In the eighth edition of their annual research, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and American Express have released FutureWatch 2010 to highlight trends and competitive factors shaping the future of the global meeting and events industry.
The in-depth report features insights into the overall outlook for 2010 as well as how planners and suppliers around the world are charged to do more with less.
FutureWatch indicates that globally planners predict a 2.8 per cent increase in meetings held and a 4.5 per cent increase in attendance.
The report also profiles the variations in needs and expectations across Europe, Asia and the Americas. From the selection criteria of meeting locations to the importance of corporate social responsibility in business decisions, FutureWatch is able to profile the expected needs of planners and suppliers.
One shift shown is that suppliers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa identify shorter lead times as the most significant trend for the coming year, followed by gradual industry growth and continued flat conditions.
FutureWatch also indicates that meeting planners and suppliers alike have a strong appetite for technology solutions.
Planners’ highest priority is improving the audiovisual experience while suppliers’ want to improve their customer relationship management software.