The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has responded to Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement, delivered in the House of Commons on 26 March. CEO Shonali Devereaux is concerned about the lack of targeted support for the UK’s £61.6bn events industry.
Devereaux commented on several key areas of the announcement, including downgraded UK growth forecasts and rising employment costs.
Economic contribution overlooked
The Office for Budget Responsibility cut the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 from 2% to 1%. Devereaux warned that continued under-recognition of the events sector is a missed opportunity for stimulating economic activity:
“Every conference, exhibition and meeting fuels wider business activity, attracting inward investment, inspiring innovation and supporting job creation. Business meetings and events directly contribute £16.3bn a year to the UK economy – yet remain an invisible industry to many policymakers.”
National Insurance changes and workforce challenges
Devereaux also criticised the Autumn budget’s rise in employer National Insurance contributions (from 13.8% to 15%, taking effect on 6 April). She cited new research that shows two-thirds of sector employers are struggling to fill roles.
“Our sector is uniquely reliant on flexible, part-time and temporary staff. These changes may make it harder to offer competitive salaries or retain skilled professionals – at a time when we are already facing critical staff shortages.”
mia reiterated its call for a sector-specific Employment Allowance and confirmed it would write to MPs this week to push for fairer employment policies.
Strengthening political engagement
Following a recent parliamentary event with UKEVENTS, mia announced a new collaborative initiative to raise awareness of the events sector across all 650 UK constituencies.
“We are confident that by using a collective voice, we can demonstrate the vital role events play in driving economic growth, job creation and community development,” said Devereaux.
