This report captures the trends and vision of 250 meeting planners worldwide, on the meeting environments they seek from conference and meeting venues. Conference spaces, technology and food and beverage trends. Food waste, conference centers, hotels and training courses.
OFFICIAL REPORT PARTNERS
IACC Meeting Room of the Future Barometer Insight from over 250 Meeting Planners and the Leading Hotel and Conference Venue Operators in the World
June 2023 / iaconline.org
RESEARCH PARTNER DEVELOPMENT COUNSELLORS INTERNATIONAL
Report Volunteers
Alan Corlett, De Vere Hotels, UK Robyn Domber, Development Counsellors International (DCI) Ciaran Keenan, Development Counsellors International (DCI) Nick Hoare, etc.venues, UK & US
Joe Santo, Encore, Global Kristin Finley, Verisk, US Rik Hüsken, Kapellerput, Netherlands
Mariela McIlwrath, Events Industry Council, Global Ellen Sinclair, Pyramid Global Hospitality, Global Jessie States, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Global Tracy Stuckrath, thrive! Meetings and Events, US Mike van der Vijver, MindMeeting, Global David Parker, Royal College of Physicians, UK Vanessa Green, Cliftons, Australia & Asia Kimberly Corbets, Sodexo Live!, US Benjamin Abittan, Chateauform’, Europe Nancy Lindemer, Hyatt Hotels, US Simon McMahon, Wyboston Resort, UK
Report Partners 2023
Development Counsellors International Pyramid Global Hospitality Encore Flik Hospitality Group & Rapport (two logos) Aramark Destinations
MPI EIC
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Report Contents
03 05 08 12 16 18 21 22 23 25 26 29 31 35 39
Introduction & Research Scope
Fulfilling Meeting Objectives
Physical Meeting Spaces and Design
Post-Pandemic Priorities
The Influence of the Younger Generations
Technology
The Future of Hybrid
Venue Inspections
Major Brands vs. Independents Venues
Cyber Security
Ethical and Sustainable Venue Sourcing
Planners Seek to Outsource Key Elements
Food and Beverage
The Meeting Room of the Future
Conclusions
OFFICIAL REPORT PARTNERS
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Introduction & Research Scope Since 2016, the “Meeting Room of the Future” has brought together insights from meeting planners, IACC members and industry experts from around the globe. Conducted by IACC and Development Counsellors International, this research provides first-hand insight from meeting planners into their experiences of the industry over the past three turbulent years and the priorities in their destination and venue selection process moving forward. This report builds on previous surveys of meeting planners from 2017 and 2019 and explores new topics that have emerged in importance. It also highlights some notable differences across global regions.
Some of the key insights of this report include:
• The central importance of “experience” creation in today’s meetings. With many people working remotely, attendees are seeking human connection, meaningful travel, and authentic local experiences. • As part of this emphasis on the “experience”, many planners are looking for “creative” spaces that offer memorable alternatives to traditional conference venues and lecture theatres. Events must be worth making the trip in-person as opposed to attending virtually. • Flexibility of venues in terms of tailoring spaces to events, adapting to F&B requests, and contracts is a top priority for many meeting planners. • Technology is projected to rapidly evolve in the upcoming years adapting to changing demands, including upgrading hybrid capabilities, offering live interaction between audiences and speakers, and upgrading AV offerings. • Physical spaces and design of spaces are important to planners. A lasting impact of the pandemic, planners are looking for larger spaces for attendees to spread out and access to outdoor spaces.
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• Major branded venues are generally seen as providing better technology options, while smaller and independent venues are associated with greater flexibility and creativity. • Sustainability is projected to rise in importance in the venue selection process, particularly in regions outside the Americas. We received feedback from 275 meeting planners worldwide, representing Africa, the Australia-Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Americas. While respondents work on events of varying sizes, the sample weighted more planners of smaller meetings and conferences. 86% of meeting planner surveyed work on events with groups of less than 100 delegates, 68% on groups of 100 to 200 delegates, and 49% work on groups of more than 200 delegates. This report provides insights from a huge wealth of industry experience, split into almost equal thirds of respondents with up to 10 years’ experience, with 11 to 20 years’ experience, and with more than 20 years’ experience. They also represent a variety of sectors of the meeting industry: 42% work primarily in corporate events, 27% in association/non-profit, 9% in academia, and the balance in other sectors including third-party planning, professional congress planners (PCOs) and governments.
