La eleventh edition the annual report "2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast has just been published by American Express Meetings & Events. And it has to be said that the findings are rather encouraging. At the very least, they set a course, a light at the end of the tunnel for all the professionals in the sector, who are impatiently awaiting a return to more substantial business volumes.
To get a better idea of what the coming months hold in store for the meetings and events sector, TMC's specialist division surveyed some of the world's leading companies. 500 professionalsover the period June and July 2021. A representative panel, insofar as it...
La eleventh edition the annual report "2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast has just been published by American Express Meetings & Events. And it has to be said that the findings are rather encouraging. At the very least, they set a course, a light at the end of the tunnel for all the professionals in the sector, who are impatiently awaiting a return to more substantial business volumes.
To get a better idea of what the coming months hold in store for the meetings and events sector, TMC's specialist division surveyed some of the world's leading companies. 500 professionalsover the period June and July 2021. A representative panel, in that it brings together companies, associations, buyers and suppliers over a geographical area of 37 countries. This global approach makes it possible to distinguish between different dynamics in different regions, even if the overall trend is more towards positive since two-thirds of those surveyed (67 %) believe that face-to-face meetings will return to pre-pandemic levels within one to two yearsAn equivalent increase in budgets is anticipated (64%).
"Cautious optimism" in Europe
Le European market is marked by a " cautious optimism "according to American Express Meetings & Events. The Old Continent has the worst confidence score of the four markets surveyed, with 59% of respondents displaying a level of optimism of at least eight out of ten. However, European professionals are clearly determined to return to face-to-face meetings: almost half of European events (48%) are expected to be held face-to-face and only face-to-face next year. Only the North American market is doing better (54%). Nevertheless, we will still have to be patient to see these events attract as many participants as before: 86 % of those surveyed said they were "convinced that the number of participants in face-to-face events will return to pre-pandemic levels within five years".
A particularly enthusiastic Americas zone
This caution on the European market contrasts with the enthusiasm - or at least theoptimism - by American Express Meetings & Events across the Atlantic. Three quarters of those surveyed (74%) gave an optimism score of at least 8 out of 10 according to the "2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast". " North American meetings and events professionals are highly optimistic about a recovery in 2022 "the authors of the report. As early as last summer, three out of 10 professionals (31 %) said they had already resumed face-to-face meetings and events. This trend is set to continue with the reopening of the United States in effect since 8 NovemberHowever, the prize for optimism goes to our neighbours in South and Central America. No fewer than 87% of those surveyed gave their optimism a score of at least 8 out of 10, and 82 % of them described their career options as good or even excellent. If the region's professionals are to be believed, event gauges should soon be rising again. Indeed, 81 % of those surveyed expect the number of face-to-face attendees to return to pre-pandemic levels within one to two years, the fastest recovery of the four markets surveyed by American Express Meetings & Events.
Finally, in the Asia-Pacific region, the report notes that professionals " fairly positive about the health of the sector in 2022 "A large majority of respondents (64%) believe that the events organised in 2022 will include a face-to-face component. A large majority (81 %) believe that the events organised in 2022 will include a face-to-face component.
we know that recovery will not be easy and we cannot achieve it by reproducing what we have done in the past
" While we are all delighted to see the demand for meetings and events increasing, we know that the recovery will not be easy and we cannot achieve it by reproducing what we have done in the past. "Gerardo Tejado, Senior Vice President and General Manager of American Express Meetings and Events. " Looking ahead to 2022, we expect the optimism, ingenuity and innovation we've seen in the sector over the past two years to lead to a new era of thoughtful M&E strategies focused on technology and social responsibility. "continues Gerardo Tejado.
