The latest, 2016 autumn edition of Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) Meetings Outlook is projecting a 4% growth in meetings/events business.
The quarterly report says 67% of respondents cite favourable business conditions for the year ahead, up from the 63% response for the previous quarter.
Other figures from the fresh Meetings Outlook include 15% of meeting professionals saying they have increased threat awareness and response preparedness, while14% claim security has influenced their destination selection.
The report also picks up an increase in attendance for live and virtual meetings, of 1.9% and 2.4%, respectively.
The top categories in which meeting professionals expect to see budget increases for 2017 are security concerns and new technology tools, cited by 34% and 22% of respondents, respectively.
Meetings Outlook presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members, including meeting professionals on MPI’s Business Research Panel. Each 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. Phone interviews are also conducted with randomly selected MPI members.
The resultant report claims to provide a quarterly tracking of current business conditions and future outlooks.
