Northstar Meetings Group and Cvent have released their latest poll on what meeting planners expect in the coming months in the event space. The survey was conducted between March 21 and April 5.
According to the report, event bookings—especially those new for 2023—continue to contribute to confidence among planners (although slightly down from previous polls conducted this year), but there are some areas where they are raising some flags. Planners (30 percent) also report that they are still working through a backlog of events that were postponed during the pandemic, which is compounded with difficulties finding facilities, available dates, and rates as well as quicker turnaround times from planning to event. Attendance was also considered, with 52 percent saying that they expect an average number of attendees at 90 percent or better compared to 2022.
Some other key findings:
Planners are busier: Nearly two-thirds of planners expect more events in 2023 over the previous year., so they likely value relationships that make their jobs easier.
Average planning time is under a year: 53 percent of planners said they are booking events less than a year from the scheduled date.
International events are coming back: For US-based planners, Europe is dominating the scene with 68 percent of events expected on the continent.
Dollars aren’t going as far: Airline pricing rose as a top concern this survey, followed by meeting budgets and travel budgets. Hotel staffing and emergency response planning were also other concerns that ticked higher for planners. Among issues specific to the venue, food and beverage costs on the rise topped the list, as did overall rates and AV fees. Also, the lack of quick response from suppliers was another frustration of note.
COVID: Surprisingly, one in five planners say that COVID is still impacting their job for any reason, which could include the backlog of rescheduled events to the lack of staff in the hospitality industry to managing risks of an outbreak of illness.
The full report is available for download here.
[04.11.23]