Meeting Planners Are Upbeat Entering 2026

Meeting professionals are entering the new year feeling optimistic, though concerned about rising costs and what formats will resonate with a wide range of attendees.

The 2026 Global Meetings & Events Forecast, released in November by American Express Global Business Travel, is based on a survey of 601 meeting professionals in eight countries. Overall, the outlook is positive: 85 percent of respondents said they felt optimistic about the coming year, in part because "the meetings sector is stabilizing after half a decade of unpredictability and change."

But making the numbers work and engaging attendees weigh heavily on those professionals’ minds. Thirty-eight percent of respondents cited cost as a potential challenge, with 32 percent citing "economic uncertainty." In addition, 31 percent said "designing events that meet the needs of today’s attendees" was a concern.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.