his team around a member of the public having a heart attack, then shortly after the bomb in the taxi outside Liverpool Women's Hospital on Sunday 14th November.

The panel divulged how much planning truly has to go into these large-scale events, with each member stating how they would approach the situation. Whilst keeping a level head to carry out practical solutions, planning for the worst-case scenario was the key takeaway. You will see that your emergency plan will only work once you’re in that emergency. Whilst there is a cost implication, the value of carrying out actions safely is far greater.

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Changing Audiences: Behaviour, Habits, Communication and the Future: Rory Palmer Row Mustard Media, Ella McWilliams Founder of Full Fat, Duncan King Business Development Skiddle, Jorge Meehan J.Brookes, Phoebe Roberts Attitude Is Everything‍

The industry is experiencing a change in audience, and the younger generation missing a “right of passage”, after missing out on that experience following COVID. But with 892 festivals in the UK, the strong branding creates a community around them. And the community that is being witnessed, is ravers from the older generation, as they haven't got the fear of COVID anymore.

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‍UK NTE Advisors - Challenge Solutions and Approaches to UK Nightlife: Sacha Lord NTE Advisor Manchester, Carly Heath NTE Advisor Bristol, Alex Claridge NTE Advisor West Midlands, Tak Umezawa NTE Tokyo.‍

As the summit drew to a close, the final panel in Manchester brought NTE advisors together from across the globe. Sacha Lord reiterated that Greater Manchester will be receiving night buses. A decision that was initially meant to be revealed in March, the night buses “Is for the workers who finish late at night. For Greater Manchester, it's going to make such a difference.” This is something that Carly Heath and Tak Umezawa both wanted to roll out in their respective cities.

A feeling shared amongst the advisors was to make their industry as accessible as possible, in particular, Lord said: “In Oldham, there is a large Muslime community, and the fact that they don’t have an alcohol-free option is complete nonsense.” Whilst challenges are posed in the sector, the advisors were optimistic that their solutions would provide improvements to the industry.

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