Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has published its Meetings Outlook, 2014 Summer Edition. The newest installment of the quarterly special report shows meetings overall are expected to grow, with virtual meetings predicted to develop at twice the rate of face-to-face meetings, budgets are not keeping pace.
Key findings include the following:
- Virtual meeting attendance is anticipated to grow by 3.9 per cent, almost twice the rate of live attendance (two per cent), over the next year.
- 52 per cent of U.S. respondents and 59 per cent of European respondents have a favorable budget outlook, expecting, on average, an increase of 2.1 per cent.
- In an effort to do more with less, 22 per cent of respondents are compressing meetings into less time, 13 per cent are increasing the use of technology and another 13 per cent are holding more local/regional meetings to reduce travel.
To view the full report, visit www.mpiweb.org/meetingsoutlook.
Meetings Outlook presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members, including meeting professionals on MPI’s 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 individual’s 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.
