390 Event Statistics Shaping the Industry in 2026

• Organizations almost unanimously see the value of events, with up to 75% of organizations perceiving in-person events as somewhat or significantly more valuable than other sales, marketing, and business development initiatives. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Feb. 2026)
• In fact, 66% of marketers say in-person events generated the most revenue in 2024 compared to virtual and hybrid formats. – Splash Events Outlook Report 2025
• What’s more, 70% of planners expect the number of in-person meetings to increase by up to 20% in 2026. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

The preference for in-person events reflects a collective yearning for genuine connections, opportunities for lead generation, and the unique vibrancy that live experiences bring. That said, in-person events are experiencing major challenges—primarily where cost is concerned.

• While it’s true most planners expect an increase in in-person meetings (70%), this is true for far fewer planners than last year, when 89% expected an increase of up to 20%. This would appear to signal a tempering of expectations for growth. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• What’s more, 40% of planners expect event attendance to decline 10% or more in 2026 compared to 2025. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Sep. 2025)
• Higher costs of goods and services is the #1 concern for planners organizing in-person events (4.37 out of 5 on a scale of “not at all” to “extremely concerned”). – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Feb. 2026)
• Budget constraints follow closely behind (4.15 out of 5), along with political, cultural, and social issues (3.80) and airline pricing (3.72). – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Feb. 2026)
• Hotel/venue service levels and hotel/venue availability are seeing improvements in 2026, ranked 3.70 and 3.44, respectively, compared to 3.89 and 3.73 in 2025. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Feb. 2026)
• The largest expense items for planners include food and beverage (73%), audiovisual needs (66%), and venue (29%) (all in-person necessities), which means the value of in-person events must be able to justify their cost. – Statista

As planners struggle with rising costs and constrained budgets, they’re doing all they can to get more bang for their buck—including negotiating on their venue and amenities. This is where a smart sourcing strategy comes into play.

Venue sourcing statistics

Choosing a venue begins with the destination, and planners consider many factors when selecting the right location for their events before they even begin the venue search. 

• Planners select their event location primarily based on cost (38%). – Amex GBT 2026
• Safety is also a major consideration, with destination safety and security being a deciding factor for 34% and economic/political safety concerns a key factor for 25% when selecting a destination. – Amex GBT 2026
• The ease of travel and transportation for attendees is another key consideration for planners when selecting their event destination (37%) as well as their venue (26%). – Amex GBT 2026
• This makes sense, given that attendees increasingly want to attend meetings and events that are close to where they are based (34%), which means planners with a centralized audience might not be able to be flexible on location. – Amex GBT 2026

How to find the right event venue

Venue and location go hand in hand, and while some of the criteria planners use to source venues are the same as those they consider when choosing a destination, there are many other venue-specific considerations at play. 

• When asked what most influences meeting planners’ decision to book or rebook a venue, rates/costs topped the list for 27% of respondents alongside a high-quality/thorough proposal (27%). – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025
• It makes sense, then, why 97% of planners say they would switch from a preferred venue to a second choice for the sake of cost savings of 20% or less. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025
• However, in stark contrast, 94% of planners also say they’re willing to pay more to book with a preferred hotel or venue, which means venue-planner relationships play a critical role in the venue selection process. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025
• When selecting an event venue, the quality of the venue and accommodations are “extremely important” for planners (both 4.42 out of 5). – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Sep. 2025)
• Accessibility via air travel ranks just below these priorities at 4.16 out of 5, followed by health and safety (3.98 out of 5) and accessibility via ground transportation (3.98 out of 5). – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Sep. 2025)
• When it comes down to which hotels travel managers consider, the most influential factors in their decision to submit an RFP are specifications, images, and video of guest rooms (48%); images and videos of the hotel (47%); and peer reviews / ratings and testimonials (42%). – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025
• 26% of planners say that a poor attendee experience would deter them from returning to a venue in the future. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025

Much of an event organizer’s venue search comes down to the attendee experience, and planners say the most important elements to consider for attendee engagement include:

• Proximity to other experiences such as restaurants, culture, nature, etc. (38%)
• An event space layout that supports networking and interactions (36%)
• Integrated food and beverage experience (F&B) offered by the venue (35%)
• Customizable spaces for branding (35%)
• A unique location (34%) – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

Sourcing unique event venues

Unique locations and venues have become more popular choices for planners in recent years, not only due to the opportunities for cost savings but because unique venues allow planners to customize their event spaces and enhance the attendee experience.

