MICE + hoteliers: It’s time to capitalize on London as a center of knowledge

MICE means money for hotels. But what industries are worth capitalizing on? With a fast-moving economy hotels risk missing out if they don’t stay aware and agile. Here’s what hoteliers in London need to know about the state of MICE right now to define a Find, Book and Grow strategy that works. 

Smart hoteliers know that Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) bring massive potential. The MICE tourism market size was worth USD$42.8 billion in 2022, and this is set to have almost doubled to $83.9 billion by 2032. Fueled by increasing investment in MICE, growing economic benefits, the continuing globalization of business, and increased focus on employee motivation and wellbeing – analysts are optimistic about the future.

The MICE market in London is strong, but with more supply coming to the market, very competitve. The city’s strategic location and infrastructure continues to make it a leader, while global trends towards knowledge exchange and professional development are driving growth. Almost half of the 42.5 million overseas visitors to Great Britain in 2024 went to London, and 17% visited for business reasons.

With close to a fifth of London’s overseas visitors being business travelers, hotels need fact-based evidence to define strategies to effectively capture MICE business. That’s why Knowland by Cendyn returned to Europe, starting with a pilot in London in June 2025.

Having grown our data and knowledge, we now have crucial insights about market segment distribution and top industries that hoteliers can look towards to drive MICE revenue, shared in our London MICE Market Insights report.

Here are the stand-out facts hoteliers in London need to know.

Corporate strength underpinned by professional networks

So far in 2025, the Corporate segment is the frontrunner in the MICE market in London, holding the highest proportion of market share.

In fact, corporate events accounted for 48% of the global MICE market last year, while corporate event participation accounts for 58% of global MICE activity. Clearly, focusing on the Corporate segment is a smart move for hoteliers.

Although corporate-driven MICE is the leading segment, there is also notable growth happening in the Association segment – which covers professional development and networking events. With year-on-year growth in event volume, hoteliers should take notice of this emerging trend that reflects London’s strategic location and infrastructure.

Training and Education is a primary growth driver

Upskilling employees, and giving them opportunities to gain knowledge and learn new skills, have become critical pillars to the success of businesses today. Almost half of employees say that having opportunities to learn new skills is a key consideration when it comes to their decision to stay with their employer or leave for another job.

Training expenditure increased almost 5% to $102.8 billion in 2024-2025. With 49% of training hours delivered in-person, businesses and employees are returning to in-person training, fueled by a rising desire employees have for professional connection and personal growth.

In Q3 of 2025, this sentiment was a key driver in the profound growth of the Training and Education events in London. Growing significantly year-on-year, these industries experienced the highest growth of any segment. A hub for learning with world-class universities, training providers, and experts, London is harnessing its unparalleled strength here.

Quarterly upward trends in industries

By pinpointing patterns and honing in on well-performing or growing industries, hoteliers can develop a more focused MICE strategy. The Travel and Consulting sectors have often been steady anchors in the MICE landscape, and our latest data confirms this.

Charities and Non-Profits also have expanding influence, showing steady growth from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025. In addition, Technology, Weddings, and Healthcare activity saw growth during the same period. International Government and Real Estate also surged, signaling renewed cross-border engagement and infrastructure-related events returning to London’s calendar.

By looking at trends on a quarterly basis like this, hotel teams can be agile to prospect the right industries in specific quarters. For example, our report shows that wedding demand declined overall from Q1 to Q3 between 2024 and 2025, but the growth from Q3 2024 to Q3 2025 shows summer is when demand is highest, so hotels can yield their wedding packages according to this seasonality.

When sectors aren’t growing

Understanding when different industries aren’t as active signals to hoteliers to revise their strategy to align with actual market trends.

Our latest data shows there’s been a decline in meetings and events booked by Staffing, Manufacturing, Social/Sports, Aerospace, and European Government during Q3 year on year.

Hoteliers need to actively account for these downward trends to be responsive to market conditions based on changing data. Feeding this into resource management means hotels can guide sales teams towards the right industries at the right times, focusing their efforts to maximize success.

How can London hoteliers tap into MICE trends?

The data is clear: London’s MICE market is constantly shifting, and having access to this information brings clear opportunities for commercial teams ready to act.

So what should hoteliers do?

• Prioritize flexible and tech-enabled meeting spaces to accommodate hybrid formats and interactive sessions.
• Deepen partnerships with universities, training providers, consultancies, and government organizations that value London’s connectivity and expertise.
• Leverage data and segmentation insights to identify relevant business opportunities with likelihood to convert and nurture long-term relationships in expanding verticals.

London’s MICE market is full of potential for hoteliers. And now Knowland by Cendyn has data that holds the key to unlocking it. Elevating your Find, Book, and Grow strategy depends on it.