2023 Global
Meetings
and Events
Forecast© 2022 United Airlines, Inc.
All rights reserved.

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2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Contents
3

5

Executive
Summary

Message From
Drew Crawley

Trends and Activity

7

Special Sections

GlobalActivity
Firing on All
Cylinders38
Designing Inclusive
and Safe Events

13

GlobalTrends21

Regional
Trends2 Contributors

Blazing a
New Trail

45
Case Study:
A One-Partner Approach

Creating Connections
in a Complex Time

48 Data Tables

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

70 About Us
1

Contributors
This report contains confidential and proprietary
information of © 2022 GBT Travel Services UK Limited
doing business as American Express Global BusinessTravel (GBT), and may not be copied, reproduced,
modified, distributed, transferred or disclosed in whole orin part to any third parties without prior written consent
of GBT or as otherwise permitted by law. The information
contained in this report is prepared from sources anddata which we believe to be reliable, but we make norepresentation as to its accuracy or completenessand we assume neither responsibility nor liability forany damages of any type resulting from any errors oromissions. The report is provided solely for informational
purposes and is not to be construed as providing advice,recommendations, endorsements, representations
or warranties of any kind whatsoever. Opinions andanalysis contained in this report represent the opinions
and analysis of American Express Meetings & Events(a division of GBT) and do not represent the opinions
or analysis of GBT, American Express Company or anyof their respective affiliates, subsidiaries or divisions(including, without limitation, American Express Global
Business Travel).
The 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast is theindependent collaborative work of American Express
Meetings & Events personnel and subject matter andindustry leaders. The advertising within the 2023 Global
Meetings and Events Forecast was sold and managed
independently of the creation of the 2023 Global
Meetings and Events Forecast and has no bearing on
the content contained within the 2023 Global Meetingsand Events Forecast.

2023 Interview Panel and Contributors
Paul Cavanaugh, Altitude
Sue Cavanaugh, Altitude
Ciaran Delaney, hubli
Amy Garrick, TEAM LEWIS
Chuck Ghoorah, Cvent
Jonathan Kaplan, InterContinental Hotels Group
Robert LeBel, Delta Air Lines
Carolyn Pearson, Maiden Voyage
American Express Meetings & Events
Emma Bason
Amanda Chamov
Daisy Crane
Tina Di Biasio
Nicola Fionda
Tonya Hempstead
Noelia Herranz
Hervé Mattan
Linda McNairy
Roberto Ortiz
Ariana Reed
Milton Rivera
Patrick Rush
Harald Spohr
Gerardo Tejado
Eloísa Urrutia“American Express Meetings & Events” is a division ofAmerican Express Global Business Travel (GBT).
GBT Travel Services UK Limited (GBT UK) and its
authorized sublicensees (including Ovation TravelGroup and Egencia) use certain trademarks and service
marks of American Express Company or its subsidiaries(American Express) in the “American Express Global
Business Travel” and “American Express Meetings &Events” brands and in connection with its businessfor permitted uses only under a limited license from
American Express (Licensed Marks). The Licensed
Marks are trademarks or service marks of, and theproperty of, American Express. GBT UK is a subsidiaryof Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE: GBTG).
American Express holds a minority interest in GBTG,
which operates as a separate company from American
Express.

22023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTExecutive Summary

Optimism
and Growth
Dear Readers,W

elcome to the 12th annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast. As welook to 2023, it’s an exciting time to be in this industry. In-person meetingsand events are roaring back – and at the same time, we can take lessons
learned during the last few years to make positive, long-lasting changes
to the way we work. Dramatic improvements in technology and a renewed focus onsustainability, wellness, and inclusivity provide a clear path forward for the industry.
Our survey respondents are “very optimistic” about the future: two-thirds expectthat the number of in-person events will return to pre-pandemic levels within one to
two years. In North America, where respondents reported the highest percentage ofcompletely remote workforces, internal and small and simple meetings have alreadysurpassed 2019 levels. This has been true within our Meetings & Events business: wehave seen the number of meetings during certain months and locations exceed 2019
levels, and our clients’ small and simple meetings have increased by 25%.

GERARDO TEJADO
Senior Vice President,
Global Value
Development andGeneral Manager,
Meetings & Events

With many companies around the world operating with remote workforces or hybrid
office environments, the need to bring employees together has never been greater nor
more widely recognized. According to Stanford economics professor Nicolas Bloom,
the shift to work from home (WFH) is the largest shock to labor markets in decades andhas seen a six-fold jump compared to pre-pandemic WFH trends. In-person meetingsand events have proven to be the most effective way to drive employee wellness andretention, instill company culture and corporate values, improve team bonding, andincrease professional development. Prior to the pandemic, internal meetings were often
an afterthought for many organizations. This shift in priority offers a clear opportunity
for the meetings and events industry to expand its impact and reach.
From an activity perspective, survey respondents in every region anticipate thatin-person meetings, as well as the number of attendees at those meetings, will increase
across the board; 87% of meetings are expected to have an in-person component –that’s 6% higher than predictions for 2022. Virtual and hybrid meetings are expected
to be less of a focus for all regions except Asia Pacific, where nearly half of their
meetings and events will be hybrid and one-sixth virtual. Meeting spend is expected toincrease globally and, according to survey respondents, will largely be driven by theirorganization’s growth plans. The average cost per attendee is also expected to increase
globally, by 1.5% for small and simple meetings to 3% for conferences and tradeshows.

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST3A sign of a thriving environment is the unanimous desire among clients, meeting
planners, and suppliers to simplify and streamline the planning process. Everyone is at
capacity and searching for time efficiencies. Within our Meetings & Events business,
we see a continued trend for short booking windows with lead times 25% shorter thanin 2019. We expect to see continued innovation and automation for small and simple
meeting bookings, the RFP process, and other repetitive tasks. Attendee experience
technology continues to be in demand as meeting owners aim to meet attendance
goals, connect in-person and virtual audiences, and deliver unique experiences.

The industry isgetting serious aboutsustainability anddiversity, equity, andinclusion (DE&I) in
2023.”The industry is getting serious about sustainability anddiversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in 2023. Manyorganizations have publicly committed to it, and they now
need to cascade their sustainability goals to their meeting
programs. We can expect the levels of climate reportingon meetings and events activities to grow. From choosing
destinations that promote sustainability, to selecting
sustainably certified venues, organizations are implementing
robust strategies and processes to minimize their event
emissions and report on their progress to internal andexternal stakeholders. From a regional standpoint, Europe
continues to be the leader in sustainability practices.

Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents say theirorganizations or clients actively strive to incorporate DE&I
into their meetings and events. Using minority-owned suppliers is the number one way
globally that organizations incorporate DE&I into their meeting programs. In our special
section “Designing Inclusive and Safe Events,” we explore ways to make meetings andevents safer for women and minority attendees.
Our interview panel stressed that strong supplier relationships are more important
than ever these days. It’s a seller’s market and that will likely continue into 2024, as
space, air, and F&B availability are expected to remain constrained while suppliers deal
with labor shortages, ongoing supply chain issues, and inflation. Clients who are flexible
and clear on what the goals are for their meetings are more likely to achieve theirobjectives.
We are pleased to see a renewed respect for the value of meetings and events, as
understanding of the sector’s critical role in building culture and driving business
continues to grow. This respect, combined with the industry’s depth of knowledge andexperience, signals a bright future indeed.
Saludos,
Gerardo Tejado
Senior Vice President,
Global Value Development and General Manager,
Meetings & Events

42023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTThe Big Picture
Drew Crawley
Chief Commercial Officer,
American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT)T

his report comes at a defining moment for the travel and meetings industry.
It’s a time of change, challenge, and opportunity. But what’s clear is thatbusiness travel and meetings are back. The removal of travel restrictions
triggered a colossal release of human energy around the world, as people andorganizations rushed to reconnect. And while we face clear and present headwinds– inherent disruption across the travel eco-system, rising
inflation, and an energy crisis created by Russia’s war in
Ukraine – demand continues to grow.
The findings in this report reflect that strong desire toconnect. With teams more dispersed and working remotely,organizations have a greater understanding of how important it
is to bring people together – to drive creativity and motivation,
to recognize and reward, to attract and retain the best talent.
We’re seeing this in the way our own M&E business has led
the recovery: while our travel transactions have been strong– surging 50 percentage points against 2019 levels in just fivemonths during the first half of 2022 – we find in this report that
M&E demand has been even stronger, at times topping 2019.

Travel and meetings
programs need tobe agile, resilient,robust – and the more
integrated they are,the better.”

Of course, this accelerated growth comes with challenges.
Disruption, complexity, and volatility are here to stay. Travel and meetings programs
need to be agile, resilient, robust – and the more integrated they are, the better. At
the same time, those changing work patterns have forced us to rethink the way weinteract and connect with each other. Meetings and events are now central to building
a company culture. That’s why travel and meetings professionals are playing an
increasingly important role within their organizations. We are all in the connections
business.
Companies that have consolidated travel and meetings programs cite a wide rangeof benefits, such as improved reporting, contracting, consistent standards, time andresource efficiencies, savings, visibility on spend, duty of care, and more. A more
holistic picture of your supply database also helps meet sustainability and diversity
goals. Now is the ideal time to capitalize on these opportunities and drive meaningfulchange across your program.
In this 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast you’ll find measured optimism
combined with a willingness to embrace all the opportunities that come with change.
I hope you find it to be an insightful and valuable resource.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

5TAKE YOURVALUE FURTHERWITH INDUSTRY-LEADING MEETING PRODUCTS.
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62023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

GlobalActivity

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

7

Global Activity

Firing on All Cylinders
The 2023 Forecast is based on a survey of 580 meetings and events professionals fromaround the world and interviews with industry leaders, who are listed on page 2. The
survey ran in May and June 2022. Respondents represent corporations, associations,buyers, and suppliers from five continents and 23 countries. The result is a statisticallyand globally representative picture of the 2023 meetings and events industry.

Meetings Activity
The mood among meeting professionals at the time of the survey is positive and also
overwhelmed. The return to in-person meetings is happening more rapidly and at agreater volume than expected; however, the numbers are expected to stabilize in 2024.
Survey respondents are very optimistic about the health of the meetings and events
industry next year: Asked how optimistic they are on a scale of 1–10, 77% chose 8 orabove (vs. 71% last year). Organizations clearly appreciate the need to bring people
together face-to-face and are willing to spend the money to do it.
In the clamor to book in-person meetings, budgets and policies are not necessarily
being adhered to during the approval process. Respondents believe the situation willstabilize by 2023, as clients spend time in Q3-Q4 2022 planning their budgets andmeeting priorities for the next year. Two-thirds of survey respondents believe that theoverall number of in-person events will return to pre-pandemic levels within one to two
years. In some regions, certain types of meetings (internal and small and simple) arealready over 2019 levels.

82023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Global Activities
In-person Meetings
Roaring Back in 2023!
In-person meetings and events came back in 2022 fasterand at a higher level than predicted. Our survey respondents
believe they will continue to outpace expectations in 2023.

Attendee numbers
are going up

Sustainability remains a priority
Four in five respondents(80%) say theirorganization takessustainability into
account when planningmeetings and events.

Of theseorganizations, over
¾ of them have adefined sustainablemeeting program
strategy in place.