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Fulfilling Meeting Objectives By all measures, the global meetings industry is projected to continue its path towards full recovery. MPI’s Meetings Outlook Spring 2023 found that four in five meeting and event professionals expect favourable business conditions over the next year. Northstar’s and Cvent’s Meetings Industry Pulse Survey from April 2023 found optimism among planners remains high. Many are still experiencing a backlog in rescheduled pre-pandemic events and there is currently high demand and competition for available venues. According to MPI’s Q2 2023 Meetings Outlook research, more than 80% of meeting professional project positive business conditions in the next 12 months and nearly 85% predict increasing attendance in that same timeframe. Now is certainly a dynamic time for meeting planners and venues alike. So, what are planners prioritising in the venues they are considering? We asked meeting planners the most important elements of events as they relate to their value in supporting their meeting objectives. Consistent with findings from 2019, the educational content of a meeting and the opportunity to connect and network with peers are the two greatest priorities. Interestingly, the physical characteristics of the venue and access to local authentic experiences rose in importance, up to third and fourth place from fourth and sixth respectively. This points to a recurring theme throughout this report – experience creation is key.
“We are seeing an increasing need for more bespoke meeting experiences,
capturing local and cultural nuisances”. —Neil Gardener, Division President of Flik Hospitality Group who operates a portfolio of conference hotels and venues
According to MPI’s VP of Education Jessie States, the advent of digital technology accelerated several monumental industry shifts, including a change in the reasons why organizations bring people together in-person, and the elements that compel people’s desire to attend.
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“The value proposition for in-person meetings has seen a seismic shift. If stakeholders and participants can accomplish goals and objectives in digital environments, they should. That means the very purpose of coming together has changed. In-person events use engagement to solve problems, strengthen relationships, evolve thinking, apply learning and drive change, all in measurable and meaningful ways. By its very nature, an in-person event should be very hard if not impossible to replicate in a digital environment.” A U.S.-based meeting planner believes this is due to more “people working remotely and wanting to create connections.” With this dramatic shift in working practices, human connection and meaningful travel are more important than ever. Post-pandemic, attendees are seeking unforgettable experiences in venues and destinations with the “wow factor”.
Figure 1: Most important aspects of meetings in support of meeting objectives
65%
Education / Content / Topics
Networking with colleagues from attending the same event Destination value and access to local authentic experiences Venue physical characteristics
52%
36%
34%
30% 30%
Networking with delegates from other events in the same venue Others Business connections Technology that fosters collaboration and connection with delegates Social or team development activities
28%
17%
7%
2%
“The lower demand for technologies that foster collaboration may be explained by a desire to foster highly personal interactions after a period of conference call based polls and Q&A sessions. When we are in the room together, this is possible.” —Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC
These priorities are mostly consistent for planners worldwide, with the education/ content/topic of an event the top priority in all regions.
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However, there are some notable differences across the global regions. For planners in Africa, offering authentic local experiences is equally as important as the content of the meeting. In the Australia-Asia-Pacific region, having technology that fosters collaboration and connection is particularly important. The venue’s food and beverage offering is also particularly important in Australia-Asia Pacific, as well as in European destinations.
Figure 2: Most important aspects of meetings in support of meeting objectives by region
The Americas
Europe
Africa
With planners clear on the priorities and objectives of their meetings, how can venues position themselves to meet the demands of the industry in 2023 and the future?
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Physical Meeting Spaces and Design The continued need for more creative experiences is seeing a “shake up” of the types of venues being selected for meetings and conferences. Respondents were asked what percentage of their events take place in venues with unique features or settings. While many of the respondents’ events continue to take place in traditional venues such as hotels and conference venues, we are seeing growth in the percentage of meetings in alternative venues such as urban day venues and specialist event venues such as sports stadia, museums, and vineyards. The share of events held at hotels continues to show a downward trend, from 62 percent in 2017, to 47 percent in 2019, to 43 percent in 2023.
Figure 3: Most used venue types
A third of respondents said they are likely to book at both residential (i.e. with accommodation attached, such as hotel) and non-residential venues by equal measure. 45 percent said they mainly book non-residential venues while 22% mainly book residential. When asked to select the most important meeting venue elements for the events they plan today, location and access came out on top, followed by the flexibility of meeting spaces to be tailored to their event. These “must haves” are consistent with findings from 2019. A venue’s food and beverage offering replaces its access to interactive technology as third most important.
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Figure 4: Most important venue elements
“One of the biggest changes we have experienced over the last three years,
across Cliftons entire network of venues and event services in Asia Pacific, is increased demand for interactive audio-visual technologies and expertise. Demand for onsite AV, broadcast solutions, technical and audience participation tools along with associated
support and services has increased by more than 60% since 2019. The ongoing demand for virtual collaboration and connectivity tools as well as hybrid multi location events connecting participants, presenters and audiences across multiple locations may be more common in Asia Pacific due to the distances involved in travelling across or to the region.” —Vanessa Green, CEO of Cliftons Venues
As was seen in 2017 and 2019, there is agreement that meeting venue environments strongly impact how delegates interact, learn and communicate, resulting in increased productivity.
