Croatia presented at the Events Club Forum in Prague to more than 150 international event organisers
Improving the attendee experience is the top priority for meetings professionals across every global region, according to the 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), a leading software and services company for travel, expense, and meetings & events. At the same time, delivering memorable experiences is becoming more challenging. The report finds that attendees are hungry for authentic, in-person experiences, while rising costs and the impact of geopolitical uncertainty are changing how and where meetings take place. Meetings professionals are responding with more strategic approaches to planning, helping them navigate these pressures and keep the attendee experience at the center.
“Meetings professionals are entering 2027 with more demands on their programs, from rising costs and disruption caused by geopolitical uncertainty to higher attendee expectations,” said Gerardo Tejado Donde, Senior VP, Professional Services at Amex GBT. “Yet they are responding with resilience, resourcefulness, and creativity, adapting their strategies rather than stepping back. There is a real sense of optimism across the industry, grounded in a clear understanding of what lies ahead.”
The 2027 report explores the trends redefining successful meetings and events – from more personalized attendee experiences and smarter use of AI, to stronger risk management and more confident cost control. It is based on a survey of 500 meetings professionals in eleven countries carried out by YouGov. The fieldwork took place 5 to 14 August 2026. The Global Forecast panel of Amex GBT customers, partners, and specialists provides insights and commentary throughout the report.
Discover practical insights to help you design experiences that connect, make more informed planning decisions, strengthen resilience, and build a meetings program that balances experience, governance and measurable value.
Authentic experiences remain the priority
As AI-generated content proliferates, meetings professionals report that attendees are increasingly seeking authentic, human experiences. Respondents say attendees expect more personalized experiences (35%), more social activities and networking (31%), and more hands-on, interactive sessions and workshops (31%). Meetings professionals also recognize the potential for AI to help streamline routine tasks and support onsite staff, with 34% saying they plan to use AI to equip onsite staff with insights for personalized service, followed by event communications (32%), logistics (30%), and sourcing (24%) to help free up time to focus on the attendee experience.
Adapting to uncertainty
An increasingly unpredictable operating environment is prompting meetings professionals to rethink how they plan and deliver events. Amex GBT data shows a 71% increase in the number of travelers assisted by its traveler care service in 2025, highlighting the growing impact of travel disruption. Geopolitical instability is already changing how meetings are planned: 39% report a change in destination or city, 37% report holding more virtual meetings, and 30% report smaller meetings or a change of venue.
While rising costs remain a factor in planning, 91% expect their overall meetings and events spend to increase in 2027.
Strengthening meeting programs
Risk management and compliance rank among the top three priorities for 2027, with 79% of meetings professionals already applying risk management practices to all or most of their meetings. A consolidated approach to risk management can help organizations build greater visibility, consistency, and accountability across their meetings programs.
Working with a single provider creates a single source of truth that can standardize processes and risk protocols. In addition to managing risks, a consolidated approach streamlines intelligence, allowing planners to easily measure spend, attendee data, and supplier performance in one view. Post-event, this can help inform sourcing decisions and track return on investment and return on experience.
Despite the shifting landscape and challenges ahead, the outlook remains positive: 93% of meetings professionals are optimistic about the health of the meetings sector in 2027, and more professionals expect to hold more meetings than fewer in every meeting type.
The full report is available to download here: 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast
