The latest Meetings Industry PULSE Survey, co-produced by Cvent and Northstar Meetings Group, indicates that planners are sourcing plenty of new business for this year, although optimism is slightly down from the same period last year. Note that the survey was conducted in late January and early February 2025, prior to most official announcements by the Trump administration to enact tariffs.
Good news for the US as inbound meetings (for groups outside the US) have increased over last year (54% vs. 42%), while Europe, which slipped a bit over 2024 (65% in 2024), remains the top destination in 2025 (61%). Mexico rounds out the top three, which is up slightly over last year (43% in 2025 vs. 39%).
No surprise, higher costs of goods and services and budget constraints were the top two issues again this year. Several other issues—political, cultural, and social issues; cybersecurity; weather-related events; and duty of care/emergency response planning—while still lower on the list of pain points, have risen in concern in 2025.
Of the concerns when choosing a destination city: cost, quality of venues, and quality of accommodations lead the pack. Based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “not at all important” and 5 being “extremely important,” accessibility (via ground transportation) ranked at 3.72. Lowest on the list was sustainable practices at venues, coming in at 3.02.
Key highlights from the report’s executive summary:
- The active business pipeline rose slightly since last January: More than 70% of respondents are either actively booking or currently sourcing.
- The pace of year-over-year meetings volume growth has slowed, but it’s skill skewing “net positive.” 52% of planners report they will plan more meetings in 2025 than they did in 2024.
- The number of US inbound programs are up, while Europe remains the outbound destination of choice.
- All concerns have grown in importance among planners. While costs and budget constraints continue to rank as planners’ biggest concerns, political and social issues jumped in important year-over-year.
- When choosing a destination, cost and quality are the most important attributes.
The full report can be downloaded here.
[03.11.25]