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We’re looking at the state of the business events industry and related sectors — travel, event technology, lodging, and the workplace. (Illustration by Melinda Beck)
Face-to-face gatherings may have returned to pre-pandemic levels for many organizations, but that doesn’t mean the business events landscape resembles 2019. Beyond events themselves, the sectors that support them — including the workplace environment — have undergone radical changes and are continuing to rapidly shift.
For our November 2023 CMP Series and cover story. Convene editors have culled the latest — and conducted our own — research and asked experts to provide insights about what to expect next. While uncertainty remains a fact of life, we hope this forecast will enable you to assess where we are now and to anticipate what the next year may bring. Below are links to those insights, starting with the 30th Meetings Market Survey, research Convene conducted over the summer. We also offer research on travel, event technology, lodging, and the workplace.
Meetings Market Survey 2023
Respondents to our Meetings Market Survey — which we brought back after a COVID-induced break — shared that the post-COVID business environment brings a host of challenges that have yet to work themselves out. And they are feeling simultaneously anxious and excited about the future of the business events industry.
Business Events
‘Traditionally, a company might build a business model around quality or value, but in 2024 they’ll insist every interaction and experience makes the customer smile.’
— Forbes
Travel
‘Our recent survey reveals that business travelers would take an average of two more business trips per year if the air travel experience improved, resulting in a gain of $52 billion in economic impact.’
— Tori Emerson Barnes, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy, U.S. Travel Association
Event Technology
‘AI will transform events, and leading event organizers are trialing an extraordinary array of powerful applications.’
— Ross Dawson, futurist, author, and founding chairman of Advanced Human Technologies Group.
Lodging
‘The most transformative trends that will wow guests in 2024 will be voice-activated controls for amenities such as lights, curtains, and door locks, along with the ability for guests to use their own devices to access services and facilities throughout the hotel.’
— Daniel Levine, trends expert, keynote speaker, and director of the Avant-Guide Institute.
Future of Work
‘I think more leaders will start going back to how work used to be, accepting the fact that work is work and nothing more. It’s simply a means (input) to an end (money)…. In other words, leaders will stop trying to shove belonging down their workforce’s throats and accept that employee output as an exchange for salary is sufficient in and of itself.’
— Dan Berger, chairman of The Belonging Project.