EIC Barometer Signals Strong Future Demand for Business Events Amid Global Uncertainty

With future event enquiries reaching 113% of pre-pandemic levels, the business events industry is signalling confidence despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The Events Industry Council’s latest research also quantifies the sector’s global economic footprint, reinforcing the case for evidence-led advocacy and long-term investment.

Global demand for future business events remains resilient despite economic pressures and geopolitical instability, according to the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Q2 2026 Global Business Events Barometer. While hotel group room demand remains below pre-pandemic levels, forward-looking requests for proposals point to a sustained pipeline of events, reinforcing the sector’s continuing importance to business investment, knowledge exchange and professional development.

Released on 22 October in partnership with Oxford Economics, the latest Barometer shows global hotel group room demand holding at 92% of 2019 levels, unchanged from a year earlier. By contrast, request for proposal (RFP) activity for future events has reached 113% of its 2019 level, suggesting that organisations continue to plan and invest in bringing people together despite the uncertain economic climate.

The figures offer two complementary perspectives on the market: current demand has yet to return fully to its pre-pandemic benchmark, but forward bookings and planning activity indicate continued confidence in face-to-face engagement. Geopolitical instability, persistent inflationary pressures, elevated borrowing costs and rapidly evolving technology nevertheless continue to influence business investment, travel decisions and event participation.

“The latest Barometer reinforces an important distinction between the pressures organisations are navigating today and the confidence they continue to place in the future,” said Amy Calvert, President and CEO of the Events Industry Council. “We cannot ignore the economic and geopolitical realities shaping our world. Yet even in this environment, organisations are choosing to invest in bringing people together. That speaks to the essential role business events play in building trust, exchanging knowledge, developing talent and creating opportunities for meaningful progress.”

“These findings illustrate the resilience of the business events sector in an unusually complex global environment,” said Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. “While current group room demand remains below pre-pandemic levels, the strength of RFP activity points to a sustained pipeline of future events. This distinction is important because it shows how organisations are balancing near-term economic constraints with longer-term business priorities and the continuing value of face-to-face engagement.”

The Barometer also identifies artificial intelligence as an evolving driver of business investment and transformation, creating new opportunities for knowledge exchange, collaboration and professional development. Its growing influence adds another dimension to an industry navigating technological change alongside economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

Measuring the Industry’s Global Economic Contribution

The latest findings sit within a broader body of EIC research designed to establish the scale and significance of business events for economies and societies worldwide. The quarterly Barometer complements the 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study, also produced in partnership with Oxford Economics, which assesses the sector’s direct economic contribution as well as its wider effects.

According to the study, business events brought together 1.65 billion participants across more than 180 countries in 2025, generating US$1.3 trillion in direct spending. When indirect and induced impacts are included, the industry supported US$3.1 trillion in total business sales, contributed US$1.8 trillion to global gross domestic product and sustained 24.2 million jobs worldwide.

Beyond these headline figures, the research examines how business events support innovation, investment, workforce development, knowledge exchange and long-term business relationships. Their contribution therefore extends beyond the immediate spending associated with meetings, exhibitions, conferences and other events, encompassing the networks and professional connections through which economic and societal value can develop.

Together, the Economic Significance Study and the quarterly Barometer offer policymakers, industry leaders and organisations evidence on the sector’s scale, present performance and future direction. For an industry whose value is not always fully reflected in conventional economic measures, this research also provides a foundation for more informed decision-making and more effective advocacy.
 

Global Meetings Industry Day Returns on 6 April 2027

The EIC has also announced that Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) 2027 will take place on Tuesday, 6 April, bringing the international business events community together around a shared message about the sector’s economic and societal contribution.

Building on the momentum of GMID 2026, the annual initiative will unite industry professionals, associations, destinations, corporations and partners worldwide to demonstrate how business events strengthen economies, connect communities, accelerate innovation and create opportunities for people and organisations.

For the EIC, however, advocacy is not confined to a single annual observance. GMID forms part of a year-round strategy that draws on the Economic Significance Study, the Global Events Barometer and other industry research to establish a consistent, evidence-based account of the value of business events.

Through monthly campaign themes and content developed in collaboration with EIC Members, Strategic Partners, Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) and volunteer leaders, the initiative aims to amplify the industry's economic and societal contributions. It also provides practical resources to help organisations engage policymakers, business leaders and local communities throughout the year.

“Global Meetings Industry Day is an opportunity for our entire industry to unite around a shared purpose and demonstrate the value we create for economies and communities around the world,” said Stephanie Harris, 2026 Chair of the EIC Board of Directors and President of the Incentive Research Foundation. “But our advocacy cannot be limited to a single day. By connecting the Economic Significance Study, quarterly Barometer and Futures Landscape research through a sustained, year-round campaign, we are providing our global community with the evidence, insights and collective voice needed to influence decisions, inspire investment and prepare for what comes next.”

Looking Ahead Through Research and Workforce Development

GMID 2027 will coincide with the release of the EIC Futures Landscape Study 2027, developed in partnership with Ipsos, the global market research and insights company. Building on the 2025 study, the new edition will examine the evolving forces shaping the business events ecosystem, helping industry leaders anticipate change, assess emerging opportunities and risks, and strengthen their organisations’ capacity to adapt.

The release will provide a platform for dialogue, collaboration and collective action across sectors and regions, extending the EIC’s research agenda beyond the measurement of current performance towards a more forward-looking assessment of the industry’s prospects.

“At a time when the world is experiencing growing fragmentation and uncertainty, our ability to convene people across borders, sectors and perspectives has never been more important,” added Calvert. “Through Vision 2030, we are connecting our research, advocacy and workforce initiatives to help the industry make better decisions today while preparing for tomorrow. GMID provides a powerful moment to amplify that work, but the real opportunity lies in sustaining the conversation and translating our collective insights into meaningful action throughout the year.”

Workforce development is another component of this strategy. Through EIC Pathways, a new initiative intended to support the future business events workforce, the organisation aims to connect professionals at every career stage with education, credentials, career resources and opportunities for continuous growth.

Together, the EIC’s research, advocacy and workforce initiatives form part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to advance a more resilient, sustainable and impactful business events industry. By connecting evidence about economic performance with long-term planning and professional development, the EIC aims to help organisations understand the forces shaping their operating environment and respond with greater confidence.

The organisation is encouraging businesses, associations, destinations and other stakeholders worldwide to begin planning their participation in GMID 2027. It also invites the global community to contribute to its year-round advocacy campaign by sharing research findings, amplifying campaign messages and bringing perspectives from across the industry into the conversation.

The underlying message of the latest Barometer is clear: although economic constraints continue to affect current activity, the pipeline of future events remains strong. For the EIC, sustaining that momentum will depend not only on demonstrating the industry's measurable contribution, but also on ensuring that research, advocacy and workforce development translate into informed decisions and continued investment in bringing people together.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.