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Convention & Trade Fair Planning in the UK - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2029)

Adriana De Azevedo Adriana De Azevedo London, United Kingdom Last Updated: August 2025 SIC UK-N823

Revenue

£33.0bn

2025-26

£35.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

£X.Xbn

Employees

241k

Businesses

70,590

Wages

£X.Xbn

Convention & Trade Fair Planning in the UK industry analysis

Revenue in Europe’s Convention and Trade Show Organisations industry is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 12.8% to €33 billion over the five years through 2025. The industry's revenue is influenced by broader economic conditions, with prospects for event sales primarily shaped by business budgets and clients' disposable incomes. The severe plunge in revenue due to the COVID-19 outbreak was subsequently counteracted by a substantial revival in revenue growth. This resulted from convention and trade show organisations resuming operations and adopting hybrid approaches, which attracted a more global attendance and expanded income opportunities.

Trends and Insights

  • Inflationary pressures limit investment. Trade shows have experienced a decline in attendance as businesses grapple with ongoing upward pressure on costs, leading clients to prioritise cost savings.
  • The industry generates most of its revenue by hosting trade shows. Trade fair organisers are among the largest suppliers worldwide and also attract many international exhibitors and visitors with their events.
  • Fragmentation in the industry stems from low entry barriers. Simply put, it's easy and relatively inexpensive for new companies to step in and offer event planning services, leading to a wide array of planners competing for a market slice. This results in a landscape where no single player dominates and diversity thrives.
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Top Questions Answered in this Report

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What is the market size of the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

The market size of the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom is £33.0bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 70,590 businesses in the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.4 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 14.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What does the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom include?

Trade shows and Professionally motivated events are part of the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom.

How competitive is the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Convention & Trade Fair Planning industry in the United Kingdom.

Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Table of Contents

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

There’s very little regulation affecting conference centres. The industry is not subject to industry-specific regulation. Otherwise, companies mostly have to worry about abiding by fire safety laws.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Convention & Trade Fair Planning in the UK industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

Profit can fluctuate wildly. It’s mostly driven by economic conditions, which drives the level of demand for both conventions and trade shows.

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Cost Structure

Charts
  • Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
  • Industry Cost Structure Benchmarks:
    • Marketing
    • Depreciation
    • Profit
    • Purchases
    • Wages
    • Rent
    • Utilities
    • Other
Analysis

What trends impact cost in the Convention & Trade Fair Planning in the UK industry?


Key Ratios

Data tables
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)

Country Benchmarks

European Leaders & Laggards

Data Tables

Top and bottom five countries listed for each:

  • Revenue Growth (2025)
  • Business Growth (2025)
  • Job Growth (2025)

European Country Performance

Data Tables

Rankings available for 37 countries. Statistics ranked include:

  • IVA/Revenue (2025)
  • Imports/Demand (2025)
  • Exports/Revenue (2025)
  • Revenue per Employee (2025)
  • Wages/Revenue (2025)
  • Employees per Establishment (2025)
  • Average Wage (2025)

Structural Comparison

Data Tables

Trends in 37 countries benchmarked against trends in Europe

  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power
  • Volatility
  • Capital Intensity
  • Innovation
  • Life Cycle

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Methodology

Where does IBISWorld source its data?

IBISWorld is a world-leading provider of business information, with reports on 5,000+ industries in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and China. Our expert industry analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build an accurate picture of each industry.

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