Understanding the issues most likely to shape the global business events industry

WASHINGTON, D.C, U.S.A. (10 March 2025) — The Events Industry Council (EIC), the global voice of the business events industry on advocacy, research, professional recognition, and standards, today released its Futures Landscape Report 2025 examining the issues likely to shape the global business events industry in the years to come. 

The final report draws from a series of “Think Tank” workshops where leaders from EIC’s 60+ members, strategic partners and volunteer leaders shared insights and perspectives from their unique vantage points, as well as a global survey of business event stakeholders.

 “The Futures Landscape Report as a foresight tool is intended to assist business event professionals and organisations better understand a wide swath of marco forces and correlating trends facing our global society and economies and to better understand the benefit of reflection in preparing and adapting, ” said EIC President and CEO Amy Calvert. 

The report — which was developed with the support of the Society for Incentive Travel  Excellence (SITE) Foundation, GainingEdge, a consultancy specialising in the business events industry, and Ipsos, a leading global market research firm — looks at 12 key themes: Accessibility, Advocacy, Business Models, Climate Risk, DEI, ESG, Infrastructure, Mobility, Risk & Security, Talent, Technology, and Wellbeing. 

Borne out of discussions by the EIC Board of Directors and the APEX Critical Issues Working Group, the report comes against a backdrop of data reflecting the relevance and resilience of our sector. According to EIC’s most recent Quarterly Events Barometer, created in partnership with Oxford Economics, the business events industry has returned to 2019 pre-pandemic levels for both group room nights booked and RFP activity, both indicators of sustained industry health. 

“The pandemic reshaped the way we come together,” said 2025 EIC Board Chair and CEO of ICCA Senthil Gopnath. “It also spurred a new spirit of innovation that will be essential as we move forward and drive our industry into the future.”

The report also looks at how macro forces are influencing the 12 topics shaping the events industry. These macro forces — including economic redistribution, technology shifts, population fluctuation and polarized politics — have been forming over a longer time and have far-reaching impacts that will change human behaviour over the next decade. 

“The insights in the Futures Landscape Report reveal an opportunity through thoughtful consideration of what lies ahead for continued innovation and collaboration for our industry to lead with confidence and purpose,” Calvert said. 

Click below to view the Futures Landscape Survey 2025.