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Figure 5: How venue elements influence the delegate experience (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree)
This year’s report shows that the “must have” physical elements of meeting venues have largely remained the same over time. Those elements deemed most critical to the success of meetings include the availability of high-quality broadband, good meeting room acoustics, and effective meeting room lighting. Acoustics continue to grow in importance, from 8.6 in 2017, to 8.7 in 2019, to 8.9 in 2023, leapfrogging lighting as the second highest priority. As meeting planners work hard to create engaging experiences, networking space and flexible layouts have maintained their importance. Respondents from Europe place greater importance (8.6) on a venue’s ethical operations and sustainable practices than those from the Americas (7.2).
Figure 6: Importance of the facilities or services offered by venues (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree)
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The preferred meeting room types of respondents are similar to pre-pandemic. Flexible layouts that can be tailored to the specific event remain very important. Lounge settings at events promote what Steelcase calls “The Linger Effect”: Long after the planned event concludes, we observe attendees remaining in these comfortable environments — continuing intriguing discussions, sharing information, and having meaningful conversations. This serves as a confirmation that attendees experience a positive emotional connection in the space. As we see acoustics growing as a top priority, meeting planners are less likely to sacrifice acoustical qualities for a room’s design features. Similarly, natural light is becoming increasingly important for meetings venues, with planners less likely to consider spaces without natural light than in 2019.
Figure 7: Likelihood of holding meetings by room types (1=extremely unlikely, 10=extremely likely)
2019
2023
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Post-Pandemic Priorities The pandemic has transformed the ways in which we work and travel, and attendees are now seeking more from their meetings and conferences. Many planners are looking to move away from traditional conference rooms and lecture theatres to offer more meaningful and creative travel opportunities. Four out of five respondents agree that “experience creation” is now of greater importance in their meetings and conferences than it was before the pandemic. The Australia- Asia-Pacific and Europe regions recorded the highest levels of agreement with this statement at 90%. 80% of meeting planners agree that their current role in planning meetings involves MORE “experience creation” for delegates compared to pre-pandemic. A corporate event planner from Mexico feels events are more “inclusive and immersive. We believe people are tired of the same square-boring-rooms. We want to create spaces where all the people are part of the activities not just spectators sitting in the chair.” A US-based association/non-profit planner says they “need more creative and engaging space. No more standard sets... We need to work collaboratively with our venue partners.”
Events need to be more experiential and connected
to local culture.” —Courtney Stanley, CEO of Courtney Stanley Consulting
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When asked how the pandemic has affected the event spaces they are looking for, meeting planners highlighted several new areas of priorities that are likely to remain in the long-term. These related to the need for more space, access to the outdoors and natural lighting, and the rise of hybrid events and evolving technology. How are the meeting spaces that planners are looking for today different from pre- pandemic?
1. More space
2. Outdoors
3. Flexible
4. Hybrid
5. Evolved technology
With the need for social distancing during the pandemic, it makes sense that planners were seeking larger spaces. However, with the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, it seems this trend is likely to continue moving forward. When asked how the meeting spaces they are looking for today differ from pre- pandemic, a US-based planner of association and non-profit events says they are “Bigger and airier! We’re vaxxed and all (or, at least, we make explicit policies requesting vaccination or masking), but it doesn’t change the past three years where we got used to having a little extra space. Psychologically, it helps with the tension.” Another US-based planner of corporate events says they “are seeking spaces that are larger in order to spread out more and allow more unique or flexible sets rather than standard classroom, theatre, or banquet traditional room set ups.”
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Another legacy of the pandemic, many planners indicate they are prioritising venues with access to outdoor spaces more than previously. Outdoor spaces such as terraces, gardens or open walls are in high demand, as are venues located in, or well connected to, nature. Indoors, respondents indicate they are seeking “airy”, well-ventilated spaces with natural lighting.
The need for greater flexibility was another top post-pandemic priority. This speaks to flexibility not only in terms of contracts and changes to events, but also flexibility of the spaces themselves. To be able to offer the creativity and experiences that are of greater importance post-pandemic, venues that allow greater flexibility in how their spaces are used and can be transformed offer more value for planners. Planners point to the “need to have more flow and be less rigid in their setup” or the “ability to convert social spacing if necessary”. Examples given of such flexibility include providing a “flex working space”, “options for (attendees) to move between spaces instead of sitting in the same room all day”, or “using a general space to hold breakout sessions.” Chateauform’ who operate over 60 exclusive meeting and conference hotels across Europe, recently installed an outdoor floating space at their venue, where they have held meetings literally in the air.
