Projections for the meeting and event business for 2025 are strong, with 78% of respondents expecting favorable conditions while focusing on safety and security concerns.
Staying ready for the unexpected is a major part of Ysiad Ferreiras’ work in planning and hosting large-scale educational events and meetings. He is the CEO of Fullmind, an organization that connects certified teachers to classrooms that have vacancies via livestream.
“Navigating unexpected challenges — whether they stem from technological glitches, weather disruptions, or societal shifts — has become an integral part of our operational strategy,” Ferreiras says.
Ferreiras is one of many meeting professionals who are focusing on safety and security at meetings and events at a time when meetings are getting fuller than they used to be. As MPI’s Q4 2024 Meetings Outlook survey — sponsored by Visit Detroit and supported in partnership with IMEX — found, 78% of respondents project favorable conditions in the year to come — the largest percentage in more than a year. In keeping with the trend of optimism for the event business in 2025, 71% of respondents shared favorable budget projections and 75% of respondents expect positive live attendance. Additionally, the percentage of respondents indicating growth in full-time hiring has ticked up for three consecutive quarters.
However, with the improving business climate has come a renewed focus on keeping attendees safe and staying ready with a Plan B, C, D, and E in case any contingencies arise. Leslie James, events and program manager at the Eno Center for Transportation, reflects the current mood. James finds that travel interruptions are one of the most significant trends and is building a cushion into events to allow for the unexpected.
“The way my company is adapting is shifting program start and end times/days to allow for a ‘get-situated day’ in case of delays,” James said in his survey response.
A multi-layered approach
With a majority (56%) of respondents more concerned with safety and security than they were one year ago, meeting professionals are looking at those important aspects from almost every angle as they strive to keep their events running smoothly. At the top of the list of concerns are natural disasters and severe weather, cited by 48% of respondents.
“We’re dealing with unprecedented factors affecting the world right now,” says Michael Scott, a keynote speaker based in Fort Collins, CO. “For meeting planners organizing major events, it’s critically important to have a contingency or pivot plan in place. They need to think through possible scenarios to ensure preparedness.”
Scott believes meeting professionals can play a big role in preventing disruptions at meetings via a proactive approach.
“Take security, for example,” Scott says. “We live in a time in which, unfortunately, acts of violence can happen. Planners need to consider that there could be some kind of security breach or an unexpected event, and meeting professionals must think through these scenarios and have contingency plans in place. This should be a proactive part of their planning, integrated from day one, to ensure they’ve covered as many bases as possible.”
