mia Insight Surveys
As the principal association for the meetings and events industry we have been engaging with our members to find out more about the state of the industry. See the results of the surveys below.
mia Insight report: March 24'
ACCESS THE LATEST REPORT HERE
(If you are already an mia Member, you should have received this directly)
mia Insight report: November 23'
"Our latest survey, conducted in October 2023, reflects the response of 160 professionals representing organisations within the business meetings and events sector, with almost two-thirds (64%) representing an event venue and 36% an event supplier. With our previous Insights highlighting the easing of supply chain issues, the same, much-welcome trend is emerging with staffing issues, as today’s organisations report less staff shortages, skills shortages and a subsequent reduction in vacancies.
Longer lead times, higher value enquiries and greater conversion rates also present further positives for the sector, reinforcing returning demand levels, investment in events and its role supporting the UK economy. While these apparent recoveries begin to emerge, our attention also remains on the future of the sector, as we explore organisation’s positions on Martyn’s Law and today’s increasing sustainability standards."
VIEW THE REPORT HERE
"Our survey, conducted in May 2023, reflects the response of 112 professionals representing organisations within the business meetings and events sector, with over three quarters (78%) representing an event venue and 22% an event supplier. With two thirds of organisations (66%) no longer experiencing supply chain issues, the tide is slowly beginning to turn, and the sector is starting to regain control over how it can operate.
At the same time, over three quarters (79%) have expressed a higher if not the same conversion rate on event enquiries compared to 12 months ago, supporting optimistic forecasts on future business. Despite this, we must continue to proceed with a level of caution, recognising well-documented challenges that we as a sector are still battling. Staffing challenges remain high on the agenda, with almost half of organisations (47%) highlighting current skills shortages. Similarly, ongoing rail strikes postponed and cancelled bookings remain a continued threat, added to this almost all organisations (97%) continue to overcome rising costs."
VIEW THE REPORT HERE
"Our latest survey, conducted in January 2023, reflects the response of 126 professionals representing organisations within the business meetings and events sector, with almost 6 in 10 (59%) representing an event venue and 4 in 10 (41%) an event supplier. From our findings we can see that there has been a positive recovery from most of the sector. Despite this, there remains clear externalities that are threatening these recovery forecasts, including the significant impact of recent industrial strikes, the cost of living crisis and ongoing recruitment challenges. Our research continues to reinforce our understanding of the necessary support the sector needs, while informing government departments on its wellbeing and any attention it may require. I would like to thank those that have contributed in the development of this report, which is essential in ensuring our sector gets the representation and recognition it needs." Kerrin MacPhie - Chief Executive, The Meetings Industry Association
In our October issue, we explored the ongoing recruitment challenge, soaring energy costs as well as Christmas bookings as we reached the tail end of the year.
Highlighting the ongoing uncertainty within the sector, we will utilise our ongoing surveillance to reinforce the need for sector-specific support and interventions.