Our IACC venues are absolutely seeing more requests for flexible space, including outdoor space and terraces and the ability to transform traditional ballroom space into flexible seating or networking spaces. Our teams are not just conference specialists, they have pivoted to become “architects” of the meeting experience and can provide the best value to our clients when they proactively recommend a way for attendees to connect to the local destination and be truly collaborative”. —Susan Liston, SVP Aramark Destinations
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The need for more experience creation, greater flexibility, as well as the rise of hybrid meetings, now means the technological offerings of venues is more important than pre-pandemic. One US-based planner says they now “are thinking of the production value of the space for hybrid audience, not just the in-person experience.” The convenience and cost efficiency of allowing virtual access to conferences that was highlighted during the pandemic means hybrid events are here to stay.
“Teams have become hybrid and so have most conventions and exhibitions. It
is really important to identify market trends and adjust the product. Attendees know exactly what to expect on a venue more than pre-covid.” —University/academic meeting planner from Rwanda
However, this comes at the cost of requiring increasingly advanced technology at venues. They need to offer the means of easily allowing virtual presenters and audiences to participate, the ability to add innovative spaces, and strong and reliable internet and Wi-Fi access. Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC says “IACC venues invested a great deal in technology solutions required to support hybrid events and are well positioned to host digitally live meetings and events and at very short notice”.
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The Influence of the Younger Generations
Another key factor in the rising role of technology is the influx of the younger generations as both organisers and attendees. Four out of five respondents agree that incoming generations are leading to an increased integration of new technology, particularly smart phones, in events. They are also influencing changes in the formats of meetings, with shorter attention spans and an increased emphasis on the “experience” seeing meetings move away from the long-form lecture style to more interactive and immersive events. Alan Corlett, Chief Commercial Officer for De Vere Hotels, supports the views shared in this year’s survey.
The younger audience factor is key, their need for interactive
tech, engagement with their peers and smaller timed sessions but more engaging content is becoming part of the pre event discussion for the L&D graduate event.” —Alan Corlett, Chief Commercial Officer for De Vere Hotels
Figure 8: How are incoming generations influencing meeting formats?
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Surprisingly, fewer respondents (71%) felt younger generations are influencing an increased emphasis on the “experience” (71%) and creativity (31%) of an event than in 2019 (80% and 55% respectively). As discussed above, four in five respondents agree that experience creation is a greater priority when planning events post- pandemic. This may suggest that the lasting impact of the pandemic, such as the rise if remote and hybrid working, has replaced the influx of younger generations as the primary driving force of this emphasis on creative experiences.
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Technology What forms of technology are the greatest priorities for today’s meeting planners? Unsurprisingly with the rise of hybrid meetings, affordable, high-speed wireless internet was selected as the most critical technology by the most respondents. Strong data security was second, followed by interactive technology.
Figure 9: Most critical technology needed for meetings in the next three years
Similarly, when asked the types of new technology respondents had implemented since the start of the pandemic, virtual streaming capabilities was the most common response. Event-dedicated apps were the second most implemented technology, allowing respondents to easily register for events, have access to meetings, maps, notifications as well as to interact during live events. A key form of this live interaction, the capacity to allow live polling or digital surveys for events was the third most implement new technology. The ability to register for events automatically online was another popular new technology, as was the use of Cvent, a software provider for event management, as well as surveys, marketing, and event registration.
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What types of new technology have you implemented in the last three years?
1. Virtual streaming
2. Apps
3. Polling
4. Online registration
5. Cvent
Interestingly, when asked which technology they are least comfortable using due to its failure rate, some respondents indicated some caution over the use of live streaming for hybrid/virtual events and event apps, the two most commonly implemented technologies over the past three years. Meeting planners indicated varying levels of success on their communications when implementing different types of new technology. The technologies that recorded the highest levels of implementation and improvement to communication were live audience participation capabilities and event streaming. While 62% of respondents said they had implemented virtual access for speakers or participants with success, it also recorded the highest level of dissatisfaction, with 17% feeling it has hindered their communication.
Figure 10: Impact of technologies on communication
Hindered Communication
Have Not Implemented
Improved Communication
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Common event technology failures experienced by respondents in the past three years responses include slow/failing internet connection, websites and apps dropping, and some issues with virtual/hybrid streaming. One respondent said they experienced “slow internet so adjustments to agenda had to be made.” Another says “connectivity issues caused us to learn and understand the bandwidth needs of our meetings. While strong connectivity is essential for meeting planners, opinion is divided on whether internet access should be free at venues, with just under half (47%) suggesting they would still consider a venue without free internet.
