Industry leaders have warned that conference venues, hotels and exhibition centres have once again been excluded from targeted support following the government's 20 per cent cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues across England from April 2027.
The new relief, announced by prime minister Andy Burnham, is expected to benefit nearly 32,000 venues, with the typical pub set to save around £1,100 in the next financial year. The package, worth around £100 million a year, forms part of the government's wider plans to support high streets and reform the business rates system.
The additional 20 per cent discount will build on existing support announced earlier this year, when the government introduced a 15 per cent relief on business rates for pubs and live music venues for 2026/27. The government has also confirmed it will continue consulting on wider reforms to the business rates system, including Small Business Rates Relief, ahead of the Budget.
However, beam and the Meetings Industry Association (mia) have urged ministers to extend similar support to venues serving the UK's business events sector.
David Tremmil, chair of beam, said: "We welcome any support for hospitality and leisure venues under pressure, and today's 20 per cent rates cut will make a real difference to the pubs, clubs and live music venues it covers.
"But let's be clear about who this is for. Hotels, conference and training venues, and exhibition space are all excluded from the scheme - so despite the headlines, this isn't support for the business events sector, and restaurants don't qualify either.
"The business events industry delivers enormous economic value, yet keeps being left out when targeted support is designed, just as we saw with the recent cuts to VisitBritain's business events capability. Business events need the same recognition and the same level of backing as the rest of hospitality and tourism gets. Today's announcement is welcome for the venues it covers, but it isn't a solution for ours."
Shonali Devereaux, CEO of the mia, added: "Business events are not simply an extension of hospitality; they are an important part of the UK's economic infrastructure. Our venues provide the places where people come together to do business, exchange knowledge, build relationships and attract investment into destinations across the country.
"We absolutely recognise the pressures facing pubs and live music venues and welcome measures that help them remain viable. But our members are facing many of those same cost pressures. If government wants to support businesses that contribute to thriving places and local economies, business events need to be part of that conversation."
The two organisations said the announcement highlights a continuing disparity between support for parts of the hospitality sector and the venues that host conferences, meetings, exhibitions and business events, arguing that the latter should play a greater role in future business rates reform.
