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When President Trump proclaimed that April 2, 2025, would be “Liberation Day,” calling it “one of the most important days in history,” he boasted that it would boost domestic production, create American jobs and bring prices down.

He unveiled a two-tier tariff structure, with a baseline 10% universal tariff applied to imports from all countries except Canada and Mexico, and additional country-specific “reciprocal” tariffs, based on the administration’s assertion of unfair trade practices by 60 nations. This was on top of a 25% tariff the president placed on Canadian and Mexican goods (with some exemptions) and a 145% tariff on China.

Now, we’re in a global trade war with no end in sight. It’s predicted that everything from electronics to automobiles to clothing and food will be affected, and not in good ways.

So, how will all this affect the event planning industry?

Michael Taylor is vice president of sales and marketing at CPG Agency, a corporate event and engagement agency in St. Louis, MO. He’s been with the company for 15 years in various roles, but currently he supports high-level strategy for large-scale, enterprise Fortune 500 brand events. Right now, he says, he’s not sure anyone in the industry has the answers because it’s been such a fluid situation. While he says that, for the most part, domestic events shouldn’t see much of a difference in the near future since so many of the vendors and resources are here in the U.S., international events might start to see an impact on top of labor visas and value-added taxes that are already paid.

“Planners should plan to use as many local resources as possible when going internationally,” Taylor says. While he notes that there’s no real way to verify if a supplier is subject to tariffs, there are resources that can help, like the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance Tariff Resource Center, which can be found online.

“Promotional materials will likely be the most impacted in the near term since so much of that comes from China,” Taylor says. “But again, there’s a lot of inventory here in the U.S., but I suspect our suppliers will look elsewhere, but still be subject to potential tariffs.”

According to event producer Kevin White, founder and chief strategist for XPL Experiential Design & Event Production, the tricky part is that nobody has any idea how to predict the length of time these tariffs will be in effect. “This administration is very transactional,” he says. “It’d be very simple to say — if the tariffs were permanent — we know exactly what the impact is going to be. But since they’re all over the place, the unpredictable nature of the longevity of the tariffs means suppliers are going to start adding an uncertainty quotient to their proposals. You’re going to see people hedging bets and [adding] an additional 20% on top of what was already there.”

Event Materials and Services

Tariffs on imports — specifically from countries like China, Canada and Mexico — are already increasing prices for event materials including aluminum, copper and textiles, which are commonly used for staging, signage and promotional items. These added costs are forcing planners to either absorb the expenses or pass them on to clients, which, as White points out, could potentially reduce budgets and profitability.

“[For] someone like myself, who is dealing in planning, the impacts of tariffs are going to be very small on what I provide, which is my knowledge base,” White says. “You’re going to have places like a venue, which probably have a supply chain across the board, impacted by that.”

White goes on to say that everything from flowers, wine and cleaning products to linens, food, swag and AV equipment are going to be impacted. Large hotel chains will be affected.

“If you’re a traditional hotel, the more traditional you are, the more problems you’re going to have,” he adds.

Disruption in Supply Chains

While tariffs will have a direct effect on the price of goods, they can also lead to shipping delays due to increased customs inspections and additional paperwork, which is especially problematic in an industry where timing is critical.

In cases where tariffs trigger retaliatory measures from other countries — as has been seen — export-related event services, for gatherings such as international trade shows or destination events, might also suffer, due to either reduced demand or increased difficulty in transporting goods across borders. Ultimately, tariffs are forcing event planners to become even more strategic and flexible in their supply chain operations, balancing cost, reliability and timing in an increasingly complex trade environment.

Andrew Roby is president and CEO of Andrew Roby Events, an award-winning business event planning company in Washington, D.C., Dallas and Los Angeles. He explains that shipping companies have to decide if they want to pay the added fees or wait before items are shipped.

“In many cases, the docking fee or port fee is less than the cost of paying the higher tariffs, and shippers will run the risk of waiting to see if tariffs will go back to normal,” Roby says. “If ships decide to wait at the dock, this means your equipment will arrive later than expected. The same can apply to air freight. The result of this means port congestion, as customs now have a higher quantity of packages to check, both at the port of origin and the destination. They may not increase labor to account for the larger-than-expected volume of packages each day.”

The result is that planners can expect delays in acquiring imported equipment, décor and merchandise, as well as canceled or postponed shipments, which could impact event timelines.

“The industry is still understanding their [tariffs’] full impact,” says Meredith Shottes, chief experience officer at Miller Tanner Associates in Lebanon, TN, where she leads client strategy and experience delivery across global events. “All cost implications will not hit at once. With continued market volatility, we are just beginning to see the impact of tariffs on events. However, we are preparing for increases in all meaningful event categories, like venue, transportation, décor, print and technology. At this moment, we are hearing of impact, but not yet seeing it in our costs. We are bracing for impact as we stay in very close contact with all of our vendor partners.”