Figure 11: Would you consider shortlisting or choosing a venue which CANNOT provide the following related to internet capability?
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The Future of Hybrid Diving deeper into the hybrid capabilities offered in the recent events of respondents, two-way streaming where the audience can remotely communicate and participate in events was most popular, with 44 percent of respondents. Over a third of respondents are using one-way streaming, while one in five respondents are not using streaming at their 2023 meetings and conferences. Respondents from the Americas were least likely to use two-way streaming and more likely to not use any streaming at all.
Figure 12: Primary types of streaming at events in 2023
Just under half of respondents expect a venue to be able to adjust to last minute requests for virtual streaming on the day of the event. European meeting planners were more likely (57%) than those from the Americas (43%) to expect venues to provide virtual streaming when requested on-the-day. Figure 13: Do you expect a venue to be able to provide on-the-day requests for virtual streaming services for your event? 46% Yes
54% No
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Venue Inspections As virtual access to meetings and conferences has become a new norm, so has the ability to virtually inspect venues during the site selection process. We asked meeting planners what the minimum size, if one exists, an event must be to warrant an in-person inspection as opposed to virtual only. 37 percent of respondents suggested they always undertake in-person inspections regardless of the event size and another 19 percent said they would for events of 50 attendees of below. A combined 43 percent will only consider an in-person inspection for events with over 50 attendees. Therefore, while the ability to offer virtual inspections is important, especially for spaces with smaller capacities, venues should still expect most planners to attend an in-person inspection.
Figure 14: Minimum size of an event that would warrant in-person inspection of a venue
Virtual site inspections can serve as a valuable supplement to in-person site visits during the venue selection to showcase the wonders of venues to event planners. Visualizing an event is one of the trickiest tasks in the sales process. Virtually showcasing a venue’s event space to clients anywhere in the world helps venues to close new business and plan events without the necessity for onsite meetings. Corporate travel restrictions and limited travel for sustainability reasons require new methods of interacting with customers, but cannot always fully replace the unique experience of an on-site visit.” —Miriam Hageböck, Global Head of Marketing Strategy & Business Development at Allseated
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Major Brands vs. Independents Venues Different kinds of events have different needs, and venues of varying shapes and sizes are often associated with offering different experiences. For example, the majority of respondents feel larger major branded venues offer the highest quality technology. Meanwhile, smaller independent venues are more often associated with greater flexibility and creativity when compared to their larger counterparts. For venues, knowing your perceived strengths and weaknesses is essential for maximising your appeal and identifying the types of events and clientele to target.
Figure 15: Top venue type by experience
Independent/Small Venues
Major Branded Venues
Aramark is especially skilled at managing independent meeting venues and residential conference centers. As reflected in the MRoTF research, independent venues provide a higher quality product and service where our staff can showcase their hospitality skills and provide the attendee with a unique experience. A recent challenge has been related to the loss of legacy hotel and conference center staff who either retired or left the industry and the extra effort we’re expending to effectively train new employees on the IACC difference and the quality standards related to operating an independent meeting facility”. —Susan Liston, SVP Aramark Destinations
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Globally, confidence among meeting planners that major hotel or venue brands can guarantee a high-quality product or service has grown since the pandemic, from 55 percent of respondents agreeing in 2019 to 58 percent in 2023. While 38 percent disagreed with this statement in 2019, this has fallen to 29 percent. Meeting planners in Europe (50 percent) and the Americas (58 percent) were least likely to have confidence in the major brands, while confidence was highest in Australia-Asia-Pacific (67 percent) and Africa (75 percent).
Figure 16: Can a major hotel or venue brand alone give confidence and reassurance that the meeting product and services will be of a high standard?
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Cyber Security In 2019, we asked meeting planners for their outlook on the future of cyber security. To the statement “cyber security will become a greater priority in the next three to five years”, respondents gave an average score of 8 (1=strongly disagree; 10=strongly agree) up from 7.5 in 2016. This year, this outlook on cyber security has continued to gain momentum, increasing slightly to 8.1. Further, a higher proportion of respondents have faced cyber security issues in past events, increasing to 3.7 from 3.3 in 2019.
Figure 17: Outlook on cyber security (1=strongly disagree; 10=strongly agree)
2019
2023
Some of the cyber security breaches respondents have experienced include stolen data and information, website and app failures, fake registration sites, and “Zoom bombers” that have disrupted virtual and hybrid events. Investing in strong cyber security and ensuring staff are aware of possible breaches is essential to ensure the smooth running of meetings and conferences.
