Meetings Industry Association
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is a UK non-profit trade association founded in 1990 that serves the business meetings and events industry. It provides the UK's only recognised accreditation standard, a benchmarking platform (miaTouchstone), events, training, and government advocacy to venues, suppliers, and event bookers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMarket Harborough, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Meetings Industry Association does
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is a UK non-profit trade association founded in 1990 and headquartered in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. It serves the UK business meetings and events industry, providing accreditation, benchmarking, training, events, and government advocacy to venues, suppliers, booking agents, and corporate event bookers. MIA Accreditation is the UK's only recognised quality standard for the sector, offered in Gold, Silver, and Small Venues tiers, and is the principal revenue-driving and membership-attracting asset.
The association's product portfolio includes the miaTouchstone (formerly Touchstone) cloud-based venue management and benchmarking platform exclusive to AIM Secure members, the miaList awards programme, the MIA Conference, ESG Summit, miaConnect networking events, The Meetings Show, and quarterly MIA Insights Surveys. Core technology is built around a proprietary document management and business intelligence platform, providing legal document hosting, risk assessments, and benchmarking reports for accredited venues and their bookers. The platform is positioned as a connector between venues and corporate bookers, creating interoperability between accreditation standards and procurement workflows.
MIA operates a diversified revenue model combining recurring membership subscriptions, event ticket sales and sponsorship, and training courses. Membership is sold directly through the members portal, with sponsorship packages ranging from £50 to £425 for Agent Events. The association works in partnership with VisitBritain, isla, Stress Matters, and Diversity Alliance to extend its reach into sustainability, wellbeing, and accessibility. With 189 employees, the organisation is led by CEO Kerrin MacPhie and is self-sustaining through membership and event revenues, with no parent company or external funding.
Meetings Industry Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Meetings Industry Association
- Legal name
- The Meetings Industry Association Limited
- Website
- https://mia-uk.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is a UK non-profit trade association founded in 1990 that serves the business meetings and events industry. It provides the UK's only recognised accreditation standard, a benchmarking platform (miaTouchstone), events, training, and government advocacy to venues, suppliers, and event bookers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Meetings Industry Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Association Services
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Professional Organizations (813920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Internal Meeting & Workshop Management (THAHAIAA), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)
Keywords
Where Meetings Industry Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Market Harborough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meetings Industry Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for organizations and individuals in the meetings and events industry, providing access to accreditation, resources, networking, and training.
- Event Tickets and Sponsorship: Revenue from flagship events including miaList awards, MIA Conference, miaConnect, ESG Summit, and Agent Events. Also includes sponsorship packages at various price points.
- Training Courses: On-demand training courses and professional development programs for industry professionals, including discounted rates for members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Agent Event Sponsorship packages with varying visibility and benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Meetings Industry Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is a UK-based non-profit trade association serving the meetings and events industry, providing the UK's only recognised venue quality standard (MIA Accreditation), industry advocacy, the miaTouchstone digital platform, benchmarking surveys (MIA Insights), training programmes, and networking events including the annual MIA Conference and ESG Summit.
Product overview
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) operates as a trade association supporting the UK business meetings and events industry. Rather than a unified technology platform, the MIA offers a portfolio of accreditation programs, research services, events, and guidance resources. The core offerings include MIA Accreditation (the UK's recognized quality standard with Gold, Silver, and Small Venues tiers), Meetings Intelligence (formerly Touchstone) as a benchmarking and insights platform, the miaList awards program, and various events including the MIA Conference, ESG Summit, and miaConnect networking. Additional services include a Venue Directory, Supplier Search, MIA Insights Surveys (quarterly industry reports), Peer to Peer Groups, on-demand training courses, and sustainability resources including the Green Meetings Standard. The association also provides guidance on accessibility, Martyn's Law, and employment law changes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- miaList: The association's awards programme recognizing excellence in the meetings and events industry.
