Survey: Meetings Optimism, Demand Enduring

Meeting planners on the whole remain optimistic about future events amid solid demand and bookings, according to a new survey by Northstar Meetings Group and Cvent.

Northstar Meetings Group is a portfolio mate of BTN under Northstar Travel Group.

The June 2023 Meetings Industry Pulse Survey included data collected from June 14 to July 1 from 528 meeting planners, including corporate, association third-party and other planners.

According to the survey, 55 percent of respondents reported a “more optimistic” outlook during the past six weeks for their organizations’ meetings and events. While 30 percent reported “no change” in their outlook, 15 percent said they were less optimistic.

That optimism is echoed within planners’ booking activity, as 41 percent of respondents said their primary focus, as it pertains to in-person events, is booking new events—the highest response percentage in that category since the November/December 2022 survey. Twenty-six percent of planners said “sourcing actively” was their primary focus, which fell from 31 percent in March and 34 percent in January. The data did not show April or May numbers. 

According to the report, the “perceived value of face-to-face events continues to benefit from their prolonged absence.” When asked how in-person meetings are valued now, compared with before the Covid-19 pandemic, 31 percent of respondents said they are “significantly more valuable,” up from 29 percent in March. 

According to the survey, meeting organizers’ top concerns remain rising costs—including airline pricing—and meeting budgets, low hotel staffing levels and airline service. While a slight decline from the previous survey, 67 percent of respondents reported higher food and beverage costs than expected, and 66 percent reported higher rates than expected. 

Planners continued to experience challenges securing and working with venues. Forty-six percent of respondents reported staffing was lacking—down from more than 50 percent in March—and 44 percent reported difficulty finding available space. Additionally, 41 percent said venues were slow to respond to request for proposals, with one respondent adding, “We are finding a much slower response time from all our suppliers and a lack of interest in maintaining a relationship.”