The number of meetings organised by European companies in 2017 is likely to decrease considerably across most categories, from sales and marketing events to conferences and trade shows, according to a new report.
The 2017 Global Meetings and Events Forecast from American Express Meetings & Events points to "the influence of Brexit and concerns over acts of terrorism" causing uncertainty in Europe. Issa Jouaneh, the company's senior VP and general manager, says, "These events have resulted in a sense of caution across the region."
The study says respondents in Europe see decreases of more than 20% year on year in the number of most meeting types, although the number of internal meetings and product launches are expected to remain largely the same. "These numbers reflect expert suggestions that meeting owners are taking a closer look at which meetings really need to happen and how often, staying the course that was set in 2016," the report says.
The chart below shows the average number of meetings planned by respondents for the year and the average number of expected attendees.
Despite the fall in the number of meetings, the study forecasts overall spending on meetings and events in European companies to increase by 0.8%.
As well as overall budgets, the survey looks at the average cost per meeting attendee and this is shown in the chart below. These are total attendance costs excluding air.
Overall, the survey forecasts increases of 1.8% in group hotel rates and 1.4% in group air rates at European companies.