The organisers of the Good Business Festival have said they are "delighted" that it has been named among a handful of pilot events that will welcome back crowds.
Wayne Hemingway MBE has given his reaction to the Government naming the event, set to take place in Liverpool, as one of only a small selection included in the Events Research Programme.
The city is a key hub for the pilot that will see events take place over April and May, with others in Liverpool hosted by Circus Nightclub and Luna Outdoor Cinema.
The Hot Water Comedy Club was also set to be involved - but pulled out of the pilot after a deluge of online abuse over inaccurate reports of it being involved in a Covid vaccine passport scheme.
These and other big sporting events, theatre shows and gigs will be used to judge the safety of bringing audiences back after a year of closures.
In terms of the Good Business Festival, an event that had been delayed due to the pandemic, it will 'pop up' for one day on April 28 as part of the pilot ahead of 'Act 2', which will take place in July. 'Act 1' took place virtually in October last year.
The April event will be held at the waterfront ACC Liverpool, and be entitled 'Change Business For Good'
Mr Hemingway, creative director of the Good Business Festival, said: “Businesses and business leaders have the power to tackle the biggest problems in our society and Covid-19 has demonstrated that some businesses are walking the walk in this respect (though there are still plenty merely talking the talk).
"Ahead of our three-day festival in July, we are delighted to pop up for one day on April 28 as part of the science-led pilot events in Liverpool, in what is set to be the first step in getting Britain open, gathering audiences safely and ensuring life can get back to normal.
"The Good Business Festival Act 1 was hard hitting and heavy on outcomes and actions and Act 2 in July will be a platform to develop these conversations and connections needed to drive positive change in society."
Announcing the initial list of events this week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are all longing to see stadiums full of sporting fans and gigs packed with music lovers, but as we continue the roll out of our vaccination programme, we must find a way to do so safely.
“By piloting a range of measures to reduce transmission, we can gather vital scientific evidence to inform our plans for allowing events in the future.
“Thanks to the input of our clinicians and the best science available, we can prepare for the moment where we will be able to gather again in some of our best-loved cultural venues.”
The pilots will be used the study the effectiveness of venue layouts, face coverings and ventilation – with attendees taking tests both before and after to judge any impact.
People attending will also have to provide contact details of everyone in their group for NHS Test and Trace.
