As we begin a new year, it is clear that collaboration and adaptability are key. Riding the waves of industry shifts is simpler with support from other planners. Technology is one of the biggest shifts we have seen. Implementing it effectively in day-to-day planning is essential to staying on top.

We talked to three industry insiders about what they see as being crucial in 2026…

Sherrif Karamat
President & CEO
PCMA & CEMA

As we head into 2026, the business events industry is navigating a landscape defined by geopolitical tensions, trade realignments, shifting economic blocs, AI’s rapid diffusion, workforce transformation, changes in healthcare systems, and evolving immigration and mobility policies. On the surface, this confluence of uncertainties might suggest caution. Yet, I am optimistic — because business events, especially in-person convening, are precisely where leaders come to solve the challenges of the day, form common ground and build trust. In a world of fractured information and algorithmic noise, business events remain one of society’s most reliable instruments for progress.

The Case for Optimism

1) Events are a problem‑solving engine

Complex challenges — supply chain resilience, climate adaptation, national security, digital trust and equitable growth — cannot be solved in isolation. In-person events provide structured environments where cross-sector stakeholders pressure-test ideas, align incentives and accelerate decisions. The proximity of diverse perspectives, coupled with the urgency of time-bound agendas, turns conferences and congresses into action platforms, not just stages.

2) Trust is the new currency — and events mint it

Trust is both scarce and invaluable in the age of social media polarization and AI-generated content. Face-to-face engagement elevates credibility through transparent dialogue, peer validation and accountability. In-person convenings create the psychological safety and social proof necessary to vet claims, expose weak assumptions and refine pathways. For sponsors and destinations, events are a vehicle for reputational capital built on the integrity of real human interaction.

3) The hybrid flywheel is mature

The industry has evolved beyond the false binary of “virtual vs. physical.” High-value in‑person moments are supported by digital touchpoints before and after the event — curated content, community forums, data-rich matchmaking and asynchronous learning. Hybrid strategies widen access while keeping the catalytic power of live convening intact, amplifying impact and ROI.

Navigating the Uncertainties

Geopolitics & Trade Realignment

Trade tensions and regional blocs will continue to reshape supply chains, regulations and market access. For organizers, this means scenario planning for travel friction, export controls and currency risk — and designing programs that address business continuity across multiple regulatory frameworks. Events should center practical sessions on resilience: near-shoring strategies, export compliance and cross-border data governance.

AI’s Diffusion Across Sectors

AI is now a horizontal capability, not a discrete sector trend. It will transform event operations (registration, personalization, content analytics), programming (expert systems, decision aids) and attendee experiences (real-time language interpretation, accessibility). But AI also raises questions about provenance, IP protection, bias and ethical deployment. In 2026, events must implement content authenticity measures (watermarking, disclosure frameworks) and convene cross-disciplinary conversations that move beyond hype to governance, safety and measurable outcomes.

Workforce Changes

Demographics, skills gaps, remote/hybrid preferences and a heightened emphasis on well-being are reshaping labor markets. The events sector should prioritize skills-based hiring, leverage apprenticeship tracks and build credentialing into event design. Flexible format choices — immersive sprints, job fairs, micro‑learning labs — will help align talent with industry demand while supporting inclusion and accessibility.

Healthcare System Shifts

Healthcare reform and biotechnological advancements will influence travel policies, insurance and duty-of-care standards. Organizers need strong health risk management plans, improved onsite medical support and clear protocols for data privacy in health screenings. For destinations, aligning public health capabilities with event requirements will be a differentiator in winning bids.

Immigration & Mobility Policies

Visa processing volatility and border controls will require earlier planning and stronger advocacy. Events should work closely with destinations and government agencies to develop fast-track frameworks for delegates, transparent documentation guides and contingency plans for hybrid participation. Clear mobility support is now part of the value proposition.

Economic Uncertainty

Capital markets may be uneven, but decision-makers still need to meet. Event demand is remarkably resilient when programs are tied to outcome-oriented agendas and measurable ROI. Dynamic pricing, modular sponsorships and evidence-based performance metrics (pipeline influence, partnerships forged, policy commitments) will help chiefs of finance justify spend.

