VILLAGE fetes and other local events are the experiences people, including us on the Shotley peninsula, 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 by One Industry One Voice, a group representing the UK's events industry. Leading names from music, sports and showbiz are encouraging us to plan to start sharing live experiences again, with the message: 'Together, we can 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.

These include things like fetes and open days at Shotley, Holbrook and Brantham, while the Pin Mill Duck Race, Scarecrow Trails, Tractor Fair, and various pantomimes and plays in our village halls, are what we crave.

37% say they are very likely or likely to attend a village fete of local event once current restrictions are lifted, ahead of 33% who voted for a music concert or show, 31% who expect to attend a sporting event and 26% 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 our town's top attraction.

Simply email us your 'can't wait for' event to the editor [email protected]

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

• 72% of us have missed attending an experience since the start of the pandemic, with music shows and concerts, sport events and local fetes the events we have missed most
• Sharing experiences with family and friends (36%) is the most important reason for attending events, followed by the positive impact on our wellbeing (31%)
• 84% would agree to terms and conditions put in place by organizers, including additional bio-security measures, when booking an event
• 81% would be willing to provide evidence of a vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of attending the event
• 41% 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%) would pay up to 20% extra for their ticket
• 65% 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 recognize 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 organizers and venues. We are known for our world-leading expertise and together we can do this right".

• The Nub News poll of 2,010 nationally representative UK respondents (Aged 16+) was conducted by Censuswide between March 15-March 17, 2021. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.