ACE - Association for Conferences and Events

Exceptional times call for exceptional measures, and there is no doubt that during the past 12 months the meetings and events industry has not only faced unprecedented challenges but has also responded with creative and compelling solutions to defend itself and protect its reputation as a force that drives business and adds real value.

During a year marked by recession over many of the world’s major economies, our industry has had to constantly assert itself in order to remind CEOs, politicians and taxpayers everywhere of the power of bringing people together face-to-face and the considerable economics impacts that meetings and events can bring in terms of employment, salaries and profits which are of direct benefit to local communities and a wide range of stakeholders. The meetings and events industry has spoken with one voice on this matter, rallying itself in the face of widespread criticism by creating powerful new alliances and instigating valuable new research and education initiatives designed to demonstrate our industry’s role in contributing to the recovery of the global economy.  But although there are convincing signs that the global recovery is now underway, many believe that we are still firmly rooted near the bottom of the economic cycle and that the road back to a buoyant economy will be slow and bumpy. The short-term outlook certainly remains challenging, and the research for this Industry Trends and Market Share Report suggests that the immediate outlook for meetings and events will continue to be sluggish and that recovery in our particular industry may lag behind that of the wider economy in general.

Nevertheless, it is clear that through working together, the meetings and events industry and its allies can learn from the experience of the past year, rebuild itself and ultimately prosper. The more our industry does to promote itself as excellent value, with no compromise in quality, the more likely we are to emerge stronger than before.

Rob Davidson

EIBTM Industry Analyst

Senior Lecturer in Business Travel and Tourism, University of Westminster

 EIBTM 2009 Industry Trends & Market Share Report