Dear UIA members, 

Subvention is a widely discussed topic in the event industry. Where one sees it as a poorly justified incentive, others see it as a necessity and a business enabler. Decennia have passed since subventions were first introduced in the event industry and as our industry evolves, so do the practice and the attitudes around the subject. 

At the same time, only very little has been written about it. Why? Is it the lack of information that is available? Or is it because most subventions are tailored to the needs of the organizer, with a general lack of best practice? Or is it that destinations are not willing to give away their sales strategy?

Besides that, it is not transparent and it is not clear who is offering what. Now with the digital revolution and new technologies penetrating the event industry, it might be the time to change that. Many associations are in need of financial aid and some take the lead in this by offering financial support in return for events. Conferli felt it was time to conduct a market study in order to reflect on the status of subvention. 

In this report you will read about the situation regarding subventions before the pandemic and what different types of subventions are offered now. This report further discusses the emerging trends and summarizes key findings. The results of the survey have been implemented into Conferli.com, which gives associations the opportunity to filter on subvention and find out which destinations do or don't offer this. It might help to make your destination selection process a lot easier. 

Enjoy reading and take care, 

Nienke van der Malen 

CEO/Founder Conferli