UK exhibitions steered £9.4 billion of trade into UK
business in 2022, according to a new study by the Events Industry Alliance
(EIA).
Exhibitions also brought 99,000 jobs and 6.1 million
visitors to the UK, as revealed by the EIA’s latest Economic Impact Study to
quantify the economic significance of exhibitions in the United Kingdom.
The EIA works on behalf of the Association of Event Organisers
(AEO), the Association of Event Venues (AEV) and the Event Supplier and
Services Association (ESSA) to support the events industry through
parliamentary meetings, presenting policy asks and providing research.
Rachel Parker, director, AEV and EIA, underlined the
importance of the research, saying, “The main objective of the EIA is to work
with government to effectively represent the interests of business events in
the UK. The results of the economic impact study will greatly support our case.
It is invaluable to us and the industry.”
This report, the fourth of its kind, was first compiled in
2005 by KPMG and updated by Oxford Economics (OE) using the same metrics and
indicators in 2011.
Since then, OE has developed comprehensive global modelling
at country level and integrated data from the EIA's Size and Scale Index of
Events (SASiE) report in 2019. This inclusion ensures OE works with a more
reliable source of exhibition numbers. The model has been further refined for
this year’s report.
Chris Skeith, CEO, AEO and EIA director, said: “The new
report, again created in conjunction with UFI and compiled by OE, demonstrates
the scale of the exhibition sector’s influence. It provides a clear snapshot of
exhibition industry metrics and direct spending, analysis of the economic
impact and the methods used to calculate those.”
The report provides a comprehensive breakdown of spending
and impact, distinguishing between direct, indirect and induced impacts.
Skeith added, “Pre-pandemic, the industry steered £11
billion of trade into UK business and although we are not quite back at those
levels, we are making significant progress. The events industry has proven its
resilience and enduring presence, accounting for nearly £5bn of GDP, that’s not
far off the 2019 report.”
Andrew Harrison, director, ESSA and EIA added: “Organisers,
venues and suppliers collectively serve approximately 123,000 exhibitors and
generate 99,000 jobs. The report clearly demonstrates the force of the events
industry. We see the opportunities to drive incremental and considerable
economic growth and are ready to take them.”
The report is available for download, free of charge via the
EIA website.
