Future event planning requires reviewing historical data, choosing timeless content and embedding built-in flexibility.

Here’s a thought experiment: right now, somewhere in the country, an association meeting planner is negotiating a hotel contract for an event that won’t take place until 2029 or 2030. They’re guessing at attendance numbers that don’t exist yet, locking in food and beverage minimums against an inflation rate no economist can predict, and trying to make a venue feel excited about a relationship that won’t pay off for half a decade.

That planner is not unusual. For many associations, booking meetings three, four, even five years out is simply the reality of the job. The question isn’t whether to do it — it’s how to do it well.

Start With Your Audience

When asked what she evaluates first when planning several years out, Adrienne Tucker, senior meeting planner for the American Bar Association Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, in Chicago, IL, says “the audience.”

“The first thing we consider is the audience and their calendars,” she explains. “Our attendees include law school administrators — deans, associate deans and professors, among others, as well as attorneys, judges and public members; so scheduling meetings that work with their busy schedules is crucial. We plan around them, not the other way around.”

From there, geography enters the picture. Tucker’s team rotates between coasts intentionally so no one group is always bearing the burden of a long-haul flight. “We prioritize major hub cities where travel is straightforward for everyone,” she explains.

Nicole Regalado Souffront, events and communications manager at the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, in Washington D.C., echoes that emphasis on accessibility — particularly from a global perspective. “As an international organization, accessibility is one of our most important considerations when planning ahead,” she says. “We look closely at factors like proximity to major international airports, as well as how welcoming and accessible a destination feels for global attendees.”

She adds that cities with proven experience hosting global events can offer an added layer of confidence. “Cities that have hosted or are preparing to host large international events, like FIFA, often signal strong infrastructure and experience supporting diverse, global audiences,” she notes.

At the American Psychological Association (APA) in Washington D.C., Desirée Knight, CAE, CMP-F, DES, head of meetings and events, and Rebecca Murphy, CMP, CEM, DES, director of meetings and events, take a similarly holistic opening lens – but their criteria have broadened in recent years.

“Historically, logistical elements along with hotel packages, renovation timelines and space requirements were our primary focus,” Knight says. “In recent years, our priorities have expanded to include a more holistic evaluation of the destination.”

Souffront similarly points to the importance of the overall attendee experience beyond logistics. “We’re also paying closer attention to the local environment and overall attendee experience,” she says. “That includes how comfortable and supported international participants will feel in the destination, which can directly impact their ability and interest in attending.”

It’s a shift that reflects a broader transformation across association meeting planning: the decision-making framework has expanded well beyond square footage and room rates.

Negotiating Contracts for the Future

If long-range planning has a pressure point, it’s the contract negotiation. Locking in terms for an event years away means committing to numbers and conditions that may look very different by the time the event arrives. So how do veteran planners approach it?

Tucker has a clear framework: “We prioritize our meeting needs from the start. For us, that means meeting space, room rate, food and beverage minimums and audiovisual requirements. Those four elements drive the entire budget – and if even one is unpredictable, the whole plan becomes unstable.”

On the negotiation floor, she leans hard on data – particularly AV specs from prior meetings. “Our technical requirements are consistent year to year, which makes it easy to benchmark quotes and push back when something feels inflated. We’ve rarely had to walk away over AV, but having that data gives us credibility at the table.”

Murphy’s approach at the APA centers on positioning the organization as a strategic partner rather than a one-time buyer. “We leverage historical data and forward projections to position ourselves as a strategic partner, not just a client,” she says. “By sharing attendance trends, space utilization and program priorities, we enable venues to align their pricing, inventory and investment decisions with our long-term needs.”

She also puts muscle into how the RFP itself is structured, saying, “We define must-haves versus flex points, which allows us to protect critical requirements while maintaining agility as market conditions shift. Providing our contract templates early further reinforces alignment, accelerates negotiations and mitigates risk by surfacing potential issues upfront.”

