On the defence
BEDA's Jon Collins picks up the pieces after Panorama's documentary gave the trade yet another dent. Tom Sandham investigates.
Vomit, blood and urine covered the pavements, bodies lay everywhere exhausted or beaten, windows were smashed and road signs torn apart. This was the picture BBC's Panorama recently painted of Nottingham on a typical Saturday night.
Quite apart from the fact that Nottingham's tourist board must be seething, the programme did few favours for the pub, bar and club trade as operators shouldered the majority of the blame for the appalling scenes.
Not that the trade is a new scapegoat, in fact it is an all too familiar one, something that Jon Collins, chief executive of the Bar Entertainment & Dance Association (BEDA), knows well.
Jon has been at BEDA for more than two years and is becoming an important voice defending the trade and proposing solutions to the common problems - something Panorama seemed reluctant to do. And as the distinction between the traditional pub and nightclub becomes ever more blurred, his input is becoming increasingly relevant. Particularly in the context of the recent hammering the trade has taken over "binge-drinking".
Jon has strong opinions on drinks promotions and supports minimum pricing. Considering one of his members is Luminar, a company that featured on The Publican's front page recently for its unbelievable low prices in certain venues, this seems an unlikely position for BEDA to take.
"If you asked Luminar chief executive Steve Thomas whether he wanted a minimum pricing scheme he would jump at it," said Jon. "It just needs to be implemented. It would be beneficial for the trade and would stop operators being criticised. We would all rather have something in place that simply sets out what should be done."
By "simply" he is not referring to "responsible promotions conditions", which in his opinion have been vague and confusing. When compared to the minimum pricing scheme in towns like Perth it is obvious to Jon what works best.
"The trade just wants clarity and consistency. We know more local authorities are looking at this and it's essential that we have a policy in place that just states a minimum price - £1 a shot and £1.50 for a pint or bottle," he says.
"The problem is that programmes like Panorama and newspaper headlines complicate things. If you look at licensing as an example, in 1997 we read how we were getting 24-hour drinking but it's a long political process.
"Licensees and operators read the same headlines for seven years and the result is information fatigue. Licensees don't take on the measures because they hear about it happening for so long that when it eventually does happen they don't believe it's even there."
But minimum pricing is only one part of the critical focus on bars, clubs and pubs. Jon acknowledges some of the concerns over the number of premises currently clogging up city centres.
"It's a really tough time for the trade now," he says. "We had a boom period between 1993 and 2000 and now pubs, clubs and bars have replaced traditional shops in town centres. Operators have been responsible for transforming cities like Liverpool and Manchester but now there is pressure to stop this growth. This shouldn't put operators off though. There are alternatives, not necessarily in town centres. We just have to be creative in our thinking."
Before taking on the job at BEDA, Jon was a political lobbyist in the public and private sector so he has had plenty of practise dealing with the government.
As BEDA goes from strength to strength, attracting new members and gaining respect, he can use his expertise to take the power of the organisation to the government. This is vital at a time when the government needs convincing about how much effort the trade has put in to regulating itself.
"This is a very important time because the government is in listening mode," he says. "We recently met with Hazel Blears, minister of state for crime reduction, and I felt it was a positive meeting. There have been a number of high-level messages coming from the Home Office but I'm happy that I don't see many knee-jerk reactions from them.
"Operators are under enormous pressure but this is an opportunity for us to seize control and shape our future. I'm very proud of the industry I work in. It's dynamic, exciting and innovative. We just need to take that message to the government."
Pictured: Jon Collins, chief executive of the Bar Entertainment & Dance Association (BEDA), continues to defend the licensed trade through thick and thin.