76%

Sustainablemeeting
programstrategy

Meeting types with the largest anticipatedincrease in attendees:

1. 2. 3.
Internal teammeeting/training

Product
launchSmall/simple
meetings

Meeting spend is rising

There will be more space

Companies expect to invest more in M&E

Meeting professionals expect more guest rooms andmeeting spaces to be available in the next two years.

65%

say meeting
spend isincreasing10%
see increasesof more than
11%!

35%

say meeting
spend isstaying thesame ordecreasing

And the cost
per attendee
will increase2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Percentage of respondents predicting increases in:

2023

2024

Hotel
rooms

45%

59%

Meeting
space

49% 58%“Average rates continue to rise due to higher labor, food,and other fixed costs, along with the impact of inflation –we believe that trend will continue with high demand.”– Jonathan Kaplan
VP, Global Sales Strategy, IHG
9Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

Meeting Prevalence
All meeting types are expected to increase in 2023, particularly in-person meetings.
Globally, predicted in-person increases range from 3.3% for conferences andtradeshows to 4.2% for small and simple meetings. Virtual and hybrid meetings are
expected to see more modest increases, ranging from 0.2% more product launches to
1.6% more client and customer advisory boards.
Virtual fatigue is real – attendees want to see each other in person. Organizations want
their customers and employees to meet in person, too. Hybrid is currently a fallback
rather than first option for a format, but survey respondents differ in what they expect
to see in 2023. Overall, a strong majority of respondents
expect in-person meetings and events to be their main focus,
with only 29% of meetings in North America and 33% of
meetings in Europe expected to be hybrid. That figure issomewhat higher in Asia Pacific (47%) and Latin America
Hybrid is currently(41%).

a fallback rather
than first option for
a format, but survey
respondents differ inwhat they expect tosee in 2023.”

Internal meetings are expected to see the biggest percentage
increase in the number of attendees, with a 4.5% expected
increase globally. All meeting types are predicted to see
substantial increases from 2022 numbers, with the lowest
still significant 3.7% increases for both conferences andincentives.

Meeting Spend
Overall meeting spend is predicted to increase by 3.1% on
average, which is the same as last year’s survey. Broken down
by region, 12% of respondents in both North America and Europe expect their budget
to increase significantly, by 11% or more. The cost per attendee for all meeting types,
in all formats, is predicted to increase as well, by a low of 1.5% for small and simple
meetings to a high of 3% for conferences and tradeshows.
In terms of cost per attendee per day in US dollars, internal and small and simple
meetings show the greatest disparity in Asia Pacific. An internal meeting in Asia Pacificis expected to cost $711 per attendee per day, while in North America it's expected tocost $554 per attendee per day. A small and simple meeting in Europe is expected tocost $427 per attendee per day, vs. $565 in Asia Pacific.
If budgets were reduced, respondents said the two areas they would cut first are offsite optional activities (23%) and number of nights (20%). If budgets were increasedby 10%, improving the on-site experience (32%), and increasing the use of technology(23%) are the top two areas planners would focus their spend on.

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

102023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Hotels and Meeting Space
Supplier capacity is expected to increase somewhat in 2023. Meanwhile, some hotels
are already reporting bookings above 2019 levels.
“Short lead times and hesitating to book meetings until the very last minute are
lingering issues from the pandemic,” explained Milton Rivera, VP of sales, American
Express Meetings & Events, “and some organizations are still not prepared to plan
too far in advance.” This hesitation, combined with economic pressures, ongoing
staffing issues, and unprecedented competition in the market for available space willcontinue to put pressure on rates in 2023.
Availability in 2023 is expected to be tight, with respondents predicting
modest increases for room availability (0.7%) and meeting space availability(1.4%). The pressure is expected to ease by 2024, as respondents expect
to see increases of 2.5% for rooms and 2.7% for meeting space.
Globally, respondents predict hotel rate increases of 4.9% in 2023,
although there was variation among the regions, with only a 2.5% predicted
increase in Asia Pacific compared to a 7.4% predicted increase in North
America. "Average rates continue to rise due to higher labor, food, and other fixed
costs, along with the impact of inflation – we believe that trend will continue with highdemand," said Jonathan Kaplan, VP, America sales, IHG Hotels and Resorts.

Global Air
While footage of airport chaos dominated news stories in the summer of 2022, industry
leaders stated within interviews that although the airline industry is still experiencing
major challenges, by 2023 most major routes will be back in service, and travelers,
both business and leisure, will be more confident about booking international flights.
Industry leaders point to a lag in recovery for airline route frequency and seat capacity.
Almost one-half (49%) of respondents say they frequently use a travel managementcompany to book group air. Many respondents (41%) report using online booking
tools and nearly one-third (32%) report working with an internal group air specialist.
Favorable group air rates is the number one thing respondents value in their group air
provider, which is a change from last year, when crisis management topped the list.
More than one-third (38%) of meeting planners said that group air rates were very or
extremely influential on their destination choices. Among supplier respondents, 68%of air suppliers say their rates will be increasing – of those, 20% say rates will be up by
11% or more. “Similar to meetings industry suppliers, we are seeing robust demand,
coupled with cost increases, and overall inflationary pressures,” explained Rob LeBel,managing director, specialty and mid-market sales, Delta Air Lines. "And while thesefactors could potentially impact future meeting attendance and budgets, having
mutually equitable partnerships and programs that discount travel can help to offset
the rising costs associated with the return to travel."2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

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GlobalTrends2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

13Global TrendsBlazing a New Trail
The meetings and events industry is experiencing an unprecedented recovery, and allsigns point to a busy 2023. More meetings and events, more attendees, higher budgets,and higher rates are all expected. Amid all the action, a new focus on partnerships,
sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and technology is also underway. Meetingsand events are back, and the way they are planned is evolving.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that meeting professionals can be evenmore flexible, creative, and resourceful than they themselves believed. That spiritof being open to new ways of working is well worth holding on to. In interviews, ourpanel of industry leaders emphasized that meeting professionals have been given theopportunity now to take a hard look at how they work and how it can change for the
better.
Top of mind is the desire for more education, use of technology for automation, andfrank communication between planners and clients. “Stress levels are currently high on
both sides to get meetings 'right' and have 'perfect' events,” said Linda McNairy, vicepresident, Americas, American Express Meetings & Events. But perfect means different
things to different people. Planners can alleviate much of this stress by being as clear
in their communications with clients as possible. McNairy explained, “Educating clients
about what they can realistically expect from their budgets and lead times, and why
they may need to be more flexible with their demands, should happen at the beginningof any event planning process.” Encouraging clients to be clear and specific about what
their goals are for an event means planners can help them to spend their budgets more

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

142023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Global Trends
Meetings Drive
Culture in 2023
Bringing staff together for training andteam building is no longer optional witha dispersed workforce. Companies now
recognize the vital role in-person meetings
play in strengthening culture, onboarding
staff, increasing employee engagement andcommunicating corporate values and goals.

Almost half of organizations
adopt hybrid or remote working

But employees NEED
face-to-face meetings

Respondents say their offices are:

Internal meetings will continue to be the fastest
growing category in 2023 across all regions

40%
Hybrid/partially open

8%

North

America

Fully remote/office closed

Companies invest in quality
internal meeting experiences

40%

Requireair travel

Held in adifferent city

45%

39%
Domestic

27%

International

Include overnightaccommodation

39%

Include social
activities/
networking

34%

No air travel2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Latin
America

EuropeAsia
Pacific

And leaders are excitedabout the opportunities!
“Meeting in-person
allows for more trust,accountability andcollaboration, andgathering in off-site
conference rooms
helps to eliminate
office distractions.”– Meetings Executive,
North America
15

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

effectively. When both sides understand from the beginning what the requirements
and measures of success are for a meeting, expectations are more likely to be met andorganizations will feel confident that they’re getting the best return for their program
dollars.

Focus on Internal Meetings
According to a 2021 McKinsey report, “What executives are saying about the future of
hybrid work,” 90% of large companies have committed to hybrid work plans for theiremployees. Many organizations are not expecting their employees to come back into
the office full-time anytime soon, if ever. But dispersed workforces come with many
challenges: organizations need to guard against lack of employee engagement, reduced
understanding of business goals, difficulty training staff, and employee burnout, andmore.
Internal meetings, particularly in-person internal meetings, continue to be a higher
priority than they were pre-pandemic, as organizations see the value of bringing theiremployees together face to face as a way to improve productivity, create sharedculture, and reduce turnover. A new question in this year’s survey illustrates thistrend – we asked respondents about the location, accommodations, programming,and travel characteristics of their internal meetings in 2023. The results validated thatorganizations are willing to spend money on internal meetings, with, for example, 45%
including overnight accommodations, 27% including international air travel, and 40%
being held in a different city than the corporate office.
It’s not just large organizations that are increasing their in-person internal meetings.
Small and medium enterprises (SME) are also using face to face meetings tostrengthen their workforce and improve culture. According to Amex GBT’s Q2 2022
Earnings Report, SME travel is recovering faster than any other customer segment.
In the second quarter of 2022, SME transactions reached 84% of 2019 levels. This
compares to an overall transaction figure from all customer segments of 76% of 2019
levels.
“How we work has fundamentally changed and, therefore, how we’re conducting
business has changed,” said Ciaran Delaney, founder and CEO of hubli, an enterprisebooking platform for in-person meetings and group lodging. “And that’s having massive
repercussions in relation to the motivations to meet. Companies are now having
internal meetings more regularly to welcome new employees who are working remotely
and syncing the team to build culture and productivity.”

Destination Choices
Regional and domestic travel continue to be preferred for the rest of 2022 whileplanners wait to see how travel restrictions and delays in securing passports and visas
play out. Our interview panel said that they have seen some planning underway forlarge international events in 2023 though lingering uncertainties about restrictions,capacity, and rising costs are still factors.
Locations that would normally be considered leisure travel destinations have seen big
bumps in numbers of meetings and events and are expected to continue to be popularin 2023. The increased space and room availability in larger tourist destinations
coupled with their more frequent air service and higher staffing levels make cities like

16

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Las Vegas and Madrid particularly attractive to planners who are booking events withshort lead times and therefore fewer options.
Mid-range properties continue to be popular for smaller team meetings, where thedestination is less important than bringing people together. One industry leader
remarked that they have seen a growing number of requests from their SME clientsfor “what we are calling ‘micro events’ – for example, 2 days with a total of 30 people.”
They believe there is a greater need for smaller meetings to bring scattered teams
together and also meet with clients in new locations post-pandemic.
As international travel returns to 2019 levels, there is
expected to be a strong demand for incentives and employee
recognition in luxury markets.

Attendee Wellbeing

As international travel
returns to 2019 levels,
there is expected to
be a strong demandfor incentives andemployee recognition
in luxury markets.”

Attendee health and wellness continues to be a focus formeeting planners, for both in-person and virtual/hybrid
formats. Face-to-face meetings in particular are seeing a shift
in how attendee wellbeing is addressed: instead of packing
schedules with activities from early morning to late evening,planners are recognizing that not everyone can or wants tosustain such a high level of activity. Some organizations have
implemented policies that travel should, as much as possible,
not interfere with their employees’ personal lives, whichmeans avoiding booking flights on weekends. And as we’veseen since the pandemic, attendee communication is key.
“Meeting attendees have come to expect a lot more communication up front,” said Tina
Di Biasio, global director, senior account management, American Express Meetings& Events. “Meeting owners are making sure that attendees are fully aware of what isbeing planned for them and what their experience will entail inclusive of the provisions
made for their safety and comfort."
Attendee engagement for in-person meetings is less of a concern than it used to be– meeting professionals say that people are so happy to have the opportunity to beback together face-to-face again that the engagement happens naturally. For virtual
attendees, engagement remains a concern as planners continue to report a lack ofengagement and poor attendance to be among their top issues with virtual meetings(in addition to technology issues).

