Looking to a joined-up future in pub trade

Paul Smith leaves his role as executive director at Noctis, the trade body for late night bar and clubs operators, at the end of December. He reflects on his time at the organisation and predicts what the future holds for the industry.

Looking back on the last (almost) five years I've been at Noctis, I would be a foolish person if I was to be wholly positive about the current health of the late night sector (or the on-trade in general) at this moment in time.

Retailers who have been in the business for decades talk of the present climate as the toughest they have ever seen. The sudden and cataclysmic jolt from a society that loved to spend, to one forced to count the pennies, hit our industry with pretty brutal force. You only have to look at the closure numbers to see the truth of this.

Sadly this situation was made worse, during the New Labour years, when dogma and newspaper headlines often trumped partnership and good sense. This meant that, while the economic situation deteriorated, lobbyists like myself had an ongoing programme of legislation which wasn't remotely helping business.

As a number of colleagues from the other trade bodies would acknowledge, there were many times before the election, when promoting a positive pro-business message, under this regime, was very hard indeed.

With the new administration the messages coming from Government, to date, have been a little mixed - though not without encouraging noises. Clearly the consultation on the Licensing Act was overly hurried and far too focused on penalties over partnership, but the initial direction sounded by the Department of Health is to be welcomed as a constructive way forward. James Brokenshire's recent support of industry schemes at the MA's Responsible Drinks Retailing Conference too is to be applauded. Echoing his sentiments, I believe that the "Big Society" has to be one where the licensed trade can make a valuable, constructive and active contribution.

The future​

That aside, it is hard sometimes not to be pessimistic about the future. The credit crunch has bitten very hard and the worst is not over yet. However, I'm convinced we, as a trade body, have managed to make a difficult situation a little easier — like our effective opposition to alcohol disorder zones, which helped to consign the legislation to the dustbin, or our timely lobbying against damaging local mandatory code conditions, or our intervention in Oldham at a particularly nervy time for the local council. At every turn we have talked of constructive partnerships — recognising that beating the authorities in the courts, whilst sometimes necessary, didn't always win hearts and minds.

If we look at how we've built consensus with these stakeholders throughout the country and have helped broker a number of workable solutions for all or if we measure how our policy work with Diageo and AB InBev has helped inform local and national policy makers, then I believe we've made a positive difference.

Mentors​

When I reminisce on my time at Noctis however I will remember very fondly, first and foremost, the people I've met. Jon Collins, the man who previously warmed the seat I've been occupying, has been a great mentor. The Noctis Committee too are an awe-inspiring group of individuals whose love of business has been a wonder to behold. I will also be very sad not to be working with my colleagues from other trade bodies and will miss Robert Humphreys who has been a great help and a good friend. I will also personally miss our great legal team at Poppleston Allen and our formidable music licensing expert, David Newham. I've also met many good people in the police and local authorities. Throughout, even in very difficult times, I've been very heartened by their professionalism, good sense and humour.

Looking to the future for the industry, greater joined-up working across a range of interested stakeholders has to be the key to future success. The future regime will be moulded to fit specific local conditions — you only have to look at the proposed conditions in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill to see that.

If we want to step back from the brink economically, local politicians, police, councils and licensees will have to work even more closely and constructively together to deliver safe and profitable local night-time economies — for everyone's benefit. Corporate social responsibility schemes and other trade-led initiatives will undoubtedly take on a greater prominence as enforcement costs are managed. This could be no bad thing for this industry, which, quite rightly, wishes to get the credit it so richly deserves.

I'm very glad I've had the opportunity to work within this great industry. It is fair to say, I've always had a great love and affection for the licensed trade; having the honour of seeing the industry from the inside, has only deepened this devotion.

Noctis may now recruit from the public sector​

Smith's successor could come from the public sector.

Noctis chairman Jon Collins suggested one option would be to recruit from among the "excellent people being laid off from local authorities at the moment" because authorities have such an important role to play in the industry.

Collins said: "We don't need to rush [to find Smith's successor] because the structure of Noctis means I'm still on top of everything day to day. We can talk to the members and take stock."

Collins paid tribute to Smith, who is to become director of communications at the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television.

"Five years ago, we were looking for someone who could be a credible and eloquent individual for the late-night industry during a particularly difficult time when it came to national policy making and media representation of our industry, and Paul fulfilled that brief marvelously."