As the economic climate in Europe brightens, European buyers are feeling more optimistic with over half (54%) expecting conference and events business to increase in the next year.
This was just part of the fresh statistics released in the latest IBTM Global Meetings Industry Research.
In terms of last year’s business, just 14 per cent of European buyers surveyed said business was down, with 36 per cent claiming budgets had gone up over the previous 12 months and even more saying they expected a further increase in 2014.
European buyers are also investing globally with their top three preferred destinations being the United States, Asia and the Middle East.
Key factors for buyers selecting a destination, the research found, was location (74%), quality of service (58%) and cost (53%).
European buyers organised an average of 23 events last year and expect that to creep up to 25 next year. The average buyer spend in Europe was US$1.13m.
The average size of events reported was 136 delegates.
Key trends identified in the meetings space were the effects of new technology. Over 90 per cent of buyers use email/mailchimp or icontact, plus around two-thirds use social media to communicate before, during and after meetings.
Almost a third (32%) of buyers are using apps to provide delegate information.
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