- MIA Conference
- miaConnect
- miaTouchstone
Products and services
- MIA Accreditation
Quantifiable outcome
- Keeper of MIA Accreditation – the UK's only recognised quality standard
Companies that use Meetings Industry Association
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Meetings Industry Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Meetings Industry Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stress MatterscoreStress Matters is a workplace wellbeing organisation and certified B Corporation. The MIA is a proud partner, sharing information on workplace wellness to all members. Services include Wellbeing Manager Programme, Mental Health First Aid Training, and Wellbeing Workshop Programme.
- Green Meeting StandardcoreA sustainability standard for venues, developed by the MIA to help venues demonstrate environmental responsibility and reduce carbon footprint. The accreditation helps hotels and venues attract environmentally conscious clients.
- Direction TrainingminorTraining provider partnered with MIA to deliver discounted COVID Awareness training to members. Provides online learning programmes endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality including Professional Food Service, Customer Service, and Food Safety courses.
- VisitBritain Business EventscorePartnership on sustainability initiatives including production of sustainability guides and toolkits. VisitBritain partnered with isla and GDS-Movement to develop sustainability resources for the industry journey to net zero.
- islacoreSustainability organization partnered with VisitBritain to produce guides supporting the industry journey to net zero, including 'Sustainability in practice: A pathway for venues'.
- Gabrielle Austen-Browne / Diversity AllianceminorCollaborated with Gabrielle Austen-Browne, Founder of Diversity Alliance, to develop the Accessibility Guide for accessible events, helping professionals meet legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Meetings Industry Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): Global community for business events strategists delivering education, certification, and industry research — a direct functional analogue to MIA's accreditation, training, and benchmarking offerings in the meetings sector.
- Association of Event Organisers (AEO): UK trade association for exhibition and event organisers, directly comparable as a domestic industry body serving the same events ecosystem with accreditation, advocacy, and networking programs.
- Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE): Global association for the incentive travel and meetings industry delivering education, certification, and networking — comparable to MIA's membership, training, and events programming for corporate events professionals.
- Events Industry Alliance (EIA): UK umbrella body representing event supplier trade associations, comparable as a domestic industry-association peer providing advocacy, research, and representation to UK events suppliers and venues.
- International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA): Global association for the international meetings industry providing membership, research, and industry rankings — directly comparable as a peer industry body serving venues, suppliers, and destinations.
- Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO): UK association representing professional conference organisers, overlapping with MIA's UK meetings/events remit and offering membership, benchmarking, and professional development to a closely adjacent audience.
- Meeting Professionals International (MPI): Global membership association for meeting and event professionals offering education, certification, and community — closely comparable to MIA's UK meetings industry remit but operating at international scale.
Regional players
- Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA): UK association for hotel booking agencies and venues, closely comparable in membership-driven UK events industry positioning though focused more narrowly on hotel intermediary relationships.
Broad incumbents
- American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): Major US association for the association management industry broadly — relevant as a broader-incumbent model for how large trade associations deliver accreditation, education, research, and events at scale.
Others
- VisitBritain Business Events: National tourism body promoting the UK as a business events destination — listed as a strategic partner of MIA and comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant influencing UK meetings industry standards and demand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Meetings Industry Association social profiles
Digital presenceMeetings Industry Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meetings Industry Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Meetings Industry Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meetings Industry Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Meetings Industry Association
What does Meetings Industry Association do?
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is a UK-based non-profit trade association serving the meetings and events industry, providing the UK's only recognised venue quality standard (MIA Accreditation), industry advocacy, the miaTouchstone digital platform, benchmarking surveys (MIA Insights), training programmes, and networking events including the annual MIA Conference and ESG Summit.
Is Meetings Industry Association a public or private company?
Meetings Industry Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Meetings Industry Association founded?
Meetings Industry Association was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Meetings Industry Association based?
Meetings Industry Association is headquartered in Market Harborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Meetings Industry Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Tickets and Sponsorship and training Courses.
Who are Meetings Industry Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE), Events Industry Alliance (EIA), International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) is listed as a regional player. American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is listed as a broad incumbent. VisitBritain Business Events is listed as an others.
Does Meetings Industry Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meetings Industry Association.
What industry is Meetings Industry Association in?
Meetings Industry Association's product category is Trade Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAM, Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics), with a secondary code of THAHAIAA, Internal Meeting & Workshop Management. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.