• 48% of event organizers say they are sourcing special event venues (non-hotels). – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• 41% of planners say they’re booking special event venues due to the availability of flexible event spaces. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Another 35% say their decision to source special venues comes down to attendee experience. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Cost savings take third place, with 34% of planners saying they book special event venues due to cost. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Restaurants top the list of non-hotel event spaces planners are searching for at 45%. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Convention/conference centers take second place with 40% of planners looking for these spaces when sourcing non-hotel event spaces. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Other top choices for alternative venues include: colleges and universities (26%), art galleries (24%), bars/nightclubs (23%), golf courses/country clubs (22%), stadiums and arenas (22%), and theaters (22%). – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

Venue sourcing challenges

Finding the perfect venue is a challenge for any event, but there are some common threads connecting meetings professionals and the challenges they’re experiencing while sourcing in 2026. 

• Economic uncertainty is weighing heavily on planners, and it’s affecting how they choose venues, with 30% addressing economic uncertainty by changing their venue and 24% changing their event destination. – Amex GBT 2026
• 28% of meeting planners say location availability is a top challenge they’re anticipating in 2026. – Amex GBT 2026
• Another 33% of planners say it’s difficult to find the space and dates they want for their events. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Dec. 2025)
• 23% of planners say understanding how an event space will meet their needs is their biggest sourcing challenge, while 21% say researching a venue’s specs, capabilities, and amenities is most difficult. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025
• This struggle extends beyond event spaces, with 33% of travel managers saying that their main challenge is understanding how a hotel will fulfill their program requirements and 31% reporting struggling to research hotel specifications, capabilities, and amenities. – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025
• It makes sense that these challenges stand out to meeting organizers, as the resources that most influence their decision to submit an RFP to a venue include meeting room specifications (50%), images and video (48%), and venue floor plans and diagrams (46%). – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• With resource and time limitations pushing planners to do more with less, 36% of planners spend more time using technology to streamline venue sourcing, 49% to review meeting space diagrams and specifications, and 43% to negotiate with venues. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025

On top of cost concerns and the challenges associated with finding the right venue, planners are experiencing many difficulties when working with hotels and venues: 

• Negotiating is a major challenge for planners working with hotels and venues, and 50% say they have difficulty achieving contract terms with sufficient flexibility. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Dec. 2025)
• In another survey, travel managers said negotiating with hotels has become more difficult in recent years because hotels are less flexible in their pricing models (49%) and are not offering as many contract/commitment options (41%). – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025
• 47% of planners are concerned about hotel staffing levels and service quality in 2026. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Dec. 2025)
• What’s more, 29% of planners say venue/hotel staffing as lacking. – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Dec. 2025)
• According to planners, the greatest impact of these staffing shortages are inexperienced hotel/venue employees (42%), unsatisfactory attendee experience (39%), fewer available amenities (38%), and a lack of hotel room availability (38%). – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

Formal RFP processes have the advantage

An established RFP process might be what gives planners the boost they need to effectively negotiate rates and ensure they’re getting everything they need from their venues, helping to negate some of the challenges the industry is experiencing. 

• Meeting managers estimate a cost savings of 22% by following a required venue sourcing/RFP process. – GBTA & Cvent
• 73% of meeting managers say an established RFP process allows them to compare more venue options before making a decision. – GBTA & Cvent
• Another 73% say their RFP process allows them to locate the best venues for their events. – GBTA & Cvent
• Greater discounts/savings are achievable with a defined RFP process in place, according to 69% of meetings professionals. – GBTA & Cvent
• 63% of meetings organizers say their defined RFP process allows for more efficient sourcing. – GBTA & Cvent
• Despite these benefits, many planners still aren’t taking advantage, with 66% of meeting planners saying they follow a required sourcing/RFP process when sourcing venues for at least some of their meetings. – GBTA & Cvent
• What’s more, only 52% of planners using RFPs to negotiate with venues. – GBTA & Cvent

