We asked industry experts to give us their take on the State of the Industry as we head into 2025. Here are their thoughts.

As we head into 2025, the industry is shifting toward relationship-based partnerships with Destination Management Companies (DMCs), moving beyond transactional interactions to prioritize deeper, collaborative connections. At ETHOS Event Collective, we’re embracing this trend by reintroducing the importance of the personal touch in event planning.

Amid escalating costs and fixed budgets, it is crucial to work with trusted partners who can stretch every dollar. Core values like training, local expertise and consistent service uphold a company’s integrity and allow DMCs to deliver high-impact results even under budget constraints. This shift reflects an industry-wide focus on creating meaningful, locally inspired experiences that go beyond the standard offerings.

For 2025, success will increasingly depend on partnerships that emphasize authenticity and local knowledge. By working with a DMC rooted in the community, clients gain access to unique venues and experiences that align with strategic goals and resonate deeply with attendees. It’s this renewed focus on relationship-driven event planning that’s setting the stage for memorable, impactful events.

As we look ahead to 2025, the incentive travel industry remains cautiously optimistic. While demand for incentive programs is strong, we’re witnessing a shift in corporate expectations, with many clients looking to replicate last year’s successful programs at the same budget despite ongoing inflationary pressures. This expectation creates challenges for planners who must balance high-quality delivery with cost-efficiency.

In terms of destinations, there’s a noticeable trend of programs staying closer to home, especially for North American and APAC clients. However, Europe remains a sought-after region, with buyers prioritizing unique, high-value experiences that justify investment. This approach signals a continued demand for creative, destination-based solutions that elevate experiences beyond the traditional.

Despite budget constraints, corporations recognize the essential role incentive travel plays in driving performance. As we adapt to these tighter financial constraints, the focus shifts to delivering high-impact, memorable experiences that align with value-based spending. Overall, the industry’s resilience and flexibility are helping us navigate these demands, reinforcing the role of incentive travel as a key component of corporate strategy.

As we look ahead to 2025, the event industry appears strong despite a challenging environment with high costs and a complex geopolitical landscape. The pandemic reinforced the need for face-to-face events, and we see that with client demand, as well as participation levels from attendees and exhibitors.

There are a few key trends that we believe will shape the industry next year. First, there is a continued focus on how events are designed, especially which elements are most critical when people come together in person. We are seeing generational shifts as Gen Z enters the workforce in greater numbers and comes with a different set of expectations than older generations. There’s also an increased focus on accessibility and inclusion.

Another trend is the growing importance of sustainability and the carbon footprint of events. This is driven by increased regulatory requirements, as well as shifts in consumer values. Finally, technology — AI especially — continues to rapidly change the ways event planners do their jobs and enables richer and more targeted connections with their attendee and exhibitor community.

Driven by a blend of innovation, shifting consumer priorities and global challenges, the meetings and events industry continues to evolve at an accelerated pace. From her global perspective leading the largest worldwide network of independent Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and specialized event service providers, Global DMC Partners President and CEO Catherine Chaulet has stayed keenly attuned to broader business and industry trends. She recently identified 10 key predictions for meetings and events professionals to be mindful of heading into 2025.

“Overall, the MICE industry is embracing a future that values intentionality, resilience and sustainability while balancing the transformative potential of technology with the irreplaceable power of human connection,” states Chaulet. “As planners navigate these trends, the focus will remain on creating meaningful, forward-thinking events.”

More and More Diverse Destinations are Being Selected by Planners: Beyond the traditional destinations, planners are seeking new destinations for their programs. The demand for secondary destinations as well as exotic destinations, such as in Asia, Africa and Latin America has increased.

Further, overtourism is pushing destinations to promote lesser-known regions. For example, Portugal is spotlighting areas beyond Lisbon, offering unique opportunities for MICE groups to explore untapped locales while reducing strain on overvisited cities. This approach aligns with sustainability goals and offers planners fresh options to engage attendees.

Supply Chain Constraints Shape Pricing and Accessibility: Hotels, airlines, and AV providers face ongoing supply challenges, from airline part shortages to bankruptcies, such as the recent announcement by Spirit Airlines. Attendees and planners should not expect price reductions as demand continues to outpace supply. Longer flight routes to avoid risky regions are further impacting logistics and costs.

To combat this, planners are increasingly opting for four-star over five-star properties. This shift reflects a growing focus on attendee preferences, as groups prioritize immersive destination experiences over time spent in their accommodations. By selecting premium, yet less extravagant, lodging options, planners can allocate budgets more effectively while still providing comfortable and high-quality accommodations that meet attendee expectations.

Geopolitical Uncertainty and Its Impact on Planning: Geopolitical tensions and international economic pressures are driving last-minute decision-making. Event planners are monitoring global stability closely to avoid cancellations, with flexibility becoming a top priority.

Expanding Seasonality: Regions once considered off-season are becoming viable year-round destinations. As an example, Boston’s now milder February and March months are seen as less risky for events, and expanded seasonality helps planners avoid peak pricing while still offering desirable experiences.

Sustainability: More Than a Buzzword: MICE events are becoming key drivers of sustainable tourism. Planners are focusing on reducing waste, incorporating locally sourced food and beverage and offering experiences that positively contribute to local economies and communities. Destinations view high-value MICE business as an essential tool for sustainable growth and cultural appreciation.

Personalization Through AI and Creativity: Artificial intelligence is transforming the event experience, from personalized itineraries to creative engagement tools. 2025 will see a strong focus on educating planners and attendees on leveraging these tools effectively, ensuring that technology complements — rather than replaces — the human touch. Many of these new technological tools can positively impact the attendees’ experience, as well as improve the ROI of events.

Face-to-Face Interaction Remains Paramount: Despite advances in AI and virtual tools, the enduring value of face-to-face networking remains the cornerstone of the MICE industry, especially with cost concerns of hybrid events. Companies recognize the importance of in-person connections for building relationships, fostering creativity and driving innovation. One caveat to this is the pharmaceutical industry where virtual meetings are still prevalent due to the last-minute nature of programs.

Catering to Diverse and Multigenerational Attendees: Planners are incorporating different facets of meetings to accommodate diverse audiences and their needs and preferences, such as flexible seating arrangements, free time and self-guided activities, closed captioning and virtual options.

Beyond Wellness: Extreme Recovery and Elevated Living: Wellness is moving beyond massages and yoga retreats. Attendees are seeking programs that prioritize high-performance living. Inspired by athlete recovery techniques, 2025’s events will offer medicalized wellness experiences, such as advanced diagnostics, tailored recovery programs, and extreme self-care practices designed to boost physical and mental vitality.

An Extension of the Self-Care Trend: The rise of athleisure wear in events has resulted in attendees embracing comfortable yet stylish attire, such as company-branded, fashion-forward sneakers. Individuals and companies are expressing themselves through their fashion choices in a new and authentic way rather than conforming to previously accepted business attire.

“As the meetings and events industry faces unprecedented complexities, DMCs have become indispensable partners for planners navigating the road ahead,” shared Chaulet. “From managing geopolitical risks to uncovering secondary destinations and crafting bespoke, sustainable experiences, DMCs bring local expertise, creative solutions and logistical precision to every event. In 2025, planners should lean on DMCs to ensure seamless execution, unlock hidden gems and deliver experiences that resonate deeply with attendees while respecting the unique challenges of each destination.”