New research examining the economic value, employment and key issues for the UK Outdoor Events Sector has been published, 8 years after the last sector-specific report was produced.
The headline number of at least £25 billion annual economic value of the sector covers the full cascade of value that events generate. It makes outdoor events the single largest component of the UK’s £61.6 billion events industry – bigger than conferences, exhibitions and business events combined.
The central finding of this research is quite straightforward: events generate far more economic value than their organisers ever see in their own accounts. Every pound of ticket income, sponsorship or grant triggers roughly £1.50-£2.80 in spending by visitors, suppliers and staff – and in many cases much more.
Research by The Power of Events, funded through a grant from The Purple Guide, is based on drawing together a variety of data points. These have provided key numbers, insights and a stronger evidence base that organisers can use as practical takeaways.
The findings of this research is consistent: the UK outdoor event sector is larger than it knows, more valuable than it can currently prove, and under more pressure than government and stakeholders appreciate.
Claire Drakeley, Research Lead for The Power of Events said, “Researching the value of the UK outdoor events sector has required us to explore the extraordinary scope and complexity of this wonderful part of the events industry. To do this, we have used a range of methods, triangulated together to get a rich picture of the value of outdoor events. We have also discovered the extraordinary magnitude of the impact of the sector, particularly in relation to volunteering and community outdoor events.”
John Gallery, Research Lead for the UKEvents Partnership added, “This report confirms the high value of outdoor events in the UK events industry and will be an important contribution to the 2026 UKEvents Report that I am currently compiling to be published later this year.”
It is clear that the outdoor events sector is not a niche. It is a mass-participation industry that touches tens of millions of people’s lives every year. What it currently lacks is a coherent way of telling that story. From the people employed in the industry to the volunteers that support it, outdoor events create experiences that communities across the UK return to, year after year, for generations.
Jim Winship, Secretary, The Events Industry Forum commented, “This research again demonstrates the huge economic and social importance of the outdoor events sector in the UK, which is so often overlooked by Government at all levels. Particularly when life is full of so many challenges, outdoor events in their many forms provide an opportunity for people to get together, relax and share experiences that help sustain them.
You can download a copy of the research free of charge from the following sites:
If you want to get involved in the conversation about this research you can register for a webinar which is scheduled for 12:00 on Tuesday 19th May. Click here to register your interest.