Disadvantages of sourcing without an RFP process

• Beyond the benefits, what do planners see as the drawbacks of negotiating informally without a defined RFP process?
• 69% of planners say manual processes and less standardization are a major drawback of informal negotiations. – GBTA & Cvent
• 60% say they have fewer venue options to compare and consider without an RFP process in place. – GBTA & Cvent
• Worse rates and discounts are seen as a drawback to informal venue negotiations by 52% of planners. – GBTA & Cvent
• 48% of meeting organizers say it’s difficult to understand the tradeoffs of a venue contract without a formal RFP process. – GBTA & Cvent
• 47% of planners say they’re able to negotiate fewer amenities without a formal RFP process. – GBTA & Cvent

Quick RFP responses are crucial to success

Quick turnaround times are important to most planners, but particularly important for small and medium events, planners have a short window in which to research, reach out to, and decide on a venue. If planners can’t get the information they need in time, a venue will almost certainly lose out.

• 80% of planners say the ideal request for proposal (RFP) response time from a hotel or venue is under four days. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025
• For meetings/events with 1-50 attendees, 79% of planners say they must receive an RFP response in 6 days or less in order to consider a venue. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Of those, 63% must receive responses within 4 days, and 39% of those will write off a venue that does not respond within 2 days. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• As an event size increases, so too does a planner’s ability to wait for RFP responses, and among those organizing events with more than 500 attendees, 52% require responses in 6 days or less, and 36% of those within 4 days. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

Event tech: The key to a successful RFP process

How can more meeting organizers refine their negotiations to reap the benefits of a formal RFP process? By making the most of available event technology.

• 56% of planners use an electronic tool to conduct venue RFPs for at least some of their meetings. – GBTA & Cvent
• Of the planners who use an electronic tool for their RFPs, 71% say it saves them time on communicating with venues. – GBTA & Cvent
• 65% of planners say they’re able to collect bids from a larger number of venues for their events. – GBTA & Cvent
• Electronic RFP tools make it easier to compare venue options according to 60% of planners using them. – GBTA & Cvent
• 56% of planners say they receive faster responses from venues by using an electronic RFP tool when venue sourcing. – GBTA & Cvent
• Using a sourcing platform offers measurable value to travel managers, who say their sourcing platform helps them maximize cost savings (47%) and save time (47%) while providing better negotiation insights (42%). – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025

“The range of technologies now available to meeting professionals is exciting – and overwhelming. The supplier landscape is fragmented, and it can be difficult to make sourcing decisions with confidence.” – Ariana Reed, Director of Global Customer Experience, Amex GBT Meetings & Events

Hot tip: A venue sourcing tool can help you narrow your search to venues that meet your specific needs and allow you to send RFPs to each venue you’re considering.

While in-person remains the preferred format for connection-driven events, there are many instances when virtual events simply make more sense, leading to a steady growth in the virtual events market, from virtual trade shows to webinars. 

• 21% of events worldwide were planned as virtual-only events for 2025. – Statista
• In 2026, meeting professionals’ top strategy for managing economic uncertainty is hosting more virtual meetings (39%). – Amex GBT 2026
• 63% of event organizers planned to invest more in virtual events in 2025. – Markletic
• The virtual events global market has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, up to $235.4 billion in 2025 from $193.45 billion in 2024. – The Business Research Company
• What’s more, virtual events are expected to continue to grow to $530.63 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 22.5%. – The Business Research Company
• This upward trend includes several different types of virtual events, with some expecting larger growth than others. Virtual trade shows, for instance, are expected to grow in coming years, with a CAGR of 14.3% from 2024 to 2032, reaching a value of $171.6 billion by 2032. – Market Research Future
• Virtual product launches and online training events are also set to increase market share, reaching $52.2 billion and $26.6 billion, respectively, by 2032. These increases highlight the need to reach larger audiences more affordably. – Market Research Future

Of course, not all virtual events are created equal, and attendees have lofty expectations. What’s more, the event type and goals for the event dictate what works best when presenting online content.

