Over 214 trade associations, venues, organisers and suppliers from the UK’s business events sector have written a joint letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. They are demanding full implementation of the recommendations from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which published its report on business events in July 2026 following a year-long inquiry.
Four Key Demands to Government
The signatories are calling for concrete measures: a more structured approach to ministerial attendance at major events, moving responsibility for the sector to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, a dedicated national business events strategy, and reversing VisitBritain’s cuts. The cuts affect both its business events team and the Business Events Growth Programme.
The parliamentary committee concluded in its report that the government’s current approach is holding the sector back from competing internationally. Dame Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Committee, sharply criticised the cuts: „The Government’s decision to slash support for business events is utterly irrational and entirely counterproductive, when we should be supporting the sector to boost economic growth.“
UK Only Major Economy Without Fully Funded Team
The United Kingdom is now the only major economy without a fully funded national business events team. Competitors including Ireland, France, Germany, Spain and around twenty other European countries continue to invest in this sector. The global business events market is continuously growing.
VisitBritain’s now-axed Business Events Growth Programme delivered a 35:1 return on investment between 2018 and its closure. Less than £1.8 million of government funding generated £60.6 million in direct economic return. The programme brought 167 business events to UK cities including Aberdeen, Glasgow, Sheffield, Liverpool, Cambridge and Newport.
Target of 50 Million Visitors at Risk
Visitors attending business events already account for 17 per cent of all visits to the UK. The government has set a target of 50 million international visitors by 2030. The industry warns that this target is at risk without continued investment.
A spokesperson for the business events industry stated: „Jobs, trade, investment, innovation; this is what’s on the line. Every month of inaction hands our competitors the advantage, and they are outspending and offering more support to win the large events we should be winning. Government has the evidence, it has the Committee’s recommendations, and it has a sector standing ready to help deliver growth in every part of the country. What it needs now is the will to act.“