Technology
The digitalization of meeting management has exploded over the last few years,
causing a mini-revolution in how meetings and events are planned. Automated software
platforms offer streamlined and simplified booking solutions for small and simple
meetings and other straightforward bookings. Users can review space, rates, and room
availability, and whether the meeting adheres to meeting policies and sustainability
requirements with the click of a button. For planners who use these platforms,
removing some of the manual booking processes means they can spend more time
being creative and strategic with programming and less time on busy-work. For the2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

17

organization, booking platforms increase the likelihood that meeting owners will workwith preferred suppliers. Additionally, organizations have better and more timely data
about their meeting program’s performance towards its goals, following of corporate
meeting policies, and achievement of sustainability and diversity targets.
Beyond reducing administrative and manual work, meeting technology also addresses
a critical issue: reduced staffing levels in both supplier and corporate offices. In
particular, response times to RFPs are longer, creating a bottleneck in the booking
process.
As meeting owners continue to demand more autonomy over the booking
process, “driving adoption for simple meeting technology will be crucial in thenext few years,” according to Chuck Ghoorah, co-founder and president ofworldwide sales and marketing at Cvent. “Planners need instant booking
technology, and user-friendliness is the North Star.”

Air and Hotel Sectors
Strong relationships with suppliers are crucial when the competition
to book space and vendors is so high. It’s a seller’s market and thatwill likely continue into 2024 as availability is expected to remain
constrained. Travel and meeting management companies that havestrong partnerships with trusted suppliers are better positioned to offer
clients their first choices in venues and dates.
The focus on simplification and automation extends to how meetingsand events are planned, with meeting professionals and air and hotel
suppliers using technology to remove some of the manual processes thatused to be required.
In the drive to attract clients and demonstrate their corporate responsibility,
many global air and hotel suppliers have published major sustainability
and DE&I targets. They are also investing in infrastructure and technology
improvements to make life easier for travelers. Contactless bag drops andfacial recognition systems at airports, keyless hotel rooms, and online checkins have made traveling much more streamlined and enjoyable – why wait inline if you don’t have to?

Meetings Management
The meeting function in organizations has grown in importance postpandemic, as evidenced by the renewed focus on internal meetings and teambuilding. This means more small meetings are being booked by departmentsthat haven’t historically been in charge of meeting planning, and may not be aware of
their organization’s meeting management policies. Increasing the stakeholder adoptionof their meetings program and policies is expected to be easier in the next year
because of this. The disruptive nature of this environment firmly establishes the valueof professional meeting planners – whose role is becoming more challenging. They are
not only responsible for traditional event design and logistics but also virtual and hybrid
components, and are advisors for sustainability and DE&I, in addition to managing
attendee experience and wellbeing.

182023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Improving DE&I continues to be an important goal for meeting owners globally,
according to survey respondents (87% say their organization actively strives
to incorporate DE&I into their meetings and events). There are multiple ways toaccomplish these goals, including choosing destinations with active outreach tomulticultural groups, hiring certified diverse suppliers, and booking venues that are
100% accessible.
The business case for increasing DE&I is clear, according to Patrick Rush, seniorregional director of Asia Pacific, American Express Meetings & Events. “Fororganizations to maximize return on investment including attendance, they need to be
inclusive and have a clear charter in terms of diversity. It is one of the key criteria thatmeeting owners and delegates will consider in the future – if they’re not already today.”Sustainability
Sustainability has moved from a buzzword to a corporate mandate, according to
our interview panel and survey respondents. Meeting owners are seeing demandintensifying for event sustainability initiatives and need reporting from all suppliers
and sources. Meetings and events owners should prepare to integrate sustainable
solutions to reduce, measure, and report on event sustainability impacts and progress.
Technology platforms are essential to provide stakeholders with the emissions dataneeded to track and communicate progress.
Education is also key for engaging meeting planners and teaching them aboutsustainable event planning tools that can provide them with the right processes toplan sustainably and take into account everything from location choices with thesmallest carbon footprint, to certified venues, to food and beverage choices that avoid
emissions.
According to GBTA’s June 2022 Sustainability Report, 90% of organizations said theyrequired professional guidance in their sustainability journey. “Now that there is global
consensus that sustainability must be a factor within meeting programs, organizations
are looking for help to develop a road map that will specifically address education,planning, tracking, and reporting,” said Eloísa Urrutia, head of M&E sustainability
solutions, American Express Meetings & Events.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

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2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Regional
Trends2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

21

Regional Trends

Creating
Connections in aComplex Time
Meeting professionals are used to dealing with challenging situations, but the changing
workplace and a focus on diversity and sustainability mean they are working in a much
more complex environment these days. A dispersed workforce has significantly raised
the stakes on the need for high-quality internal meetings. At the same time, meeting
management policies that reflect corporate messaging and branding on DE&I and green
practices are being adopted and applied to all types of events, including internal andsmall and simple meetings. Planners across all regions report that they are implementing
strategies to both strengthen corporate culture and meet their organization’s goals,
although how they achieve those goals differs among the regions.

222023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Regional Trends
Aligning Around
The Globe
Every region is optimistic about
meetings and events growth in 2023.
Here’s what stands out across theregions.

North America expects to see
the highest rate increases
Year-over-year expected increase inaverage group rates

While Asia Pacific expects toinvest the most per attendee
for in-person, internal meetings
Cost per attendee per day for in-person, internal meetings

Hotel

7.4%

Air

7.8%

LA

EUR

AP

NA

LA

EUR

Latin
America$554

Europe

c

acifi
ia P

As

NA

$662

1
1
7
$

AP

Latin America predicts thelargest increase in attendees
for every meeting type
Percentage increase
in attendee numbers

$554

North

America

And European meeting planners
are the most likely to track theirevent’s carbon footprint
Percentage who provide
post-event CO2 calculations

5.08%–5.88%

28%

Across:In-person

HybridVirtualNA
2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

LA

EUR

AP
23

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys and Interviews from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

North America
Meeting professionals in North America believe 2023 will be a year of
fast-paced growth and they are up for the challenge. They are feeling moresecure about their jobs – on a scale of 1 to 10, 65% chose 8 or higher
when asked how optimistic they were about their career options in theindustry, an increase from 56% in the 2022 survey. They also believe theindustry overall is in good shape: 72% said they were an 8 or higher on ascale of 1 to 10 when asked how optimistic they were about the health of
the industry. The region had the highest percentage of respondents who
said their offices were fully remote, at 15%, while 33% said their offices
were open on a partial basis for hybrid workforces, and the remaining
52% said their offices were fully open.
Meetings Activity
North American respondents are predicting an increase in every type of in-person
meeting in 2023, with the largest increase expected to be in small and simple meetings,
at 4.7%. In the virtual and hybrid format, respondents expect the numbers to decreasefor every meeting type except small and simple meetings (which will remain flat at0.5%) and client and customer advisory boards. The largest predicted decrease invirtual and hybrid meeting types is in the number of product launches, which are
expected to be 0.9% lower than the previous year.
When it comes to choosing an in-person meeting instead of a virtual or hybrid one,planners say flexible cancellation and attrition terms and favorable rates are the top
two factors that influence their decisions.
Sixty-three percent predict attendee numbers will return to 2019 levels in the next
one to two years. Although they predict decreases in the number of virtual andhybrid meetings, overall attendees are expected to increase at every type of meeting242023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

North America – Key Indicators for 2023
Overall meeting spend

Meetings by format

65% expect their meeting spend to increase,
compared to 68% in 2022

90% of meetings will have an in-personcomponent, compared to 88% in 2022

12%

Significantly
increasing(11%+)

10%
9%

28%

Increasing(6%–10%)19%
Slightly increasing(1%–5%)

25%

Staying the same

19%

Slightly decreasing(1%–5%)

7%

Decreasing(6%–10%)9%Significantly 1%
decreasing(11%+)

62%

In-person only

Hybrid multi-hub*HybridVirtual only

*Hybrid multi-hub is two or more in-person meetings
connected via a virtual platform

Source: North American Survey from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

compared to 2022 numbers, ranging from 4% for conferences and tradeshows to 5%
for client and customer advisory boards.
Respondents in the region believe hotel space will be very tight in 2023, saying they
expect decreases in availability of 0.6% for rooms and 0.1% for meeting space. They
predict that will ease somewhat in 2024, with increases of 1% for rooms and 1.5% formeeting space.
In a new question this year, survey respondents were asked what percentage of
their internal meetings will include travel and accommodation requirements, among
other characteristics. North American respondents said 54% will require overnightaccommodation, 51% will be held at a hotel, and 46% will be held in a different city thanthe corporate office.

Meetings Budgets and Planning
Overall meeting spend is expected to be up by 3.8% in the region, which is slightly lower
than in 2022 (4.2%). Respondents in North America are also expecting an increase of2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

25

7.4% in group hotel rates, and a 7.8% increase in group air rates. Respondents say that
if their budget were reduced by 10%, the first area they would cut for in-person eventsis the number of nights, followed by off-site optional activities, and off-site evening
events.
Survey respondents were asked to break out their expected cost per attendee perday (US dollars, excluding air costs) by meeting type. Meeting professionals in North
America predict increases for every type, for both in-person and virtual and hybrid
formats, ranging from 2% for small and simple meetings to 3.1% for senior leadershipand board meetings.

“I am most excitedabout a chance to
be together andrebuild our corporate
culture.”Meetings leader inNorth America

Regarding meeting management policies, 69% of respondents
say their organization has a formal policy for meetings, and
70% have a centralized staff to support meeting planning andexecution. Safety and security requirements and a formal
approval process are the two components most likely to be
explicitly mentioned in an organization’s meeting policy.

Sustainability and DE&I
Seventy-one percent of respondents say their organizationconsiders sustainability when planning a meeting or event; ofthose, 70% are working with a defined sustainable meetingstrategy. Minimizing paper usage, choosing green suppliers,
and applying energy-saving and waste reduction practices are
the top three ways they meet their sustainability targets.

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), 81% of respondents in theregion say their organization actively strives to incorporate it into their meetingsand events. Choosing diverse speakers and diverse or minority-owned suppliers,
particularly food and beverage suppliers, are the top two ways they accomplish that.

Top destinations
The top 5 meeting destinations in North America, based on client data from theAmerican Express Meetings & Events Meetings Insight platform, indicate that the majorurban centers are in high demand.
1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Orlando, Florida
3. New York, New York
4. Dallas, Texas
5. Atlanta, Georgia
Source: Top North America city destinations based on sales of event services by American Express Meetings & Events,
Sept. 2021 – Aug. 2022.

26

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Group & Meeting Travel
Ready to meet your travelers’ needs
Our extensive Group & Meeting Travel (GMT) portfolio offers group fares and special pricing for your group travel needs, wherever yourjourney takes you. We’re fully committed to meeting the needs of your travelers with the largest global network and several key benefits,
such as:• A more simplified contract process, with clearer terms and conditions• A robust product offering that includes air-only fares, packaged fares, and zone fares• More accurate inventory availability• A flexible ticketing process for fees, deposits, refunds, exchanges and cancellations, seat assignments and name changes• GMT pricing that complements existing corporate contracts, ensuring the best discount and making the choice for booking your groupeasier than ever before.
• All group products can be booked up to 330 days in advance.

