Planners give Trump thumbs down in latest Northstar/Cvent PULSE Survey

The change of political administration in the US has had a significant impact on meeting planner sentiment when it comes to organising events in America.

Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of EMEA planners say they are less likely to consider the US when sourcing events now Donald Trump is back in office, according to the results of the latest Northstar/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE Survey.

And there were some pretty stark comments from planners as well. One respondent said: “I would not recommend spending any money in the USA until the Trump administration ends.”

The data for the survey was collected in March, meaning the results do not show the effects of Trump’s latest widespread global tariffs.

Other notable highlights of this edition of the PULSE Survey include:

• Optimism levels among planners in the EMEA region have fallen sharply compared to last year
• Even so, EMEA planners were still twice as optimistic as those in North America
• Despite the lack of optimism, the pipeline for events is strong
• EMEA planners seem unfazed by the global shifts in policy away from DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) – with many remaining committed to the framework
• The perceived value of business events – relative to other business initiatives, like marketing – has doubled in EMEA compared to this time last year
• Concerns around data security and ‘political, social, and cultural’ issues have risen significantly in the last year

Read the full report now.

The research is comprised of 182 responses from planners of all types and is compared to similar data collected from North America and Asia Pacific.

The Northstar/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE Survey was first launched in the US in 2020 to track changes in planner sentiment and expectations throughout the pandemic. There are now two more editions covering EMEA and ASIA.

Northstar continues to survey event planners on a regular basis to assess how current challenges and trends are shaping the industry. The PULSE Survey is produced in partnership with meetings-technology provider Cvent.