The Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) says its 2018 Meetings Barometer Report reveals overall positive trends in meetings bookings.
Developed in partnership with the MeetingsBenchmark Ltd, the report indicates that the average spend per meeting increased nearly 1 per cent from £1,954 in 2017 to £1,971 in 2018. However, the average spend per delegate dropped 3 per cent from £88.35 to £85.71.
While the average day delegate rate (DDR) only grew by 1p to £32.89, the Meetings Barometer shows the average number of delegates increased slightly from 53 to 54.
It also found the average size of meetings already booked for 2019 has risen to 72.
According to the HBAA, the average lead time for forward booking of events decreased from 83.5 days in 2017 to 79.7 in 2018, while conversion times dropped to 18.5 days from 19.
In addition, the report found a wide range of DDR across the UK; London averages at £39.97, while Newcastle hit £24.91. Manchester’s average DDR in 2018 was £31.92, Birmingham £29.87, Scotland £27.54, Bristol £27.51 and Leeds £26.56.
HBAA chair Angie Mason commented: “The HBAA Meetings Barometer once again provides a fascinating snapshot of the market and highlights several good reasons to be positive and optimistic about the year ahead.”
Download the full report here
hbaa.org.uk