Event Research

 The commentary below shows the complexity of the industry:

     "The event industry brings together the organisers and buyers of events of all kinds and particular business events of all kinds - training courses, road shows, sales. It also includes consumer events, so it brings together the organisers who supply the myriad of services, be they venues providing the location, be they destinations, production companies who organise the stage management of that event, specialist caterers and a whole range of other services or providers together go to make up the event industry." (Events industry expert).

Description: Whole events industry (including suppliers 21)

Total employment: 530,000 (Mar 2007)

Economic value

     Below are key facts and figures regarding the economic value of the business events sector:

·      -  Business visits and event are worth over £22 billion to Britain’s economy22 in terms of its wider economic impact through associated delegate expenditure on travel, entertainment, shopping, pre and post conference tours.

·         -There are already 450 major events held nationally worth around £1 billion to the UK economy.

·         -Business visits represent 28% of all overseas visitors.

·         -Around 80 million people attend 1.5 million conferences and meetings annually.

·         -Business visitors spend an average of £122 per day – nearly twice the daily rate of that spent by the leisure traveller.

The following are types of suppliers that may be needed for an event:

·              Venues - indoor and outdoor venues are required for organising many events for example hotels, conferences centres, exhibition centres, and show grounds.

·         Attractions (for instance the delegates play golf)

·         -Florists

·         -Rigging

·         -Builders

·         -Theming companies

·         -Staffing companies (e.g. stewards, bar staff, security)

·         -Drink companies

·         -Destination marketing and management (Conference bureaux – destination marketing organisations or DMOs).

·         -Producers

·         -Audio Visual

·         -Entertainment services

·         -Presenters

·         -Travel agencies

·         -Specialist hospitality

·         -Transport

·         -Temporary structure