According to American Express Meetings & Events, the market equation for 2015 is "Do more with less". The events branch of the business travel agency has published its "Global Meetings Forecast 2015" study, which anticipates a further fall in budgets in Europe (0.4%), although the decline was more marked in 2014 (-1.9%). France will not be helping to raise this European average. According to the study, the French market will see a decline in overall spending (-3.8%) and individual budgets (-2.9%). One small relief for suppliers: the average duration of in-house meetings in France is expected to be the longest in Europe at 3.2 days, compared with 1.4 at European level, according to American Express Meetings & Events. "The economies of the various European countries are at different stages of recovery, and this is reflected in the MICE sector in Europe," points out Saskia Gentil, Director for France and Switzerland at American Express Meetings & Events. "In France, although the sector remains under close scrutiny due to the continuing economic difficulties, it is nonetheless a key driver of economic activity, and it is clear that participation in meetings and events is highly valued.
