The global meetings and events industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), rising costs, and shifting workforce trends.
According to the latest Q4 2024 Meetings & Events Pulse Survey by Global DMC Partners (GDP), AI adoption among event planners has surged, while budget constraints and growing expectations continue to challenge the industry.
The survey polled meeting and event professionals, the majority of whom are based in the United States (58 percent), United Kingdom (18 percent) and Europe – Non-UK (11 percent), with seven percent in Canada.
Respondents were divided between agency/third-party planners (49 percent), corporate/direct planners (29 percent), and association and independent meeting planners (17 percent), as well as suppliers. Respondents were made of 50 percent Generation X, 25 percent Baby Boomers and 23 percent Millennials.
Key insights included:
- Generational Workforce Trends – Gen X dominates the MICE workforce (50 percent), with Millennials (23 percent) closely following Baby Boomers (25 percent). This mix brings a balance of experience and fresh perspectives to the industry.
- Global Budgets Continue to Tighten – Nearly 50 percent of planners reported budgets staying the same from 2024 to 2025, with only 25 percent seeing increases, as compared to nearly 40 percent reporting increases in the last survey. Despite even tighter budgets, end-client expectations for quality and deliverables continue to rise.
- Rising Costs – Event planners are still facing notable increases in hotels/venues, F&B, airfare, and A/V costs, adding further pressure to budgets.
- International Focus on DEI and Sustainability – International planners lead in both sustainability and DEI. While 32 percent integrate sustainability into most programs vs. 18 percent in the US/Canada, the DEI gap is even wider: 41 percent of international planners include it in most programs, compared to just 23 percent in the US/Canada. Cost remains a key barrier.
- Rapid Growth of AI Adoption – AI use in event planning grew from 48 percent to 57 percent, with chatbots (87 percent) leading the way, followed by grammar checkers (51 percent) and translation tools (30 percent).
Budgets & Costs
Budgets are tightening heading into 2025. As compared to last quarter when nearly 40 percent reported growth in budgets, more respondents (nearly 50 percent) are reporting no changes or budget cuts, and fewer are reporting any increase (25 percent).
Regionally, 32 percent of US/Canada respondents report budget increases compared to 15 percent internationally. Decreasing budgets were reported by 21 percent of respondents from both regions.
Rising costs in hotels, F&B, and A/V continue to strain budgets, forcing planners to prioritize accommodations while cutting back elsewhere. End-client expectations for quality and deliverables keep rising even though costs continue to strain budgets, making it much more challenging for meeting planners.
“In addition to our quarterly survey, we have been gathering feedback on industry trends from our highly valued Customer Advisory Board,” said Global DMC Partners President and CEO Catherine Chaulet.
“While many of the themes overlap, we’ve also found that despite facing budget restraints, planners are still expected to deliver tailored and top-notch, immersive and flexible attendee experiences. Sustainability is no longer optional and there is a demand for wellness-focused event formats, healthier, locally sourced food options, and stress-reducing experiences. Tightening budgets is causing more vendor scrutiny, and planners are insisting on no surprise costs or hidden fees.”
Rising Costs
Event planners are still facing notable cost increases across key categories, with the largest percentage of planners reporting spikes in hotels/venues costs (42 percent of planners are seeing an 11-20 percent rise) and food & beverage costs (35 percent of planners report the same rise). Airfare and A/V costs are also still rising (nearly 20 percent of planners report hikes of 21-30 percent in airfare and A/V costs), adding further pressure to budgets.
These escalating expenses highlight the need for strategic adjustments in budget planning and resource allocation to maintain event quality while controlling costs.
Cost Management Strategies
Some event planners are managing rising costs by trying a variety of strategies. A few more popular tactics include reducing attendee numbers and exploring second or third-tier markets (more than half of respondents reported sometimes using these options). Other tactics include building in more leisure time, reusing decor and materials across multiple events, and reducing the number of days in a program. Early contracting also remains crucial to saving.
Overall, respondents emphasized the need for proactive, early planning and cost efficiency while maintaining event quality.
