The events sector was worth £7.2bn in 2009 according to events trade body Eventia, down from £8bn in 2009.

The figure comes from Eventia's UK Event Market Trends Survey (UKEMTS) which measures the volume and value of the UK conference and business events market from a supply-side or venue perspective.

Eventia say the results provide the definitive estimate of the market's value in terms of direct revenue to event venues, and are widely used to inform investment, advocacy and marketing activities.

The 2010 UKEMTS will look at producing estimates for the wider economic impact of business events on the national economy.

The study will be gathering data from venues on the number of events held during 2009, rates achieved, event duration and size, client type, lead times, and projections for business levels and product investments in 2010.

Several leading industry organisations including Confex Group's Venuefinder.com, Meetings & Incentive Travel, Conference Centres of Excellence, and MeetEngland are lending their support to the research.

Izania Downie, Eventia CEO, said, "We are working hard to build on the success of last year's research, when a record 512 venues took part. Through collaboration with convention bureaux, industry trade associations, venue marketing consortia, and the trade media, we hope to exceed the number of reporting venues and ensure the survey findings accurately reflect the scale of our industry and its key trends."

The survey questionnaire is available online and as a Word document and will remain open until 2 April. The report will be available in June 2010.