A new survey from American Express finds planners optimistic about the coming year, but watching costs and the headlines.
Meeting planners are cautiously optimistic as they look toward 2027, according to a new report, concerned about economic and political headwinds.
The American Express Global Business Travel Global Meetings and Events Forecast [PDF], released last week, is based on a survey of 500 meeting professionals from 11 countries in August. Though nearly all respondents (93 percent) said they were optimistic about the health of the sector, the proportion of those calling themselves “very optimistic” declined sharply from 62 percent last year to 45 percent this year.
The report cites risk management and cost concerns as key reasons for the shift. “The sector is readying itself for a more uncertain and expensive world,” the report said.
In addition, the report noted that planners are also feeling pressure to deliver more authentic and personalized experiences to attendees, with a third of respondents saying the biggest changes have been demands for better networking opportunities and more interactive sessions.
“Demand for in-person experiences is rising rapidly as the volume of digital, millisecond touch points permeate our daily lives,” said Richard Atkinson-Toal, global vice president of Amex GBT’s Experience Studio, in the report. “Events are the only part of the marketing mix where you can tap into longer dwell times, cut through the noise, and engage all five senses to connect with your customers.”
39 percent of respondents said they have changed an event’s location due to political instability.
Though AI might be able to help improve that personalization, only 23 percent or respondents said they use attendee data for that purpose. More often, they’re deploying it to support on-site staff (34 percent), communications (32 percent), or engagement tracking (31 percent).
Global political uncertainty and rising fuel costs are also playing a more prominent role in how planners make decisions. Among the top factors planners are considering in a location, according to the survey, is safety for attendees (41 percent) and cost (34 percent). In addition, 39 percent of respondents said they have changed an event’s location due to political instability.
The report suggests that planners look at their contracts to ensure they’re able to make adjustments on short notice if necessary. “Proactive meeting professionals plan for disruption—and this extends to their supplier agreements,” the report says. “Do your supplier contracts allow you to change plans without incurring penalty fees? Your meetings and travel provider should be able to help you negotiate deals with providers that give you the flexibility you need to pivot.”
However stressful those pressures might be, planners generally aren’t shrinking their meetings portfolios, according to the report. Rather, they’re exploring virtual meeting tools, venue changes, increased sponsorship efforts, and reduced food and beverage budgets in response.
In the long-term, however, the report advises planners to be more rigorous about standardizing and consolidating processes, and better tracking data to identify cost savings and better experiences for attendees.
“Meeting professionals are using a range of tactics to deal with rising costs,” the report said. “Individually, these can unlock savings, but to really be effective you need to bring the tactics together as a strategy – one that balances cost reduction with delivering engaging experiences and achieving other program goals. This is the hallmark of a strategic meetings program.”
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