If learning is the primary objective of your online content, whether that means product demonstrations, industry insight webinars, trainings, or otherwise, here are some important insights to consider: 

• The most effective ways to drive virtual event registration, according to marketers, are event websites (80%), emails (76%), and social media (60%). – Markletic
• 83% of people prefer to consume instructional or informational content by watching a video, which means virtual events are a great way to engage your audience. – TechSmith
• In fact, about 50% of the videos people watch include informal and formal training videos, live streams, and webinars, with 66% saying they watch at least one instructional or informational video per week. – TechSmith

Of course, there are limits to how long your audience wants to watch video content: 

• While 10-19-minute-long informational videos are preferred by 24% of people, and another 17% prefer videos 20-60 minutes long, there’s still a definite preference for shorter videos, with 58% of people preferring videos less than 10 minutes long. For virtual events, this might mean breaking up informational content with Q&As, live polling, and other engagement features. – TechSmith
• This is an important consideration, as 35% of people choose which videos they watch based on whether the video length is acceptable. – TechSmith

The good news? When seeking product-specific knowledge, learning a new skill for a job, or generally increasing knowledge about a topic, audiences look to longer video content to meet their needs: 

• 67% of people would watch a video over 60 minutes long to learn a new skill or ability to use at their job or increase their knowledge on a certain topic. – TechSmith

So, how can you keep your audience engaged for the duration of your virtual event? Here are a few key elements to consider, with content at the heart of it all: 

• When asked what keeps someone engaged in watching online video content, three key elements led by a wide margin: 57% of people said ease of following along, 55% said relatable and current content, and 51% said a knowledgeable and engaging speaker. – TechSmith
• 42% of people ranked professional graphics as one of the top three content characteristics that’s most important in a video. Infographics, lower-thirds, and text overlays can add to the production value, making a simple presentation look more professional and engaging. – TechSmith
• Clearly outlining what the audience can expect from your content is crucial to keeping them engaged, as 25% of people will stop watching a video if it does not have the information they expected. That means clear content descriptions and getting to the point quickly. – TechSmith
• Another 22% of people will stop watching a video they find boring or uninteresting, so make sure you’re stepping up your engagement strategies to meet growing expectations. – TechSmith

As the events industry continues to evolve, the biggest changes are due in large part to the event technology that makes it all possible. 

• Research shows the global event management software market size was valued at $11.52 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $36.42 billion by the end of 2035, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.2% within that period. – Research Nester
• 89% of businesses that use event technology say it saves them around 200 hours per year. – Research Nester
• 91.1% of event professionals said technical know-how, including proficiency in using AI, is a critical future skill for corporate event planners. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2024
• Data analysis was also identified as a critical skill for 66.1% of event professionals. While most event organizers aren’t data experts, there are ways to use AI and event reporting tools to help. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2024
• About one-quarter of large enterprises spend over $250,000 per year and may use six or more event technology solutions, and the majority plan to maintain their current event tech spending despite budgetary constraints. – Forrester
• The most sought-after digital services, according to 2023 data, are technologies for event analytics and data collection, with 52% of respondents expressing interest in such tools. – Statista
• Incorporating the latest technology into their meetings and events programs is a top priority for meeting professionals in 2026. – Amex GBT
• 72% of meeting professionals use specific technology or software for managing most or all of their meetings programs. – Amex GBT
• 78% of marketers used event technology in a 12-month period, and 88% had plans to invest in event technology in 2025. – Splash Events Outlook Report 2025
• 68% of marketers use an event platform that integrates with the rest of their tech stack, including their CRM. – Splash Events Outlook Report 2025
• Tech is truly at the heart of what makes events possible, and 77% of marketers say their company would host more events if they had technology that made it easier to create and replicate events. – Splash Events Outlook Report 2025
• Meeting professionals say the top five benefits technology brings to their event programs include: delivering a more streamlined attendee experience, creating a more memorable attendee experience, enhancing productivity, increasing creativity in event production, and reducing costs. – Amex GBT 2026
• Sophisticated AV technology, such as AI camera tracking and LED video walls, are the top technology meeting professionals plan to use in their events in 2026. – Amex GBT 2026
• 31% of meeting professionals plan to use live polling and feedback tools in their event programs in 2026. – Amex GBT 2026
• Among the top technologies planners will use in their event programs in 2026 are: onsite check-in tools (26%), digital gifting and sampling (23%), and virtual reality (20%). – Amex GBT 2026
• Event tech is crucial to the venue sourcing process, with 36% of planners spending more time using technology to streamline venue sourcing, 49% to review meeting space diagrams and specifications, and 43% to negotiate with venues. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025
• In fact, the majority of planners (58%) spend 1-5 hours using technology to source their hotels and venues for each event they plan. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• 26% of travel managers say they spent more time using technology to research hotels in the last five years, which makes sense given the factors they consider when making a selection. – Cvent Travel Managers Report 2025

More and more, marketing and event teams are in agreement: event technology is a key requirement for achieving revenue growth, which means it needs to be implemented across the entire event journey.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of many event professionals’ daily lives, offering increased efficiency, new capabilities, and improved personalization.

