Bright outlook for 2025 with increased brand budgets, the AI revolution, and authentic sustainability
Charlotte Flach
Editor, C&IT
The future is bright for meetings and events, the 14th Annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast by Amex GBT Meetings & Events has revealed.
Budgets and spend
Despite challenges like rising costs and ongoing staffing shortages, 66% of respondents expect their budgets to grow. However, 74% of professionals remain optimistic about the industry's health, a lower figure than 2024.
Meeting professionals continue to anticipate that internal meetings will be the most frequent meeting type in 2025, with meeting professionals expecting that nearly half of internal meetings will be held at a hotel, 34% will be in a different city, and 35% will include social activities for networking.
When surveyed about budget increases, the top priority for professionals was to invest in "improving the onsite experience."
Regional differences in budget and spend:
- North America: 70% of meeting professionals in North America expect their meeting spend to increase in 2025 compared with 72% in 2024.
-Europe: 82% of European meeting professionals will host meetings with an in-person component in 2025, with 65% expecting their meeting spend to increase in the next year.
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