Tariffs Will Affect Other Aspects of Event Planning

It’s not just the prices of goods and shipping that will be affected. President Trump’s tariffs will also make it harder and more expensive for multinational brands to execute marketing and branding campaigns across borders. This uncertainty and financial pressure could make companies more risk-averse in forming new partnerships, especially international collaborations. As a result, event organizers may need to adapt by seeking out sponsors with more domestically stable operations, or by offering more flexible partnership packages to accommodate tightened budgets.

Because of higher prices, to stay within budget, event planners may need to increase ticket prices, as well as offer fewer perks and more scaled-back experiences, which could result in events that are less accessible to budget-conscious attendees. Tariffs could not only impact the back-end logistics and cost structures of events but also ripple outward to shape consumer sentiment and expectations.

What Can Planners Do?

To prepare for the incoming impact, planners can do what they do best: plan ahead now for sudden tariff-related expenses.

“Flexibility starts with smart forecasting and strong vendor partner relationships,” Shottes says. “At MTA, we build in contingency reserves, but we also prioritize early quoting and frequent budget reviews. The key is to treat your budget like a living document, not a fixed spreadsheet. We encourage customers to embrace budget flexibility to allow underutilized budget lines to help ‘band-aid’ stretched areas. All that said, we are entering unknown territory and are being even more conservative in our quotes to ensure that we deliver at or under budget on every single experience.”

White says that internal planners should look at their year-long portfolio of events and decide which they can and cannot do. External planners, on the other hand, could be forced to make even tougher decisions.

“If you’re running a business and you have to keep your margins for your client, that then becomes much harder to do because you’re like: ‘I can’t cancel one of my clients. I can’t borrow from another client.’ So, you’re saying to yourself: ‘How do I do what I’m trying to do?’” White says. “This may hasten the use of AI. You might start seeing people chopped because you have to buy product. So instead of five people, there’s now two people doing the work.”

Roby says that when organizing events that have either import or export requirements, risk management is something that all planners should be factoring in by developing a likelihood assessment that offers various scenarios based on existing policies.

“Because tariffs are constantly changing, find where you can get historical data on tariffs both in your country and where you are hosting the event,” he adds. “This can give insight into how much tariffs may rise and what kind of added logistics is involved. Determine the impact customs play on your event and any added documentation you may now need to avoid unnecessary delays.”

Roby also recommends using multiple suppliers, rather than just one. Even if you do use a single supplier, see if that company knows of another one in the same category they’ve partnered with before, and lean on them in case problems arise.

“It is key that we remain transparent anytime a price changes and [clarify] why it has changed. The more information you offer to clients, the better they are at making decisions,” Roby says, adding that you should make sure you have insurance to account for potential losses due to delays or additional costs tariffs may bring.

“Imported goods from overseas will be affected by tariffs, but if you source locally, your goods will not be subject to them,” says Brad Lipshy, CEO of Event Solutions in Santa Monica, CA. “Here at Event Solutions, we always prioritize sourcing decor and materials locally due to our sustainability efforts. This can mitigate costs while also providing benefits through sustainability.”

However, Shottes says that President Trump’s tariffs could affect even local vendors.

“That’s the challenge — even if you’re sourcing locally, you can’t always see where each vendor partner is getting their components or materials,” Shottes says. “In our global economy, supply chains are interconnected. Cost increases can surface in unexpected places and without warning.”

Lipshy says that establishing relationships with vendors is crucial to any event planning company. If you don’t know where they source their materials, then simply ask them.

“Event Solutions works with vetted vendors with whom we have established great relationships for nearly 40 years,” he says. “This ensures a secure supply chain. Know that prices often fluctuate seasonally and with availability, so always give yourself a metric in the budget to accommodate.”

As for tech equipment, Event Solutions’ vendors bring it with them instead of renting it per event, which helps reduce costs for their clients.

When it comes to international events, Roby also encourages planners to reach out to local suppliers near the destination for the same items if needed. Even if there isn’t a supplier in the area, he suggests that planners consider other companies outside of the U.S. that can provide those items and quickly ship them to your destination.

“I also recommend that your contracts with your clients include clauses that account for issues with tariffs,” Roby adds. “While we have no control over tariffs and the ill effects they have on events, we equally should not be held accountable for when things are out of our control. You should always keep your clients informed about everything that is happening. This should include tracking numbers, so they see where the material is and the expected arrival dates and times.”

With so many potential changes to shipping, Roby advises expediting items and negotiating with the venue to see if they allow them to arrive earlier, then factoring these added fees into the budget.

With an uptick in demand, local vendors might increase prices, which could affect planners’ overall budget. Not knowing how long a trade war could last, planners must brace for economic chaos by planning ahead and staying flexible.

After all, as the old saying goes: The show must go on! C&IT