The global impact of business events is staggering according to new data in the 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study released by the Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics.
The new research shows that in 2025, business events brought together 1.65 billion participants across more than 180 countries and generated $1.3 trillion in direct spending.
Accounting for indirect and induced impacts, the business events industry supported $3.1 trillion in total business sales, $1.8 trillion in total GDP and 24.2 million total jobs worldwide.
The $1.8 trillion in total GDP would rank the sector as the 16th largest economy globally, ahead of the GDP of countries such as Turkey, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
The Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study has become a key resource for understanding the full scope, scale and impact of our global business events industry, the report said.
“This study arrives at an important moment,” Amy Calvert, President and CEO of the Events Industry Council, wrote in the report. “Across the world, organizations, communities and economies are navigating uncertainty, geopolitical complexity, shifting workforce expectations and rapid technological change. In this environment, business events are not simply an activity in one’s diary — they are critical to our society, where we build resilience and drive innovation.
“They create the conditions for people to come together with purpose, build trust, exchange knowledge, strengthen cultures and move ideas into action.”
She added that the powerful data gives policymakers, business leaders, investors and community stakeholders the credible, current data needed to recognize business events as a driver of economic growth, workforce development and global competitiveness.
“But the value of business events extends far beyond what can be measured in direct spending alone,” she said. “As this study continues to explore, our industry also generates catalytic effects — the societal outcomes that emerge over time when people gather. These include new business opportunities, investment in critical infrastructure, research collaborations, professional development, innovation, partnerships, knowledge transfer and the relationships that help organizations and communities adapt in a changing world.
“Data gives us credibility. Advocacy gives us momentum. Together, they help the world better understand what business events make possible.”
Key Data Points
The metrics are impressive in showing continued recovery from the 2020 COVID pandemic, but also growth in key areas.
For example, by the fourth quarter of 2025, the Global Business Events Barometer showed global hotel group room nights and RFP activity had recovered near 2019
levels.
In addition:
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The 1.65 billion participants at business events across more than 180 countries was a 1% increased of pre-COVID 2019 data.
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The $1.3 trillion direct spending (business sales was a 12.2% increase over '19 levels.
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The average spend per participant rose 11% to $785 compared to 2019.
New data, gathered in collaboration with UFI, the global trade association for the world’s exhibition organizers and venue operators, and Tourism Economics, showed $180 billion direct spend supported by trade shows.
For North America, 336 million people attended business events resulting in $488 billion in direct spend, the most for that category regionally. The Asia-Pacific region had the most participants in 2025 with 608 million followed by Western Europe with 447 million.
Overall, the top 25 countries accounted for $1.25 trillion in business events direct spending, representing 98.8% of the global total, according to the report.
In terms of jobs, business events supported 9.7 million direct jobs globally in 2025, and 24.2 million total jobs. The number of direct jobs did decline by 10.6% from 2019 to 2025.
Business events support jobs among planners and organizers, exhibitions and events, specialized support, venues and lodging, tech and production, transport and travel, food and beverage, and among destination partners.
The $1.3 trillion in direct spending in the business events sector surpasses the direct spend of industries such as air transport; motors, generators and transformers; ships, rail, motorcycle and military vehicles; textiles, aerospace; and cement, plaster, abrasives and masonry, and more.
Future Growth
The future for business events is promising, according to the report.
Direct spending is projected to increase nearly 7% to $1.6 trillion over the next three years while employment is projected to grow 2.4% to 10.4 million jobs.
Respondents to the survey added context to the long-term outlook:
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35% agree events will be increasingly important in building culture and engagement
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27% agree events will be used more for learning and knowledge sharing
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29% agree events will utilize less fully virtual formats in the future
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70% view building relationships through face-to-face interaction as most difficult to replace