Have 10 or more traveling? We’ve got you covered
Air-Only Fares

Zone Fares

We offer special group pricing on both fares and amenities forgroups of 10 or more traveling to a common destination forwhatever takes you there – leisure, incentive, or company andmeeting travel, including travel in premium cabins. If your groupis traveling to any American or oneworld destination within a twoday window, you can get a guaranteed fare and block space up to
11 months in advance.

For a multi-origin group with 10 or more travelers from 2 or more
origins, we’ll guarantee fares from various geographical zones ofdeparture to a common destination. Zone fares are valid for travel
originating in the United States or Canada to:• North America• Europe• Caribbean• Latin America• Asia PacificOur extensive GMT portfolio makes us the easy choice for better travel planning
For more information on Group & Meeting Travel, please reach out to your American Airlines
Account Manager, visit aa.com/groups, or call us at 1-800-221-2255.
2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

27

American Airlines and the Flight Symbol logo are marks of American Airlines, Inc. oneworld is a mark of the oneworld Alliance, LLC. © 2022 American Airlines, Inc. All rights reserved.

Europe
Meeting professionals in Europe are feeling positive about 2023: 75%
said they would rank their optimism levels at 8 or higher on a scale of 1
to 10, which is quite a jump from last year (59%). More than half, 58%,
said their career options were good to excellent. Europeans were the most
likely to say their organizations had fully reopened their offices (54%); of
the remainder, 42% said their workplace was partially opened or hybrid;
only 4% said they were fully remote.
Meetings Activity
European respondents are predicting an increase in every type of in-person meeting in
2023, ranging from a 3.4% increase for product launches to a 4.7% increase for smalland simple meetings. The number of other virtual and hybrid meeting types is expected
to remain similar to 2022 levels. The only virtual and hybrid meeting type with an
expected increase of note is small and simple meetings, at 1.1%.
When it comes to choosing an in-person meeting vs. a virtual or hybrid one, planners
say flexible cancellation and attrition terms and supplier flexibility are the top two
factors that influence their decisions.
In-person attendee numbers are expected to return to 2019 levels within one to two
years according to 69% of European respondents. Every meeting type, whether
in-person, virtual, or hybrid, is predicted to have an increase in attendee numbers in
2023, ranging from an increase of 2.8% for incentives and special events to an increaseof 4.2% for internal and team meetings.
Europeans are guarded about the outlook for room and meeting space availability in
2023, with respondents predicting only 0.3% and 0.7% increases respectively. They
expect availability to open up more in 2024, though, by an expected increase of 2.7%
for rooms and an increase of 2.9% for meeting spaces.

28

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTEurope – Key Indicators for 2023
Overall meeting spend

Meetings by format

66% expect their meeting spend to increase,
compared to 64% in 2022

86% of meetings will have an in-personcomponent, compared to 81% in 2022

Significantly
increasing(11%+)

12%

Increasing(6%–10%)

24%

14%
12%
53%

Slightly increasing(1%–5%)

30%

Staying the same

15%

Slightly decreasing(1%–5%)

9%

Decreasing(6%–10%)8%

Significantly 3%
decreasing(11%+)

21%

In-person only

Hybrid multi-hub*HybridVirtual only

*Hybrid multi-hub is two or more in-person meetings
connected via a virtual platform

Source: European Survey from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

Internal team meeting characteristics in Europe mirror those in other regions, with a
few variations – 43% will be held at a hotel, 40% include overnight accommodation forattendees, and 35% will be in a different city than the organization’s corporate officelocation. European respondents were the most likely to say that internal meetings
would be held somewhere other than a corporate property and not require international
air travel, with only 26% saying internal meetings would be held on corporate property
and only 22% to include international air travel.

Meetings Budgets and Planning
Overall meeting spend is expected to increase by 3.2% in the region, up from the 2022
prediction of a 2.9% increase. Europeans are predicting fairly substantial increasesof 4.8% in group hotel rates and 5.2% in group air rates. The first area meeting
professionals would cut for in-person events if budgets were reduced by 10% is thenumber of nights, followed by off-site optional activities.
Survey respondents were asked to break out their expected cost per attendee perday (US dollars, excluding air costs) by meeting type for all formats. Europeans said

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

29incentives and special events will see the biggest jump over 2022 cost per attendee,
predicting a 3.5% increase. Like all other regions, the meeting type with the lowest
expected cost per attendee is small and simple meetings, with a more modest 1.4%
predicted increase.

I am most excitedabout Increasing thediversity of speeches
and enriching thecontent of theconference.”
Meeting planner inEuropeClose to two-thirds of respondents (64%) say theirorganization has adopted a formal policy for meetings and
71% say there are both an approval process and a component
that covers specific technology or software for meeting
management. The top three components most likely to be
explicitly mentioned in an organization’s meeting policy
are safety and security requirements, the use of meeting
technology, and the use of preferred suppliers.

Sustainability and DE&I

Seventy-eight percent of European respondents said theirorganization takes sustainability into account when planningmeetings and events; 66% say there is a defined sustainablemeeting strategy in place. Minimizing paper usage andapplying energy-saving and waste-reduction practices are themost common practices planners said they will use to meettargets. Respondents in the region also were more likely thanrespondents in other regions to say that they do post-event CO2 calculations (28%).
When asked what they feel is the most impactful sustainability practice, European
respondents said that choosing suppliers that are green certified is at the top of the list.
As far as incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) into their meeting
programs, 82% said their organizations actively strive to do so. To achieve it, 39% said
providing an option to attend an event virtually was one way, along with focusing onaccessibility (28%) and using diverse or minority-owned suppliers (24%).

Top destinations
The top 5 meeting destinations in Europe, based on client data from the American
Express Meetings & Events Meetings Insight platform, indicate that meeting planners
continue to prefer the traditional urban centers.
1. Madrid, Spain
2. Barcelona, Spain
3. London, United Kingdom
4. Paris, France
5. Manchester, United Kingdom
Source: Top Europe city destinations based on sales of event services by American Express Meetings & Events, Sept.
2021 – Aug. 2022.

30

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Latin America
Meeting professionals in Latin America are feeling extremely positive
about what 2023 will bring: consistent with prior years, respondents in
the region had the highest levels of optimism about the health of theindustry. Ninety percent said they would rank themselves at 8 or higher
on a scale of 1 to 10 measuring optimism levels, and 82% said their career
options are good to excellent – also the highest percentage of all regions
surveyed. One-half (50%) of respondents said their organization’s offices
were fully open, 44% said they were partially open, and 6% said theiroffices are completely remote.

Meetings Activity
Latin American respondents are predicting more of every type of in-person meetingin 2023, from 2.6% more conferences and tradeshows to 4.8% more client andcustomer advisory boards. They are also predicting an increase in most virtual andhybrid meeting types, including an expected 2.5% jump in virtual and hybrid client andcustomer advisory boards.
The top two factors that include influence planning for in-person events are supplierflexibility and favorable rates. For context, respondents in the region last year ranked
duty of care as a top consideration.
The number of attendees is expected to jump by more than 5% for all meeting types,
whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Predicted increases range from 5.1% for client andcustomer advisory boards to 5.9% for small and simple meetings. Respondents in theregion were the most likely to say they expect in-person attendee numbers to return topre-pandemic levels, 78%, in the next one to two years.
Latin Americans are the most optimistic about the availability of room and meeting
space in the coming years: room availability is predicted to increase by 2.1% in 2023

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

31

Latin America – Key Indicators for 2023
Overall meeting spend

Meetings by format

63% expect their meeting spend to increase,
compared to 66% in 2022

90% of meetings will have an in-personcomponent, compared to 76% in 2022

Significantly
increasing(11%+)

8%

Increasing(6%–10%)

23%

10%

16%
49%
Slightly increasing(1%–5%)

32%

Staying the same

16%

Slightly decreasing(1%–5%)

12%
7%

Decreasing(6%–10%)Significantly 3%
decreasing(11%+)

25%

In-person only

Hybrid multi-hub*HybridVirtual only

*Hybrid multi-hub is two or more in-person meetings
connected via a virtual platform

Source: Latin American Survey from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

and 3.6% in 2024. Similarly, meeting space availability is predicted to increase by
3.1% in 2023 and 3.4% in 2024. Leaders in the region have noted that staffing issues
are not as severe in Latin America as they are in other regions, which may explain why
respondents expect more space to be available.
Regarding the characteristics of in-person internal meetings, a new question in thisyear’s survey, 47% said they will be held at a hotel (rather than on corporate property),
42% said they will include overnight accommodations for attendees, and 40% said
they will be held in a different city than the one the corporate office is located in. Also of
note, 30% said they would include international air travel for attendees – the highest
percentage of all regions.

Meetings Budgets and Planning
Overall meeting spend is expected to increase by 2.6% in the region, down from an
expected increase of 3.1% for 2022. Respondents in Latin America are predicting an
increase of 4% in group hotel rates, and a 4.2% increase in group air rates. Group32

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTair rates are closely watched in Latin America – 56% said they are very or extremely
influential when it comes to choosing destinations, vs. 29% to 36% in other regions.
They reported that if their budget was reduced by 10%, the first area they would cut for
in-person events is off-site optional activities, followed by number of nights.
Survey respondents were asked to break out their expected
cost per attendee per day (US dollars, excluding air costs)
by meeting type for all formats. Latin American respondents
expect modest increases across most meeting types, from
1.6% for small and simple meetings to 2.2% for seniorleadership and advisory board meetings. They expect moresignificant increases for three meeting types, however:incentives and special events (2.6%), product launches(3.4%), and conferences and tradeshows (3.5%).
Sixty-two percent of respondents say their organization has
adopted a formal policy for meetings, an increase over 61% in
2022, and 76% said there is an approval process in place formeetings. Almost three-quarters (74%) say small and simple
meetings are included in their policy. Safety and security
requirements and the use of meetings planning technology
are again the top two components that are the most likely to
be explicitly mentioned in an organization’s meeting policy. One in five said their policy
had explicit language regarding the collection of meeting ROI metrics.

I am most excitedabout being able tospread events tomore people using
the best technology.”
Meeting planner in
Latin America

Sustainability and DE&I
Regarding sustainability, 86% of respondents in Latin America said their organizations
consider it when planning meetings and events, and 84% said there was a defined
strategy in place. Minimizing paper usage and applying energy-saving and wastereduction measures are the two practices they most often use and believe will have thebiggest impact on making their events more sustainable.
Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is important in the region – 96%
said their organization actively strives to support it. Respondents chose a focus onaccessibility and using alternative forms of communication, such as sign language
interpretation, subtitles, and closed captioning, as the top two ways they incorporate
DE&I in their meeting programs.

