Description

The ‘UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2025’ (UKCAMS), now in its 32nd consecutive year, 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. 

The 2025 UKCAMS research was sponsored by VisitBritain and carried out by Richard Smith of RJS Associates and by Tony Rogers.

Copies of the full UKCAMS 2025 report are available priced £220 + VAT. Visit http://www.ukcams.org.uk to complete an order form.

The latest research into the UK’s conference and meetings sector shows clearly that the sector has put the nightmare of the coronavirus pandemic well behind it and is demonstrating real dynamism as it grows strongly, despite the threats posed by myriad challenges and pressures: economic, geopolitical, environmental, societal, technological and more.

The ‘UK Conference and Meeting Survey 2025’ (UKCAMS), now in its 32nd consecutive year, 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% on 2023;
• There was an increase in the proportion of medium to large events (101-500 delegates), which accounted for 22% of events compared to 15% 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% and the average 24 hour / residential rate was up 4% on 2023;
• The corporate sector accounted for over half of events (52% compared to 46% in 2019). The next most significant group was government and the public sector (28%). Associations accounted for 20% 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 invaluable 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 commented: “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.”

Copies of the full UKCAMS 2025 report are available priced £220 + VAT. Visit http://www.ukcams.org.uk to complete an order form.