Meetings professionals prioritise attendee experience in 2027: GBT report
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The report finds that attendees are hungry for authentic, in-person experiences, while rising costs and the impact of geopolitical uncertainty are changing how and where meetings take place.
Improving the attendee experience is the top priority for meetings professionals across every global region, according to the 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast by American Express Global Business Travel.
The report finds that attendees are hungry for authentic, in-person experiences, while rising costs and the impact of geopolitical uncertainty are changing how and where meetings take place. Meetings professionals are reportedly responding with more strategic approaches to planning, helping them navigate these pressures and keep the attendee experience at the centre.
“Meetings professionals are entering 2027 with more demands on their programs, from rising costs and disruption caused by geopolitical uncertainty to higher attendee expectations,” said Gerardo Tejado Donde, Senior VP, Professional Services at Amex GBT. “Yet they are responding with resilience, resourcefulness, and creativity, adapting their strategies rather than stepping back. There is a real sense of optimism across the industry, grounded in a clear understanding of what lies ahead.”
As AI-generated content proliferates, meetings professionals report that attendees are said to be increasingly seeking authentic, human experiences. Respondents say attendees expect more personalized experiences (35%), more social activities and networking (31%), and more hands-on, interactive sessions and workshops (31%). Meetings professionals also recognize the potential for AI to help streamline routine tasks and support onsite staff, with 34% saying they plan to use AI to equip onsite staff with insights for personalized service, followed by event communications (32%), logistics (30%), and sourcing (24%) to help free up time to focus on the attendee experience.
An increasingly unpredictable operating environment is prompting meetings professionals to rethink how they plan and deliver events. Data shows a 71% increase in the number of travellers assisted by its traveller care service in 2025, highlighting the growing impact of travel disruption. Geopolitical instability is already changing how meetings are planned: 39% report a change in destination or city, 37% report holding more virtual meetings, and 30% report smaller meetings or a change of venue.
While rising costs remain a factor in planning, 91% expect their overall meetings and events spend to increase in 2027.
Risk management and compliance rank among the top three priorities for 2027, with 79% of meetings professionals already applying risk management practices to all or most of their meetings. A consolidated approach to risk management can help organizations build greater visibility, consistency, and accountability across their meetings programs.
Despite the shifting landscape and challenges ahead, the outlook remains positive: 93% of meetings professionals are optimistic about the health of the meetings sector in 2027, and more professionals expect to hold more meetings than fewer in every meeting type.