Top destinations
The top 5 meeting destinations in Latin America, based on client data from theAmerican Express Meetings & Events Meetings Insight platform, include two cities inColombia.
1. Bogota, Colombia
2. Mexico City, Mexico
3. Cartagena, Colombia
4. Buenos Aires, Argentina
5. Cancun, Mexico
Source: Top Latin America city destinations based on sales of event services by American Express Meetings &Events, Sept. 2021 – Aug. 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

33

Asia PacificMeeting professionals in Asia Pacific are feeling positive about the healthof the industry in 2023. Almost three-quarters (74%) asked to rank theiroptimism about the industry on a 1–10 scale ranked themselves an 8 or
higher, and 68% believe their career options are good to excellent – upfrom 56% in 2022. Just over half (52%) of respondents in the region said
their offices were fully open; only 2% said they were working completely
remotely, and the remainder (46%) said their workplace was partiallyopened or hybrid.
Meetings Activity
Respondents in Asia Pacific are predicting more of every type of meeting, in bothin-person and virtual and hybrid formats, in 2023. The expected increase in virtualand hybrid meetings ranges from 1.3% more product launches to 2.9% more clientand customer advisory boards. For in-person meetings, the increase is slightly higher,
ranging from 2.4% more internal meetings to 3.2% more small and simple meetings.
Supplier flexibility followed closely by confidence in duty-of-care components are the
top two factors that influence planning in-person events vs. virtual ones.
Respondents in the region are somewhat more cautious than other regions in
predicting when in-person attendee numbers will return to 2019 levels: 61% said it will
happen in the next one to two years, and 36% said it will be in the next three to five
years. They are the region with the lowest percentage of in-person only meetings (37%vs. 49% to 62%) so this caution likely reflects the region’s firmer restrictions regarding
travel and mass gatherings in certain countries. Respondents expect more attendees
in 2023 for every type of meeting, whether in-person or virtual and hybrid, with thebiggest jump (3.4%) for attendees at internal meetings.

34

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTAsia Pacific – Key Indicators for 2023
Overall meeting spend

Meetings by format

67% expect their meeting spend to increase,
compared to 60% in 2022

84% of meetings will have an in-personcomponent, compared to 81% in 2022

Significantly
increasing(11%+)

6%

Increasing(6%–10%)

17%
16%
37%
22%

Slightly increasing(1%–5%)

44%
25%

17%

Staying the same

Slightly decreasing(1%–5%)

10%

Decreasing(6%–10%)4%

Significantly 2%
decreasing(11%+)

In-person only

Hybrid multi-hub*HybridVirtual only

*Hybrid multi-hub is two or more in-person meetings
connected via a virtual platform

Source: Asia-Pacific Survey from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

Hotel room availability is expected to increase by only 1.7% in 2023 and 3.4% in 2024.
Predictions for meeting space availability are more optimistic, with respondents
expecting a 2.6% increase in 2023 and a 3.6% increase in 2024.
Responses to the new survey question about the characteristics of internal meetings
were similar in Asia Pacific to the other regions: 43% will be held at a hotel, 41% will
include overnight accommodations for attendees, and 36% will include social activities
and networking opportunities.

Meeting Budgets and Planning
Overall meeting spend in Asia Pacific is expected to increase by 2.7% in 2023.
Respondents are predicting the lowest increase in group hotel and air rates, withexpected increases of 2.5% and 3.1%, respectively. If their budget were reduced by
10%, respondents said the areas they would cut for in-person events were a three-way
tie: on-site travel staff, off-site evening events, and off-site optional activities (each at18%). Reducing the number of nights was the fourth most chosen option, at 15%.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

35

Survey respondents were asked to break out their expected cost per attendee per day(US dollars, excluding air costs) by meeting type and in-person and virtual and hybrid
formats. Internal team meetings are expected to see the biggest increase in cost perattendee, at 2.6%.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents say their organization has adopted a formal policy
for meetings, up from 64% in 2022, and about two-thirds said that their organization
had meeting management components including specific technology for managing
meetings (68%), centralized staff to support planning and execution (67%), centralized
contracting with preferred vendors (67%), and inclusion of virtual and hybrid meetings(67%). Safety and security requirements, the approval process, and payment methods
were the three components most likely to have explicit
language in their organizations’ meeting policy. The region
leads on specific language about meetings ROI metrics andglobal standardization of meetings policies, at 22% and 30%
respectively.

I am most excitedabout a better on-siteexperience, using
high technology toachieve sustainable
development ofenterprises.”
Meeting owner in
Asia PacificSustainability and DE&I
When asked whether their organization considers
sustainability when planning meetings, 86% of respondents
in Asia Pacific said yes, and 83% said there was a definedsustainable meeting strategy in place. Minimizing paper
usage (60%) and implementing energy-saving and wastereduction measures (58%) are the top two practices planners
implement to make their meetings more sustainable; 47% alsoplan to book with suppliers who are green certified.

Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is
important in the region, with 92% of respondents saying
their organization actively strives to incorporate it into their
meeting programs. Using diverse and minority-owned suppliers and ensuring diverse
speakers and entertainment are part of the programming are the top two ways thatplanners incorporate diversity into their events.

Top destinations
The top 5 meeting destinations in Asia Pacific, based on client data from the American
Express Meetings & Events Meetings Insight platform, reflect the impact of restrictionsin the region over the last year, with Singapore and China not making the list.
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Osaka, Japan
3. Sydney, Australia
4. Seoul, South Korea
5. Taipei, Taiwan
Source: Top Asian Pacific city destinations based on sales of event services by American Express Meetings & Events,
Sept. 2021 – Aug. 2022.

36

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Special
Sections

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

37

38

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTThe increasing implementation of formal
diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)
meeting policies means meeting owners
must safeguard that their programs aretied into the overall corporate strategy.

Designing
Inclusive andSafe Events
2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST39

To increase diversity at events,
planners must be sure that attendees,
presenters, and staff are safe andcomfortable. When we talk about
safety in terms of meeting planning,
we usually refer to it from a macro perspective,
thinking about things that could affect all
attendees: terrorism, weather, health, etc.
But increasing DE&I also means making sureindividual attendees are safe at a personallevel, based on their specific circumstances andrequirements.
“Diversity goes beyond what our eyes cansee and people’s unique traits are far more

complex than gender and race,” explains Daisy
Crane, business development manager for
Travel Partner Network, American Express
Meetings & Events. “Diversity has multiple
layers and is multidimensional. For example,
one’s primary dimensions involve characteristics
such as age, gender identity, race, andphysical and mental abilities. Secondary
dimensions include family composition, nationof origin, language, socioeconomic status, andeducation. Organizational dimensions relate
to professional experiences, occupation,and institutional affiliations. Culturaldimensions include religion and cultural
traditions.”

The Dimensionsof Diversity
Diversity comprises
many layers anddimensions.

Adapted from the original diversity
wheel depicted in Workforce
America! Managing Employee
Diversity as a Vital Resource by
Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener.

40

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Review Your Corporate Meetings
Program Policies
If an organization has specific corporate targets
for DE&I, incorporating those targets into a
meetings and event program may be as simple
as requiring a certain percentage of diverse
suppliers (suppliers who are majority owned
by under-represented groups) be part of theirpreferred supplier partnerships, or ensuringthat all presentations include sign language
interpretation. If no specific targets havebeen set, it’s important to confirm that any
meetings and event policies are aligned with theorganization’s overall values, to achieve greater
success with the rollout. A corporate standard
that can be followed by all meeting planners in an
organization, and includes internal meetings, willoffer greater consistency and better results in thelong-term.
When it’s time to start planning individual events,
there are two things planners can do to support
their DE&I goals: improve communication withattendees and make sure there’s a focus on
personal safety.

Start Communicating Early
There’s no such thing as being too prepared, froman attendee perspective. Clear communication
starting with the first event invitation will help
people understand how they would fit into theevent and can help encourage them to register.
In event literature, use inclusive language
and photos that feature people from diverse
backgrounds; provide detailed information about
the location and venue, including whether it isminority-owned, fully accessible, or certified inany other relevant way. Include links to airport
arrival and departure procedures, information
about ground transportation options, andwhat to expect in the area surrounding avenue – are there sidewalks? Would a woman
feel comfortable walking alone at night? Are
there nearby attractions? The goal is to allow
potential attendees to picture themselves in thatenvironment.
If possible, provide the names and contact
numbers of organizers who can answer any
questions attendees may have about the event.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Do Pre-event Surveys
A pre-event survey is one of the mosteffective tools you can implement tohelp attendees feel safe and welcome
at your event. Go beyond the basic
questions on registration forms anddistribute a detailed survey asking
registered attendees whether they
have any accessibility requirements orother needs. Ask for specifics of what
accommodations are needed so you canplan accordingly.
Keep in mind that there are many
disabilities that are not visible toothers but which still may require
accommodation or extra support, suchas certain types of seating for people
with chronic pain or illnesses, hotel
rooms located away from loud areas
for those with sleep disorders, or quiet
rooms that can be used by people
who have neurological or auditory
impairments.
Once you have information about anindividual’s needs, respond with an
explanation of how those needs will beaccommodated.

In post-event surveys, ask about the suitabilityof each component in an event and make sure
to ask for qualitative responses such as, “Isthere anything the event organizers could havedone to make you feel more comfortable? Ormore welcome from a diversity or inclusivity
standpoint?” Document lessons learned
regarding DE&I and respond to any suggestionsin post-event surveys to let attendees know

41how the organization will be incorporating theirsuggestions in future events.

Always Keep Safety in Mind
Safety has always been a factor in decisions
that are made during the planning process. But
oftentimes what’s considered safe for one groupof people may not be for another. For example,
are you holding your event in a location where
attendees from under-represented groups andLGBTQ+ people are welcomed? Are you planning
for attendees to arrive at airports late at night?
Put yourself in the shoes of the different types ofattendees you are expecting, and ask yourself, if
that were me would I feel safe in this situation?
Whenever possible, choose to work with suppliers
who have programs in place for people who
require extra help – solo female travelers or
wheelchair users, for example.
Beyond physical safety, privacy is also important.
Give attendees the choice to opt out of photos
and recordings. Most people won’t but there
will likely be some for whom privacy andconfidentiality are tied to their personal safety. In
the same vein, name badges are excellent tools to42

encourage networking and team building but it’sbest to not lay them out on the registration tablefor everyone to see, or to insist that everyone
display their full name. It’s also a good idea toremind attendees to remove their name badges
when they leave a venue, to maintain theiranonymity once they are outside of an event.
Consider implementing a buddy system: it’s agood way to break the ice and can help people
who may feel nervous or vulnerable to participate
in the event more fully. A simple way to do this is
to ask the emcee at the start of the event to tell
everyone to look around and take a minute to finda “buddy” they can exchange contact information
with. That way they will have someone to reachout to in addition to the event organizers if they
have an issue or feel unwell.
Also, at the start of the event, take the time to
explain the organization’s code of conduct to all
attendees, venue staff, and suppliers and remind
everyone that any abusive or harassing languageor actions will not be tolerated. Make sure there
is a documentation system in place to capture
and address any issues and clearly identify
the on-site contacts that people can go to with

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST1. Offer closed captioning for every presentation.

Consider implementing
a buddy system: it’s agood way to break theice and can help people
who may feel nervous
or vulnerable toparticipate in the event
more fully.

