It’s always helpful to see the bigger picture and that’s why research conducted within the conference and events industry can provide a good steer and indication on new trends which are emerging. An industry survey published this summer revealed an increase in business events. The survey ‘UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2016’ (UKCAMS) revealed that there is a current trend for more business events but with fewer delegates; the overall number of business events in 2015 (estimated at 1.34 million) rose by 600,000 compare with 1.28 million in 2014 but the average number of delegates declined to 70 from 81 in the previous year.
This research into the UK’s conference and business events sector estimated the sector was worth an estimated £19.2 billion in venue and destination direct spend in 2015, not an insignificant sum but a decrease on the previous year due to the trend towards smaller events combined with budget pressures on event organisers; this in turn puts pressure on venue providers to deliver cost-effective solutions which provide added value without hitting margins.
UKCAMS is now in its 23rd year and this latest survey goes into some detail describing the key market trends which have been identified by the participating venues which, in addition to the increased number of events being held across the UK, also listed statistics about the growth in social media in the delivery of lead generation for this market sector, three-quarters of respondents recognised its importance and attributed new business acquisition and growth to the increased availability and use of social media.
A more detailed summary of the research findings can be found here on the BVEP (Business Visits & Events Partnership) website which also provides a link to source the original research.
