BSGE – How a medical society more than doubled its conference income in four years
When the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy chose Outsourced Events as its first-ever professional conference organiser, neither party knew the partnership would deliver 106% income growth in just four years.
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From first appointment to the biggest conference in the BSGE’s 37-year history.
In 2023, BSGE made a decision that would transform its Annual Scientific Meeting. For the first time in its history, it appointed an external professional conference organiser, Outsourced Events (OE), to take full ownership of its flagship event. What followed was four consecutive years of record-breaking growth in income, attendance and delegate satisfaction, culminating in the 2026 ASM at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Westminster: 1,000+ delegates, 49 sponsors and exhibitors and over £1m in total event income.
Objective
BSGE’s Annual Scientific Meeting is the primary forum for peer education, clinical knowledge exchange and professional community in minimal access gynaecology. Having managed the event independently for over three decades, BSGE appointed OE to professionalise the PCO function, grow the commercial model and elevate the delegate experience year on year, while preserving the clinical rigour and community feel that makes the ASM indispensable to its members.
At a Glance
ClientBritish Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE)
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Strategic solutions
The challenge: untapped potential, limited resource
With a loyal clinical membership, strong academic content and growing sponsor base, BSGE had the foundations for a world-class Annual Scientific Meeting. But to realise that potential, the Society needed dedicated event resource it didn't have in-house. Rather than limit ambition to available capacity, BSGE made a proactive decision: appoint an external PCO and give the ASM the professional infrastructure it needed to grow.
The solution: a consultative PCO partnership
From the outset, OE brought a consultative approach that went beyond operational delivery. While BSGE curated the scientific programme, OE managed its delivery end-to-end, including speakers, abstracts, workshop co-ordination, hybrid platform, registration, badging and on-site logistics. But it was OE’s commercial thinking that drove the most significant change. Analysing previous years’ data, OE identified that revenue was being lost through the volume of complimentary delegate places being offered and made targeted recommendations to limit these - directly increasing delegate income. On the sponsor and exhibitor side, while BSGE already had a tiered package structure in place, 2026 was the first year OE had the opportunity to enhance it in full. Working closely with the BSGE team, OE refined the offer, inclusions and add-ons across each tier and refreshed the look and feel of the sponsorship prospectus, giving the sales process a more compelling, professional foundation. This consultative approach grew delegate income by +151% and sponsor and exhibitor income by +79% over four years, with exhibitor numbers rising from 30 to 49. New commercial opportunities were introduced year on year, including the Innovation Zone in 2026 - a dedicated showcase for emerging surgical technology, accessed through a competitive Call for Innovation process and home to the peer engagement programme.
The experience: scaling ambition year on year
Each year, the event moved to a more prestigious venue: Manchester in 2023, ICC Belfast in 2024, Royal Armouries Leeds in 2025 and the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster in 2026. The programme itself evolved in ambition to match. Three live surgical theatres ran simultaneously, giving delegates real-time access to operating theatre content from their seats. The Innovation Zone - a dedicated showcase space for emerging surgical technology, featured a -style screening area. A new Speakers’ Corner gave poster presenters a dedicated stage to share their research directly with delegates, raising the profile of abstract submissions and creating a new layer of peer engagement within the exhibition space. The programme also included AI-focused sessions, cadaveric anatomy masterclasses and robotic surgery, alongside 12 hands-on pre-congress workshops, the majority of which sold out in advance. The social programme was equally ambitious. The RIGS Dinner was hosted by Michelin Green Star chef Will Devlin, offering an exceptional dining experience for around 100 guests. The Tower Bridge event gave delegates exclusive access to the high-level walkways above the Thames, before the conference closed with the Silver Sturgeon Gala Dinner - a private event aboard a luxury Thames vessel for 300 guests.
The scale of the event reflects that growth: 1,000+ delegates attended the 2026 ASM, up from 480 in 2023, alongside 49 sponsors and exhibitors compared to 30 at the start of the partnership. Delegate satisfaction matched the commercial performance. Of 476 post-event responses, 98% said they would definitely or likely recommend the conference to a colleague, 99% said it would influence their clinical practice, 94% rated the scientific programme Excellent or Good and 95% rated the OE team as Excellent or Good for organisation, support and communication.
The results
+100% growth in total event income to over £1m
+151%growth in delegate income
+79%growth in sponsor and exhibitor income
Ready to transform your association’s annual conference?
Our track record with BSGE demonstrates what a long-term PCO partnership can achieve commercially, operationally and for the delegates who matter most. Whether you’re looking to grow your event’s income, elevate the delegate experience or simply take the operational burden off your team, we’d love to talk.
