ABSTRACT
I n t r o d u c t i o n The conference industry is highly complex, comprising a multiplicity of buyer and supplier organizations and businesses. For many conference organizers (‘the buyers’), the organization of conferences and similar events is only a part of their job, and often one for which they have received little formal training and may only have a temporary responsibility. Suppliers include conference venues and destinations, accommodation providers and transport companies, agencies and specialist contractors. Both buyers and suppliers are welded together, and supported by national bodies and associations, trade press and educational institutions, each contributing to the overall structure of this fast-developing global industry.
