It’s been a year of polite smiles and quiet panic in Britain’s meetings and events sector. According to the latest Insight report from the Meetings Industry Association (MIA), the industry’s façade of composure hides a mounting stack of invoices.
Almost two-thirds of the 109 venues, agents and suppliers surveyed have raised prices this year — but not enough to keep pace with rising costs. Expenses have jumped by an average of 12%, yet prices have climbed only 7%. Even a first-year economics student could spot the problem.
Squeezed margins, smaller teams
When the sums stop adding up, something has to give. The survey shows that 32% of respondents have delayed business investment, while 26% have trimmed their workforce, leaving those who remain juggling ever-heavier workloads.
It’s a familiar story. Earlier this year, the MIA’s People survey revealed that 92% of employees suffering stress or burnout blamed high workloads. The latest numbers confirm what many already feared: the industry’s famous hospitality is being delivered by fewer hands than ever.
Revenue goals wobble
Financial forecasts are also losing their gloss. Nearly half of respondents admit they’re falling short of their revenue targets for 2025, and only two-thirds still believe they’ll hit those goals.
Average lead times for bookings have tightened to 12 weeks, and 65 per cent of venues report they’re shorter than a year ago. Forty per cent of clients are spending less. For event planners, it’s like trying to stage a gala dinner with champagne taste and a lemonade budget.
Sustainability slips down the agenda.
When cash gets tight, virtue often takes a back seat. The MIA’s report notes that only 22 per cent of RFPs now request sustainability credentials, a significant slide.
While 62 per cent of organisations measure their environmental performance, just 37 per cent do so regularly. Nearly half confess that carbon measurement remains the trickiest piece of the green puzzle. Ambition, it seems, is outpacing ability.
“The goalposts keep moving”
MIA chief executive Shonali Devereaux says the pace of change is forcing the industry to stay alert.
“With booking trends, client expectations and economic pressures evolving rapidly, understanding how the sector is performing is proving invaluable in keeping organisations informed, assured and agile.”
She points out that optimism still flickers, but warns that the fundamentals are shifting.
“While many organisations remain confident in meeting their revenue targets, rising costs continue to shift the goalposts for profitability and the sustainability of our industry. In response, almost two-thirds have increased their prices and over a quarter have had to reduce their workforce. This isn’t just a financial concern but demonstrates the wider ripple effect on employment and investment.”
A critical juncture
Devereaux describes the current moment as pivotal.
“Rising costs and economic pressures are placing significant strain on businesses, and something has to give. As an industry, we now have an opportunity to decide how we respond — balancing People, Profit and Planet, embracing innovation, being digitally curious, and operating with openness and authenticity.”
Her comments land as the UK awaits the Autumn Budget, with the MIA pressing the Department for Business and Trade for targeted sector initiatives.
Lessons that travel well
Though the survey focuses on the UK, the lessons echo far beyond it. In Australia, event planners face the same twin headaches: escalating costs and labour shortages. When budgets shrink, the ripple hits caterers, AV technicians, regional hotels and airlines alike.
The underlying message is simple: running lean can only go so far before service quality begins to fray. The MIA’s findings offer a cautionary note for any market built on people, precision and presentation.
Holding the line
If there’s a silver lining, it’s the sector’s resilience. The meetings business has survived recessions, ash clouds and pandemics. It will survive this, too, though not without some bruises. The trick, as ever, will be balancing pragmatism with optimism.
For now, venues will continue to polish the glassware, suppliers will watch their margins, and planners will hope clients understand that excellence doesn’t come at a discount.
In Devereaux’s words, “The era of business as usual is over. It’s time for business as resilient.”
For more information, visit: Meetings Industry Association – Insight Surveys.
By My Thanh Pham – (c) 2025
Read time: 4 minutes.
About the Writer
My Thanh Pham has worn more travel hats than most luggage racks could hold. After taking a course in travel and tourism, she found herself deep in the business of arranging itineraries across South-East Asia, matching travellers to temples, beaches, and the occasional night train, with a knack for making the complicated look easy.
Not content with life behind the desk, she joined a Vietnamese airline, juggling reservations one day and the frontline bustle of the airport the next. It gave her a ringside seat to the theatre of travel: the missed flights, the joyous reunions, and the endless stories that airports never fail to serve.
These days, My Thanh has swapped ticket stubs for a writer’s keyboard at Global Travel Media. Her words carry the same steady hand she once brought to bookings, guiding readers through the rich, unpredictable world of travel.
