UK events industry adds £11.5bn to UK economy

According to the latest Economic Impact Study published today by the Events Industry Alliance (EIA), the business events & exhibitions industry continues to grow, uplifting the UK economy by £11.5 billion business sales in 2024.

Key findings from the report finds the UK business events industry:

·        Adds £11.5 billion to UK economy

·        Economic contribution has grown by almost 6% over last two years

·        Supports over 126,000 jobs

·        Attracts more than 7.2million visitors to the UK each year

The figures unveiled today at the Labour Party Conference in ACC Liverpool, where the EIA  joined politicians, industry and association members at the EIA sponsored event - “Backing British Events: A Growth Sector for Labour’s Economy.”

Rachel Swann, chief operating officer, energy division at dmg events and EIA chair commented, “The report quantifies the economic significance of exhibitions in the UK and shows the industry has now exceeded pre-covid contributions and significantly grown from £10.9 billion output in 2023.  The industry proves its resilience year on year but still needs support and recognition from the Government.”

Swann continued, “The report is invaluable to us and our industry, particularly in our quest to highlight the importance of the business events industry to the Government as it provides a clear snapshot of industry metrics and direct spending, analysis of the economic impact and the methods used to calculate those.”

The study incorporates data from the Size and Scale Index for Exhibitions (SASIE) report published earlier this year, which revealed 1,145 exhibitions were held in 2024.  Based on a total economic impact of £11.5 (€13.6) billion and a total of 132,000 exhibiting companies, total output per exhibitor amounted to approximately £87,000 (€103,000) in 2024.

The events attracted 7.2 million visitors who, along with exhibitors, produce a substantial multiplier spending in hospitality, travel and hotels.

Rachel Parker, CEO, AEV and EIA director said, “The organisers, venues and event suppliers generate 126,000 jobs accounting for £6.0 billion of UK gross domestic product (GDP) and support other areas of the economy further emphasising the impact of the business events industry.”

Swann concluded, “The figures shed a positive light on our industry, it shows that business events are a vital driver of trade, innovation and regional growth across the UK and provides encouraging evidence for the Government to take note of the importance of our contribution to the economy across the UK.”

The report is available for download via the research page on the EIA website.