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Ethical and Sustainable Venue Sourcing Meeting planners were asked to rank different elements of a venue’s social responsibility credentials in terms of importance in their venue selection process. The accessibility of a venue, such as for disabled attendees or public transport links, was overall ranked as the most important social responsibility credentials. Narrowly ranking second is a venue’s human responsibility credentials, such as its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. A venue’s vitality credentials that promote healthy living, such as healthy food, air quality and fitness facilities was ranked as third most important. Climate-friendly policies ranked as the least important overall, with 71% of respondents ranking it in either third or fourth place. Table 1: Importance of a venue’s social responsibility credentials (1=most important, 4=least important)
4 (least important)
1 (most important)
2
3
Top 2
Accessibility (i.e. disabled accessible, near public transport links, bicycle storage, car sharing). Human (i.e. ethical recruitment, DE&I Policy, Local LGBTQIA+ Friendly or Limited Job Prospect Employment Vitality (i.e. healthy catering, monitored air quality, fitness facilities) Climate (i.e. climate certification, carbon footprint information, waste diversion from landfill, electric car charging, single use plastic free)
34%
27%
20%
19%
61%
33%
25%
22%
21%
58%
19%
34%
24%
24%
53%
14%
15%
35%
37%
29%
This lower score for climate policies is, however, skewed by the larger sample of respondents from the Americas. Looking at the rankings for the rest of the world excluding the Americas, climate policies rank as the most important social responsibility credential.
Table 2: Importance of a venue’s social responsibility credentials (1=most important, 4=least important) – Excluding the Americas
4 (least important)
1 (most important)
2
3
Top 2
Climate (i.e. climate certification, carbon footprint information, waste diversion from landfill, electric car charging, single use plastic free) Accessibility (i.e. disabled accessible, near public transport links, bicycle storage, car sharing). Vitality (i.e. healthy catering, monitored air quality, fitness facilities) Human (i.e. ethical recruitment, DE&I Policy, Local LGBTQIA+ Friendly or Limited Job Prospect Employment
40%
16%
24%
20%
56%
8%
44%
32%
16%
52%
20%
28%
16%
36%
48%
32%
12%
28%
28%
44%
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Increasingly corporate clients and event organisers are asking for information about ESG policies and actions, particularly relating to DE&I, prevention of modern slavery, working with local and indigenous communities and reducing the environmental impact of events. We’re really excited about these changes and creating remarkable experiences that don’t cost the earth (literally). It is our responsibility to preserve, protect and create inclusive growth in the locations and communities we operate within.” —Vanessa Green, CEO Cliftons
Further, only 14 percent of meeting planners from the Americas request a venue’s carbon footprint measurement in their evaluation process, compared to half of European respondents.
Figure 18: Does your evaluation of venues include a request for the carbon footprint measurement for your meeting at their venue?
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Figure 19: Does your evaluation of venues include a request for the carbon footprint measurement for your meeting at their venue?
Which Q is this? The word doc says Q23, but Q23 is Figure 18 on the previous page.
For those that do request carbon footprint measurements, responses from venues are mixed. 60 percent of respondents said some venues respond with the required information, while another 31 percent said few or none do. Less than one in ten planners said all venues respond with the required information.
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Planners Seek to Outsource Key Elements
With high demand for meetings and conferences, and reduced lead times to organise them, planners are looking for ways to effectively reduce their workload and are open to sharing their roles and responsibilities. The venue elements most likely to be outsourced are transportation (not included in the 2019 survey but surpassing event technology as most outsourced), event technology (moving from first to second most outsourced), and off-site activity arrangements (moving from second to third most outsourced).
Figure 20: Venue elements most likely to be outsourced to the meeting venue or another company
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There are however some distinct differences across the regions. European meeting planners, for example, were most likely to outsource event technology (80%), digital media capture such as video streaming and social media (70%) and then transportation (60%). Figure 21: Venue elements most likely to be outsourced to the meeting venue or another company, by region
The Americas
Europe
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Food and Beverage Food and beverage remains a high priority for meeting planners. When asked how much they agree or disagree (on a scale of 1=strongly disagree to 10=strongly agree) to a series of statements about food and beverage offerings, meeting planners provided an average rating of 7.9 for the statement “food and beverage is a key part of the meeting design and experience.”
Figure 22: Opinion on food and beverage (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree)
Interestingly, meeting planners from different global regions see the role of food and beverage at events differently. Meeting planners from Africa are less likely to agree that the menu should relate to seasonality or the venue’s geographic location. Meanwhile, planners from the Americas are less likely to agree health and nutritional information should be visible, or less likely to have seen an increase in requests to accommodate dietary requirements.
