Tom HallBournemouth University has produced research for the Events Industry Forum, revealing that outdoor events have been much undervalued for their contribution they make to the UK economy, both locally and nationally, with a Gross Value of over £30bn and providing employment for some 589,000 people.
The research, funded by sales of the Purple Guide, examined 2018’s event scene. There were 141.5m attendances to outdoor events in the UK in 2018.
84% of event attendees were satisfied with the way events are run and the majority of interviewees felt that outdoor events were a very important to them.
Over 80% of respondents said that outdoor events create a positive image for the community/destination where they are located and are important in providing local businesses with additional customers.
There are, however, some areas respondents felt that organisers could improve – ranging from congestion and antisocial behaviour to helping people cope with Britain’s hugely variable weather conditions.
The full research report is available free-of-charge on the Events Industry Forum website at www.eventsindustryforum.co.uk
