MPI finds 12% drop in members predicting growth for live event attendance

The latest, summer edition of Meeting Professionals International (MPI)’s Meetings Outlook quarterly report has identified a big fall (12%) over the past year in respondents projecting positive growth for upcoming live event attendance. The figure now stands at 50%, down from 62% a year ago. Despite the summer show of caution, planners and suppliers do expect live and virtual attendance figures to grow 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively. Nearly one in five respondents (19%) to the association’s survey say they are now avoiding locations with liberal handgun or weapons laws, while 30% are avoiding destinations that have laws prohibiting universal restroom use. A sense of underlying optimism for the year ahead is detecteable, with 63% predicting favorable business conditions over the next 12 months. And, perhaps, reflecting the heavy North American weighting of the respondents, 27% said political elections have a significant influence on meetings and events. The full report can be viewed here. Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership with MGM Resorts International and supported in partnership with the IMEX Group.