Demand for face-to-face meetings and events is sky-high with 70 per cent of planners from Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), booking more this year than last. But lead times (on this side of the Atlantic at least) remain short, with less than a quarter of planners booking events more than a year out. These are just some of the findings from the current cycle of the Northstar/Cvent industry Pulse survey for the EMEA region.
Other highlights from this research:
- Pressure on attendee numbers remains, with most planners (68%) expecting lower or the same levels of attendance compared with last year.
- Planners are being cautious when negotiating with hotels and venues, with 44 per cent negotiating minimum attendance necessary to achieve best rates at time of contract, against 22 per cent quoting maximum potential attendance.
- This tentativeness is also likely to reflect ongoing concerns around budgets and the higher costs of goods and services, which topped a long list of ongoing pain points.
- More than a third of planners have increased spending on event technology this year, with registration, ticketing and badging the main priorities, followed by venue sourcing.
This research cycle is comprised of 160 responses from planners of all types and is compared to similar data we have collected from North America.
About the Survey
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
