A new pulse-check survey ahead of the M&IT Awards
2025 (Friday 19 September, JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London) has revealed what
event professionals see as the sector’s top opportunities and challenges.
Looking ahead to 2026, 38 per cent of respondents
named advances in event tech – AI, automation and data-driven
experiences – as the biggest opportunity. This was followed by growth in
international events and incentives (22 per cent), creative use of venues
(15 per cent) and the return of long-term planning and bigger budgets
(13 per cent).
When asked what they’d be happy to leave behind in 2025,
the clear winner was budget uncertainty and last-minute planning (39 per cent),
ahead of talent shortages and burnout (12 per cent) and issues including virtual
fatigue, supply chain challenges and “tick-box” sustainability (all
11 per cent).
As for what excites planners most about the M&IT
Awards, joint winners were celebrating the best and connecting with peers and networking, while 13 per cent love the excuse to dress up and have fun and
10 per cent are focused firmly on winning (best of luck to them, we say!)
Paul Harvey, editor of M&IT, said: “Event
professionals are clearly excited about the possibilities AI and technology
have to offer our industry over the next 12 months and are clearly still
craving stability in budgets and planning and an end to the talent shortage
we’ve been coping with since Covid.
“The M&IT Awards is not only a fabulous and glamorous
night to celebrate excellence, it’s also a chance to connect, collaborate and
learn from each other; working together is the best way to ensure we - as
individuals and the industry as a whole - are fit for a stronger future. I
can't wait to see everyone in London on 19 September and to reveal the winner
of the first ever M&IT Editor’s Choice Award.”
A handful of tickets for this year’s M&IT Awards are
still available to purchase from www.mitawards.co.uk
