Hilton has released a new special section of its 2026 Trends Report titled Why We Gather: The New Era of Purpose-Driven Meetings & Events, which explores the emotional, behavioral and cultural trends that are shaping how attendees approach face-to-face events in 2026.
Commissioned by Hilton and conducted in partnership with Ipsos, the research is based on a global survey of more than 3,000 meeting and event attendees from the U.S., U.K. and India, and seeks to unveil the ‘why’ behind gathering and the motivations that drive connection.
The report showed that a key motivator for in-person meetings was the opportunity to experience genuine human connections in an increasingly digital world, with 84 percent of respondents saying that they love to bring their authentic selves to work events. Almost half of respondents (49 percent) said that meeting new people and bonding with their team would be the main reason why they will attend work events in 2026, while 45 percent reported that they would also use their free time at events to network.
Tech Behind the Scenes
While digital fatigue is cited as a factor why attendees are increasingly craving in-person experiences, technology is now valued as something that can work quietly behind the scenes to optimize the smooth running of an event, rather than defining it or stealing the spotlight. Increasingly, AI is being used to help guests navigate busy agendas, discover tailored content and connect with like-minded people.
The majority of global attendees (69 percent) reported using AI-generated post-event resources to provide new insights, such as AI summary top takeaways and emerging themes. Two in three attendees (66 percent) reported that AI-powered networking helps them to connect with like-minded professionals more easily, curating the right people to follow and meet on-site. While 67 percent said that AI helps them to save time and effort at events that can be spent doing other things that are more important to them.
The opportunity to experience the local culture of a destination was cited as a key perk of attending work-related events by 84 percent of respondents, with 83 percent saying that the chance to sample authentic local cuisine was a highlight of business travel and 81 percent saying that they were likely to go shopping in unique local stores that they can’t find in their home town.
Pursuing career momentum and professional ambition was also highlighted as a motivating factor in attending in-person events, with more than two thirds of global respondents (67 percent) saying they will only attend work events that support their career goals. A majority (83 percent) reported that they were highly conscious of looking productive during meetings and structured programming, and 71 percent reported mirroring the actions of leaders whose careers they aspire to.
Wellness and Downtime
Wellness remains a core expectation of events, with 76 percent of respondents saying that they enjoy work-organized wellness activities and two-thirds (67 percent) reporting that they feel less engaged during events if they don’t get downtime, and 55 percent saying that they will skip event sessions to decompress if there are no planned breaks. For 64 percent, the best part of a work trip is simply catching up on sleep in a comfortable hotel bed, while 81 percent reported that getting some time alone from the pressures of parenting was an underrated benefit of work events.
“At Hilton, we believe every great event begins with understanding what truly matters to attendees,” said Frank Passanante, senior vice president, global head of sales and HRCC, Hilton, in a press release statement. “As meetings and events continue to evolve, we are deeply focused on understanding the needs and preferences of attendees — not simply among our various lines of business, but across cultures and generations. By combining deep insights with Hilton’s legacy of innovation and hospitality, we are helping planners create experiences that drive meaningful progress for their companies and create lasting impact for every attendee.”
For more information and to read the full report, visit stories.hilton.com/2026EventTrends.
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