What Planners Really Think: December PULSE Takeaways for Hotels

Planning never sits still for long. Budgets stretch, snap back, then stretch again. Attendance forecasts change month to month. And hotels feel the pressure to guess what planners want before the RFP even hits their inbox.

The December edition of the Cvent PULSE report gives a clear read on planner confidence, cost pressure, and sourcing behavior across North America and EMEA. The regions feel different, but the tension feels familiar everywhere. Here’s what planners are really thinking as the year closes out.

The mood at a glance

Step back and a few themes surface fast. Planners still believe in meetings. Face-to-face events remain a priority, even as costs rise and budgets struggle to keep up. No one talks about pulling back entirely. They talk about adjusting, trimming, and rethinking how events come together.

Costs dominate almost every conversation. Food and beverage, room rates, and added fees make budgeting feel unstable. That instability makes long-term planning harder and pushes planners to scrutinize every line item.

Budgets show uneven movement. Some planners expect increases. Many expect flat funding. Others brace for cuts. That split mindset creates cautious decision-making and longer internal approval cycles.

AI curiosity grows, but true impact stays limited. Most planners now use AI in some form, but only a small share say it has changed how they work. For many, it still feels helpful, not essential. With that context, let’s break things down by region.

North America: demand holds steady, confidence does not

North American planners continue to book, but the tone feels more guarded than earlier in the year. They want events to succeed. They just worry more about the cost of getting there.

1. Optimism cools as budgets tighten

Planner sentiment in North America trends downward as the year wraps up. Nearly half say they feel less optimistic than they did six months ago. Rising costs and economic uncertainty weigh heavily, even though demand for meetings remains strong.

Most planners expect budgets to stay flat or decrease. Among the 36 percent who expect an increase, many anticipate jumps above 10 percent. That signals uneven planning conditions. Some teams can move forward confidently. Others feel boxed in.

2. Costs drive nearly every hard decision

Hotel rates top the list of planner frustrations. Food and beverage costs follow close behind, with many planners pointing to sharp increases throughout 2025.

These costs do more than strain budgets. They slow decisions. Planners hesitate, rework proposals, or scale down scope just to make numbers line up.

3. Price tolerance hits a wall

Last year, North American planners showed more willingness to raise registration fees to offset higher costs. This year, that willingness fades. Attendees push back sooner. Internal teams ask tougher questions. The room to pass costs along keeps shrinking.

This puts more pressure on hotels to show value clearly and early.

4. Face-to-face still wins

Despite the tension, planners stay firm on one thing. In-person meetings matter. More than two-thirds say face-to-face events deliver more value than other business activities.

That belief keeps the industry moving, even when budgets wobble.

5. AI curiosity grows, but impact feels limited

Nearly two-thirds of planners report using AI tools. But only 17 percent say AI has had a transformative impact on their work. Most planners still see AI as a support tool, not a strategic shift. The interest remains. The breakthrough has not arrived yet.

6. What planners actually said

Their comments say it plainly:

“AI might take centre stage over online and off-line, which must be balanced and mitigated.”

 “AI is good for writing emails, marketing etc. but not for the nitty gritty of events.”

 “Lead times for event delivery are significantly shorter now.”

North American planners want predictability. Hotels that provide it earn trust fast.

EMEA: optimism holds, competition sharpens

EMEA planners enter the new year with more confidence than their North American peers. But that optimism comes with tighter margins and tougher competition.

1. Budgets rise, but not enough

Planners expect meetings-related costs to rise between 9 and 13 percent next year. Budgets will increase too, but most will not keep pace. That gap forces planners to make trade-offs without sacrificing event quality.

2. Cost control stays front and center

Concerns around pricing and contract terms continue to grow. Even as compression eases and RFP response rates improve, planners stay focused on finding savings wherever possible.

They want clarity. They want fewer surprises. And they want confidence that costs will not creep after contracts are signed.

3. Destination choices shift with global pressure

Geopolitical factors continue to influence sourcing decisions. Eastern Europe feels the impact most. Meanwhile, the UK, Ireland, Western Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa see stronger interest.

Planners weigh safety, accessibility, and perception alongside price.

4. Ticket pricing gets riskier

More EMEA planners feel willing to increase registration fees than in previous years. But competition looms large. More than a quarter say being undercut on price poses a real threat.

That fear pushes planners to compare venues closely and move carefully.

5. AI use grows, but enthusiasm stays measured

Nearly two-thirds of planners report using AI tools, yet only 16 percent describe the impact as transformative. Like North America, EMEA planners experiment without fully committing.

6. Hiring slows across the region

Only 11 percent of planner organizations expect to add staff next year. Lean teams remain the norm, which increases pressure on workflows, response times, and supplier support.

Planners want stability. Hotels can provide it.

The December PULSE data paints a clear picture. Planners still believe in meetings. They still want to bring people together. But they need steady partners to do it.

Hotels that communicate clearly, respond quickly, and keep pricing transparent remove friction at a time when planners feel stretched. Do that well, and you don’t just win RFPs. You earn long-term trust as the market heads into the new year.

Want the full picture? Dive into the detailed December PULSE reports for North America and EMEA and see exactly what planners say is shaping their 2026 decisions.