Sandra Eyre , director of business development , the Meetings Industry Association ( mia ) assesses the sector ’ s plans to strengthen UK Government ’ s engagement with business meetings and events operators in 2023

s we approach the end of 2023 , it ’ s important that we recognise our recent positions , the challenges we ’ ve overcome and are overcoming , as well as any shifts in our forecasts for the future .

Operating within a diverse sector which features a wide range of inspiring venues , suppliers and agents alike , performance will of course vary from business to business .

Nevertheless , utilising our Insight Reports which have been issued throughout the year , we ’ re able to identify developments - both positive and negative - and assess the current state of the sector . In a year that commenced with almost all ( 94 %) organisations negatively impacted by rail strikes , costing the sector over £ 337m in cancelled

business , we are pleased to be seeing the year out with some positive movements .

Staffing The sector ’ s recruitment challenge has been well-documented , presenting direct consequences to organisations . Back in January , almost half ( 47 %) of organisations reported having to reduce their service due to staff shortages .

Today , while staffing remains a challenge , event organisations are adapting their operations and enhancing their recruitment packages to mitigate these consequences . In January , almost eight in 10 organisations ( 79 %) had staff vacancies and more than half ( 53 %) highlighted staff shortages . During our most recent research conducted in October , six in 10 ( 61 %) currently have staff vacancies , while almost half ( 49 %) are still reporting staff shortages . Recognising the threat of a depleted workforce and these staff shortages , we launched our Student Membership in June this year to inspire the next generation of talent and provide a platform to fulfil work experience opportunities in the sector . Over a third ( 36 %) of

Sandra Eyre

“ We ’ ve reinforced our strong relationship with government , which has included positive meetings with Tourism Minister Sir John Whittingdale , where we ’ ve actively raised the sector ’ s position and our calls for specific support ”

organisations currently employ an apprentice , a statistic that we will be monitoring closely in 2024 as we look to present opportunities to those wanting to start a career in events .

Enquiries Between May and October alone we ’ ve seen significant developments with enquiry trends , as demand for business meetings and events continues its recovery . Today , organisations are reporting a 42 % average conversion rate on event enquiries , up from 34.5 % reported in May .

Venues are also reporting an increase in lead times for events , which has risen from an average of 10.5 weeks in May , to 15.2 weeks today , providing venues with much-welcome time to manage event spaces and staffing requirements .

While the average value of an event enquiry has increased for almost half ( 49 %) of venues compared to 12 months ago , ( sitting at £ 30,927 ), venues mustn ’ t forget the value and potential of the meetings market . Listening to organisers , we ’ re seeing a strong appetite for meetings which can be booked at shorter notice , presenting the opportunity for an ‘ Instant Book ’ market to evolve in the year ahead .

We are therefore expecting to