And the landscape itself is creating new complications. Tucker notes that when she recently sourced for 2027, many hotels declined RFPs outright due to availability, or pushed back on her group’s Thursday through Saturday meeting pattern – a format that simply isn’t negotiable. Hotels are also now requesting deposits of 25-33% of estimated costs years in advance, a shift Tucker says is increasingly looking like the new normal. “Post-COVID, deposit requirements have shifted significantly,” she says. “What used to be rare now looks like it may become standard.”

Forecasting Attendance

No one has a crystal ball, but smart planners come pretty close – at least when it comes to estimating attendance and program needs years in advance. The secret? Historical data, combined with genuine committee collaboration.

“Historical data is our foundation,” Tucker says simply. “When you manage the same meetings over time, you develop a reliable baseline for attendance, engagement and room setup — and that consistency is invaluable.”

Souffront follows a similar approach, combining historical insight with awareness of external factors. “Past registration patterns and participation data give me a strong baseline, and I then factor in external conditions that may influence capacity to attend,” she explains.

At the APA, Knight describes a similar methodology, layering in survey data and registration trend analysis to segment audiences and understand which groups are most likely to show up. But she also makes a point that often gets overlooked: flexibility has to be baked into the plan from day one. “We build in flexibility through scalable budgets, adjustable staffing plans, contingency space and regular review points in partnership with city and CVB partners.”

Souffront agrees, emphasizing adaptability in program design. “To stay flexible, we build programs that can scale, whether that’s adjusting session volume, room usage or hybrid participation — and track registration trends closely so we can pivot as needed,” she says.

One of Tucker’s more counterintuitive lessons from years of post-meeting survey data? Less is sometimes more when it comes to programming. “What our surveys tell us is that attendees value unstructured time to connect. They’re making their own dinner reservations, hosting alumni for outreach and planning evenings with sponsors. When you over-schedule, you risk working against that,” she says. Sometimes, she says, the best thing a planner can do is step back and give attendees room to connect on their own terms.

Managing Budgets

With inflation having reshaped cost expectations across every line item in the past several years, long-range budgeting has become more art than science – although the best planners are doing everything possible to lean toward the scientific side.

For Tucker, signing contracts one to two years out is itself a budgeting strategy. “Locking in rates early gives us a degree of cost certainty that’s hard to achieve any other way,” she explains. “And because we consistently track AV usage and costs, we are able to quickly identify when pricing is out of line and negotiate accordingly. That discipline is what protects you against cost creep over time.”

Knight advocates for building explicit inflation buffers into every multi-year projection. “When forecasting several years out, we build in a 5-10% increase to account for cost fluctuations and ensure financial flexibility,” she says. But she’s equally emphatic that numbers alone aren’t enough. “Maintaining open lines of communication with partners is essential – because being transparent helps us manage risk and make informed decisions that protect both our budgets and our relationships.”

Tucker has also found that the relationship dynamic with hotels matters enormously on the cost side. “Booking a couple of years out has consistently worked in our favor, and signing multiple meetings with the same property gives us meaningful leverage. Hotels value repeat business, which strengthens our negotiating position,” she says.

Technology: Plan for Flexibility

Anyone who’s been planning meetings for more than a decade has watched entire categories of technology rise and fall. Booking meetings five years out means committing to AV and digital infrastructure before anyone knows what the next generation of tools will look like. So how do you future-proof something inherently unpredictable?

Tucker says it’s vital to document your requirements, keep them consistent and use that consistency as leverage. “Because our technical needs don’t shift dramatically year to year, we have a clear picture of what we need and what it should cost. That puts us in a much stronger position when negotiating with hotels and vendors – we’re not guessing, we’re benchmarking,” she says.

She’s also found value in locking in AV pricing during the hotel negotiation phase itself. “When an AV provider agrees to it, we can lock in current equipment pricing for future meetings, with the understanding that state taxes may increase – which is something we have no control over. That kind of forward planning offers real budget protection,” she says.

Murphy takes a principles-based approach to technology at APA: focus on flexibility and scalability rather than specific platforms. “We are intentional about adopting technologies that are adaptable and enhance the attendee experience long-term,” she says.

