UKEIS claims meetings industry delivers £58.4bn to GDP Ιουλ 11 11th Ιούλιος 2013 The Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Foundation launched its UK Economic Impact Study (UKEIS) on the show floor of the Meetings Show UK on 10th July. The study, commissioned by the MPI Foundation and undertaken by the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality (ICRETH) from Leeds Metropolitan University, revealed that the UK meeting industry contributes £58.4bn to the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP). According to the study, the UK meeting industry generates three times more GDP than agriculture and the equivalent of 1m full-time jobs. The study maintains that the meetings industry is the UK’s 16th largest employer with more than 515,000 individuals directly employed; double that of the telecoms industry. Including indirect employment, the meetings industry generates more than 1m full-time equivalent jobs. Meetings made a direct Gross Value Added (GVA) contribution of £20.6bn - more than legal services, accountancy or broadcasting and contributed £21.1bn in taxes to the economy. The groundbreaking study, UKEIS, was produced by Dr ShiNa Li and the ICRETH research team which used the UN World Tourism Organisation methodology. This methodology has already been used to conduct the same research in Canada, the United States, Australia, Mexico and Denmark. A direct comparison shows that as a percentage of GDP, the meeting industry has a more significant economic impact in the UK than in the US, Canada and Mexico. “The research was undertaken to firmly establish the size and impact of meetings in the UK, with a particular focus on GVA, GDP, employment and taxes,” said ICRETH Project Director, Dr ShiNa Li. “It is considered by many to be the most important research ever undertaken by the meeting industry as it will allow the sector to shape policy and lobby at the highest levels moving forward. The results signify a call to action for the industry and present the opportunity to consider the question ‘What now?’ We have created this incredibly powerful data that clearly defines the meeting industry’s credibility, but it needs to be used effectively as a tool for the benefit of all.” MPI President and CEO, Paul Van Deventer, came to London from Dallas for the launch and said: “The UKEIS results are extremely positive and clearly demonstrate that the meeting industry delivers significant value to the UK economy. At MPI, we believe this research provides an invaluable tool for professionals in our industry to use to enhance the perception of the meeting industry in the UK - similar to how comparable studies have been used in the US and other countries. The success of this research provides a benchmark and example for other meeting professionals around the world to discover the value of the industry in their own country.” Industry veteran Paul Kennedy MBE, Director and Owner of Kennedy Integrated Solutions, introduced the team behind the research and said: “Many people have been instrumental in bringing about this research - from the pioneering organisations (ICCA, MPI Foundation and Reed Travel Exhibitions) that worked for several years with the UNWTO to create a credible framework for this study, to the current investors, researchers and partners. The results are incredibly positive, showing the meeting industry for what it is - bigger than agriculture, employing more than telecoms, having a greater contribution than legal or accounting. These are all significant industries with loud voices that have the ears of government and business leaders. It is time to take our place among them and as an industry to determine a coherent and attainable call to action.” The UKEIS is the first MPI Foundation-commissioned study to breakdown data at a sub-national level. The study has produced profile and economic impact data at home, country and regional levels as well as in five cities, namely, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and Liverpool. In terms of GVA by country, England is worth £15.5bn; Scotland £1.9bn; Wales £908m and Northern Ireland £268m. London leads the cities analysed, with a GVA of £5.6bn, ahead of Edinburgh on £601m, Cardiff on £587m, Liverpool on £289m and Belfast on £128m. The full research report is available via the MPI website at mpiweb.org/UKEIS. Send us your news
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:26:52 +0000
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