MPI Releases Q3 Meetings Outlook

September 18, 2025

With the title, “Economic, Geopolitical Challenges Task Event Pros,” MPI’s Q3 Meetings Outlook delves into the good, the bad and the ugly of being an event planner in 2025.

The report opens with nightmare scenario faced by a planner whose event was originally planned for 600, a number cut in half within six weeks of the date… then increased again at the last minute. Similar stories are reflected in the Q3 data, with planners in general feeling pretty pessimistic.

Per the Q3 Meetings Outlook survey, only 47% of respondents expect favorable conditions next year. The good news is that number is up from 31% last quarter but far below the 68%-78% norm. Live attendance projections rose to 47% from 36%, yet remain well under the customary 70%-76% range. Meanwhile, virtual attendance projections held steady after Q2’s notable growth.

“Over the past four quarters, you can see the roller coaster opinions of planners reflected in the numbers,” said MPI Managing Editor Michael Pinchera during a recent webinar reviewing the Q3 report. “While uncertainty remains, we’re seeing a greater understanding of how tariffs and other socioeconomic changes are impacting meetings.”

In the arena of governmental impacts—including executive orders and policy changes—nearly half of planners surveyed reported only negative impacts while 22% saw both positive and negative impacts.

“We’re a little more optimistic,” noted facilitator and speaker Tara Liaschenko, CMM, who was a guest on the webinar. “It’s hard to get our bearings and have a solid understanding of what the future holds… the market is not leaning strong in any one direction,” she added. “But it’s slightly more a buyer’s market.”

The Common Denominator—Budget Woes

Budget projections align with live attendance and business condition forecasts, with favorable expectations increasing from 36% to 47% quarter-over-quarter, following a year where this metric consistently ranged between 66% and 72%.

“It’s still down notably year-over-year,” Pinchera said. “We’ve all been facing ‘do more with less.’”

Meanwhile, international attendance took a nosedive, leading to postponed or cancelled events.

“If you were a planner in D.C., you probably lost your job, with all the associations there. Some of our speakers also lost their jobs,” Liaschenko said. “Many of the international attendees just couldn’t come.”

Read or download the full report here.