Sacha Lord appointed NTIA chair

Sacha Lord, night-time economy advisor for Greater Manchester and co-founder of Parklife and the Warehouse Project, has been appointed chair of the board of directors for the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Lord has worked with the NTIA and stakeholders across the UK over the last two years, and his appointment was described by the organisation as adding ‘considerable weight to the board, in the drive to raise awareness of the importance of the night-time industry to the UK economy’.

During the pandemic, Lord has campaigned to reverse the sector’s VAT rise, took the government to court to bring forward the reopening date of indoor hospitality in England last year, launched a legal challenge to the imposition of Tier 3 restrictions in Manchester in 2020 and successfully forced the government to drop the ‘substantial meal’ rule.

He said: “I am honoured to be joining as chair at this pivotal time in the sector’s recovery. There is still so much work to be done to help operators through these difficult times, and I wholly support the NTIA in their efforts to create better working practices for those in the industry, achieve greater funding for businesses nationwide, and develop vital initiatives to ensure everyone working within, or using the night-time economy, gets home safely.”

Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA, added: “As a leading figurehead within our industry, we are looking forward to harnessing his passion and drive in establishing a stronger voice for the sector, adding another dimension to the public and political agenda to drive home positive change, and support an extremely ambitious strategy for the sector in the future. The unanimous appointment by the board is testament to the tireless work that he has put into representing this industry.”

The NTIA is the trade body representing the businesses in the night-time economy in the UK. It has more than 1,400 members, including night clubs, bars, casinos, festivals, and supply chain businesses. The NTIA also holds commissions with Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.