Martyn's Law

This new legislation will change the way venues operate and ICC Wales’s first objective was to understand the level of knowledge of Martyn’s Law within the Events Industry, and we issued a Survey to Industry colleagues in February 2022.

The results stated that 55% of respondents were not even aware of Martyn’s Law and 77% stated their knowledge was low or very low. This reinforced our commitment to make a difference.

This lack of awareness within the Events Industry galvanised us to investigate, research and consult with key stakeholders to produce our Protect Duty Report (Martyn's Law Report) that would inform, educate and support our colleagues in the Events Industry.

This report was welcomed by the Industry and provided an informative starting point for events industry professionals to prepare their response to the upcoming legislation. The survey was repeated 6 months later and 50% of respondents stated that their knowledge of Martyn’s Law was high or average, compared to just 23% in the original survey.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, was included in The King’s Speech on 17 July as part of the programme of legislation the Government intends to pursue in this Parliamentary session.The legislation will apply across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as national security is a reserved matter for the UK Government.The Bill was introduced to Parliament on 12 September 2024 and is currently undergoing Parliamentary scrutiny. (Associaltion Of Events Venues) 

Our journey had begun. Since 2022, we have been working with. We have spent the last year working with the Events Industry to increase awareness, educate, and liaise with Government to have a voice in shaping the incoming legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose and we have been proud to have been recognised for our contribution by winning four major Industry Awards.

Whilst we are proud of our legacy to date, our journey has not finished, there is more work to be done and we are committed to working with our Industry Partners and clients to implement the legislation next year.

• Our priority is the safety and security of our visitors and our teams
• Our teams will undergo regular Counter Terrorism training through accredited channels
• We will mitigate the key risks identified in our Vulnerability Assessment
• Our Counter Terrorism Plan will be reviewed annually, and immediately should the circumstances demand it
• We will continue to work with accredited Counter Terrorism experts to ensure best practice in safety and security

The Martyn’s Law Events Working Group was created to help increase awareness and share information on the Government’s proposed legislation on Martyn’s Law amongst the Business Events Community. The objectives are:

• To continue to raise awareness of Martyn’s Law amongst the Business Community.
• To engage with Government to ensure that Martyn’s Law is ‘fit for purpose’ for venues and event organisers in terms of implementation, compliance and monitoring.

• To lobby Government for the resources to assist the Business Events Community in the implementation, operation and compliance of Martyn’s Law legislation.
• To be a conduit of feedback for Government across the implementation and operational phases of the legislation.
• To work together to establish industry best practice.

ICC Wales would like to thank the Martyn’s Law Events Working Group for their dedication and commitment. We look forward to working together in the future to further establish Martyn’s Law in the Business Events Community.

I am delighted that the team at ICC Wales has received this prestigious ICCA Marketing Award and this fantastic recognition for the important work they have been doing to galvanise the Meetings Industry response to Martyn’s Law.

- Figen Murray OBE

ICC Wales’ Protect Duty Report and subsequent campaign have raised awareness on this vitally important issue and galvanised the meetings industry to work together in shaping our response.

- Heather Lishman, Association Director of ABPCO

The ICC Wales entry won because the ‘Protect Duty Report’ is a really interesting and important story. It’s not just about marketing a destination, but about improving security in convention centres. It is easily adaptable by others too, and as the Best Marketing Award winners, it will have an even wider impact about improving security in all venues and protecting people who use them for work and for leisure.

- Marta Gomes, ICCA President