But where is AI making the most difference? And where are the biggest areas of opportunity for planners and marketers to incorporate AI into their event programs?

• 50% of meetings planners are using AI to help them plan and execute events, leaning on AI-powered tools throughout the entire event journey. – Amex GBT 2026
• The expanding role and increased adoption of AI is a top trend planners are seeing in 2026, with 28% saying this trend will shape their event priorities this year. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• Indeed, 84% of planners say AI will have a moderate to major impact on the meetings and events industry in 2026. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• 66% of event professionals agree AI allows them to “focus on higher-value tasks.” – ICE Benchmarking Report 2025

This includes using AI for event planning, attendee communications, during events, and for post-event evaluation. Top uses of AI include:

• delivering AI-powered event apps (40%),
• sponsor and attendee matchmaking (35%),
• generating creative concepts and themes (34%),
• content creation with tools like AI writing assistants (31%),
• and tracking attendee engagement (31%). – Amex GBT 2026

“AI will soon power much of what happens behind the curtain, acting as a critical assistant that helps event organizers reduce planning friction and enable more personalized face-to-face moments at scale. But even as technology advances, events will continue to be decidedly human. In fact, in an AI and tech-driven world, authentic connections will likely stand out even more.” – McNeel Keenan, vice president of product development at Cvent

The role of effective event marketing cannot be overstated, and these event marketing industry statistics can prove it:

• 72% of marketers say events are the most effective marketing channel for their organizations. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• What’s more, 90% of marketers say events help their company stand out from the competition. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• It’s not surprising, then, that 33% of B2B marketers say events and experiential marketing rank in the top three areas they plan to spend more money in 2026, taking second place to AI-powered marketing tools (45%). – Content Marketing Institute 2026
• Another 59% of B2B marketers say they plan to increase their investment in in-person events and trade shows to drive more leads into pipeline in 2026. – Demand Gen Report
• In fact, marketers are planning more events than ever before, with an average of 29 events per year in 2024 compared to only 14 in 2023. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• 78% of B2B marketers report allocating budget to experiential marketing, including events, workshops, demos, and other M&E experiences. – Content Marketing Institute 2026
• Of those, 40% spend 1-10% of their marketing budget on events, 26% allocate 11-30% of their budget to events, and 13% say they spend 31-50% of their budget on event marketing. – Content Marketing Institute 2026
• Another 69% of marketers say their companies planned to increase their total marketing budget in 2025, with 55% saying at least 20% of their budget would go toward events. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• In another study, 38% of B2B marketers said they are prioritizing event marketing in their budgets. – Demand Gen Report
• Most companies worldwide spend 10-20% of their marketing budgets on online events. – Research Nester

It’s clear events play a valuable role in the marketing mix, but the data says something more than that: if done well, events can be the heart of a marketing strategy that prioritizes connection and growth, serving as the driving engine that supports all other marketing efforts.

This event-first strategy is known as event-led growth (ELG).

Event-led growth statistics

Events are more than an opportunity for connection. They are a strategic marketing channel that can boost leads, build brand trust and loyalty, amplify brand messaging, and feed the sales pipeline.

More and more, organizations are embracing event-led growth (ELG) as a major marketing strategy:

• 67% of marketers used an event-led growth approach in their 2024 strategies. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• 89% of marketers say events are critical for business growth, signaling a near-ubiquitous understanding that event-led growth is the way forward for marketers focused on achieving business goals. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025

So, what are the benefits for marketers implementing an ELG strategy?

• 88% said events help their marketing team generate a steady flow of revenue. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• In fact, 52% of marketers attribute at least half of their companies’ closed-won deals to their events. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• 72% of marketers said when prospects attend their events, deals close faster, with 31% reporting a 20-30+ day decrease in their sales cycle thanks to events. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• Another 51% of B2B marketers say their event-led marketing programs produce a shorter sales process with the help of experiential touchpoints. – Content Marketing Institute 2026
• Marketers using an ELG approach were 140% more likely than those who didn’t to have an average company growth rate of over 50%. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• 66% of marketers say an ELG approach helps them build stronger customer relationships, and 57% say it helps build stronger or new partnerships. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• Another 63% of marketers say ELG allows for better brand visibility. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• An ELG marketing strategy leads to increased lead or opportunity generation according to 58% of marketers. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• Events help confirm or speed up a purchase decision according to 82% of attendees. – Spiro
• Up to 96% of attendees report being extremely or somewhat more likely to make a purchase following an event. – Spiro 

The ELG difference

When we look at marketing teams that aren’t taking an ELG approach, how does a strategy build on ELG compare?

