The Value of the UK Outdoor Events Industry: Economic Value, Employment and the Issues That Matter

The UK outdoor events sector is worth at least £25 billion a year to the national economy. That figure covers the core economic value that outdoor events generate - not just ticket sales and organiser income, but every pound spent on transport, staffing, production and supply chains because an event happened. 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. To put flesh on that headline number, this research mapped and profiled more than 500 named UK outdoor events, collected survey data from 178 event organisers and ran focus groups with over 100 professionals from across the industry. These data sources were triangulated with event impact evaluation reports produced throughout the UK to gain broad and robust insight into the true value of the outdoor events sector. The findings are consistent: the sector is larger than it knows, more valuable than it can currently prove, and under more pressure than government and stakeholders appreciate.