2. Confirm that presentations and signage arelegible to people who are color-blind.
3. Ask speakers to use inclusive language (forexample, say “Hello Everybody” rather than“Hello Ladies and Gentlemen”) and consider
providing a brief description of themselves if
there are attendees who are visually impaired(for example, “Good morning, my name is
Sherry Jones and I am a tall Black woman withshort grey hair”).
4. Ask emcees to repeat questions posed byaudience members during Q&As for those
who may be hearing impaired.
5. Provide a trigger warning before videos or
flashing lights for those prone to seizures.
6. Program appropriate breaks during the day,ones that are long enough that people canstep away and recharge.

concerns (ideally the on-site support team should
represent your audience’s diversity).
Empowering attendees to protect themselves atmeetings and events is a critical step in making
sure everyone feels safe, according to Carolyn
Pearson, CEO of Maiden Voyage, a consulting
firm based in the UK. “I’ve spoken to women who
have been harassed by colleagues at events,” sheexplains. “One woman told me she felt she had
no one to talk to about the problem so she went
home early.”
Be sure to act on any issues that are identified
during the event as quickly as possible andcommunicate with the originator of the complaint
what has been done and how processes willchange to avoid it happening again in the future.
Share information and feedback with on-site staff
while it’s still fresh in everyone’s minds.

10 Steps You Can Take Now
The world has come a long way in becoming moreaccessible and inclusive, and there are basic
accommodations that can be made to support
that now. Consider the following ideas:

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

7. M
 ake sure to offer daytime networking eventsin addition to evening and off-site networking
events – be sensitive to the introverts andattendees who may not feel safe leaving thevenue for whatever reason.
8. Provide quiet rooms for religious,
breastfeeding, or mental health needs.
9. Make sure all food and beverage offerings are
well-marked so that people know what they’rebeing offered.
10. Always offer a non-alcoholic option in addition
to beer, wine, or cocktails and try to makeit look special too – for example, if there’s achampagne reception, offer a sparkling tonic
or another fancy drink option in a champagne
glass. Not everyone wants to broadcast thatthey are not drinking alcohol.

Conclusion
Diversity and inclusivity can refer to manydifferent things and it can be overwhelming toconsider all the options. By looking throughthe lens of attendee safety, you can uncoveropportunities to empower your meetings andevents attendees, presenters, and staff to feel
confident that they will be welcome at your event.

43

Airbus Neo Fleet

New Airspace cabin that o�ers high-comfort �ights
Moodlight LED system that reduces jet lag
15% less fuel consumption and less noise pollution
Free Whatsapp and Messenger
State-of-the-art entertainment system on long-haul �ights
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442023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Case Study

Travel and Meetings
Management:

A One-Partner
Approach

As organizations become more proactive about
understanding the value of their meetings programs,
it is more important than ever to implement formal
meeting management policies that cover the what,
why, and how of meeting planning.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

45

W

orking with an integrated traveland meetings managementcompany can help. In addition,
having specific policy languagethat explains an organization’s
approval process, sustainability targets, approved
suppliers, and ROI metrics, for example, is one
way to make sure that meeting planners across a
global organization are working toward the same
goals. The following case study illustrates how an
American Express Global Business Travel (Amex
GBT) client was able to gain more visibility into
their meeting spend.

The Situation
A global healthcare company had a successful
travel program through Amex GBT. However,they were finding that managing meetings didn’t
run as smoothly as travel. They had over 50
different meeting planning companies to workwith globally. Approvals and logistics needed to
be streamlined and outsourced agencies needed
to be able to work with peer agencies. The mostchallenging issue was oversight of meetings
spend. Since many teams didn’t have the ability
to manage all of their suppliers, it was difficult
to tell how much was being spent on meetings
worldwide.

The Solution
The company wanted to strategize meetings
more holistically. Amex GBT’s flexibility and global
reach had been serving them well when it came totravel. Many managers thought, “why not expand
our relationship and have Amex GBT take on our
meetings program, too?” The integration of traveland meetings through one management partner
would allow for easier reporting, contracting,and service-level agreements with agencies.
The teams wanted consistency throughout eachregion so that everyone in the company worked
through the same structure. Adding on theservices of Amex GBT’s Meetings & Events teamwas the likeliest solution to their needs.
Since a holistic meetings strategy was key, theydecided it was best to utilize the services of Amex
Global Business Consulting (GBC) as well. Having
consultants to help with strategy let them offload
a lot of work they would typically do themselves46

to optimize air and hotel spend. Meeting theircorporate sustainability goals was anotherpriority. Considering that GBC has experienceand proficiency in this area, it made sense topartner with GBC.

The Outcome
Now that the healthcare company has integrated
their travel and meetings management throughone partner – Amex GBT – the teams find they’regetting the holistic experience they were after.
According to the head of travel:

Since many teams
didn’t have theability to manage allof their suppliers, it
was difficult to tell
how much was being
spent on meetings
worldwide.

“Everything goes back to account management.
If we have issues, we have one point of contact
to get it fixed. Escalation cascades to all
three areas: travel, meetings and events, andconsulting without any need for third-party
approval. Amex GBT has all of the data toaggregate and apply where necessary.”
While the company is still in the early stages of
the travel and meetings integration, the teams
have already noticed they have:2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST• The potential to optimize visibility of grouptravel and hotel spend.

GBT’s breadth and scope. The leader also
recommends Amex GBT to companies with lesschallenging programs that need a streamlined
end-to-end management solution.

• Oversight of travel and meetings globally
through regional leads.

Adding on meetings services andconsulting was clearly the right move

• Improved visibility of meetings spend.

• An effective way to reach their sustainability
goals, thanks to Amex GBT’s Green
Marketplace.
The company’s head of travel, meetings, andexpense noted, “Our needs are heard and ourconcerns are resolved when expressed.” Thissenior leader feels other large companies withsimilar complex needs can benefit from Amex

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

There are clear efficiencies in working with one
partner for travel and meetings management.
Saving money is an obvious benefit, in addition
to offering employees and planners an easier way
to book travel and meetings. In the case of thisclient, consolidating their travel and meetings
management programs with one provider also
is helping them speed up progress towards
sustainability goals.

47

Data Tables
This year’s data tables consist of global responses to 40 of the most timely
and relevant survey questions.

Methodology
To develop this 2023 Global Meetings andEvents Forecast, a number of sources wereused, including proprietary American Express
Meetings & Events data sources, licensed
third party data and industry information,
as well as interviews with industry leaders.
Information and data was gathered from
actual and planned meetings activity ofAmerican Express Meetings & Events globally.
Proprietary surveys were conducted of a totalof 502 meeting professionals, broken down by
region as follows: North America (167), Europe(112), Latin America (105), and Asia Pacific(118). A survey of leading hotel (51) and airline(27) suppliers as well as follow-up interviews
were also used to inform the findings in thisForecast. Data was collected based on US
dollars across all regions and dollar amounts
in tables throughout this Forecast indicate
amounts in US dollars.

48

Contents
TRENDS 49
MEETINGS ACTIVITY 56
MEETINGS MANAGEMENT 63
HOTELS, AIR, AND MEETING SPACE 652023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTTRENDS

Level of Optimism

Percent of respondents

The majority of meeting professionals globally are optimistic about the health of the meetings and events
industry in 2023 – particularly in Latin America, where 90% of respondents rated themselves an 8 or higher ona scale of 1 to 10.
NORTHAMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

1- Very Discouraged

0%

0%

0%

0%

2

0%

0%

1%

0%

3 - Discouraged

0%

1%

0%

2%

4

1%

1%

0%

4%

5 – Neither discouraged nor optimistic

2%

3%

0%

4%

6

8%

4%

3%

3%

7 - Optimistic

17%

17%

7%

12%

8

33%

40%

25%

33%

9

16%

18%

29%

19%

10 - Very Optimistic

23%

17%

36%

22%

8 to 10

72%

75%

90%

74%

Workforce Location

Percent of respondents

Half of survey respondents reported that their offices were fully open. North American respondents reported
the highest percentage of completely remote workforces.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Fully open

52%

54%

50%

52%

Partially open (Hybrid)

33%

42%

44%

46%

Closed (Completely remote)

15%

4%

6%

2%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

49

Attendee Levels

Percent of respondents

Two-thirds of respondents expect attendee numbers to revert back to pre-pandemic levels within the next 1 to 2 years.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Yes, in the near future (1 to 2 years)

63%

69%

78%

61%

Yes, in the semi-near future (3 to 5 years)

25%

19%

16%

36%

Yes, in the distant future (More than 5
years)

3%

2%

2%

2%

No, not expected to return to prepandemic levels

7%

11%

3%

2%

Other: please specify

2%

0%

1%

0%

Top Factors Influencing Meeting Location

Percent of respondents

The top two factors that influence meeting location selection globally are 1) specific location type needed, and2) ease of air lift and transportation. There are regional variations, however, with Asia Pacific respondents citing
security concerns as a major factor, and global hoteliers choosing ability to host hybrid meetings.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICGLOBAL
HOTELIERS

Size of meeting space to accommodatesocial distancing

28%

17%

30%

19%

16%

Food and beverage protocol

8%

12%

12%

5%

18%

Guest temperature and symptom screening

2%

5%

10%

13%

8%

Safety concerns related to economic/
political instability

15%

21%

12%

28%

10%

Currency/exchange rate

3%

5%

4%

3%

6%

Online reviews

4%

5%

7%

10%

14%

Perceptions around “resort” destination
for meetings

7%

7%

10%

8%

6%

Participation in company or organization’s
preferred supplier program

17%

16%

7%

10%

6%

Ease of air lift/transportation to location
for attendees

24%

21%

28%

29%

18%

Client directive based on past experience

16%

14%

6%

11%

10%

Repeat destination for meeting

11%

11%

2%

15%

8%

Specific location type needed – airport,
near training facility, near customer
location, etc.

35%

26%

26%

18%

24%

Ability to host hybrid meetings (e.g., Wi-Fi
bandwidth, skilled A/V staff)

14%

21%

23%

12%

20%

GBAC STAR Accreditation

1%

0%

4%

6%

4%

Disinfection protocols

7%

8%

19%

8%

14%

Other: please specify

3%

4%

0%

0%

8%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

50

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTVirtual Challenges

Percent of respondents

Technical issues and lack of engagement were the top two challenges faced by respondents conducting
virtual meetings and events in 2022. Twenty-nine percent of respondents in Asia Pacific said the event did notachieve meeting objectives, while one-quarter of respondents in Europe and Latin America also cited security
concerns.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Lack of knowledge/experience with virtual
meetings and the technology

14%

27%

18%

24%

Limited budget

18%

15%

19%

15%

Poor attendance

16%

14%

22%

17%

Technical issues

40%

39%

45%

25%

Lack of engagement

31%

23%

8%

36%

Corporate mandates related to meetings

9%

13%

9%

14%

Security concerns

16%

24%

24%

20%

Below average learning and retention

11%

9%

12%

12%

Did not achieve meeting’s objective (toinform, shift behavior, motivate, connect,
etc.)

10%

9%

13%

29%

Other: please specify

1%

2%

1%

0%

Not applicable – I did not plan any virtualonly events

13%

9%

6%

2%

Encouraging Engagement

Percent of respondents

Entertainment and food and beverage experiences continue to be the top two kinds of programming planners
use to engage attendees.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Food & beverage experiences (e.g., wine
tasting, cooking class, etc.)

36%

39%

48%

25%

Wellness activities (e.g., yoga,
mindfulness, etc.)

14%

11%

10%

12%

Entertainment (e.g., live music, comedy,
other performances, polls, event app
activity feed, games, etc.)