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Table 3: Opinion on food and beverage (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree) – by region
Australia- Asia- Pacific
The Americas
Europe
Africa
Food & Beverage is a key part of the meeting design and experience. There is a benefit in venues offering meeting and conference delegates continuous refreshment break service throughout different parts of the day versus set times for delivery. Food offerings and corresponding presentation should be offered based on the time of the year (seasonality) and the venue’s geographic location. In the past three years there has been an increase in the number of requests to accommodate allergies, personal eating plans or preferences. There is a link between food types served at different stages of the event day and delegate energy levels. Health and well-being is a primary initiative of my organization. Nutritional information should be visible or available. My organization(s) offers evening activities, beyond simply bar service after dinner. The topic, tone or message influences menu planning. Example: bad news = comfort food.
8.0
8.0
8.3
7.9
8.5
8.0
7.8
7.4
4.0
8.8
7.7
7.3
8.0
8.5
8.1
7.2
7.7
7.8
8.0
7.0
4.5
9.0
7.3
6.8
8.5
8.0
8.3
6.6
5.3
7.6
6.8
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.7
5.7
Food is necessary and considered “fuel” only.
7.0
4.3
6.3
4.7
The vast majority of respondents are confident a venue will accommodate dietary requirements when asked in advance. However, the impact of a venue’s food sustainability credentials on venue selection is more divided. 43 percent of respondents consider a venue’s credentials when it comes to sourcing sustainable foods. When looking at regional differences however, this jumps to 75 percent among European respondents, and falls to 39 percent for the Americas.
Planners have confidence in venues to accommodate dietary requirements, yet they say menus are not
flexible, are unhealthy, and lack of options for dietary requirements including vegetarians/ vegan. This is an opportunity for venues to stand out from their competition and meets these challenges.” —Tracy Stuckrath, Founder & Chief Connecting Officer, thrive! Meetings & Events
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Figure 24: Importance of food sustainability
Sebastian Tarkowski of Fagerudd Konferens, a venue in Sweden, took the decision to serve vegetarian lunches as standard to all meeting attendees. He notes that the food industry accounts for more than a quarter of all global emissions and he believes his venue can make a difference by taking this stance.
Our chefs had to develop an entirely new repertoire. The key has been to serve food
that does not only taste great, but it also has to look and feel great, offering a variety of flavors, colors and textures. But the vast majority express that they appreciate the initiative and we’ve noticed that conscious young companies always prefer vegetarian options. And since the start, fewer and fewer people choose to have animal-based lunches. Currently, eight out
of ten guests stick with the vegetarian lunch. Last year we served 12,000 lunches, out of which 80% were vegetarian with an on average 2kr lower carbon footprint. That equals savings of 19 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a huge number for a small conferencing facility.” —Sebastian Tarkowski of Fagerudd Konferens
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72 percent of respondents agree that food and beverage offerings should become healthier moving forward. As part of the increased emphasis on “experience creation”, almost two thirds believe food stations should become more creative.
Figure 25: Preferences for future of break and mealtime formats
Common frustrations with the food and beverage offerings for meetings include high costs and low value for money, rigid menus with a lack of flexibility, unhealthy food, a lack of options for dietary requirements including vegetarians/vegans, and food wastage. Another notable trend, many planners feel frustrated when a venue’s F&B does not represent the local or regional cuisine. In line with the rise of meaningful travel post-pandemic, attendees want to truly experience the destinations they are travelling to. Business travel is not solely business, but also travel! For an event to be meaningful and worth making the trip as opposed to attending virtually, it must offer the full “experience” of the destination.
Food and beverage is the highest expense on an event budget. Do planners appreciate how much of that budget
is thrown away? Typically 30-40%. Giving more focus to menu planning could not only reduce food waste, but save money.” —Tracy Stuckrath, Founder & Chief Connecting Officer, thrive! Meetings & Events
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The Meeting Room of the Future The past three years have been transformational for the global meetings industry, changing how we meet, communicate, and what we prioritise from our time on the road. What then, does the next three years have in store?
Top projected venue service changes in the next three years
1. Evolved technology
2. Hybrid
3. Higher costs
4. Sustainability
5. Staff shortages
The continued evolution of technology was the most popular change cited by the respondents. One predicts venues will offer “more integrated AV capabilities” and “more automated ordering services.” Another also predicts we will see increasingly “integrated AV support”. Some respondents predict that the growth of AI could play a role in the future of events: “I do wonder about the future impact of ChatGPT or Bard (AI-directed programs).” Another common technological change predicted is the increase of self-service in venues: “Similar to Southwest Airlines, where you check yourself in and tag your own luggage, I believe there will be more for attendees to do for themselves.” A major contributor to this evolving technology, the second most predicted change in venues over the next three years is the increased role and sophistication of hybrid meetings. One meeting planner says, “hybrid models will continue to evolve and become a staple”. Another says there will be “built-in plug-and-play Zoom capability in every meeting space.” Many planners project the costs of meetings to increase in the next three years. One respondent expects “trends to continue...prices to increase and quality of service to decrease”, while another sees “F&B prices increasing” and “AV costs increasing due to limited competition”.
