Host City

What Host City does

Host City is an annual conference and exhibition brand operated by Cavendish Group International Ltd, a UK private limited company headquartered in Weybridge, Surrey. The company's flagship product, the Host City Conference & Exhibition, is a two-day in-person event held in Glasgow, Scotland (with 2026 scheduled for 1-2 December at Radisson Blu) that convenes major event rights holders, host cities, organizing committees, and event suppliers to discuss strategy, sustainability, legacy, and delivery of international sports, business, and cultural events. The 2025 edition, the 12th, attracted more than 200 attendees from 25 countries under the theme 'Get on with the Business of Events,' supported by Global Presenting Partnerships with Glasgow Life and EventScotland.

The business operates three product lines: the core annual conference (revenue from registration fees, sponsorship, and exhibition space), the Host City Awards (a second-annual recognition program with categories spanning engagement, sustainability, economic impact, and infrastructure), and Host City Magazine (a digital emagazine distributed via Issuu). Revenue is generated through one-time conference registration and sponsorship packages plus recurring publishing/media activity, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The company employs a multi-channel marketing approach spanning an email newsletter (HubSpot signup), active social profiles on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr, and content publishing on its news website.

Customer segments are horizontal across the major events value chain: international sports federations and rights holders (primary), cities and destination marketing organizations (primary), and event suppliers and service providers (secondary). Notable repeat participants include IOC Member Anita DeFrantz, IOC Honorary Member Sam Ramsamy, Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Katie Sadleir, and World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no disclosed headcount, and no disclosed revenue; it operates as a privately held, independent business under its parent Cavendish Group International Ltd.

Name

Host City

Legal name

Cavendish Group International Ltd

Website

https://hostcity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Host City operates an annual conference and exhibition in Glasgow that convenes major event rights holders, host cities, and suppliers to discuss strategy and delivery of international sports, business, and cultural events, supported by awards and a digital magazine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Events and Conferences

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Major events conference
• Host city conference
• Sports business events
• Event industry exhibition
• Events trade publication

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from attendee registration fees for the annual Host City conference and exhibition. The event offers various registration tiers including general attendance and specialized workshop access.
2. Sponsorship and Exhibition: Revenue from companies and organizations sponsoring the event or purchasing exhibition space. Sponsors gain access to decision-makers in the major events industry.
3. Publishing and Media: Revenue generated through the Host City Magazine, online content, and digital media platforms that share best practice within the international events community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Host City organises and runs the annual Host City Conference & Exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing together major event owners (rights holders, international federations, organising committees), host cities/destinations and event suppliers for two to three days of conference sessions, workshops, an exhibition floor, and networking, complemented by the Host City Awards ceremony and Host City Magazine emagazine. Revenue is generated through paid delegate registration, sponsorship and exhibition packages, and adjacent media/publishing via Host City Magazine and the Host City news platform.

Product overview

Host City is an events and media brand that operates as a single unified product portfolio centered around its annual conference and exhibition. The core offering is the Host City Conference & Exhibition, which serves as the primary platform connecting owners, hosts, and organizers of major events. This is supported by the Host City Awards (recognizing excellence in event hosting) and Host City Magazine (a digital publication accompanying the annual event). The company does not operate a software-as-a-service platform but rather delivers in-person and hybrid event experiences along with related media and publishing products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Host City Awards: Annual awards celebrating excellence in hosting, delivering, and promoting major sports, business, and cultural events worldwide
• Host City Magazine
• Host City Awards 2025

Products and services

• Host City Conference & Exhibition Annual flagship B2B conference and exhibition held in Glasgow, Scotland, bringing together major event owners (rights holders, international federations, organising committees), host cities and destinations, and event suppliers for two to three days of plenary sessions, keynote addresses, workshops, exhibition and networking under themes such as sustainability, AI/technology adoption, sponsorship models, mega-events, and legacy impact.
• Host City Magazine Annual digital emagazine published in conjunction with the Host City Conference, available online for reading and sharing with industry colleagues, covering speaker insights and major events industry content.
• Host City Awards Annual awards programme delivered alongside the Host City Conference, recognising exceptional accomplishments by international federations, rights holders, destinations, service providers and suppliers in hosting and delivering major events.
• Host City Pre-Conference Specialist Workshops Specialist pre-conference workshop programming offered to delegates attending the annual Host City Conference, providing focused deep-dive content alongside the main plenary and exhibition programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Host City 2025 brought together more than 200 owners, organizers and hosts from 25 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Glasgow LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlasgow Life is a charity working for the benefit of the people of Glasgow, operating programmes ranging from grassroots community activities to large-scale cultural and sporting events. Serves as Global Presenting Partner and Host for the annual Host City conference, supporting the event's delivery in Glasgow.
• EventScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of of VisitScotland, EventScotland works to make Scotland the perfect stage for events by securing and supporting an event portfolio. Serves as Global Presenting Partner and Host for the annual Host City conference, providing funding and support.
• Cavendish Group International LtdcoreOthersParent company of Host City brand. Registered in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. Publishes Host City conference, exhibition, awards, and online publishing platforms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SportsPro Live: Sports media and business event series (SportsPro Live, OTT Summit) covering broadcasting, sponsorship, and sports commerce. Directly comparable audience of rights holders, broadcasters, and commercial partners, with a deeper sports-media vertical focus.
• Soccerex: Annual sports business conference focused on the global football industry, connecting federations, clubs, leagues, sponsors, and host cities. Operates the same premium B2B conference-with-exhibition model as Host City, with a more sport-specific vertical focus.
• SportAccord (GAISF): Multi-sport industry summit bringing together international federations, the IOC, and event organizers. Highly comparable in audience (rights holders, cities, suppliers) and convening function, though typically hosted at rotating global venues rather than anchored in one city.
• Sportel Monaco: Annual sports media and technology convention held in Monaco, gathering broadcasters, leagues, federations, and tech providers. Similar B2B convening model focused on the sports industry value chain.
• Leaders in Sport: Sports business events and content platform serving performance directors, federations, and sport executives. Closely comparable audience and thought-leadership positioning to Host City, with both events and editorial components.
• ALSD (Association of Luxury Suite Directors): International association and annual conference for premium hospitality, venues, and sports stadium operators. Comparable B2B convening model serving the major events venue ecosystem, with both annual event and year-round member community components.
• International Confex: UK events industry exhibition bringing together event organizers, venues, and suppliers. Comparable as a B2B events trade show with sponsorship/exhibition revenue, though broader than sports and serves the events industry generally rather than specifically major events.

Broad incumbents

• ibtm world: Global flagship MICE industry trade show operated in Barcelona. A larger, broader incumbent in the same conference/exhibition business, but addressing the full meetings industry rather than Host City's major-events niche.
• IMEX Group: Operator of IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America, the largest global MICE trade shows. Much larger incumbent in the same conference/exhibition business model as Host City, but serves the broader meetings and events industry rather than specializing in major sports/cultural events.

Regional players

• The Meetings Show: UK meetings and events industry exhibition held in London. Regionally comparable B2B events exhibition serving the UK market, with overlapping supplier and venue audiences though not specializing in major sports/cultural events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Host_City
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKspI68OASP7juwR4Hvd3dg
• Facebookfacebook.com/HostCityMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/host-city-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Host City