VisitBritain completed detailed new business research into 172 best prospect international conferences profiled on its international association database in December 2004.

30 of the conferences are immediate prospects for the UK and are worth approximately £56.3M in potential delegate expenditure.  

Each conference was pre-selected on best prospect criteria.  Conferences were believed to - be held in series and in international rotation, have not been held in the UK within a period that would exclude new business potential in the medium term, not be confirmed in the UK in future, be of between 800 – 6,000 delegates and be organised by associations that have substantial UK membership and recognise English as an official language.

The research methodology ensured that detailed data was sought both on key headquarters staff at the owning association and, most significantly, on UK based potential bid champions.  New business potential was assessed both in terms of the key quantifiable conditions that determine potential and, most significantly, on qualitative assessment of the UK based bid champions preparedness to bid. Results of the research are detailed below:      

• 30 conferences are immediate prospects, with bid champions or bid committees already involved in bidding or in readiness to do so.
• They are worth an estimated £56.3M in delegate expenditure.   
• 9 conferences are exciting prospects for the UK in the short to medium term, with conditions being good to prepare for a bid within the next 3 years and with identifiable enthusiasm among the UK community to lead a bid.  
• 35 conferences are potential prospects for the short to medium term, the conditions being good to prepare for a future bid within the next 3 years, but with no identifiable bid champion who is prepared to take the initiative to bid and no bid currently underway.
• 5 conferences have potential for the UK in the long term, the conditions not being right for a bid now but likely to be good in 3 – 6 years from now.
• 19 conferences have potential for the UK in the longer term, the conditions are most likely to be right for a bid in 6 – 10 years from now.  
• 30 conferences have dormant potential for the UK, the conditions will be good for a bid after a decade from now.
• 3 conferences are not subject to a competitive bidding process and the conference destination is at the discretion of the owning associations’ headquarters. 
• 3 conferences are held in the country of its current President.  
• 26 conferences are unlikely to ever come to the UK or come back in the foreseeable future.
• 9 conferences are already confirmed in the UK.
• No accurate assessment of the potential of 3 of the conferences could be made.