In October, Meeting Professionals International published its “Meetings Outlook, 2018 Fall Edition,” which is a future-focused quarterly that includes new trends and predictions from surveyed MPI members. Recent survey results indicate a healthy landscape is allowing industry professionals to explore innovation as, overall, events are getting shorter, larger, more frequent, more niche and featuring shorter sessions.
Among the key trends identified in this report include:
- Live and virtual attendance figures over the next year are expected to grow 2.3 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.
- 58 percent, the majority of the respondents, report that events are becoming more niche. The trend being more frequent meetings on specific topics.
- 63 percent of respondents indicated a stable business environment with predictions for business growth over the next year stable at 2.6 percent.
- 56 percent of respondents cite an increase in CSR activities, with 22 percent saying it’s now a normal piece of the planning process.
The report is also included in the print and digital versions of MPI’s November 2018 issue of The Meeting Professional magazine. “Meetings Outlook” is developed in partnership with MGM Resorts International and supported in partnership with the IMEX Group.
“Meetings Outlook” presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members, including meeting professionals on MPI’s Business Research Panel. Every quarter, research firm Association Insights surveys the panel, asking a short series of quantitative questions related to the economy and a qualitative question regarding the individual’s professional outlook. Phone interviews are also conducted with randomly selected MPI members. The report provides a quarterly tracking of current business conditions and future outlooks.
Meeting Professionals International is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 19 countries. “When we meet, we change the world.” For more info, visit mpi.org.