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The fourth most common change expected by respondents is the increasing importance of sustainability. One planner expects an “increase in visible sustainability, not just lip service”, while another sees “environmental considerations will be central.” Another expects to “see a lot less packaging.” Staff shortages have plagued the hospitality industry since the start of the pandemic, and some respondents expect this to continue to have an impact on venues over the next three years: “Covid/staff shortages have created less personalization and support to produce high engagement events.” One respondent believes a professionalisation of hospitality careers could help solve the issue of staff shortages, hoping to see roles “becoming professional certified/ associate level degree jobs and more levels to move up in hotel venue roles for the staff. I am finding most of my groups get good service but great and excellent is not fully back yet. We lost a lot of mentors.”
We recently opened a Venue of the Future in Liverpool, called Spaces at The Spine,
3 floors of event spaces to host meetings ling into the future was the driving force. We spoke with and listened to meeting attendees and specialists, listened to what they were saying would be needed. A select few were: • Sustainable (We achieved “WELL Standard Platinum”)
• WIFI and data connectivity everywhere
• Ability to take multiple inward and outward broadcasts, sending to our 280 video capable end points.
• Simple to use AV and streamed services
• Rooms capable of multiple layouts with easy to move furniture and walls
• Seasonal and local catering, on demand
• Trained and qualified staff on site from contracting to end of event.”
—David Parker, Commercial and Events Director, Royal College of Physicians in the UK
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Figure 26: Meeting venue elements expected to grow in importance in the next three years?
Consistent with 2019, respondents showed high levels of agreement that high quality internet will continue to grow in importance moving forward, as will access to collaborative meeting spaces and technology. Most also agree that outdoor meeting spaces will grow in importance.
“Interestingly, the two biggest changes we have experienced over the last three years,
across our network of venues and event services in Asia-Pacific, have been an increase in interactive audio visual technology use and increased focus on environmental and social responsibility. Demand for Cliftons onsite AV, broadcast, technical and audience participation support and services has increased by more than 60% since 2019.” —Vanessa Green, CEO of Cliftons
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Figure 27: Thinking three years ahead, how much do you agree, or disagree, with the following statements on the future of the physical aspects of meeting venues (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree)?
. 0 . 0
2019
2023
Other key components expected to grow in importance for the “meeting room of the future”, consistent with the findings of this report, are the acoustics and lighting of venues, available networking spaces, flexibility to transform and tailor spaces for specific events, sustainable practices, and access to outdoor spaces.
Figure 28: Thinking three years into the future, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements on the future of meetings (1=strongly disagree, 10=strongly agree)?
2019
2017
2023
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Conclusions In 2019, the Meeting Room of the Future turned to meeting planners for their outlooks on the industry. Four years later, the meetings industry has undergone profound transformations. The way we live, work and meet has changed and so have, in turn, the spaces and technologies required for business events and conferences. Much of today’s workforce is now hybrid or remote. Attending events virtually has become a new norm, so in-person attendance must be worth the time and costs of the trip. As such, the “experience” of events has been placed front and centre. Human connection, meaningful travel, and involvement of local culture and cuisine help to build these experiences. Planners and venues are prioritising creativity in their offerings, and the flexibility to shape spaces to the individual events. Many planners are looking to move away from traditional conference rooms and lecture theatres and the share of meetings held at hotels continues to show a downward trend. To help adapt to the demands of tomorrows meetings, venues must ensure they invest in their technological capabilities, such as virtual streaming and participation, internet access, AV and cyber security. At the same time, sustainability and social responsibility will continue to grow in importance, ensuring the meeting room of the future is a positive force for the future. The IACC Vision: IACC is a community of passionate people and companies delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences. ABOUT IACC: Founded in 1981, IACC is a not-for-profit association dedicated to promoting understanding and awareness of the meetings venue industry and to giving member properties the tools necessary to provide an exceptional IACC meeting experience. Active members meet a set of stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. Currently, the association includes approximately 400 members from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, England, Scotland, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine.
For more information, visit the website at www.iacconline.org
“There are meetings and then there are IACC meetings.”
IACC wishes to acknowledge those who have contributed to the funding of the IACC Meeting Room of the Future (TM) initiative.
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