Convene发布2026年会议市场调查：行业进入适应期而非反应期

Illustrations by Irena Gajic.

Presented by Visit Lex

The last few years, our industry has largely been defined by recovery and disruption. This year, our survey analysis indicates that we are moving into a phase of recalibration. Respondents to Convene’s Meetings Market Survey report continuing pressure from rising costs and economic uncertainty, but they also express confidence in attendance growth, greater comfort with artificial intelligence, and a willingness to rethink how meetings are designed and delivered. Together, their responses paint a picture of an industry that has stopped reacting and started adapting.

For meeting and event professionals, uncertainty has become familiar terrain. Inflation continues to influence budgets. Attendee expectations keep evolving. Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how work gets done. And economic and geopolitical concerns remain difficult to ignore.

Yet the results of Convene’s 2026 Meetings Market Survey suggest that planners are not operating in crisis mode. Instead, respondents appear to be settling into a new mindset, one that balances realism with optimism. Their responses reveal a profession that has shifted from reacting to disruption toward adapting for the future.

The survey, conducted among Convene subscribers who opted to participate in reader research, drew responses from experienced professionals across the meetings and events sector. The approximate margin of error is 7 percent.

Greater than 60 percent of respondents reported having more than 20 years of industry experience, with the majority holding senior leadership positions — 51 percent identified as a director or executive vice president while 18 percent identified as a president, CEO or owner.

The age range shows the majority of respondents (62 percent) were between 45-64 years of age and predominantly female. Sixty percent of respondents are event planners and organizers while 34 percent are suppliers. Almost half (48 percent) work for an association, 15 percent are independent event producers, 13 percent are corporate planners, and 12 percent work for nonprofit organizations.

Survey participants’ collective perspective offers a snapshot of how Convene subscribers who are also seasoned industry professionals view the opportunities and challenges ahead. We are thankful to our readers who took time to share their thoughts and experience for this proprietary survey.

Managing Complexity

If there is one finding that captures the current mood among respondents, it is that confidence and concern are coexisting.

When asked to characterize their outlook for the future, many respondents chose measured responses over extremes. While roughly one in five described themselves as satisfied and optimistic and nearly a quarter said they felt calm and confident, the largest share indicated their outlook “depends on the day.”

That response may be the most revealing.

Meeting professionals today are navigating an environment filled with competing pressures. We saw this pattern emerge in our annual salary survey, published in our October issue, in which responses revealed the belief that demand for in-person events remains strong while at the same time budgets require constant scrutiny. New technologies promise efficiency while raising questions about governance and implementation.

Stakeholders and event participants continue to expect more personalized and engaging experiences, even as planners are asked to do more with finite resources.

Rather than suggesting uncertainty, the responses indicate a profession growing comfortable operating amid complexity — and some ambiguity.
Many respondents acknowledged ongoing challenges but described them as realities to navigate rather than obstacles that threaten the viability of events. Adaptability, flexibility, and strategic thinking emerged repeatedly as essential skills for the future.

Inflation Remains the Dominant Pressure

While optimism remains evident throughout the survey, nine in 10 respondents reported that inflation had affected their events in some way. Rising costs continue to influence everything from venue selection and food and beverage spending to audiovisual investments and attendee travel.
Food and beverage costs remain a particularly significant concern. It was both the budget line item most frequently trimmed by respondents and the expense category most expect to consume the largest share of their event budgets next year.

Twenty-nine percent of our respondents indicated that those costs continue to climb. At the same time, attendee expectations for quality experiences have not declined.

Interestingly, the survey suggests that organizations are becoming increasingly strategic in how they respond to financial pressures. Rather than implementing broad reductions, respondents described more targeted approaches that focus on preserving value while controlling costs.
That evolution may reflect a broader maturation within the profession regarding persistent challenges. Relatively few respondents appear to be retreating from events; instead, they appear to be adjusting their strategies to ensure meetings remain effective and financially sustainable. After all, there are strong indicators that live events are a thriving sector and positioned for growth in an AI era.

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A Technology Turning Point

Some of the most striking findings in this year’s survey center on artificial intelligence.

Just a few years ago, conversations about AI often focused on future possibilities. Today, for many respondents, the technology is already part of everyday work.

A substantial majority reported using AI tools personally, while many indicated their organizations have already adopted AI or are actively exploring implementation.

Despite widespread adoption, very few believe AI will significantly reduce staffing needs. Instead, nearly 70 percent anticipate a future in which teams maintain similar staffing levels while developing new skills and capabilities, and fewer than 4 percent reported they anticipate reducing staff levels due to AI.

That distinction is important. Rather than replacing human expertise, respondents appear to see AI as enhancing it. Strategic thinking, relationship management, creativity, negotiation, and community-building remain central to event success. Technology may streamline tasks, but respondents continue to view human judgment as indispensable.
The results point toward an industry that is embracing innovation while remaining realistic about its limitations — at least at this juncture as humanity learns to use the evolving tool.

Redesigning the Event Experience

The survey also reveals how meeting professionals are evolving the attendee experience.

Respondents to our survey indicated growing emphasis on intentional networking opportunities, with more than 20 percent adding more interactive sessions and 30 percent adding intentional networking. Slightly more than 75 percent of respondents are designing events for a multigenerational workforce.

Those priorities suggest a broader shift in how organizations define event value.

For years, attendance numbers served as one of the primary indicators of success. While attendance remains important, respondents increasingly appear focused on the quality of engagement that occurs once participants arrive.

Taken together, these findings suggest that meeting professionals are rethinking the event experience from the attendee’s perspective. The goal is no longer simply to gather people in a room. Increasingly, it is to create meaningful experiences that justify participants’ investments of time, attention, and resources.

Steady Momentum

Despite continuing challenges, respondents generally expect positive momentum in the year ahead.

Thirty-eight percent reported attendance growth at their most recent events, while more than 40 percent said attendance remained the same. Looking forward, 45 percent anticipate attendance increases over the next year and 36 percent expect attendance levels to hold steady.

Budget expectations show a similar pattern. While respondents remain hyper-aware of cost pressures, 43 percent expect financial resources to increase in the coming year and 39 percent foresee budgets remaining unchanged.

These findings do not point to unrestrained optimism; they reflect confidence grounded in experience. Based on the demographic information, these respondents understand the realities facing the profession. They recognize the pressures created by inflation, changing technologies, and evolving stakeholder and participant expectations. Yet they also see opportunities for growth, innovation, and continued (and growing) relevance in the meetings and events sector.

That combination of pragmatism and confidence may be the survey’s most important takeaway.

Looking Ahead

The results of Convene’s 2026 Meetings Market Survey portray a profession that may be entering a new phase. Respondents to our survey are no longer defined by recovery. Nor are they waiting for uncertainty to disappear. Instead, they are adapting to a business environment characterized by ongoing change.

They appear to be incorporating inflation and uncertainty into long-term planning. They are embracing AI while investing in human expertise where they can. They are redesigning events to better serve increasingly sophisticated audience needs and wants. And they are doing so while maintaining confidence in the enduring value of face-to-face experiences.
The future may not feel entirely predictable, but respondents appear prepared to meet it.

For a profession built on bringing people together, that may be the strongest signal of all: not confidence that challenges will disappear, but confidence in the ability to navigate whatever comes next.

View a PDF with the Meetings Market Survey graphics here.

Survey analysis by Gabrielle Weiss.

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