WHAT: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has published its Meetings OutlookTM, 2017 Spring Edition. The latest installment of the quarterly report shows the forecast for business conditions and budgets continues to improve at a healthy rate. It also reveals how audiovisual partners have an increasingly powerful role in the outcome of successful events, while planners are driven to focus more on myriad aspects of contingency planning.
Key findings include the following:
• 69% of respondents predict favorable business conditions— up 11% since last quarter.
• 48% of respondents report good availability of space for 2017 meetings; 61% say the same for booking 2018 meetings.
• 21% of respondents have significantly increased sustainability practices in the past five years; 28% have either decreased or not increased such practices.
• Attendance at live and virtual events is expected to grow by 1.8% and 2.7%, respectively.
To view the revised full report, visit www.mpiweb.org/meetingsoutlook. The report is also included in the print and digital versions of MPI’s The Meeting Professional® magazine, May 2017 issue.
Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership with MGM Resorts International and supported in partnership with the IMEX Group.
DETAILS: Meetings Outlook presents future industry trends and predictions from MPI members, including meeting professionals on MPI’s Business Research Panel. Every quarter, research firm Association Insights surveys the panel, asking a short series of quantitative questions related to the economy and a qualitative question regarding the individual’s professional outlook. Phone interviews are also conducted with randomly selected MPI members. The report provides a quarterly tracking of current business conditions and future outlooks.
ABOUT MPI: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities, and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 19 countries. “When we meet, we change the word.” www.mpiweb.org
