As economic and geopolitical challenges persist, a new survey finds meetings leaders are looking for more value in current programs.

According to a new survey, meetings and events leaders are restraining their ambitions in the face of political and economic headwinds, looking to derive more value from current offerings rather than expanding.

The BCD Meetings & Events 2026 Global Client Survey [PDF], released last month, is based on responses from 240 global meetings professionals surveyed between January and March. Larger proportions of respondents said they expected budgets and volume to remain flat compared to 2025. Currently, 57 percent of respondents expect budgets to remain flat, 56 percent expect event volume to remain flat, and nearly 70 percent expect event size to remain unchanged, 

“Organizations are concentrating on making existing programs work harder rather than expanding them,” said Shauna Whitehead, SVP of Commercial Strategy at BCD Meetings & Events. “This means being more selective about the types of events that receive the most investment across their portfolio, strengthening ROI measurement, leveraging technology and AI for efficiencies in the sourcing and planning phases, forming more strategic supplier partnerships, and aligning meeting objectives more closely with business outcomes.”

As the industry moves beyond a contraction, the report suggests that professionals are looking to invest in new strategies rather than cost-cutting. Thirty-eight percent say they are reevaluating their budget allocations, and 37 percent say that they are paying close attention to ROI and value assessments.

“M&E teams are taking on a more strategic role, strengthening data-driven reporting, creating governance and program standards to drive consistency in brand and delivery, collaborating more closely with cross-functional stakeholders, and aligning events more directly with organizational goals,” said Whitehead. “As industry expectations evolve, many teams are also expanding their focus beyond event logistics to include attendee experience, content strategy, and measurable business outcomes, positioning themselves as strategic advisors and business partners rather than event executors.”

Despite the more complex role that events leaders are assuming, they are also restraining their ambitions around sustainability goals. Improving travel efficiency (43 percent) grew in focus compared to the 2025 survey, while other efforts such as on-site recycling (32 percent) experienced year-over-year declines. With more immediate concerns consuming professionals’ attention, they are less likely to pursue complex sustainability initiatives. As the report puts it, “Sustainability priorities are concentrating on a smaller set of practical, easier-to-implement actions, while broader or more complex initiatives are declining.”

Whitehead said this change should be seen as part of a long-range strategy, not an abandonment of interest in sustainability.

“As sustainability strategies become more targeted, leaders have an opportunity to demonstrate that these actions are part of a meaningful long-term commitment rather than a reduction in ambition,” she said. “Clear communication of goals, outcomes, and measurable results can help address concerns that smaller-scale initiatives may be perceived as superficial.”

And because technological, economic, and geopolitical factors have been changing rapidly, Whitehead said the meetings environment is likely to shift as well. “It will also be important to track the growing influence of AI, demand for personalized experiences, and the impact of geopolitical and economic conditions on event strategy, risk management, and destination selection,” she said.

The post Report: Events Pros Slower to Expand appeared first on Associations Now.