Meetings and events professionals are optimistic about the industry in the coming year, especially with the expanded use of AI technology, according to a new survey.

The 2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, released in October by Amex GBT Meetings & Events, is based on surveys and interviews with more than 500 meeting professionals. Overall, their outlook is positive: 66 percent of respondents said they anticipated increased budgets in 2025. Much of that good feeling is buoyed by the post-pandemic growth in in-person meetings: 59 percent of respondents say in-person meetings are their preferred choice.

Much of the investment planners intend to make are focused on technology, with a particular emphasis on AI, according to the report. Ariana Reed, Director of Global Strategic Partnerships at Amex GBT, said that “teams are focused on optimizing and assessing current technology to ensure teams are upskilled…Additionally, we are constantly piloting and testing new technologies, mainly AI-centered at this time, to support registration and event communications but also to create efficiencies in the sourcing and planning process.” 

According to the report, planners are using AI beyond its earliest use cases—content development and chatbots, for instance—into more dynamic tools. According to the report, 42 percent of respondents are using it for “matchmaking for attendees and sponsors,” while nearly 40 percent are using it to track attendee engagement and manage event logistics.

“The focus on generating creative content is primarily because teams are learning to harness the new AI enhancements within those applications,” Reed said. “AI features are now more present within registration for personalized communications, within sourcing tools for more robust and consistent RFPs, and we look forward to more AI enhancements in onsite event technology. Our interest in AI is not just to solve for efficiencies in creative content but also to allow us to improve attendee experience with more personalization.”

When it comes to improving meetings, respondents emphasized the importance of content and the meeting venue: The most common factor for a good attendee experience in the survey was “event content and agenda” (38 percent), closely followed by the quality of venue and destination. Sustainability is also a key consideration: Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents say they have “defined sustainability goals and an action plan” and more than half (54 percent) say sustainability is very or extremely important when planning meetings. But planners also say they’ve struggled to find partners who can satisfy sustainability goals, ways to manage waste onsite, and measuring the meeting’s environmental impact.

Looking forward, the report recommends that planners emphasize curation of memorable experiences for attendees. That can involve more customized and bespoke experiences, Reed said, among other efforts.

“The process is more focused on customization and personalization supported by AI whenever possible to provide us with more specific content and ease in the planning process,” she said. “It is also about data analysis and consolidation of event technology data—from registration, mobile app, and onsite tech—to truly understand attendee behaviors and their drivers for engagement. The attendee and their emotional experience at the event are at the core of our curation process.”