What Will Win in 2026

1) Outcome‑led design

Build agendas around decisions, not just discussions. Define “commitment moments” — memoranda of understanding, pilots, joint statements — and track follow-through. Events that produce tangible progress will command premium attention and budget.

2) Trust architecture and content integrity

Implement transparent speaker sourcing, disclose affiliations, adopt AI content disclosures and use verification tools for presentations. Consider independent editorial boards or ethics councils to safeguard content quality. In a noisy world, credibility is your moat.

3) Data‑enabled personalization
(with privacy built in)

Use attendee intent signals (role, goals, interests) to curate sessions, matchmaking and exhibits — while honoring consent, minimal data collection and opt‑out controls. Personalization should never come at the expense of trust.

4) Community continuity

Extend the event into a year‑round community: pre‑event insight sprints, post‑event working groups, quarterly virtual checkpoints and shared resource hubs. This continuity transforms conferences into platforms where progress compounds over time.

5) Cross‑sector convening

Strategic alliances — between cities, industries and institutions — are essential to tackle systemic issues. Pair corporate leaders with policymakers, researchers, startups, and civil society. The most enduring solutions emerge at the intersections.

6) Destination alignment with
government priorities

Destinations that can demonstrate fit with national or regional development goals — innovation clusters, health corridors, sustainability commitments — will attract more mission‑critical events. When event objectives intersect with public policy, impact accelerates.

7) Security, safety & accessibility as differentiators

Invest in visible, respectful security; modern accessibility standards; multilingual support and inclusive design. These are not back‑office functions — they are strategic enablers of participation and trust.

The Human Imperative

In-person events remind us that progress is a social act. They convert abstract intent into practical collaboration and shared responsibility. As AI reshapes the information ecosystem, people will increasingly seek experiences where ideas are interrogated in public, where collective expertise is visible and where commitments are witnessed. This is the unique power of convening: it creates accountability and a sense of common purpose.

If 2025 challenged our assumptions, 2026 will reward our ability to convene wisely — curating diverse voices, designing for outcomes, embedding trust safeguards and aligning with societal priorities. The business events industry was built for this moment. Not because uncertainty is absent, but because we know how to turn uncertainty into momentum.

Conclusion: Optimism with Intent

My outlook for 2026 is confident: business events will continue to be the laboratories of solutions and the marketplaces of trust. With disciplined design, ethical use of technology and strategic alignment to public priorities, we can help leaders navigate complexity and deliver real-world results. The mandate is clear: convene with intent, measure what matters and make trust our competitive advantage.

—

Don Welsh
President & CEO
Destinations International

As I approach my 10th year as President and CEO of Destinations International (DI), I often reflect on how dramatically our industry has changed and how the lessons of the past decade are shaping the opportunities ahead. My career before DI, from leading major destination organizations to working within the hospitality sector, taught me early on that success in this business depends on people working together with intention. But nothing reinforced that truth more than the events of the past several years.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought travel to a standstill, destination organizations around the world found themselves in the middle of an unimaginable crisis. Yet, what impressed me then, and still does today, is how quickly our members stepped forward to support their communities. They worked side-by-side with local leaders, kept small businesses engaged and open for business, communicated with residents and prepared their destinations for a recovery none of us could fully see at the time. For DI, this moment underscored the true power of the association: our members relied on one another, shared strategies, exchanged data and built confidence amid global uncertainty. Those relationships strengthened our entire community and helped define the role destination organizations would play in the years to come.

As we head into 2026, we carry those lessons with us. And while the most acute phase of the pandemic is behind us, the environment destination professionals and planners alike face today remains complex. Economic headwinds, political volatility, workforce pressures and rapid changes in travel behavior are shaping decisions every day. We see companies approaching the coming year with a mix of optimism and caution. Budgets are being scrutinized more closely. Attendees travel more intentionally. Leadership asks tougher questions about value, safety, reputation and return. And, against this backdrop, the expectations placed on corporate and incentive events continue to grow. We also have learned over the past few years that nothing replaces the value of in-person meetings designed and curated to benefit the attendees; they cannot be replicated virtually. I believe this has become another positive outgrowth under different circumstances that have benefited our members and elevated the value of their services to the planner community.