• While 94% of teams using ELG say their events help generate a steady flow of revenue, only 77% of teams without an ELG strategy can say the same. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• 75% of marketers using ELG planned to increase their budgets in 2025, whereas only 56% of those without an ELG strategy were seeing a budget increase. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• While 68% of teams without an ELG approach met their revenue goals each quarter of 2024, 79% of those using ELG met their quarterly goals. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• Marketers who have not established an ELG approach aren’t blind to the benefits, and 50% of teams say their events are underperforming because they don’t use ELG. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• What’s more, 71% say their company could benefit from an ELG strategy. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025
• The good news? Marketers aren’t sitting still on ELG adoption: Of those not using ELG, 48% planned to make events their primary channel for customer acquisition and retention in 2025. – Splash Event Outlook Report 2025

Organizations are able to capitalize on these wins by taking an ELG approach, building their marketing strategies around their events programs. These statistics paint a clear picture: events drive success.

Brand engagement statistics

Event success doesn’t just come down to revenue and leads (though those are, of course, crucial). A major win organizations see from their events is brand recognition, increased loyalty, and purchase intent because of an experience with a brand.

• 80% of event attendees in the tech space and 93% of CPG (consumer packaging goods) industry event attendees report purchasing from a brand after attending their events. – Spiro
• 68% of attendees say an event clarifies what makes a brand different than competitors. – Spiro
• Brands also see a major boost in engagement following events, with 96% of attendees in the tech industry and 94% in CPG saying they are more likely to recommend a brand after attending an event. – Spiro
• What’s more, purchase intent is 264% higher for event attendees who felt increased brand trust after a live event. – Spiro
• Engagement duration also affects event impact, with 81% of attendees extremely likely to make a purchase after spending a full day or more with a brand compared to 63% among those who spent less than an hour with a brand. – Spiro

Post-event engagement statistics

Attendee engagement after an event wraps is a huge part of the ELG equation, extending the impact of an event and creating a wealth of opportunities for organizations to grow their audience with the help of post-event engagement.

• 72% of CPG event attendees posted or shared brand content after an event, and 61% of tech event attendees did the same. – Spiro
• When attendees share brand content, they’re two times more likely to make a purchase. The most-shared experiences include personalized content (e.g., name tags, VIP passes), emotionally moving content, and status-driven content (e.g., exclusive content) – Spiro
• Attendees who share their event experience on social media report a 61% higher purchase intent than those who do not. – Spiro
• Receiving post-event communications increased attendees’ purchase intent by 45%. – Spiro
• Intent to purchase was 110% higher among those who networked and interacted with new people at an event than those who did not. – Spiro 

Technology: The key to a successful ELG strategy

As marketers consider how to apply an ELG approach and what they need to make it a success, technology is the cornerstone of it all. 

From running an event to integrating marketing, sales, and event software, marketing teams that are doing the most with their budgets and gaining traction with their ELG approach are doing it all with the help of their tech stacks.

For many organizations, there’s still a lot of work to be done to get those tech stacks up to speed.

• 92% of marketers believe event software makes it easier for them to achieve business outcomes. – Research Nester
• 70.6% of event organizers are looking for marketing automation integrations when selecting a virtual event platform. – Markletic
• Only one in five enterprise-level organizations have integrated their event platform with their marketing technology, which leaves a major gap in lead visibility. – Forrester
• Only 36% of teams use marketing automation tools for their event data and engagement, which means the majority of teams are losing out on critical lead generation opportunities. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2025
• Only 30% of marketing teams say their experiential marketing efforts are well established, whereas 35% are developing their strategies and another 35% are still in the exploratory stage. – Content Marketing Institute 2026
• While personalization is a big hitter across marketing and events strategies in 2026, only 23% of B2B marketers say they’re using personalization tactics in their event marketing. – Content Marketing Institute 2026

As organizations work to find the right mix of marketing tactics, it’s clear that events should be a large part of that equation. Events are a driving force in generating leads that convert, and organizations that take an ELG approach to their marketing strategies are reaping the benefits in revenue gains and brand loyalty wins.