42%

38%

42%

63%

Other: please specify

3%

1%

1%

0%

Don’t know

5%

11%

0%

1%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

51

Technology Usage

Percent of respondents

Most respondents globally say they are optimistic about their ability to incorporate technology. Respondents in
Latin America and Asia Pacific are especially optimistic.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

1- Very Discouraged

0%

0%

0%

0%

2

0%

0%

0%

1%

3

0%

0%

0%

0%

4

1%

1%

1%

0%

5 – Neither discouraged nor optimistic

11%

9%

2%

6%

6

10%

13%

5%

8%

7

17%

18%

10%

14%

8

28%

33%

22%

33%

9

17%

15%

20%

27%

10 - Very Optimistic

16%

12%

40%

11%

8 to 10

61%

60%

82%

71%

Sustainability

Percent of respondents

Eighty percent of respondents globally say their organization considers sustainability when planning meetingsand events. Latin America and Asia Pacific lead the pack.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Yes

71%

78%

86%

86%

No

22%

13%

9%

13%

Don’t know

7%

9%

6%

1%

Defined Sustainable Meeting Program Strategy

Percent of respondents

Of respondents whose organizations consider sustainability when planning meetings and events, threequarters have a defined sustainable meeting strategy in place.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Yes

70%

66%

84%

83%

No

18%

24%

12%

12%

Don’t know

12%

10%

3%

5%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

52

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTSustainable Practices

Percent of respondents

Meeting planners will use a variety of practices to help meet sustainability goals, including minimizing paper
usage (58%), applying energy-saving and waste-reduction measures (51%), and booking suppliers that have an
active green policy or certification (44%).
NORTHAMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Booking suppliers (air, hotel, groundtransportation, F&B) with an active green
policy or certificate in place

43%

45%

41%

47%

Encouraging attendees to use public
transportation, carpool, rideshare, walkwhen possible

28%

41%

33%

32%

Recommending a location with minimal
amounts of travel for attendees

32%

46%

40%

32%

Applying energy-saving and waste
reduction measures (separation of waste;
LED lighting, recycling programs)

39%

53%

55%

58%

Minimizing paper usage (e.g. by using mobile
apps, QR codes, electronic gift cards etc.)

59%

62%

57%

60%

Post event CO2 calculation

18%

28%

24%

20%

Other: please specify

1%

1%

0%

0%

Don’t know

15%

7%

3%

1%

Sustainability Impacts

Percent of respondents

Planners say minimizing paper usage is the most impactful sustainable practice; one-quarter of North
Americans said recommending locations with minimal travel and one-fifth of Europeans said booking supplierswith green policies and certification have the most impact.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Booking suppliers (air, hotel, groundtransportation, F&B) with an active green
policy or certificate in place

16%

21%

18%

18%

Encouraging attendees to use public
transportation, carpool, rideshare, walkwhen possible

10%

14%

9%

8%

Recommending a location with minimal
amounts of travel for attendees

25%

18%

11%

18%

Applying energy-saving and waste
reduction measures (separation of waste;
LED lighting, recycling programs)

17%

21%

28%

14%

Minimizing paper usage (e.g. by using mobile
apps, QR codes, electronic gift cards etc.)

19%

13%

28%

33%

Post event CO2 calculation

7%

5%

6%

9%

Other: please specify

0%

1%

0%

0%

Don’t know

7%

5%

1%

0%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

53

Striving to Incorporate DE&I

Percent of respondents

Eighty-seven percent of respondents globally say their organizations or clients actively strive to incorporate
diversity, equity and inclusion into their meetings and events.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Yes

81%

82%

96%

92%

No

8%

6%

3%

6%

Don’t know

11%

12%

1%

3%

Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion

Percent of respondents

Using diverse and minority-owned suppliers is the number one way globally that organizations incorporate
DE&I into their meeting programs; regionally, respondents in Europe say they provide an option to attend
virtually, and respondents in Latin America say they focus on accessibility.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Providing an option to attend the meetingor event virtually

24%

39%

25%

28%

Focusing on accessibility (wheelchairfriendly venue and activities)

22%

28%

34%

22%

Building in alternative forms ofcommunication (e.g., sign language, subtitles, translator, etc.)

14%

15%

33%

19%

Using diverse/minority-owned suppliers(hotel, F&B, DMC, ground transportation,
audiovisual (AV)/production)

29%

24%

28%

37%

Choosing diverse/minority speakers,
emcees, or entertainment

40%

21%

16%

30%

Within meeting or event content (topics
and presentations)

16%

18%

22%

19%

Through a charitable giving element of themeeting or event

17%

17%

10%

18%

Including gender pronoun preferencesin meeting registration sites and virtual/physical name badges (e.g., she/her, he/him/his, they/them etc.)

19%

18%

24%

20%

Other: please specify

0%

0%

0%

0%

Don’t know

6%

4%

1%

0%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

54

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTDiversity Spending

Percent of respondents

Choosing diverse food and beverage suppliers was the top choice for respondents when asked where they canshift spend to support DE&I.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Hotel

20%

23%

26%

18%

Food and beverage/catering/restaurant

31%

29%

25%

31%

Destination Management Company
(DMC)

17%

13%

23%

25%

Ground

4%

5%

8%

8%

Audiovisual (AV)/production

8%

11%

16%

17%

Don’t know

21%

19%

3%

2%

Career Options for Meetings and Events
Professionals

Percent of respondents

Professionals in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific have considerably better opinions regarding theircareer options this year compared to last year – only 42% of Europeans in 2021 rated their career options
an 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10, versus 58% in 2022. Respondents in Latin America continue to be very
optimistic.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

1- Poor

0%

0%

0%

0%

2

0%

0%

0%

0%

3

1%

1%

1%

0%

4

1%

4%

0%

2%

5 – Neither poor nor excellent

8%

10%

1%

8%

6

7%

7%

4%

7%

7

19%

20%

13%

15%

8

26%

24%

29%

32%

9

19%

20%

23%

26%

10 - Excellent

20%

14%

30%

10%

8 to 10

65%

58%

82%

68%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

55MEETINGS ACTIVITY

Meeting Format

Percent of meetings

North America leads the regions in the percentage of in-person meetings and events predicted for 2023; Asia
Pacific respondents have the highest expected percentage of virtual meetings.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

In-Person only

61.63

53.04

48.63

37.08

Hybrid (virtual attendees and in-person
attendees)

18.66

20.91

24.54

25.36

Hybrid Multi-Hub (two or more in-person
meetings connected via a virtual platform)

9.68

12.37

16.20

21.76

Virtual-only

10.04

13.68

10.63

15.81

In-Person Meeting Frequency

2023 vs. 2022

All meeting types are expected to increase in person in 2023, when compared to 2022.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training

4.62%

4.11%

4.29%

2.36%

Product Launch (Internal/External)

3.74%

3.39%

3.51%

2.61%

Conference/Tradeshow

3.62%

3.73%

2.63%

3.02%

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting

4.34%

4.32%

3.88%

2.92%

Client/Customer Advisory Board

4.60%

4.13%

4.83%

2.81%

Incentive/Special Event

4.01%

3.89%

4.37%

2.53%

Small/Simple Meetings

4.72%

4.65%

4.30%

3.19%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

56

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTVirtual and Hybrid Meeting Frequency

2023 vs. 2022

North American and European respondents are prioritizing in-person meetings so expect a decrease in virtualand hybrid for most meeting type. Asia Pacific expects increases across the board for virtual and hybrid
meeting formats, ranging from 1.3% to 2.9%.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training-0.15%

0.51%-0.02%

2.21%

Product Launch (Internal/External)-0.92%-0.51%

0.91%

1.32%

Conference/Tradeshow-0.45%-0.19%

0.37%

1.63%

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting-0.73%

0.52%

1.60%

2.40%

Client/Customer Advisory Board

0.40%

0.76%

2.53%

2.90%

Incentive/Special Event-0.39%

0.41%

1.03%

1.87%

Small/Simple Meetings

0.50%

1.10%

1.99%

2.63%

Internal Meeting Characteristics

Percent of meetings

Note: this is a new question in the Forecast survey. More than half of internal meetings in North America will
include overnight accommodations; globally, 27% are expected to include international air travel for attendees.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Held on your corporate property

30%

26%

39%

33%

Held in a different city than your corporate
office

46%

35%

40%

36%

Held at a hotel

51%

43%

47%

43%

Held at a non-hotel venue

24%

27%

35%

31%

Include overnight accommodations forattendees

54%

40%

42%

41%

Include domestic air travel for attendees

45%

33%

39%

36%

Include international air travel for
attendees

27%

22%

30%

30%

Include social activities/networking

46%

33%

39%

36%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

57Virtual and Hybrid Meeting Characteristics

Percent of meetings

Web conferencing platforms will be used in almost half of virtual and hybrid meetings (44% globally); one-third
will be livestreamed and use a full-service production company.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICUse web conferencing platforms such as
Zoom, Teams, WebEx, etc.

48.17%

41.70%

47.80%

41.88%

Use a webinar platform with the audience
muted

32.14%

26.89%

39.72%

36.11%

Be livestreamed and will require a fullservice agency

28.83%

28.76%

40.23%

37.07%

Be a virtual conference with a supplier
showcase or tradeshow

25.61%

22.35%

39.16%

34.47%

Use a mobile event app either on its own
or in addition to other event technology

31.17%

27.70%

37.35%

33.30%

Factors That Influence In-Person Planning

Percent of respondents

Duty of care is still an important consideration for planners but favorable rates, flexible terms and supplierflexibility are more top of mind for 2023.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Confidence in duty-of-care components
for attendee health and safety

30%

33%

38%

45%

Favorable rates and reduced fees

51%

38%

48%

28%

Favorable/flexible cancellation andattrition terms

56%

53%

25%

39%

Limited time special offers (including
free gifts and add-ons such as dinner
vouchers, VIP lounge access, etc.)

16%

13%

22%

33%

Supplier flexibility to adapt to thecustomers’ meetings and events
requirements

39%

46%

53%

46%

Other: please specify

2%

3%

0%

0%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

58

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTFactors That Influence Changes in Meeting Spend

Percent of respondents

An organization’s growth plan is the number one factor globally that influences a change in meeting spend.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

New product launches

29%

42%

45%

36%

Revenue changes

53%

34%

47%

47%

Macroeconomic changes

25%

34%

37%

53%

Growth plan

51%

49%

48%

55%

Other: please specify

2%

1%

0%

0%

Don’t know

16%

13%

2%

2%

Number of Attendees

2023 vs. 2022

Attendee numbers are expected to increase across the board, in every region, from a high of 5.71% for productlaunches in Latin America, to a low of 2.5% for conferences in Asia Pacific.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training

4.97%

4.17%

5.42%

3.41%

Product Launch (Internal/External)

4.46%

3.82%

5.71%

3.06%

Conference/Tradeshow

3.98%

3.03%

5.38%

2.50%

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting

4.42%

3.23%

5.49%

3.10%

Client/Customer Advisory Board

5.01%

3.78%

5.08%

2.59%

Incentive/Special Event

4.09%

2.84%

5.33%

2.71%

Small/Simple Meetings

4.40%

4.07%

5.88%

2.61%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

59

Days per Meeting

Number of days

The average meeting length ranges from 1.17 days in Europe for small and simple meetings to 2.97 days inNorth America for conferences.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training

2.34

2.03

2.31

2.75

Product Launch (Internal/External)

