New research by Centre Parcs has identified that the number of corporate events is likely to increase in the UK during 2025. The report, “The Value of Corporate Events in an Ever-changing World of Work” (Registration required), is based on a survey of 300 UK business decision-makers. Sapio Research conducted the survey in the Autumn of 2024.
Centre Parcs had a record-breaking 2024 for corporate bookings. Overall in F24, it achieved £620.8 million in revenue, up from £593.8 million in 2023. It does not, however, split corporate from private revenues.
The research was good news for the Centre Parcs leadership with 80% of businesses expecting to increase or maintain current spend on corporate events over the next 12 months. Where organisations are cutting spending, they are often turning to fewer, larger events. The report has some interesting data points, but it is unclear how the sample was selected and whether it includes organisations that already use Centre Parcs.
The focus of the report appears to be more internal events, with 53% of employee-centric events having a significant positive impact on well-being and 41% having a slight positive impact. The report also shares that respondents feel 69% believe that events contribute directly to revenue generation.
However, these are not sales events, and the link is indirect to revenue itself. It appears to be more about motivation. Impressively, 80% of respondents saw increased employee satisfaction following events, and 41% believed events directly improved retention rates.
Julia Green, Head of Corporate Events at Center Parcs Conferences & Events, “Amid mandates to return to the office, Gen-Z cutting down on booze, and AI seemingly everywhere, corporate events are simultaneously driving and reflecting changes in the working world.
“Our customers always tell us about their desire to foster connection and well-being through our events, but this whitepaper was a chance to uncover the broader motivations and track the proven ROI driving future investment across the events industry.
What is in the report
At 25 pages, the report is divided into eight main sections following a Foreword and Introduction. Each section consists of a mix of commentary and data points. There are also some data visualisations and a section where some qualitative comments about how company-sponsored trips help prevent workplace disputes.
In fact, 76% agreed that corporate events help prevent workplace disputes and improve employee relationships. The respondents felt that the percentage increased to 83% when events are held in a natural setting (like Centre Parcs).
Investment and spending
Investment in events is increasing, and the survey examined why firms have spent more in 2024. 58% indicated that they did so to increase employee well-being, and 41% cited them as critical to sales strategies.
48% expect to increase event spending this year, with increase budgets and well-being the two main factors. Where spending is decreasing, it is most commonly because of decreased budgets.
Approach to corporate events
The section examines the different approaches to corporate events, with larger organisations increasing the frequency of events. What is interesting is that those firms adopting a hybrid work model are more likely to introduce trips and strengthen existing programs than a remote-only workforce.
The value of corporate events
There is a perception that events help to generate revenue with 72% acknowledging the indirect contributions. The authors note that they do not have any specific evidence to tie events to revenue increases though.
What is clearer is that 75% noted an increase in employee productivity following an event. Efficiency improvements were greatest at businesses of between 500-1,000 employees. The top three positive outcomes from events noted were:
- Employees were more positive about their company, 59%
- Improved working relationships, 50%
- Improved efficiency, 50%
The key benefits for firms are well-being and employee satisfaction. While these scores are all positive, the report does not examine why events have had such an impact; it simply states that they do.
Workplace conflict is a major issue, with research from ACAS finding that 9.7 million UK employees experience workplace conflict, and over 400,000 resign every year due to work disputes. 76% of respondents believe that events can prevent or mitigate these by improving interpersonal dynamics within an organisation.
How can company-sponsored trips help prevent workplace disputes
This section has eight quotes from respondents about why trips help. It is nice to see a qualitative element within the survey and they do highlight some deeper insights into why events prevent workplace disputes. Notably,
“Because when people are face to face, mutual empathy is easier rather than sending faceless and sometimes blunt emails or texts to colleagues.”
“Management can communicate new policies and processes to colleagues so they are more likely to understand the reasoning behind them. Employees feel consulted and considered. They have a chance to ask questions and can make an input into changes.”
Measuring the impact of events
Examines the way that organisations measure the effectiveness of events. 74% of companies gather direct feedback from participants as the primary method to measure event success. 51% of companies use manager feedback to gauge the success of an event.
This rises to 57% for larger organisations—48% use online surveys (61% for organisations with over 1,000 employees). However, 27% still use paper questionnaires, which is surprising in the modern day with most employees owning a mobile.
Well-being and nature
The authors use the survey to offer proof that holding events in a natural setting has a greater impact. 8% plan to increase the number of outdoor events in 2025, and 30% are also considering holding an event in a natural setting that have not previously considered it.
The survey indicates that holding an event in a natural setting can increase employee productivity (84%) more than one not held in a natural setting (75%). However, there are likely other factors involved, such as weather conditions, that might alter that statistic.
Designing a successful event
A very useful section for the reader that highlights three key challenges event organisers faced during 2024:
- Budget: Especially for employers with under 50 employees, 30% cited staying within budget as a key challenge.
- Mixed Interested: 31% of larger organisations with over 500 employees found it difficult to accommodate diverse interests. 24% of all respondents cited this as a challenge.
- Logistics & Scheduling was a challenge for 24% of respondents, largely remote (28%) and remote-only teams citing it as the biggest challenge.
The report then details eight recommendations for event organisers to consider. These are all sensible, with some interesting insights that could go a lot further or link to other research/blogs. For example, the recommendation is that firms develop virtual and hybrid event options to engage remote teams. While it suggests using digital platforms to support this, it does not suggest what platforms, how they do this and what events could look like.
The section closes with the most popular activities at events based on feedback from employees. It explains what each is, in turn:
- Problem-solving activities
- Physical Activities
- Well-being activities
- Sustainable activities
- Creative activities
The future of conferences and events and conclusions
The authors argue that corporate events are essential. When combining the benefits such as increased productivity, employee satisfaction and retention coupled with the £25,000 cost of replacing a normal role, it is easy to understand why.
The report does highlight that some organisations could improve existing events and it is certainly easy to see how some events will fail in their objectives. Events help create a strong culture and camaraderie within the firm and should be considered.
What else is in the report
The report identified six key trends around corporate events:
- Event expenditure
- Shifts in corporate culture
- The reasons why companies are investing in or cutting back on events
- The impact of events on the bottom line
- The relationship between events in natural settings and employee well-being
- The most effective ways of hosting events
Green concluded, “We’re encouraged to see that businesses understand the revenue, productivity, and retention benefits of corporate events and are committed to investing in the employee experience despite wider economic challenges and grappling with hikes in NI contributions.
“Our research shows that one in five UK companies introduced employee incentive getaways in the past few years, and an additional 20% have strengthened their existing offering, and the data indicates this is likely to increase in 2025.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
This report contains some very useful information. However, it is just a reflection on a survey with only a little analysis that business leaders can take and use themselves. However, for those looking to justify events in 2025, it gives some useful pointers about the benefits they should consider as part of their business case.
More might have been done to highlight how to measure those benefits, but the report contains some clues, and the corporate events team at Cente Parcs undoubtedly has some expertise in this area.
