The
results of the 2023 Annual Events Industry Salary Survey show that the majority
of employees in the industry (55 per cent) would like to work a four-day week.
Now in its second year, the survey had more than 1,300 respondents and addressed 12 key topics – including salaries, benefits, ways of working, mental health, post covid recovery and recruitment trends.
Other
key findings include:
- The majority of
businesses are doing well, with just over half (54 per cent) either at
pre-pandemic levels or doing better than before.
- Three
quarters of the industry are working hybrid or fully remotely with the
majority of those people (54 per cent) working either two or three days in the
office.
- 80 per cent of the industry
say that a company’s stance on supporting mental health would impact on
their decision to work there.
Robert
Kenward, fitability® recruiter, founder of You Search and Select, and founder
of the survey said: “Our employees are the lifeblood of the industry, and the
survey was launched to ensure that employers could keep pace with their
evolving needs. A four-day week topped the list of benefits employees would
like to have and is a seismic shift in the way we work. Fundamentally we have
to recognise that things need to change because our industry is not set up to
work a four-day week, and those that try are asking for the same work in fewer
days, this is compressed hours.”
Felicia Asiedu, marketing director Europe at
Cvent said: “This year’s research once again
highlights challenges in the sector, but more importantly it shows us solutions
- it demonstrates how to support our teams and meet their needs. What we must
do now is listen and respond in a collaborative way for the betterment of all.”
Dale Parmenter, CEO DRPG
said: “The input to the survey helps us track progress, identify areas that
need improvement, and collectively shape a more inclusive and thriving future
for our industry. It’s great to see the improvements in some areas, but we still
have a few target issues that we need to keep at the top of our lists as
industry leaders for 2024. When it comes to company benefits, a bottom-up
approach can foster inclusivity, empowerment, and better customisation of
benefits for all team members. It’s simple really, just start by allowing the
conversation.”
Will Grashoff, co-founder of
You Exclusive said: “Something we pride ourselves on is the insight we can
provide to our clients. We would not be able to do this without data analysis
as up to date and as accurate as the salary survey. Most data is often years
old, and in such a fast-moving industry, completely useless by the time it’s
used.”
The survey was conducted
through the summer and early autumn of 2023 and is based on information given
anonymously by 1332 respondents. Questions were grouped into 12 key topics –
including salaries, benefits, ways of working, mental health, post covid
recovery and recruitment trends.
The white paper dissects these
findings and highlights trends, with comment from prominent industry employers
and spokespeople.
The survey was produced by You
Search and Select in association with Cvent, drpg and You Exclusive, and
supported by the Meetings Industry Association (mia). The white paper was
compiled, researched and written by Jill Hawkins.
The
white paper is free to download from the You Search and Select website.
Robert Kenward will be taking part in the webinar How to Write A Compelling Job Post, part of the Best Practices for
Hiring Event Profs series, on Wednesday, December 13 at 7pm GMT. Topics of
discussion will include best ways to post a job and the red flags to avoid, how
to make the job post inclusive, job search etiquette, addressing salary
transparency and more.
