Leading trade body Eventia today publishes the 2013 ‘UK Events Market Trends Survey’ (UKEMTS) research. This major research project, undertaken annually since 1993, provides volume and key trends data for the UK conference and business events market from a supply-side or venue perspective.
UKEMTS 2013 complements the ‘UK Economic Impact Study’ (UKEIS) published last week by the MPI Foundation in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University’s International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality. UKEIS draws on data from the 2011 calendar year provided by venues, destinations, event organisers and event attendees, while UKEMTS findings are based on 2012 data supplied by venues.
The UKEMTS research reveals a quiet optimism among venue managers about an improving business climate with 53 per cent expecting business in 2013 to be better than 2012 (compared with 43 per cent last year). 35 per cent think that business levels will remain on a par, and only 12 per cent are projecting a downturn. On the back of this, almost one in four venues are planning capital investment projects worth upwards of £100,000 in 2013, slightly up on 2012.
UKEMTS 2013 is compiled from data supplied by a representative sample of 224 venues from across the UK, 6.4 per cent of the universe of 3,500 venues used as the basis for research analysis.
Key findings from the latest research include:
- There were an estimated 85.5 million delegate attendances at events in 2012 – an estimated 1.3 million events with an average attendance of 64 people, lower than the average of 80 delegates in 2011- however, a higher percentage of events were residential at the event venue in 2012, 28 per cent compared to 20 per cent in 2011
- There was an average of 373 events per venue in 2012, on a par with 2011 (an average of 369 events per venue). Conference and training centres (average of 528 events), academic venues (438 events) and hotels (416 events) typically hosted more events than other types of venue. In terms of market share, hotels staged 59 per cent of all business events
- Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of events lasted between four hours and a day and a quarter (25 per cent) lasted two days. The overall average duration was 1.6 days, identical to 2011
- Intermediary agencies strengthened their involvement in event management: approximately one third (35 per cent) of events were organised by a professional conference organiser (PCO) or event management agency, higher than the figure of 30 per cent for 2011
- There was a consistent view from venues that lead times for bookings had got shorter.
UKEMTS 2013 has been sponsored by Eventbrite, ACC Liverpool, Accor Hotels, Conference Centres of Excellence, Event Assured, and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. The research was undertaken on behalf of Eventia by Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services and TEAM Tourism.
Simon Hughes, Eventia Chairman and managing partner of MCHA Ltd, commented: “UKEMTS is a crucial barometer of what’s happening in the business events sector and should be required reading for anyone who needs an informed view of the trends and changes in our sector. The UKEMTS findings, taken together with the UKEIS data, provide the industry with some powerful promotional and advocacy tools. Eventia will certainly be using the market intelligence revealed in the two surveys for education, marketing and lobbying purposes.”
Copies of the full UKEMTS report are available from Eventia priced £175. Visit www.eventia.org.uk and click on research to download an order form.
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