Top Challenges
Higher costs continue to be the top challenge for U.S./Canadian and International respondents, showing a shared focus on managing expenses. While timely approval from decision-makers ranks second across both groups, budget management is a higher priority internationally, whereas finding availability takes precedence in the U.S./Canada.
Despite slight differences in ranking, the key challenges remain consistent across regions.
Top Challenges – Hotels & Venues
Consistent with an earlier 2024 report, over 80 percent of planners report that higher accommodation rates remain a major challenge most or all of the time. Rising A/V costs are a concern for 65 percent of planners most or all the time, while 75 percent struggle with higher-than-expected F&B costs most or all of the time.
Respondents highlight stricter contracts, higher prepayment demands, and reduced negotiation flexibility, making it harder to stay within budget. As compared to the last survey, 12 percent more planners report there is less room for negotiation now.
Destination Selection
The most important criteria for recommending and selecting destinations is price (accommodation, F&B, taxes), closely followed by the costs of attendee travel and flight availability. The least important criteria include exchange rate, language and destination sustainability.
Planning & Lead Times
Incentive programs tend to have longer lead times, with 33 percent of respondents planning 13-24 months in advance, whereas meetings and conferences are often planned on shorter timelines, with 36 percent being organized just 4-6 months ahead.
Many respondents highlighted the challenge of shorter lead times, with factors such as internal schedules and slow hotel response times impacting planning timelines.
Although planners reach out to DMCs on similar timelines as destinations, hotels, and venues, lead times for DMCs tend to be slightly shorter. Planners are generally contacting DMCs 7-9 months ahead, with some even reaching out just 2-3 months in advance. Timelines vary based on when program details are finalized, with some reaching out as early as 2+ years and others as soon as briefs are received.
DEI, Sustainability & Wellness
DEI, sustainability, and wellness continue to be priorities in event planning for many. Below are the reported frequencies of incorporating these elements into programs, as shared by respondents.
33 percent of respondents report incorporating DEI & Accessibility into most of their programs, while 25 percent report rarely incorporating these elements.
Regarding sustainability efforts, 50 percent of respondents say they incorporate sustainability into at least half of their programs. As it relates to wellness, 55 percent incorporate components in less than half of their programs.
International respondents report higher adoption of DEI and accessibility, with 41 percent incorporating these elements in most programs and 21 percent in every program. In the US and Canada, only eight percent include DEI in every program. 23 percent include DEI in most programs – just over half of the 41 percent reported by international respondents.
The most frequently incorporated measures include accessible venues, initiatives that cultivate collective belonging and networking, and a diverse speaker lineup.
International respondents also show greater integration of sustainability, with 55 percent including it in most or every program. In the US and Canada, only 19 percent incorporate sustainability in most programs, and just 6 percent do so in every program. Additionally, 27 percent of US and Canadian respondents rarely include sustainability, compared to only nine percent internationally, reflecting a notable gap.
The most frequently incorporated sustainability elements include reducing plastic usage/waste, locally sourced food options and selecting program components within walking distance.
Wellness Implementation
While wellness isn’t universally integrated into every program, certain elements are
gaining traction.
Healthier F&B options lead the way (72 percent choose these options most of the time or always), followed by relaxing activities.
Family-friendly activities, however, remain a lower priority, with 70 percent rarely or never incorporating them.
The most frequently incorporated wellness elements are healthier F&B options, physically active experiences, and relaxing activities.
AI Adoption
AI adoption in event planning continues to grow, rising from 48 percent last quarter to 57 percent this quarter.
Chatbots remain the most widely used tool, with 87 percent of respondents utilizing them. Other popular tools include grammar checkers (used by 51 percent of respondents), translation tools (used by 30 percent), content creation (used by 25 percent), and note-taking (used by 18 percent), with a few citing tools like Canva and Zoom AI among other tools.
Microsoft Teams and Zoom dominate technology usage among event planners, with 84 percent and 78 percent of respondents using them, respectively. Other widely used tools include Cvent Registration/Attendee Management (60 percent), Cvent Supplier Network for venue sourcing (54 percent), and G-Suite (46 percent). Salesforce is utilized by 25 percent, while 20 percent reported using other tools, such as Monday.com, Whova, and Smartsheet.
