The 8th annual National Meetings Week is organised by a cross-section of individuals and professional organisations at the heart of the industry. The projects focus on the £10 billion-a-year contribution that meetings make to the economy, the 1.78 million jobs supported the importance of delegate care, and the positive benefits which effective meetings bring to business communication and motivation.
A survey conducted by National Meetings Week in 2007 shows that business people in Britain spend nearly half their working life in meetings (45.9%), significantly higher than any other European country. It also showed that:
Around 80 million people attend 1.5 million conferences and meetings each year
£1.78 million jobs are supported in the meetings and events industry
UK businesses spend £4 billion on events: of which £3 billion is spent on UK events and £1 billion on events held overseas.
National Meetings Week has become a truly inclusive event with widespread support. Last year over 20 events took place across the UK to mark the week, from networking and education events to news announcements and features raising the profile of the meetings and events industry. This year National Meetings Week has been brought forward from October to September to align itself with Event UK; the re-branded Confex Group show, which will take place at the NEC Birmingham, 16-17th September.
The 'Meetings Industry Meeting Needs' charity is a spin-off from this week. Click here for further on Meetings Industry Meeting Needs.