Conference Sector strong as an exciting Autumn programme kicks off in Sheffield
The 20th International Coeliac Disease Symposium ICDS arrives in Sheffield this week (5 - 7 September) at Sheffield City Hall, to help kick off another busy period of conferences in the city over coming weeks.
This prestigious international conference (last held in Paris) will bring 600 international delegates to the city, with 86.35% of those attending from outside of the UK, coming from across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Kuwait, Brazil and Singapore and kicks off a busy Autumn season for the conference sector in Sheffield.
This bid was led by Sheffield gluten expert and Sheffield Conference Ambassador, Professor David Sanders. Sheffield is home to the NHS England National Centre for Refractory Coeliac Disease and has a global reputation in this field.
Events such as this provide an important platform to showcase Sheffield’s reputation in world-leading research and drive the city’s reputation as a destination of innovation.
It’s already been a busy period for 2024 conferences in Sheffield, having hosted DocFest, British Association of Paediatric Surgeons, the UCAS/Discovery Sheffield Expo 24 and the Children’s Media Conference across the summer.
The Autumn programme continues with highlights such as the International Symposium of Academic Makerspaces, European Network of Forensic Science Institute, Association of Internet Research and the Institute of Small Business & Entrepreneurship- all showcasing different areas of Sheffield’s expertise.
The start of the Autumn season coincides with the publication of the annual Sheffield Conference Sector Report (UKCAMS) which has revealed there was a significant increase in the amount of money visitors of conference and business events brought to the city in 2023.
Sheffield’s conference sector has been valued at being worth £114 million to the local economy. It brings the sector value close to pre-pandemic levels once again and shows Sheffield is bucking the national trend, with above average recovery experienced by UK destinations.
Commissioned by Marketing Sheffield each year, the annual report carried out by the UK Conference and Meeting Survey (UK CAMS) provides an overview of the value of business events, and the performance of conference venues in the city.
The report shows that in 2023, there were 12.8k conferences and meetings in Sheffield, attended by over 823,000 business event visitors, with delegate levels up from 2022, by 39%. The delegates of those events accounted for an estimated spend of £114m at venues and in the local area, and also supported an estimated 870 FTE jobs.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Conferences play a vital role in the city’s economy. Not only do they bring business visitors to Sheffield, they can also bring profile, prestige and potential inward investment.
“Sheffield’s hospitality businesses are the first to see the most immediate impact of this, as conference delegates stay in our hotels, eat out in our restaurants and grab coffees from our cafes.”
"I am really excited to welcome my peers to Sheffield and for them to see exactly what the city has to offer.”
Professor David Sanders, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Professor of Gastroenterology at The University of Sheffield
Marketing Sheffield’s successful Conference Ambassador Programme is a key initiative in driving conferences, which includes meetings, larger conferences and attending exhibitions.
The programme helps academics, medical specialists, and industry experts in attracting major conferences and association events to be hosted in the city.
One of the longest running initiatives of its kind in the UK, the Ambassador Programme has helped bring in many of the city’s biggest conference and meetings events, such as the International Coeliac Disease Symposium ICDS.
Professor David Sanders, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Professor of Gastroenterology at The University of Sheffield, led the bid to bring the event to the city. He has a global reputation for his research and practice in this field and says he is ‘exciting to welcome his peers to Sheffield’.
He commented: “I knew Sheffield not only had the venues to accommodate a conference of this nature, with Sheffield City Hall and Cutlers’ Hall, as well as the logistical support for hotels, but that the city had the reputation to attract delegates from this field. I am really excited to welcome my peers to Sheffield and for them to see exactly what the city has to offer.”
Think you could help bring a big conference or association event to Sheffield? Marketing Sheffield’s Conference Team would love to hear from you! For more information visit: welcometosheffield.co.uk/Ambassador or contact Gemma Tissington at Marketing Sheffield: Gemma.Tissington@sheffield.gov.uk