End-of-Year message from Kerry Edwards, Managing Director at Bien Venue
As 2024 draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your support and share some insights into the trends that have shaped our year. The meetings and events industry continues to thrive, contributing an impressive £61.6bn annually to the UK economy, as reported by UKEVENTS report 2024.
With client partnerships, we’ve seen incredible growth in our own business, underpinning the vital role meetings and events play in driving connections, inspiration, collaboration, and success.
Here’s what 2024 looked like at Bien Venue, followed by what it means for our clients.
This year, we’ve experienced:
- A 25.1% increase in locations booked reflects our growing client base, alongside growing demand for events that engage country-wide teams.
- A 56.1% surge in total delegates, highlighting the growing scale and importance of meetings and events.
- 15.4% more bed nights and an 8.5% rise in total events, illustrating how overnight stays and comprehensive event programmes are becoming increasingly popular.
- A staggering 44.9% growth in average delegates per event points to larger, more impactful connections.
Locations
Our most sought-after locations for accommodation bookings included Manchester, London, Bristol, and even New York, showcasing the diverse needs of our clients. Meanwhile, for meetings, London, Manchester, and Bristol led the way. Internationally, cities like New York, Dubai, and Madrid were among the top choices, reflecting the global reach of modern events.
Meeting & event types
Several types of events gained significant traction this year, becoming emerging trends into 2025:
- Residential away days offering teams a chance to reconnect and innovate in inspiring settings.
- Awards ceremonies and conferences, celebrating achievements and motivating success.
- Roadshows and executive briefings, enabling organisations to share their vision and engage stakeholders more effectively.
Booking lead times
We also noticed a rise in short-lead enquiries for small offsite meetings, private dining, training, and social events. Short lead-time events highlight the agility and responsiveness of businesses. While long lead-time events often signify their importance as part of a broader business strategy, the increase in short-notice bookings reflects clients’ ability to seize opportunities, address immediate needs, and prioritise personal, team, or stakeholder engagement.
In other words, short lead times show how businesses stay agile and adaptive, respond to emerging trends, or capitalise on opportunities for impactful connections. At Bien Venue, we’re proud to support both these strategic, long-term events and the spontaneous, high-impact moments that keep client organisations moving forward.
What the trends means for you
These trends reflect your commitment to creating meaningful, memorable team engagement and experiences. At Bien Venue, we’re dedicated to supporting you in planning seamless, impactful meetings and events that meet these growing demands. Whether you envision a local meeting, a residential away day, team training, a global conference, and more, we’re here to make it happen.
Christmas Opening Hours
We’re taking a break to soak up some festive cheer starting at 3pm on Christmas Eve! But don’t worry—our out-of-hours support team will be here for you on December 27th, 30th, and 31st if you need us. The Bien Venue office re-opens at 9am Thursday 2nd January 2025.
As we move into the New Year, we’re excited to continue working with you to make your vision a reality. Thank you for trusting us to bring your events to life.
From all of us at Bien Venue, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – may it bring you good health and peace, with connections and inspiration.
Warm regards,
Kerry Edwards, Managing Director
Want an expert to manage and book you venue or events for you? Chat to us about your event brief so we can work with our partners to create your unmissable event.
Alternatively, try our free venue finding service below:
Bien Venue is a boutique creative agency that specialises in free UK venue finding. It’s not just workshops, training, conferences, or off-site meetings we can arrange and venue search for. We can also manage away days, residential training events, awards ceremonies, networking, roadshows, team building, and more. We also offer group accommodation management and event-specific bedroom allocations.