Cover Feature
T
he UK exhibition industry
has had another good
year despite uncertainty
over Brexit. A new Economic
Impact Report (EIR) jointly
published by Association
of Event Organisers (AEO),
Association of Event Venues
(AEV), and the Event Supplier
and Services Association
(ESSA) paints a positive
picture with visitor numbers
and the number of events
in the UK rising to 9.1m and
1,100 respectively in 2018.
EN can also reveal that these
figures look set to further rise
for 2019 with the majority
of UK event businesses
reporting positive and
resilient growth.
Words: Saul Leese
The report was commissioned
by the three associations,
which defines and measures the
significance of exhibitions to the
UK economy, was championed
by Nigel Nathan, MD, Olympia
London, Austen Hawkins, CEO,
F2F Events, and Nick Marshall,
executive chairman, GES.
Marshall underlined the
importance of the research, saying:
“To have a definitive and detailed
picture of the exhibition industry’s
economic impact on the UK is
of great value to businesses and
associations alike. Not only does
it reveal the breadth and scale of
the exhibition sector’s influence,
but it also provides vital economic
points of comparison with other
industries when the associations
make legislative and political
representations.”
The new report, created in
conjunction with UFI, was compiled
by Oxford Economics, but differs
from its previous reports thanks to
data provided through the AEV’s
Size and Scale Index of Events
(SASiE) report. Nathan explained:
“With the SASiE data, OE had
a much more reliable source of
exhibition numbers than previous
reports had access to. As a result,
we can confidently assert that this
is the most accurate description
and measurement of the exhibition
industry’s economic impact on the
UK economy to date.”
The report reveals that the
UK exhibition industry directly
accounts for more than £5bn of
GDP and over 114,000 jobs. In
greater detail, the report breaks
down spending and impact into
direct, indirect and induced impact,
providing a nuanced and complex
picture of the exhibition economy.
Hawkins summarised his reaction
to the report, saying: “Exhibitions
directly contributes £5bn to
the UK economy (£11bn direct
and indirect), and our industry
deserves recognition for that fact
alone. This report demonstrates
beyond question that venues,
organisers, and suppliers, have
built an extraordinary economic
powerhouse that directly and
indirectly supports over 110,000
jobs attracting over 9 million
visitors, and servicing almost
180,000 exhibitors.”
“THE INDUSTRY IS
CONTINUING TO GROW”
ExCeL London CEO and treasurer
of the Association of Event Venues
& Event Industry Alliance Jeremy
Rees ratified the report adding:
“As one of the UK’s largest venues,
attracting over 4m per year
and 40,000 exhibitors, we are
encouraged to see that the industry
is continuing to grow and that
venues are playing a key role.
This report demonstrates that
the exhibitions sector is integral
to the UK economy, contributing
billions of pounds in GDP, in
business transactions and directly
supporting more than 100,000 jobs.
It shows that the sector is aligned
squarely with the Government’s
industrial strategy and shows
that it is not only creating jobs
and economic value, but driving
imports and exports by facilitating
hundreds of thousands of business
transactions at exhibitions and
trade events.”
The report is now available for
download, free of charge, from the
individual AEO, AEV and ESSA
websites. EN
December — 17