Of course, this picture isn’t always clear to stakeholders, and that’s where the conversation of event ROI comes in. Your event return on investment (ROI) is what makes the difference between an emphatic “yes” and a critical “no” when stakeholders decide whether their events are pulling their weight.

Attendee engagement takes center stage as a decisive factor in event success in 2026. More and more, event organizers are defining a successful event by the level of engagement seen during and after the event. 

After all, engagement is the first step into the marketing and sales funnel and serves as a strong indicator of intent.

• 49% of marketers say audience engagement is the biggest contributing factor to hosting a successful event. – Markletic
• 31% of meeting professionals say their top challenge for 2026 is designing events that meet the needs of today’s attendees. – Amex GBT 2026
• What’s more, meeting professionals’ top priority for 2026 is improving the attendee experience with more memorable events (33%). – Amex GBT 2026
• Attendees who describe their event experiences positively with words like “memorable,” “valuable,” and “trustworthy” are three times more likely to make a purchase after an event compared to attendees who walked away with a neutral impression. – Spiro
• In fact, 93% of attendees who called an experience “memorable” said they were likely to make a purchase. – Spiro
• 91% of attendees who felt an event was “transparent and real” expressed intent to purchase following the event. – Spiro
• 91% of attendees of a tech event with no prior engagement said they would consider the brand after attending the event. – Spiro 

Shaping the attendee experience for maximum engagement

• Event professionals believe the top three elements that contribute to a memorable attendee experience include content (38%), venue (27%), and destination (25%). – Amex GBT 2024
• It makes sense, then, that the most important priorities identified by event organizers were content creation (5/5), attendee engagement (4.16/5), budget management (3.99/5), and venue selection (3.73/5). – ICE Benchmarking Report 2024
• Attendees want to leave an event feeling like they traded their time for something valuable, and 83% of planners say entertainment service providers are the key to a successful event. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2025

Attendees say they want more from their events, including:

• more interactivity in programming, such as workshops (42%),
• more opportunities to socialize with other attendees (40%),
• and more personalized experiences (37%). – Amex GBT 2026

There’s a huge opportunity for organizations to step up their engagement during and after events, but they need the right technology behind them. Unfortunately, there’s some work to be done to get event teams up to speed.

• Many teams are playing catchup with their event tech, with 75% still using spreadsheets and manual tracking systems for their event data and engagement metrics. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2025
• 66% are using CRM systems and dedicated event platforms, which means they’re well positioned to integrate their event data into their existing tech stack—they just need to take the plunge. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2025

As event teams seek to better engage their attendees and reap the rewards of more intentional interactions with their audience, more personalized experiences are key. 

This prioritization of attendees at the individual level, coupled with cost-saving strategies, has impacted the frequency with which organizations are hosting smaller, simpler meetings to reach more targeted audiences.

Small meetings statistics

Planners are focusing more on individual attendees' needs, crafting smaller, more exclusive, and boutique-style events that deliver an exclusive and personalized experience for attendees. 

In addition to more premium event experiences, smaller events offer immense opportunity for cost savings, making them an increasingly popular choice among event teams strapped with limited budgets to confront rising costs.

• In 2026, hosting smaller meetings and events with fewer attendees is a top strategy for meeting professionals addressing economic uncertainty (27%). – Amex GBT 2026
• In fact, 38% say the number of small/simple meetings they host will increase in 2026 or stay the same (50%). – Amex GBT 2026
• An increase in simple meetings is a top trend shaping event programs for 31% of planners in 2026. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• 68% of event professionals already include small/simple meetings in their events programs. – Amex GBT 2026
• The majority of events are leaning toward small- to medium-scale events, with 52% of meeting professionals managing events with 1-500 attendees. This compares to 20% managing events with 500-1000 attendees and only 15% managing events with more than 2,500 attendees. – ICE Benchmarking Report 2025
• The majority of meeting organizers are planning meetings with 101-500 attendees (67%), 51-100 attendees (58%), and 15-50 attendees (51%). – Northstar Meetings Group & Cvent PULSE (Dec. 2025)
• 44% of planners say their simple meetings make up 11-25% of their event mix, and another 27% say their simple meetings account for 26-50% of their events. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026
• 40% of event professionals host small events monthly, 30% host them quarterly, and 15% host small events as frequently as weekly. – BizBash & Cvent
• In 2023, approximately one in five businesses expressed a plan to increase spending on VIP customer events in 2023 and beyond. – Statista

It’s clear small events are a priority for events professionals, but what exactly are organizations hoping to gain from these smaller, more intimate meetings, beyond cost savings?

