The sector has put the nightmare of the Covid pandemic well behind it and
is demonstrating real dynamism as it grows strongly, according to the 32nd UK Conference and Meeting Survey (UKCAMS).
The growth comes despite the threats posed
by myriad challenges and pressures: economic, geopolitical, environmental,
societal, technological and more.
UKCAMS provides a number of metrics to illustrate the strength of
this sector of the business events industry and its importance to the national
economy and to local economies. For example:
- In 2024
the sector generated an estimated £19.3 billion of direct expenditure in venues
and the wider destination from a total of 1.08 million conferences and
meetings, the highest number since 2019;
- The
volume of events showed healthy growth, up 12 per cent on 2023;
- There was
an increase in the proportion of medium to large events (101-500 delegates),
which accounted for 22 per cent of events compared to 15 per cent in 2023.
Capital
investment in their facilities by conference venue owners continued at the
record levels witnessed in 2023, with over three-quarters of venues investing
significantly in their facilities in 2024, spending an average of £240,000
each; a fifth of venues invested over £500,000. Venue managers are
demonstrating a genuine optimism and positivity in the sector as they look
towards the future.
Other
key findings from the 2024 UKCAMS research include:
-
The
average daily delegate rate achieved by venues for conferences and meetings in
2024 was up 11 per cent and the average 24 hour/residential rate was up 4 per cent on 2023
-
The
corporate sector accounted for more than half of events (52 per cent compared to 46 per cent in
2019). The next most significant group was government and the public sector
(28 per cent). Associations accounted for 20 per cent of the market
-
Over a
quarter of all events in 2024 were organised by a professional conference
organiser (PCO) or event management agency
-
Venues
listed the principal sources of enquiries for international business as: direct
from corporate clients; from a UK third party agency; via Cvent or other SAAS
platform; and from their local convention bureau.
UKCAMS
continues to provide market intelligence for the business events
industry, as well as for government and for the wider business community.
Findings of the UKCAMS research are widely used to:
-
Demonstrate
the volume of the UK conference and meetings sector and its value to individual
venues and to the national economy
-
Highlight
key trends from a venue or supply-side perspective
-
Ensure
continuing support and investment for the industry at national, regional and
local levels.
The
2025 UKCAMS research was sponsored by VisitBritain and carried out by Richard
Smith of RJS Associates and by Tony Rogers.
VisitBritain head of business events Paul Black said: “VisitBritain is pleased to
continue its support for the UK Conference and Meeting Survey which provides
important insights, research and data on the business events sector in the UK.
This is one of the valuable tools we use to demonstrate the importance of
events to UK Government, highlighting the impact the sector has on the UK
economy.
“We are delighted to see the
strength of the sector’s performance and we will continue to work closely with
our destination partners to build on the current optimism revealed by the
UKCAMS research.”
Tony Rogers, on behalf of the
UKCAMS research team, said: “The UKCAMS research has consistently demonstrated the
scale and importance of the conference and meetings industry to the national
economy. The 2025 UKCAMS research programme reaffirms this importance and
highlights the sector’s resilience and its confidence in delivering business,
research and educational benefits, both now and in the future.”
