Jessie States, Vice President, Meeting Professionals International observes “There remains a disconnect, too, among planners who claim some degree of price gouging from the supply side in order to recoup losses, while vendors and service providers cite higher costs and wages that mean margins remain largely the same. Communication among partners will be critical to bridging this gap in understanding, as relationships and trust rebuild in the new era of meetings and events.”
Three in five did, however, suggest rising airfare costs are affecting the destinations for their events, leading them to consider locations closer to home.
Despite this uncertainty, the respondents of IACC’s latest Meeting Room of the Future survey indicate that they are continuing to see a recovery in events volume levels. While 84% were seeing less than half of their pre-pandemic event levels in 2021, two thirds have recovered to above half of 2019 volume and one third has surpassed an 80% recovery.
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