• Event professionals’ primary goal for small events is to engage existing customers (24%). – BizBash & Cvent
• It makes sense, then, that 35% say attendee engagement is their top metric for measuring success of their small events, followed by attendee satisfaction at 22%. – BizBash & Cvent
• Top priorities for small events also include building brand awareness (20%), educating or training attendees (19%), and generating new leads (18%). – BizBash & Cvent
• This corresponds with the other top measures of success for small events, including: #3 lead generation and sales opportunities, #4 ROI, #5 number of attendees, and #6 brand visibility and awareness. – BizBash & Cvent

Challenges of producing small meetings

As with any event, there are challenges to producing small events—some of which stem from disjointed processes or the nature of smaller meetings.

• Despite the opportunity small events provide for cost savings, budget is still a concern for 70% of planners. No matter the event size, there is always a trade-off between cost and impact. – BizBash & Cvent
• Time constraints are another challenge for most planners of small events (53%), which is likely due to the need to fit many of the usual event details into a compacted timeline. – BizBash & Cvent

Many of the top challenges event organizers face when planning small events come down to a lack of resources or refined strategy:

• 44% struggle with measuring ROI for their small events,
• 35% say ownership of events by different teams presents a challenge,
• 33% face staffing resource challenges,
• and 22% cite a lack of processes and tools as a major challenge. – BizBash & Cvent

Branding is another area identified as a problem area by planners organizing small events.

• Branding consistency appears to be experiencing a “slow leak” for many organizations, with most planners only “somewhat satisfied” with branding consistency across their small events (39%) and just 35% “very satisfied.” – BizBash & Cvent
• 20% of planners cite inconsistent design across event materials as a top challenge when planning small events. – BizBash & Cvent
• Another 20% say they struggle with inaccurate messaging or mismatched tone. – BizBash & Cvent

While these numbers suggest branding is in a decent place for many organizations, there’s still work to be done. Branding consistency is crucial for small events, not only because it’s a top priority for planners hosting these events but because small events must be clearly recognizable as part of a larger event program and brand. “Somewhat satisfied” simply doesn’t cut it.

The good news? Event tech can address all these difficulties by providing a single source of truth for all events across planning teams, centralizing event data along with planning and marketing tools to make it simpler to plan small, repeatable events right alongside large flagship events—with brand-compliant templates to bring it all together.

• Event professionals are on board—65% say better technology could solve their event planning challenges. – BizBash & Cvent
• Currently, only 36% use event management platforms to execute their small events, and 50% use social media and digital marketing tools. – BizBash & Cvent
• When choosing a venue for their simple meetings, 86% of planners say they’re more likely to select a venue that offers online booking. – Cvent Planner Sourcing Report 2026

Clearly, there’s not only room for process improvement, but there’s also a desire by the majority of event professionals to leverage technology more when organizing their small events.

Event sponsorship plays a key role in the success of many events, offering an addition form of direct revenue to bolster an event’s financial success while enhancing brand visibility for partners. 

• 35% of meeting professionals say seeking funding, such as from sponsors, is a top way they’re combatting economic uncertainty in 2026. – Amex GBT 2026
• In 2025, 57% of marketers were planning more partner events, and 51% were planning for more sponsored events. – Splash Events Outlook Report 2025
• 91% of event organizers take on sponsors for their event sessions to generate extra sponsorship revenue. – Markletic
• 87% of those organizing large trade shows opt for virtual event platforms that have virtual sponsorship booth capabilities. – Markletic
• 65% of event organizers accept sponsorships for their events. – Markletic
• 53% of organizations spend more money on sponsoring and attending events compared to hosting events (47%). – Forrester 

This segment is poised to play a central role in the event landscape as organizations continue to recognize the potential of both sponsoring events and partnering with sponsors when hosting events.