As hoteliers evaluate their group business opportunities, a new meetings and events forecast from Amadeus, Salesforce, and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) combines forward-looking insights on the state of the industry from the perspectives of global experts.
According to Amadeus’ Demand360 data, group travel is set for a strong conference season in Q4. Global group occupancy has consistently been within 1 to 2 percent of pre-pandemic levels as the conference sector has started to rebound in 2022. Amadeus data also shows that group bookings are now also starting to extend more confidently into 2023, with 48 million bookings already made globally for H1 2023 – a 16% increase over the same time in 2022.
“An explosion in pent-up demand for face-to-face experiences is driving a strong recovery for the meeting and event industry,” says Chris Meyer, CEO, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing Member, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) International Board of Directors.
In the US, the number of Q3 2022 meetings and events increased by 190.5% over the same period last year, according to Knowland. Additionally, the average number of attendees for the third quarter was 116 compared to 81 for 2021, while the average square footage used was 2,953 per event, and square feet used per person was in line with 2019 levels at 25.
Corporate gatherings accounted for the vast majority of events across the United States with some segments already recovered to 2019 levels. 75% of the corporate segments recovered at 80% or better through September.
With such positive numbers surrounding the return of group travel, Amadeus sourced opinions from seven top global meeting, event, and hospitality authorities to better understand what’s driving gatherings now.
Among the unifying themes is a new spirit of flexibility and experimentation between planners, their clients, and properties to design innovative and memorable experiences. “People’s expectations have changed—they no longer want to travel just to sit in presentations,” said Melanie Picard, Senior Director, AppExchange Partner Marketing, Salesforce. “This shift in expectations has opened up a new world of possibilities that we can’t ignore.”
Events are no longer all about business—instead, attendees expect a menu of additional activities to complete their stay, and a clear focus on sustainability. “Sustainability is about more than environmental issues,” says Mariela McIlwraith, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Events Industry Council Centre for Sustainability and Social Impact. “It’s about the interrelationship of people, planet, and purpose and how our decisions affect each area.”
To read more from our industry experts, download the eBook “Industry Masters: The Future of Meetings & Events”.
