Generational workforce trends, continuously rising costs, and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools are some of the top challenges facing the MICE industry today, according to Global DMC Partners (GDP) just-released Q4 2024 Meetings & Events Pulse Survey.

The quarterly report looks at factors driving decisions in the global meetings and events industry. The Q4 edition is based on survey responses from 127 meeting and event professionals collected throughout December 2024 and January 2025. The majority of respondents are based in the United States (58 percent), United Kingdom (18 percent) and Europe – Non-UK (11 percent), with seven percent in Canada. Respondents were divided between agency/third-party planners (49 percent), corporate/direct planners (29 percent), and association and independent meeting planners (17 percent), as well as suppliers. Respondents were made of 50 percent Generation X, 25 percent Baby Boomers and 23 percent Millennials.

Key insights from the survey include:

● Generational Workforce Trends – Gen X dominates the MICE workforce (50 percent), with Millennials (23 percent) closely following Baby Boomers (25 percent). This mix brings a balance of experience and fresh perspectives to the industry.
● Global Budgets Continue to Tighten – Nearly 50 percent of planners reported budgets staying the same from 2024 to 2025, with only 25 percent seeing increases, as compared to nearly 40 percent reporting increases in the last survey. Despite even tighter budgets, end-client expectations for quality and deliverables continue to rise.
● Rising Costs – Event planners are still facing notable increases in hotels/venues, F&B, airfare, and A/V costs, adding further pressure to budgets.
● International Focus on DEI and Sustainability – International planners lead in both sustainability and DEI. While 32 percent integrate sustainability into most programs vs. 18 percent in the US/Canada, the DEI gap is even wider: 41 percent of international planners include it in most programs, compared to just 23 percent in the US/Canada. Cost remains a key barrier.
● Rapid Growth of AI Adoption – AI use in event planning grew from 48 percent to 57 percent, with chatbots (87 percent) leading the way, followed by grammar checkers (51 percent) and translation tools (30 percent).

The survey also asked about destination selection drivers, wellness implementation, planning and lead times.

For the full results, visit https://globaldmcpartners.com/pulse-survey-report/