WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A. (29 January 2026) — The Events Industry Council (EIC), the global voice of the business events industry on advocacy, research, professional recognition and standards, today announced the formation of the Economic Significance of Business Events Study Steering Committee, initial plans for the study, and the release of the latest Global Business Events Barometer.
Together, these milestones underscore EIC’s commitment to delivering authoritative research, coordinated advocacy and a unified global voice for the business events sector amid evolving economic conditions and long-term growth planning.
Steering Committee to Guide Seminal Global Research and GMID Activities
The newly formed Steering Committee will help guide the development of the 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study, produced in partnership with Oxford Economics, and related advocacy activities surrounding Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) in May 2026.
Chaired by Paul Van Deventer, President and CEO of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the committee brings together senior leaders representing diverse regions and sectors of the global business events ecosystem.
“The Economic Significance Study is foundational to how we advocate for our industry worldwide,” said Amy Calvert, President and CEO of the Events Industry Council. “This Steering Committee reflects the depth, credibility and global reach of our community. Their leadership will help ensure the study continues to deliver trusted, decision-shaping insights that policymakers, destinations and industry leaders rely on.”
Van Deventer added: “Business events are a powerful economic engine, but that impact must be clearly articulated and supported by credible, global data. I am honoured to chair this Steering Committee and to work with EIC, Oxford Economics and industry leaders around the world to help advance this essential research and amplify its influence through Global Meetings Industry Day.”
The 2026 study, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics, will be released in May 2026, in conjunction with Global Meetings Industry, and will once again provide a definitive measure of the sector’s global economic and societal contribution.
Latest Global Business Events Barometer Signals Future-Focused Demand
EIC also released its Q3 2025 Global Business Events Barometer, providing insight into current conditions and forward-looking indicators across the global meetings and events economy.
The most recent findings show continued strength in global RFP activity, with demand increasingly weighted toward events planned further in advance — signalling confidence in the sector’s medium- and long-term outlook. At the same time, hotel group room nights and pricing trends reflect a more measured and uneven recovery across regions, shaped by broader economic and geopolitical dynamics.
Key findings included:
- The Events Industry Council Global Business Events Barometer shows some mixed gains in 2025 Q3, with an increase in RFP activity index relative to the prior quarter and a slight decrease in the hotel room nights index.
- The hotel group room nights index measured 92 in this quarter’s results, representing stays during the quarter equivalent to 92% of 2019 levels and indicating a slight decrease relative to Q2.
- The RFP activity index, representing request for proposals (RFPs) sent by event planners during the quarter for future events measured at 106% of 2019 levels. It marks a full recovery in global RFP activity and the highest quarter measured.
- Risks that US policies would ignite a trade war have eased, but geopolitical tensions and concerns persist. Oxford Economics currently expects slightly slower global economic growth next year, with world GDP to expand by 2.8% this year and 2.7% in 2026.
- Travel spending in North America is slowing to just 2.5% growth this year, in part due to a pull-back in international travel to the US.
“The Barometer offers critical context for decision-making in a complex and rapidly changing environment,” said EIC Board Chair Stephanie Harris, President of the Incentive Research Foundation. “Together with the Economic Significance Study, it equips our industry with the data needed to tell a clear, credible and compelling story about the value of business events.”
Sponsorship Opportunities
EIC invites industry organisations to participate as sponsors of the 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events Study and its related advocacy and Global Meetings Industry Day activities. Sponsorship provides opportunities for visibility, engagement, and early access to findings from one of the industry’s most widely cited and influential research initiatives.
“This research would not be possible without the commitment of our sponsors,” Calvert added. “Their support enables us to deliver credible, globally relevant data that underpins our advocacy efforts, strengthens Global Meetings Industry Day, and ensures the value of business events is clearly understood by policymakers, communities and stakeholders around the world.”
View Sponsorship Opportunities
Questions about Sponsorships? Contact sponsorships@eventscouncil.org
Economic Significance Study Steering Committee
- Chair: Paul Van Deventer, President and CEO, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
- Martin Boyle, CEO, IAPCO
- Amy Calvert, President and CEO, Events Industry Council
- Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM, President and CEO, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)
- Stephanie Glanzer, CMP, Chief Sales Officer and Senior Vice President, MGM Resorts
- Dr. Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA
- Stephanie Harris, President, Incentive Research Foundation (IRF)
- Kevin Hinton, CAE, Managing Director, Group Travel, U.S. Travel Association
- Geneviève Leclerc, CMP, Co-founder and CEO, MEET4IMPACT
- Vincent Polito, CEO, Society of Independent Show Organisers (SISO)
- Chris Skeith, OBE, CEO and Managing Director, UFI
- Virginie De Vischer, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada
