As we soak up the summer sun, it’s time for our quarterly pulse check on the latest event trends—especially now that we’re more than halfway through 2025. In the May and July editions of the Northstar/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE Survey, we gathered insights from over 1,000 event professionals to better understand the industry’s top challenges and trending topics.
In this blog, we’ll explore the latest survey findings and share actionable insights to help event professionals like you adapt and optimize your event strategies. Whether you’re organizing a corporate conference or an intimate social gathering, you’ll find ideas to help you overcome these uncertain times and create truly memorable experiences.
Industry insights shaping mid-year 2025 meeting trends
The latest survey reveals that despite challenges such as contract negotiations, attendee engagement, and evolving event formats driven by political, economic, and social factors, planners continue to emphasize the vital role of in-person events in enhancing experiences and supporting long-term growth.
A promising trend is the growing adoption of technology—particularly AI—which planners are leveraging to take a more proactive and strategic approach to event planning.
Planner concerns rise amid economic and political shifts
As global economic and political conditions grow increasingly unpredictable, planner confidence is beginning to take a dip. While rising event costs continue to remain a top concern, broader instability is now casting a shadow over the outlook for meetings and events.
The latest July report highlights the mounting pressure planners face as uncertainty lingers. Notably, 80% of planners have experienced contract delays tied to recent political, economic, or social policy changes—an increase of 28% since May. Still, there are glimmers of hope: just 37% of planners now report feeling less optimistic than two months ago, a notable improvement from 48% in May.
This data paints a complex picture—one where cautious optimism exists alongside persistent logistical challenges. The road ahead may be uncertain, but with the right event technology tools, flexibility, and timely insights, planners are finding ways to adapt and push forward.
Organizations still believe in the power of events
Despite ongoing challenges, planners and their organizations remain confident in the power of events to drive business outcomes. Optimism is on the rise, with 80% of planners viewing events as significantly or somewhat more valuable than before the pandemic, up 17% since March.
Organizations clearly recognize the value of events, and while planners are navigating real socioeconomic pressures, their programs remain strong. In fact, 63% of planners are actively booking or sourcing new events (up 7% since May) and 55% are looking to secure business more than a year in advance. Notably, one in three planners (33%) have added staff to their meetings and events teams in 2025, signaling continued growth for the industry.
While challenges persist, they’re not stopping planners from pushing forward and making the most of their event programs.
More planners are turning to AI
AI isn’t just making waves in the events industry—it’s completely transforming it. According to our latest July survey, 59% of event planners are now using generative AI platforms, marking a significant 17% increase from last year. This rapid adoption highlights how quickly AI is changing the way events are imagined, planned, and executed.
What’s even more exciting? The momentum is only building. Our data shows that more than two-thirds of planners expect to be leveraging generative event AI tools in the near future. As these platforms become more advanced and organizations continue to embrace the full potential of AI, these numbers are set to climb even higher.
While some planners may feel apprehensive about these changes, the majority are leaning in, eager to harness AI to save time, personalize experiences, and drive better results. From writing compelling event content to streamlining project management and enhancing attendee engagement, AI is empowering planners to work smarter and create unforgettable events.
How Event Tech is Helping Planners Navigate Uncertainty
While today’s challenges might be unique, the need for an adaptable, risk-conscious events program is not. Our industry has weathered many storms of late, and the best way for planners to create more resilient and cost-effective events is by making the most of their event tech stack.
Planners can do so much with a single event management platform, from managing all their event management and marketing data in one place to tracking budgeting, contract negotiations, and supplier communications. This visibility across all meetings and events allows planners to make informed decisions about how they’re spending their time and money, identify potential risks and opportunities for cost savings, and pivot when necessary.
Here are just a few ways event tech can help planners maintain successful event programs during turbulent periods:
4 Tips to make events more flexible
If your events are struggling amidst cost constraints and shifting priorities, consider these strategies for achieving adaptability:
- Dig into past event reports to track ROI data and assess which meetings and events are most successful and where you might find opportunities to save.
- Manage all your events, no matter the size or format, in one platform. This makes it seamless to shift when necessary, including changing an in-person event to a virtual format without rebuilding the entire event or sourcing a separate virtual event platform. Need to postpone or cancel an event? Understand the financial implications of canceling, quickly close and refund registrations, and manage contract cancellations.
- If, like many planners, you’re anticipating a dip in attendance at your events, it’s imperative that you attract the right attendees who will bring the most value to your events. To do this, you’ll need event marketing tech that tracks event performance and allows attendee engagement and marketing data to flow seamlessly between your integrated event platform and marketing and sales software.
- Use an event app to manage attendee communications in case of last-minute changes. Send push notifications so your registrants and attendees never miss a thing.
4 Tips to improve event RFP response times
If you’re looking to improve RFP response times from suppliers and venues, consider these strategies:
- Use a centralized venue sourcing platform to connect with the right global hotels and venues that match your events' size, scope, and goals.
- When sending out your RFPs, consider reaching out to multiple venues at once to increase the chances of receiving a timely response (and so you can make a decision quickly once you have your RFP responses in hand). To simplify this, send all your RFPs from one platform so you can easily compare and choose the best option!
- Provide specific details about your event in each RFP, such as the date(s) and time(s), number of attendees, room types needed, and any special requirements or preferences. This helps venues understand your needs and respond quickly with options that meet your criteria. Including more details in your RFP from the start will also help you spend less time going back and forth to make sure you’ve addressed everything you need.
- Foster relationships with venue contacts to establish a rapport and streamline future communication.
5 Tips to help planners cut venue costs
While the event venue can eat up a large portion of a planner’s budget, and planners consistently rate cost as the most important factor in their site selection, there are ways to help cut venue costs.
If cost savings are high on your list of priorities, here are a few tips to help you cut costs on your venue:
- Begin your search with tools like free-to-use venue-sourcing software, which allows you to take full control of the sourcing process for events of any size and location.
- Pairing this with free-to-use diagramming software further enhances event design and attendee management, helping planners stay efficient and innovative while saving money on site visits. Collaborative tools like these streamline workflows by keeping critical event data accessible for stakeholders.
- Site visits can quickly eat up your venue budget. To help save time and money, consider taking a virtual tour of any venue in the world with the help of Photo-Realistic 3D Technology. Explore unique spaces from outdoor beaches to grand ballrooms, and easily check out a venue’s profile, view their 3D floorplans, and even send RFPs when you’ve found venues of interest.
- If your ideal destination is outside your budget, consider looking beyond popular locations and exploring emerging or up-and-coming locations to find less expensive (though still exciting) destinations. These destinations may offer lower prices for venues and accommodations while still providing a unique and attractive experience for attendees. When in doubt, a destination management company (DMC) or DMO can help you identify and manage attractions at a destination that’s new to you. You can find these valuable partners with the help of a dedicated vendor marketplace.
- To find lower-priced venues, think about non-traditional event spaces such as community centers, public parks, and cultural institutions. These spaces often have lower rental fees than hotels and convention centers and can provide a unique and memorable experience for attendees.
In today’s ever-evolving landscape, embracing technology and the right tools is essential. With the right solutions, planners can navigate the complexities of modern event management, overcome rising cost challenges, and deliver successful, memorable experiences.
The real impact of AI: still on the horizon
One of the most intriguing trends to watch in 2025 will be the evolving role of AI in the events industry. While the latest PULSE survey indicates that AI's impact on planning has been modest so far—only 37% of respondents said it has sped up certain processes—its broader influence remains limited.
Still, there’s a sense of optimism: 29% of respondents expressed excitement about AI's potential to improve event planning and execution. Could 2025 bring game-changing advancements?
Cvent’s tools are already harnessing AI to revolutionize event planning, offering features like the Cvent AI Writing Assistant, tailored vendor suggestions, efficient venue sourcing, and advanced event setup diagramming. The possibilities are endless, and 2025 could unveil even more ways AI will transform how we plan and execute events.
Meetings Industry Wrap-up
Despite continued cost concerns and increasing economic uncertainty, one thing is still true for planners everywhere: events are still worth the expense. Organizations understand the power of events as a marketing channel and a means of bringing people together to form important relationships.
Even if it means hosting fewer attendees and working with smaller budgets, planners are steadfast in their refusal to compromise their event programs and are finding creative ways to forge ahead. From investing in time- and cost-saving event tech to hosting smaller events at unique venues, planners’ dedication to in-person experiences underscores the industry’s unwavering focus on creating meaningful, impactful moments for attendees.
With a turbulent outlook forecasted for 2025, Cvent is here to help you navigate these challenges, refine your strategies, and build a stronger total event program. Together, we’ll work smarter—not harder—to save time and effort while ensuring your events continue to inspire and succeed.
Want a closer look at these trends? Check out the latest Northstar/Cvent Meetings Industry PULSE Survey, and stay tuned for our next PULSE Survey recap!
Maggie Lancashire
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