Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has published its Meetings Outlook, 2014 Spring Edition. The newest installment of the quarterly special report predicts continued growth in virtual and hybrid meetings and slight shifts in budgets while reporting on the overall health of the meeting and event industry.
Key findings include:
66 percent of respondents predict larger attendance numbers for virtual events in the near future, compared to 53 percent who anticipate larger numbers in live event attendance.
17 percent of respondents are seeing longer lead times for booking events, while 52 percent are seeing shorter lead times. Interestingly, 30 percent see no change at all.
73 percent of respondents are optimistic about future business and 43 percent predict a budget increase.
Meetings Outlook presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members, including meeting professionals on MPIโs Business Research Panel. Every quarter, research firm Association Insights surveys the panel, asking a short series of quantitative questions related to the economy and a qualitative question regarding the individualโs professional outlook. The survey provides a quarterly tracking of current business conditions and future outlooks. Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership with the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, and is supported in partnership with the IMEX Group.