Meeting planners are optimistic going into 2026, according to a new survey, though concerned about rising costs and delivering engaging experiences across increasingly diverse attendee groups.

The 2026 Global Meetings and Events Forecast [PDF], released last month by American Express Global Business Travel, is based on a survey of 601 global meeting planners conducted in July 2025. Overall, respondents are feeling good about the health of the sector, with 85 percent saying they are “optimistic” about meetings in 2026—the highest percentage since the height of the pandemic.

The report credits a more stable meeting environment for the optimism. “The meetings sector [is] settling into its new normal,” the report said. “We’re seeing greater consistency when it comes to strategy and meeting management.”

Moreover, many meeting planners are looking at the next year with a growth mindset: 47 percent of planners said that they intend to increase the number of conferences featuring tradeshows, for instance. And planners have grown more comfortable building generative AI into their meeting-design process, with 34 percent saying they intend to use it to create concepts and themes, and 28 percent say they’ll use it to track attendee engagement.

Engagement, in fact, presents one of the biggest challenges to planners, according to the survey. The report notes that meetings now must accommodate five distinct generations, each with their own learning and engagement preferences. In response, the report says, planners are looking at more dynamic options: “Sessions are shorter, allowing for longer networking breaks. Increasingly, attendees want events where they can be active participants and create human connections.”

The report quoted Rebecca DeLuca, vice president of destination sales at the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA), who said, “Many successful events now design micro-communities – tailored spaces and experiences shaped by audience, budget, and goals – to make sure every generation feels included and engaged.”

To that end, substantial percentages of meeting planners say attendees want more interactive sessions (42 percent), more social and network activities (40 percent), and more personalized experiences (37 percent).

Complicating the meeting environment further is cost. Thirty-eight percent of respondents cited cost as their biggest challenge, and 30 percent said reducing costs is a key focus in the coming year. And planners are exploring creative ways to avoid passing those costs on to the attendee, with 35 percent of planners saying they’re looking for increased sponsorship opportunities, and also pursuing more bespoke opportunities such as exclusive access to C-suite leaders and influencers. 

Planners are also factoring in the cost of travel to the meeting location, with 37 percent of planners saying “ease of travel and transportation to location for attendees” as a key factor in their plans for the year ahead.

Emma Bason, Director of Global Venue Sourcing Amex GBT Meetings & Events, said in the report that planners will have to thread the needle of experience, content, and location. “Attendees want to walk away feeling like they’ve done something that wasn’t just for work – that they’ve come away with the story of being here,” she said. “I’ve tried this’. We did this. We felt like this. I want to go back.”