Report shows chronic skills shortage in the events industry

Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) has released the findings of three years of research into the skills needs in the events industry, that shows extreme skills shortages in the sector.

Introducing the research, MEA Chief Executive, Robyn Johnson stated "the research explores the experience of a large cohort of events industry practitioners and examines skills shortages and recruitment challenges in the sector.

Analysis undertaken for MEA by research organisation McCrindle found that 58% of respondents have experienced difficulties recruiting skilled event professionals. The surveys revealed this to be a trend across the three years of data collection.

The report shows chronic shortages at mid-level management, with 40% of roles proving difficult to fill. There is also a 23% shortage of suitable candidates for senior management positions.

Other concerns by respondents include a lack of solid experience and a track record among potential employees with questionable expectations in respect of remuneration levels.

Johnson added "this research is critically important for the events industry, providing valuable data on the makeup of our workforce.

“MEA will use this research to inform government on the skills shortages and the need for industry support to design our future professional education programs.”

Click here to access the full report.