A decade ago, the industry already was beginning to realize that its future depended not just on promoting destinations, but on developing them. Today, that evolution is in full view. Our latest “DestinationNEXT Futures Study,” developed in conjunction with MMGY NextFactor and the DI Foundation this year, shows that an overwhelming share of destination organizations are now directly involved in destination development. They are shaping mobility plans, collaborating on safety initiatives, supporting workforce pathways, advocating for the industry and ensuring the visitor economy contributes meaningfully to local quality of life. That shift places destination organizations in a uniquely valuable position for planners designing programs in 2026.

Corporate and incentive meetings are no longer simply gatherings with an agenda; they are strategic tools. They exist to strengthen culture, foster innovation, recognize achievement, align teams and inspire momentum. They must demonstrate clear business value. And they must do so in an environment where perception and reality both play significant roles.

Our “DestinationNEXT Futures Study,” supported by the DI Foundation, reinforces just how central reputation has become. Public safety, political climate, community sentiment and the overall experience of attendees are at the forefront of decision-making. That reality is shaping how destinations prepare, communicate and partner with planners. It is also giving planners more data-driven insight into the dynamics that influence attendee confidence.

This change in the industry is encouraging. When I was fortunate to lead the destination organizations in Seattle, Indianapolis and Chicago, prior to DI, the most meaningful work happened when planners treated us not as vendors, but as collaborators and partners. Today, that kind of partnership has become foundational. Destinations are showing up with market intelligence, forecasting insights and community data that help planners build stronger internal business cases. They are leveraging tools developed by DI, from demand analytics to event impact modeling, to bring clarity to conversations that once relied on assumptions. They are aligning city leaders, venues and service partners around shared goals, and they are ready to help planners articulate the broader value of their meetings to executives and boards who increasingly want to understand not just cost, but impact.

This is especially important as we move into what many call the “mega-event decade.” The United States will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games soon after. These events will reshape infrastructure, mobility systems, digital capacity, community engagement and global perception. While the headlines will focus on the sports themselves, the ripple effects will extend across the business events landscape. Corporate and incentive planners will benefit from improved transportation networks, upgraded facilities, new districts coming online and cities more prepared than ever to host the world. At the same time, these mega-events will create compression in key markets, requiring earlier engagement and more strategic planning. Destination organizations are already modeling these impacts and are prepared to guide planners through what will be a dynamic environment.

Another reason I’m energized about 2026 is the global strength of the DI community. When I stepped into this role a decade ago, DI was primarily a North American association. Today, we represent more than 750 destinations across more than 35 countries. Our growth in Europe has been particularly strong, with destinations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and beyond joining the association and actively engaging with DI’s research, tools and professional standards. And we are proud to be working with the Saudi Tourism Authority as they rapidly introduce new destination organizations throughout their country. This global expansion means planners can expect greater consistency in the way destinations collaborate, communicate and support strategy across the world. It also means the industry is learning at a faster pace, with best practices flowing across continents rather than remaining siloed.

Taken together, these trends tell me that 2026 will not be a year defined by challenges, but by possibility. We will still feel the weight of economic and political uncertainty. Companies will continue to push for clarity and value. Attendees will continue to seek meaningful experiences. But destination organizations are ready to meet those expectations. They are more strategic, better equipped and more deeply connected to their communities than ever before. And planners who engage early and collaboratively with their destination partners will be positioned to deliver experiences that not only meet the moment but elevate it.

As we move into 2026 together, I encourage planners to lean into these partnerships and ask the kinds of questions that lead to great events: What insights can you share that will build confidence with our stakeholders? How can your forecasting help us make smarter decisions? How can this event contribute positively to your community as well as ours? What can we achieve together that neither of us could accomplish alone?

Those are the conversations that define meaningful collaboration. And after 10 years leading this association and a lifetime in this industry, I can say confidently that this is where our future lies. The most successful events in 2026 will be the ones built on shared purpose, insight and commitment.

Because great meetings are not defined by the size of the convention center or the number of hotel rooms within a mile radius. They are defined by vision, by trust and by the willingness to think bigger. That spirit carried us through the most challenging period in our industry’s history. It will carry us into a brighter, more strategic, more collaborative and more successful future in 2026 and beyond.

