Value of 2020 meetings sector to be uncovered by UKCAMS survey

UK conference and meeting venues are being urged to take part in the 2020 UK Conference and Meeting Survey (UKCAMS). This will help determine the value of 2020 meetings for the industry.

Though designed to be answered by venues, the survey will help event planners determine levels of investment made by venues in their product. It will give an indication of what percentage of event management is outsourced to a PCO or event management agencies and collect data on average rates achieved by venues and average durations of meetings and conferences.

Scheduled for publication in June, the UKCAMS 2020 report is hoping to achieve a minimum of 300 survey responses from UK venues.

Tony Rogers of Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services said: “We work on there being a universe of circa 3,500 primary conference and meeting venues across the UK. In 2019 we achieved 340 responses, approx. 10 per cent. We are also asking some new questions this year, alongside our traditional questions.”

“These cover factors that may impact levels of business, such as labour shortages, Brexit, competition, climate change, the economy, and also factors that are important to buyers in selecting venues, such as non-traditional seating and modular spaces, facilities for hybrid meetings, security and privacy.”

Value of 2020 meetings survey focus on venues’ conference and meeting business during 2019

Questions include:

• how many events were hosted
• rates achieved
• event duration and size
• client type
• levels of residential and non-residential business
• origins of the business
• and capital investment undertaken.

The results aim to provide a definitive insight into the conference and meetings sector. They are widely used to inform investment, advocacy and marketing activities.

Last year’s research found that the conference and meetings sector was worth an estimated £18.3 billion to the UK economy. 1.48 million meetings taking place in 2018.

UKCAMS 2020 also includes a section on the targeting and securing of international events by UK venues. There will also be a question on factors likely to affect venues’ level of business over the next few years.

Venues that participate in the survey will receive a complimentary, personalised summer report. This will enable them to benchmark their performance in 2019 against other comparable venues.

The survey is accessible here.