Contractors and freelancers celebrated the first-ever National Freelancers Day on Monday 23rd November. Events held throughout the UK included a webcast of business gurus discussing the future of freelancing and a reception at the House of Commons attended by around 140 MPs, PCG Members and key stakeholders.
The Westminster event saw the launch of PCG’s Manifesto for Freelancing. Iain McIlwee, Head of Commercial Development at PCG, told ContractorCalculator: “The reception was addressed by representatives from the three main parties – Labour Chief Whip Nick Brown, Conservative Shadow Minister for the Treasury David Gauke and Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Small Business Lorely Burt - who were then individually presented with a copy of the manifesto.”
According to McIlwee, the manifesto was also passed to a number of other MPs who attended the event and was also presented to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament at a reception in Holyrood on the evening of the 24th November.
Also timed to coincide with National Freelancers Day, the PCG announced that it is rebranding. McIlwee says: “From now on, and to acknowledge the fresh challenges PCG faces as it begins its second decade, we’ll be known as ‘PCG, the voice of freelancing’.”
Future of contracting webcast
McIlwee says around 500 people registered to view PCG’s webcast on the day, in which invited experts spoke on the future of work and the role of freelancers. Forecasting how freelancing and contracting might evolve over the next ten years were futurologist Dr James Bellini, entrepreneur and Skype Chairman Michael van Swaaij PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Jon Andrews and Kwik-Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer.
The webcast, now available without registration on the National Freelancers Day website, includes thought-provoking views on how the flexible workforce of freelancers, contractors, interims and consultants will become an increasingly essential component in UK PLC’s ability to compete on the global stage.
In addition, the webcast also featured a range of contracting sector stakeholders – including PCG’s Managing Director John Brazier, end-user clients plus contractors and freelancers themselves. They provided sometimes contrasting insights on the role contractors have to play in today’s business environment, and in the future.
I am confident that our voice will be heard louder and clearer as we move into the next decade and beyond
John Brazier, PCG
Strategic review results in PCG rebrand
After a year-long brand review, the Professional Contractors Group has announced it will from now be known as ‘PCG, the voice of freelancing’. But, despite the name change, its core values remain the same.
Brazier explains: “Whilst the messaging and communications will begin to look and sound different, our core principles and ethos remain the same. This re-branding programme has been provided to create a platform for PCG’s distinctive voice and I am confident that our voice will be heard louder and clearer as we move into the next decade and beyond.”
PCG commissioned Professor Gary Davies from the University of Manchester’s Business School to review PCG’s branding. Although his research showed the existing brand perception to be ‘sincere, reliable, trustworthy, honest, supportive, independent, informative and knowledgeable’, it also revealed that the word ‘contractor’ was ‘confusing’, alienating some prospective members who consider themselves freelancers, interims or consultants, not contractors.
‘The start of an era’
The first-ever National Freelancers Day, the Manifesto for Freelancing and PCG's rebrand mark the start of an era
Iain McIlwee, PCG
“The objective of National Freelancers Day was to highlight the contribution that freelancers, contractors, interims and consultants make to the UK economy,” explains McIlwee. “PCG’s manifesto has now been launched at the event in Westminster and has been given a further boost by being distributed to every prospective parliamentary candidate for the next election, as well as to current MPs and MSPs.
“In addition we’ve attracted good media attention and certainly rallied the community at events across the UK run by PCG, our members and stakeholders, through extensive web coverage and via the webcast, which introduces some fascinating concepts and will, I am certain, continue to attract interest.”
In conclusion, McIlwee says: “The first-ever National Freelancers Day, the Manifesto for Freelancing and PCG’s rebrand mark the start of an era. We have a fantastic legacy to push out to the freelancing sector and an impressive platform from which to engage in debate with key stakeholders and policymakers.”