—

Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE
President & CEO
ASAE

As the professional home for association leaders, ASAE has a front-row seat to how meetings are evolving – and why they still matter so deeply.

Across sectors, disciplines and geographies, one theme continues to surface in conversations with members: meetings remain one of the most powerful ways associations deliver value, build community and advance their missions. At the same time, they are becoming more complex to plan and more intentional to justify.

Looking ahead to 2026, the outlook for association meetings is not defined by a single format or trend. Instead, it’s shaped by a collective recalibration: one that places purpose, relevance and humanity at the center of the meeting experience.

In-Person Is Irreplaceable, But It Has to Earn Its Place

From ASAE’s vantage point, the desire to gather in person is strong. Association leaders consistently tell us that face-to-face engagement remains irreplaceable for building trust, facilitating peer learning and creating a sense of belonging.

At the same time, in-person attendance is no longer assumed. Members are making more deliberate choices about travel and time away from work. They want clarity about the value a meeting will deliver, and they want experiences that feel thoughtfully designed rather than reflexively repeated.

As a result, associations are streamlining agendas, sharpening learning objectives and creating more space for meaningful interaction. The most successful meetings in 2026 will be those that feel purposeful, human and worth the investment.

Hybrid Has Become a Strategic Choice

Hybrid meetings are now a permanent part of the association meetings landscape – but they are being used more selectively and more strategically.

What ASAE is seeing across the community is a shift away from “hybrid everything” toward more intentional design. Certain sessions and experiences are clearly best in person. Others lend themselves well to digital formats that extend reach and accessibility.

Members’ expectations for technology have matured as well. They want quality, interactivity and flexibility – not just access. Associations that focus on fewer, higher-quality digital touchpoints are seeing stronger engagement and better outcomes.

Cost Pressures Are Reshaping Meeting Models

Rising costs continue to be a major concern for association leaders. From labor and audiovisual services to food and security, meetings are more expensive to produce – and members are feeling cost pressures, too.

In response, associations are exploring new approaches: shorter meetings, tiered pricing, more flexible registration policies and sponsorship models that emphasize year-round value rather than one-time exposure. Site selection has also become more strategic, with many organizations considering secondary destinations that offer strong infrastructure and better value.

From ASAE’s perspective, these shifts aren’t about doing less – they’re about doing things differently, with sustainability and member value at the center.

Meetings as Community Anchors

One of the most important insights ASAE hears from members is that meetings are about more than content. They are about connection.

For leaders navigating hybrid work environments, economic pressure and rapid change, association meetings often serve as anchors – places where people feel understood, supported and part of something larger than themselves.

That’s why meetings in 2026 are placing greater emphasis on inclusion, belonging and well-being. Thoughtful programming, diverse voices, clear codes of conduct and space for informal connection all contribute to experiences people want to return to. Wellness and balance are no longer secondary considerations; they’re part of delivering value.

Technology and AI: Tools, Not Replacements

Artificial intelligence is beginning to play a more practical role in how meetings are planned and experienced. Associations are using data and AI tools to better understand attendee preferences, personalize communications and improve engagement.

At ASAE, we also hear clear expectations around trust and transparency. Members want to know how their data is being used and expect associations to lead responsibly. The most effective uses of technology are those that support human connection, not replace it.

Navigating an Uncertain World Together

Global uncertainty remains part of the meetings landscape. Visa challenges, geopolitical tensions, public safety considerations and climate-related disruptions all influence planning, especially for international events.

Associations are responding by building flexibility into contracts, strengthening relationships with destination partners and communicating more openly with attendees.

In many ways, this reinforces the role associations play as trusted conveners who can adapt, lead and bring people together – even amid uncertainty.

Looking Ahead: Start With Purpose

If there’s one message ASAE consistently shares with association leaders, it’s this: start with purpose.

The meetings that will succeed in 2026 are not trying to be everything to everyone. They are clear about who they serve, what outcomes matter most, and why gathering – whether in person, online or both – truly matters.

Designed with intention and aligned with mission, meetings remain one of the most powerful tools associations have to advance their fields and strengthen their communities.

At ASAE, we look forward to continuing to support leaders as they reimagine meetings that are not only relevant, but deeply meaningful for 2026 and beyond. | AC&F |