Business projections are staying weak for the third straight survey. So say the respondents in MPI’s Q4 2025 Meetings Outlook Report. But despite this—and rising costs and budget concerns—meeting demand is strong, the survey shows.
Following are some key trends from the report:
Costs are Up, But Budgets Aren’t
It may seem mathematically obvious, though clients might try to come up with a different metric: As costs rise, so must budgets.
One planner’s client asked to lock down a two-year contract in order to pay the same rate two years in a row, regardless of rising prices. The planner described the client as “grudgingly paying for things they simply can’t get around” while trying to minimize increases in other areas.
Another planner bemoaned the fact that it was “difficult to create the same experience or try to do something new… on the same budget.”
Planners in the survey acknowledged the impact of both inflation and supply chain issues on budgeting, as well as the negative impact of U.S. policy changes this year on some groups, nonprofits in particular. In fact, 42 percent of respondents reported a partial loss of event funding while 22 percent lost funding completely. In addition, 25 percent said they had to postpone events in 2025.
Also Rising: Attendee Expectations
Survey respondents repeatedly highlighted a concerning trend: It’s getting more and more expensive to grab and hold attendees’ attention; or as one planner put it, “People… have seen it all.”
On top of the raised bar of attendee expectations and the need to book A-list speakers and experiences, decreasing sponsorship dollars is something other respondents are seeing, with one planner pointing out that “there are only so many [events] that the tech titans can be at.”
Full-Time Employment Has Stalled
Only 18 percent of respondents are seeing growth in hiring—the same as last quarter—while 22 percent reported a decrease in hiring.
Planners say that “everyone is using contractors” at events, with the core staff joined by contracted AV teams as well as temp event managers. Increasingly, planners are seeing transitions between using in-house and outsourced staff to maximize budget efficiency.
For more details as well as data charts, access the complete report here.
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