2.43

1.99

2.77

2.43

Conference/Tradeshow

2.97

2.46

2.94

2.72

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting

2.03

1.98

2.18

2.57

Client/Customer Advisory Board

1.91

1.69

2.11

2.55

Incentive/Special Event

2.94

2.56

2.77

2.71

Small/Simple Meetings

1.51

1.17

1.57

1.81

Hours per Meeting

Number of hours

Small and simple meetings are the shortest type of meeting for the virtual and hybrid format, with 2.8 hours
being the global average.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training

4.1

4.5

4.2

5.1

Product Launch (Internal/External)

4.9

5.0

4.9

4.5

Conference/Tradeshow

7.2

7.8

5.0

5.7

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting

4.0

5.0

4.2

5.2

Client/Customer Advisory Board

3.4

3.8

3.5

4.7

Incentive/Special Event

4.7

6.0

5.1

4.4

Small/Simple Meetings

2.7

3.2

2.2

3.1

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

60

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Overall Meeting Spend

Percent of respondents

Approximately two-thirds of respondents expect their overall meeting spend to increase in 2023; 12% of
respondents in both North America and Europe predict a significant increase of 11% or more.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICGLOBAL
HOTELIERS

Significantly Decreasing (11%+)

1%

3%

3%

2%

8%

Decreasing (6%-10%)

9%

8%

7%

4%

14%

Slightly Decreasing (1%-5%)

7%

9%

12%

10%

16%

Staying the same

19%

15%

16%

17%

12%

Slightly Increasing (1%-5%)

25%

30%

32%

44%

24%

Increasing (6%-10%)

28%

24%

23%

17%

16%

Significantly Increasing (11%+)

12%

12%

8%

6%

8%

Cost Area Cut First to Reduce Budget(and maintain customer experience)

Percent of respondents

Off-site optional activities and number of nights are the first areas to be cut to reduce budgets; respondents in
Asia Pacific also look to reduce on-site travel staff at much higher levels than other regions.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICRoom drops

10%

9%

6%

3%

Food & beverage

10%

9%

6%

8%

Onsite travel staff

2%

4%

5%

18%

Off-site evening events

17%

16%

15%

18%

Communication

1%

5%

5%

4%

Use of Destination Management
Company (DMC)

9%

4%

8%

14%

Ground transportation

4%

4%

6%

3%

Off-site optional activities

21%

23%

31%

18%

Number of nights

23%

25%

17%

15%

Other: please specify

2%

1%

2%

0%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

61

Preferred Area of Investment(if budgets increased by 10%)Percent of respondents

Improving the on-site experience and increasing the use of technology are the top two areas planners would
use increased budgets.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Increase number of meetings

7%

12%

12%

14%

Increase number of attendees atmeetings

14%

11%

16%

12%

Increase number of days for meetings

5%

10%

7%

7%

Improve onsite experience

41%

31%

20%

31%

Improve content delivery

7%

13%

12%

10%

Increase use of technology

19%

18%

30%

27%

Other: please specify

1%

1%

1%

0%

Don’t know

6%

4%

1%

0%

Total Cost per Attendee

US dollars

Incentives and special events are expected to have the highest cost per attendee in every region except Asia
Pacific, where product launches are expected to come in at the top.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training$553.85$554.12$662.37$710.87

Product Launch (Internal/External)$818.38$793.48$844.44$873.89

Conference/Tradeshow$856.56$826.92$851.12$784.78

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting$789.06$760.31$734.54$846.49

Client/Customer Advisory Board$714.29$669.54$676.32$767.86

Incentive/Special Event$880.95$880.68$855.26$836.36

Small/Simple Meetings$450.00$427.08$502.58$565.32

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

62

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTChange in Total Cost per Attendee

2023 vs. 2022

Globally, attendee costs are expected to increase anywhere from 1.5% for small and simple meetings to 3.0%
for conferences and tradeshows.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICInternal Team Meeting/Training

2.4%

2.3%

1.9%

2.6%

Product Launch (Internal/External)

2.7%

3.1%

3.4%

2.2%

Conference/Tradeshow

3.0%

3.3%

3.5%

2.2%

Senior Leadership Meeting/Board
Meeting

3.1%

3.1%

2.2%

1.9%

Client/Customer Advisory Board

2.8%

2.6%

1.8%

2.1%

Incentive/Special Event

2.8%

3.5%

2.6%

1.8%

Small/Simple Meetings

2.0%

1.4%

1.6%

1.2%

MEETINGS MANAGEMENT

Meeting Management Components Adoption

Percent of respondents

Approximately two-thirds of respondents say their organization has adopted the following meeting
management components.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Formal policy for meetings

69%

64%

62%

67%

Centralized staff to support meeting
planning and execution

70%

65%

68%

67%

Approval process for meetings

76%

71%

76%

66%

Specific technology or software formanaging meetings

74%

71%

74%

68%

Centralized contracting with preferredvendors

71%

69%

71%

67%

Inclusion of virtual and hybrid meetings

64%

64%

68%

67%

Inclusion of small/simple meetings

70%

65%

74%

65%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

63

Explicit Policy Language

Percent of respondents

Safety and security remains the component that most respondents (59%) say is explicitly referred to in theirorganization’s meeting management policy.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Meetings ROI metrics

19%

17%

20%

22%

Global expansion/standardization of
meetings and events program

25%

27%

26%

30%

Use of third-party meeting planners

32%

27%

18%

25%

Payment methods and processes
associated with meeting/events goods
and services

53%

39%

37%

40%

Use of meetings planning technology

44%

47%

49%

31%

Procurement of meetings/events goods
and services

54%

31%

31%

28%

Social media acceptable use

35%

23%

43%

31%

Use of preferred hotel/air/transportation
suppliers

49%

46%

41%

32%

Approval process

60%

39%

43%

42%

Safety and security

68%

59%

60%

45%

Health and wellness

40%

39%

39%

33%

Use of Sharing Economy Suppliers (e.g.
Airbnb, Uber, Lyft)

23%

10%

24%

24%

Virtual and hybrid meetings specificpolicies

32%

31%

38%

35%

Small/simple meetings

29%

31%

45%

31%

Other: please specify

2%

2%

0%

0%

None of the above

5%

5%

0%

3%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

64

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTHOTELS, AIR, AND MEETING SPACE

Average Group Rates

Percent of respondents

North American respondents predict the biggest increase in hotel and group air rates for 2023, at 7.37% and7.78% respectively. Global Hoteliers and Air Suppliers predict increases that are somewhere in the middle ofthe other regions, at 3.48% and 4.04% respectively.

Average Group Rate for Hotels
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICGLOBAL
HOTELIERS

7.37%

4.78%

3.96%

2.46%

3.48%

NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICAIR
SUPPLIERS

7.78%

5.20%

4.22%

3.13%

4.04%

Average Group Rate for Air

Group Air Management

Percent of respondents

Globally, more than a third of respondents’ meetings will include group air management or booking. Asia Pacificrespondents are the most likely to use group air management for bookings, at 43.78%.

Percentage of meetingsNORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

36.36%

33.62%

40.47%

43.78%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

65

Value of Group Air Providers

Percent of respondents

Respondents value better rates above all other benefits from their group air provider; crisis management
remains very important.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Favorable group air rates

21%

23%

43%

24%

Duty of care

12%

9%

3%

13%

Manifest management – (e.g., flexible onname changes)

11%

12%

9%

14%

Crisis management – (e.g., managing
delegates during flight cancellation,
closure of air space, etc.)

15%

24%

13%

23%

Mitigation of cancellation / change fees

10%

12%

11%

14%

Online booking tool

10%

7%

14%

12%

Other: please specify

2%

0%

0%

0%

Don’t know

8%

6%

1%

1%

Not applicable

11%

7%

6%

1%

Group Air Resources

Percent of respondents

Respondents who book group air are most likely to also use travel management company services followed byonline booking tools.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

Direct arrangements with airline

20%

27%

37%

42%

Internal group air specialist

32%

25%

36%

38%

Meetings management supplier

18%

30%

35%

44%

Travel management company

55%

49%

40%

49%

Online booking tool

44%

32%

40%

44%

Other: please specify

1%

1%

0%

0%

Not applicable

5%

1%

0%

1%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

66

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

Group Air Online Booking

Percent of respondents

Half of respondents in North America book their group air via an online tool.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFIC

51.32%

32.97%

44.66%

44.48%

Influence of Group Air Rates

Percent of respondents

Group air rates are very or extremely influential on destination choices for 56% of respondents in Latin
America, versus 29% of respondents in Europe.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICNot at all influential

8%

7%

3%

5%

Slightly influential

12%

17%

11%

21%

Moderately influential

34%

33%

24%

35%

Very influential

25%

22%

39%

26%

Extremely influential

8%

7%

17%

10%

Don’t know

9%

5%

1%

2%

Not applicable

4%

8%

4%

1%

Room and Meeting Space Availability

Year over YearSpace availability is expected to be tight in North America and Europe in 2023, easing in 2024. Latin Americaand Asia Pacific are predicting increases in both years.
NORTH
AMERICAEUROPELATIN
AMERICAASIAPACIFICGLOBAL
HOTELIERS

2023 Room Availability-0.58%

0.28%

2.07%

1.66%

-0.27%

2023 Meeting Space Availability-0.14%

0.65%

3.12%

2.60%

*

2024 Room Availability

1.04%

2.65%

3.57%

3.35%

1.08%

2024 Meeting Space Availability

1.46%

2.91%

3.37%

3.60%

*

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST

67

Key Trends in the Hotel Industry

Weighted ranking

Global Hoteliers say that more boutique hotel bookings, reduced staff to respond to RFPs, and reductions ingroup program points are all key trends to watch.
GLOBAL
HOTELIERS

Increased use of boutique hotels

24%

Erosion of group program points

23%

Slower RFP response rates due toreduced hotel staff

22%

Changes in contractual terms andconditions

21%

Increased investment in meetingstechnology

21%

GBAC STAR Accreditation

19%

Re-flagging of hotel properties

18%

More challenging contract negotiations

18%

Change in key contacts from customer
organizations

18%

Disinfection and social distancing
protocols

17%

Source: North American, European, Latin American, and Asian Pacific Surveys from American Express Meetings & Events, 2022.

68

2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECASTTRAVEL SMARTER AND MAKE
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Learn more at aircanada.com/meetings

Bottom is
updated version
2023 GLOBAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS FORECAST69

We know meetings.
Meetings are a part of life, but great meetings can change lives.
We know how to make meetings work for your company, your attendees, and yourbrand. Whether virtual, hybrid or face to face, we design experiences that matter. And
we have the team, technology, and supplier network to deliver them. We’ll help you
make the most of your meetings based on your goals, then help you measure and talkabout the value delivered whether for a single meeting or your full meetings portfolio.
Responsible for more than 1.5M room nights and 60,000 experiential events, meetings,
and incentives annually, we can assist you end-to-end, or at any point in the meetingsand events process.1
https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/meetings-events/

1 Meetings Insights, Meetings & Events Reporting Platform, Sept. 2022

“American Express Meetings & Events” is a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).
GBT Travel Services UK Limited (GBT UK) and its authorized sublicensees (including Ovation Travel Group and Egencia) use
certain trademarks and service marks of American Express Company or its subsidiaries (American Express) in the “American
Express Global Business Travel” and “American Express Meetings & Events” brands and in connection with its business for
permitted uses only under a limited license from American Express (Licensed Marks). The Licensed Marks are trademarks orservice marks of, and the property of, American Express. GBT UK is a subsidiary of Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE:
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