Meet Cambridge, the official conference and events bureau
for the city has reported an 'excellent year' in 2024, handling 3,510
enquiries at an estimated confirmed value of £4.3 million.
Cambridge’s academic venues continue to draw in visitors,
with 56 per cent of Meet Cambridge’s enquiries specifically requesting these
locations.
Ranked in the top 10 UK cities by the International Congress
and Convention Association (ICCA), Meet Cambridge saw the highest number of
international enquiries last year from the United States, Germany, China,
India, and France.
Meet Cambridge already anticipates events worth an estimated
£5.3 million over the next two years, driven by international and
domestic clients. Almost half (47%) of the enquiries have originated from the
academic sector and a third (33%) from corporate entities.
Andrew Bell, head of Meet Cambridge, said: "Cambridge
is clearly set for another outstanding year as a top destination for
conferences and events."
Insights and trends for 2025
In a recent survey, member venues of Meet Cambridge remained
optimistic that the coming year would be positive, with 70 per cent expecting
an improvement on last year, despite an overwhelming feeling that the UK
economy would at best remain on par if not slightly worse than last year.
The survey also revealed that lead times for Cambridge
venues are getting longer as confidence in the events industry continues to
strengthen.
