The UK’s business events sector has warned that cuts to VisitBritain’s dedicated business events team risk damaging Britain’s ability to compete for major international conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel.
CMW broke the news last week that VisitBritain has laid off the majority of its business events team, reducing the team from nine members to just two, following a 41% reduction in the national tourism agency’s budget last year. The changes have been driven in part by VisitBritain’s current funding envelope, which has required the agency to reduce its salary budget by around 10%, which was confirmed in a statement from VisitBritain’s CEO.
The move has triggered concern across the events industry, with beam, the Meetings Industry Association (MIA), The Business of Events (TBOE) and the Event Industry Alliance (EIA) all warning that the decision could weaken the UK’s international standing at a time when rival destinations are investing heavily to attract global events.
VisitBritain has said the redundancies form part of a wider organisational reshaping designed to make the agency more “high-performance” and partnership-led, with a stronger focus on commercial capability, digital leadership and data-driven delivery. However, industry bodies have questioned whether reducing specialist business events support is compatible with the government’s wider ambitions for growth, trade and inward investment.
In a statement, Visit Britain CEO, Patricia Yates said: “We have been undergoing a reshaping of our organisation to ensure we remain a high performance agency, focused on our delivery priorities including support to industry and driving economic growth. This reshaping strengthens our role as a partnership-led organisation, with enhanced commercial capability and a sharper focus on digital and data-driven leadership.”
The statement also confirmed that the current funding envelope has meant that the organisation needed to make cuts of about 10% to its salary budget.
Yates added: “We recognise that these changes have also meant saying farewell to a number of values colleagues across our organisation and we thank them for their contributions. Looking ahead, as we embed our new structure and ways of working, I am confident our reshaping will position VisitBritain/VisitEngland to work even more effectively with you. Thankyou for your continued partnership and engagement.”
Following the news, beam and the Meetings Industry Association (MIA) have issued a joint response, warning that they are concerned about these cuts, which have come at a time when the sector requires greater strategic support, investment and representation at government level – not less.
David Tremmil, chair of beam said: “The UK business events industry contributes billions to the economy annually, supports thousands of jobs across hospitality, venues, travel, production, technology and the wider supply chain, and plays a vital role in driving international trade and inward investment. Reducing dedicated support for business events sends the wrong message to an industry that continues to deliver significant economic impact across the UK.”
“For many years, VisitBritain’s business events team has played an important role in promoting the UK internationally as a destination for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and incentive travel. Any reduction in resource risks weakening the UK’s competitiveness at a time when other global destinations continue to invest in attracting international events and delegates.”
Tremmil argued that business events should not be viewed simply through a tourism lens, but recognised as a driver of inward investment, commercial opportunity, regional growth and international trade.
He said: “At a time when the UK economy needs growth, trade and inward investment, reducing support for one of the sectors that actively delivers those opportunities risks becoming a false economy. Without meaningful government recognition and support, the UK risks falling behind in an increasingly competitive international marketplace.”
Tremmil concluded: “beam believes this decision demonstrates a broader disconnect between government policy and the realities of the business events sector. The industry has consistently demonstrated its value to the UK economy and its ability to respond to changing market conditions, yet too often remains overlooked in national growth strategies despite its proven contribution to business and trade.”
Shonali Devereaux, CEO of the Meetings Industry Association, added: “VisitBritain’s own figures show international business events generated approximately £2.8 billion of inbound spend into the UK in 2024, while the wider UK business events sector contributes more than £33.6 billion annually to the economy. The UK currently ranks fifth globally for international association meetings, but our ability to maintain competitiveness and drive inward investment will inevitably weaken without strategic support and meaningful collaboration between government, VisitBritain and the business events sector.”
Conference News has also seen a letter sent by The Business of Events (TBOE) and the Event Industry Alliance (EIA) sent to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (so far officially unpublished pending committee members reading it first) which sets out the folly of the budget cuts and calls for a “joined up approach from government” to ensure Britain can capitalise on opportunities to attract major business events to the UK.
The letter stressed the UK needed “to remain competitive in the face of growing international competition” and to safeguard the “very modest funding already provided by DCMS, including its highly successful Business Events Growth Programme to support and protect the UK’s world leading business event economy”.
The 29 signatories, which included the All Party Parliamentary Group for Events, the Association of Event Venues and the Association of Event Organisers, Excel London, UKEvents and The Power of Events, noted they had lost confidence in VisitBritain’s ability, or aspiration, to fully support and represent the UK business events sector, and said we now need change.