Souffront reinforces that same mindset, particularly for smaller teams. “I focus on staying flexible rather than trying to predict exactly what will change,” she says. “Strong vendor partnerships like Cvent are really important – they help keep our tools current while I stay aware of trends and what’s working across the field.” She also emphasizes the importance of feedback loops.

Destination as an Experience

The question of where to meet might seem like it should come down purely to logistics. But industry experts are clear: destination experience is a meaningful driver of attendance and engagement, and it has to be factored into long-range planning deliberately.

Tucker has watched this dynamic play out in real time with one of her recurring meetings, where attendee surveys revealed a genuine split between Rosemont (convenient, close to O’Hare, strong amenities) and downtown Chicago (a true destination experience that inspires longer stays and family trips). Her team built that flexibility directly into their rotation. “When we meet in a destination people are excited about, attendance goes up and stays grow longer,” she says. “That kind of enthusiasm has a real effect on engagement during the meeting itself.”

Murphy frames destination appeal as a long-term investment question, not just an immediate crowd-pleaser. The APA team now assesses what she calls “destination readiness” – looking at planned investments in convention centers, hotel inventory and broader city infrastructure to ensure a market will remain competitive and aligned with their needs years down the road.

Trends to Build Into Your Plans

So what should planners who are booking 2028 or 2029 right now actually be thinking about? All three professionals pointed to a handful of converging forces.

The first is the rising bar for relevance. According to Tucker, “the expectation that a meeting must deliver real, tangible value is stronger than ever. Content alone isn’t enough anymore. Connection is equally the draw.” She points to Hilton’s 2026 trends report, which found that 84% of attendees value bringing their authentic selves to work events, and that nearly half cite meeting new people and bonding with colleagues as their primary reason for attending. That, she says, tracks directly with her own post-meeting survey data.

Souffront sees that same shift intensifying in the years ahead. “In an increasingly digital and fast-paced world, attendees are craving genuine connection and community more than ever,” she says. “Strong content will always be the foundation of a conference, but what will continue to draw attendees back is a planner’s ability to create spaces where connection feels natural and comfortable.”

Attendee wellness is another area Tucker believes planners need to weave into event design – and she’s quick to note it doesn’t have to be expensive. “Sometimes, it’s as simple as having a quiet room nearby where attendees can step out to take a call or respond to emails,” she says. The goal is making wellness feel like a natural part of the experience rather than an add-on.

Souffront expands on that idea of intentional design, noting that meaningful engagement requires thoughtful environments. “That means designing environments where people can engage without it feeling forced or awkward, and where there are opportunities to recharge and connect meaningfully with others in their field,” she says.

Murphy sees the future of engagement architecture as perhaps the most fundamental shift planners need to prepare for. “Attendees increasingly expect content that is personalized, interactive and flexible in how it is consumed,” she explains. Static agendas are giving way to experiences that blend live interaction, peer-to-peer learning and experiential elements. And networking, she notes, is evolving too. “Expectations are shifting toward more intentional, curated and meaningful interactions rather than large-scale passive networking.”

And then there’s AI. Tucker sees it already transforming how planners work behind the scenes –streamlining logistics, personalizing experiences, freeing up time for higher-order thinking. But her advice is to embrace it thoughtfully. “Planners who embrace it without losing sight of the human experience at the center of every meeting will be better positioned three to five years from now.”

The Planner’s Advantage

Long-range meeting planning will never be without uncertainty. Markets shift, organizations evolve and no one can fully predict what the world will look like in five years. But the association planners who do it best aren’t trying to eliminate uncertainty – they’re building structures that can absorb it.

That means grounding every decision in historical data, negotiating with leverage and documentation, designing programs with built-in flexibility and staying genuinely attuned to what attendees actually value – not just what they say in the moment, but what keeps bringing them back year after year.

“Our audience values consistency and thoughtfulness,” Tucker says. “What they want three years from now is probably not radically different from what they want today: convenience, good service and destinations that make the trip feel worthwhile.” | AC&F |