The Events Industry Council (EIC) has released the 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study Executive Summary, produced in association with Oxford Economics.
The study provides a comprehensive view of the scale, scope and impact of business events worldwide, measuring activity across more than 180 countries.
According to the study, business events generated US$1.3 trillion in direct spending worldwide in 2025 – 12.2 per cent higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Including indirect and induced impacts, the sector supported US$3.1 trillion in total business sales, US$1.8 trillion in GDP and 24.2 million jobs globally.
“Business events are essential infrastructure for a connected, innovative and resilient global economy,” said Amy Calvert, president and CEO, Events Industry Council. “This study gives our industry credible, current data to demonstrate what we have long known: when people gather with purpose, they create economic value, strengthen communities, accelerate knowledge exchange and build the trust required to move ideas into action.”
The research found that business events directly supported 9.7 million jobs worldwide in 2025, while trade shows alone generated US$180 billion in direct spending.
According to survey respondents, the value of face-to-face engagement remains difficult to replace. Seventy per cent of respondents identified relationship-building through in-person interaction as the event outcome most difficult to replicate digitally, while 28 per cent said revenue would be lost without hosting physical events.
“The future of business events depends on our ability to measure impact, communicate value and advocate with confidence,” Calvert said. “This study belongs to the entire global business events community. We are deeply grateful to Oxford Economics, our sponsors, contributors, strategic partners, member organisations and volunteer leaders for making this work possible.”
