What Are the Top Meeting and Event Trends in 2026?

The meeting and event landscape is shifting yet again. While our industry isn’t new to disruption, the priorities guiding 2026 look different than they did even a year ago. The biggest shifts shaping this year’s meetings and events center on budgets, business objectives, attendee expectations, and the rising need for strategic event partners.

What are the top meeting and event trends for 2026?

Drawing on industry indicators and insights from the Incentive Travel Index (ITI) 2025 and the Events Industry Council’s Economic Significance Study, here are the trends that matter the most.

Quick Links

• Why Flat Budgets Will Shape Most 2026 Meetings and Events
• Why Measuring Event Impact Is No Longer Optional
• Why Sustainability and Social Impact Are Top of Mind
• Why C-Suite Alignment Is Essential in 2026 Event Strategy
• Why Third-Party Partners Are Becoming Extensions of Internal Teams
• How AI Fits Into 2026 Event Planning (Without Replacing Human Touch)
• What Air and Hotel Market Shifts Mean for 2026 Events
• How Experience Design Will Drive Engagement and ROI in 2026
• How Event Teams Can Prepare for 2026
• The Future Belongs to Strategic, Connected Experiences
• FAQs

Why Flat Budgets Will Shape Most 2026 Meetings and Events

Most organizations will be working with flat or nearly flat event budgets in 2026. Budget constraints remain steady, but expectations for measurable, high-impact events continue to grow.

Key shifts include:

• Rising expectations, putting increased pressure on meeting planners to deliver exceptional experiences without additional resources
• Smaller teams managing larger workloads
• Pressure to prove ROI across every aspect of spend

Flat budgets require smarter allocation. This is where value engineering becomes essential. Planners will lean heavily on:

• Strategic sourcing
• Right-sized production
• Efficient labor and local partnerships
• Smart cost optimizations without sacrificing attendee experience

As event organizers navigate these pressures, Bishop-McCann becomes an invaluable partner. We help teams avoid costly missteps, identify creative efficiencies, and build right-sized solutions that still surprise and delight attendees.

Why Measuring Event Impact Is No Longer Optional

With budgets under scrutiny, meeting planners must show clear results tied to business goals, not just satisfaction scores. This means event measurement has moved from nice-to-have to mission-critical.

Meeting planners are moving away from traditional post-event surveys that are delivered after the event. These surveys only scratch the surface in providing meaningful data, relying on flawed memory recall and low response rates.

Meeting and event trends for 2026 are focusing on measuring:

• Knowledge retention
• Behavior change
• Sentiment shift
• Objective-based outcomes
• Real-time data that allows planners to adjust the strategy mid-event

Bishop-McCann’s JOY Index™ is redefining how emotional engagement is measured, turning subjective impressions into measurable insights. Rather than reporting “people seemed happy,” teams can quantify how content, storytelling, and touchpoints influenced connection and enthusiasm in real time.

Why Sustainability and Social Impact Are Top of Mind

Attendees, especially Millennials and Gen Z, expect events to reflect their values, from environmental stewardship to authentic community impact.

As Forbes reports, younger generations gravitate toward experiences (and brands) that are authentic, sustainable, and community-centered. In 2026, events must demonstrate values that deliver stronger connection, loyalty, and long-term engagement.

2026 trends include:

• Moving beyond recycling bins. Event planners are focused on thoughtful sourcing, food waste reduction, and carbon awareness.
• Social responsibility activations that boost local engagement and pride. Event planners are creating ways for meeting attendees to volunteer in local communities and donate to charities.

Bishop-McCann designed a CSR experience that was recognized for its impact by the SITE Crystal Awards. While celebrating the accomplishments of top performers during this pharmaceutical company’s incentive program, we also integrated activities that immersed our attendees in the local culture and gave back to the surrounding community. A standout activity was a five-day painting project with a local artist, and the final artwork was donated back to a nearby school.

Why C-Suite Alignment Is Essential in 2026 Event Strategy

Executives are more involved in event decisions (focusing heavily on objectives, outcomes, and ROI), playing an important role in meeting strategy. Due to this, planners are meeting earlier and often with C-Suite executives to answer the single question, “Why are we doing this?”

Executives are prioritizing the need for messaging consistency, defined business outcomes, behavior change, and ROI-driven decisions.

When Bishop-McCann partners with teams early, we connect business goals to agenda flow, content design, and experience strategy, ensuring your event is a strategic business tool.

Why Third-Party Partners Are Becoming Extensions of Internal Teams

Lean internal teams and compressed timelines are increasing reliance on strategic event partners.

Event planners manage numerous responsibilities. They simultaneously function as the project manager, experience designer, logistics lead, and stakeholder liaison. Plus, they have to work faster than ever before. This may shorten the strategy discussion as event planners quickly pivot to execution. External factors, such as hotel staffing reductions, further exacerbate the struggles.

This is why strategic partners are now indispensable. Bishop-McCann acts as a true extension of internal teams, bringing:

• Logistics and operations
• Production and creative
• On-site support
• Strategy alignment
• Measurement frameworks

This integrated approach reduces pressure and elevates outcomes, giving planners space to lead instead of scrambling to solve potential problems.

How AI Fits Into 2026 Event Planning (Without Replacing Human Touch)

Artificial intelligence is reshaping planning tasks, but it cannot replicate the empathy, hospitality, and intuition required for memorable events.

What AI can do for event planners in 2026:

• Automate scheduling and administrative tasks
• Streamline registration workflows
• Support personalization
• Track audience engagement (the JOY Index™ supports real-time insight)

What AI cannot do:

• Build relationships
• Navigate on-site nuance
• Replace human hospitality
• Interpret cultural context
• Deliver empathy
• Make intuitive, creative decisions
• Provide strategic thinking

Attendees continue to crave authenticity and warmth, which is something AI cannot replicate. People must be the ones to deliver and delight attendees.

Bishop-McCann differentiates itself through human-centered hospitality layered with intelligent, efficient tools.

What Air and Hotel Market Shifts Mean for 2026 Events

Softer leisure travel and competitive hotel markets create opportunities for corporate groups. Hotels and airlines are experiencing a reset as leisure travel is softening, corporate travel demand is steady, and hotels are increasingly competitive for group business.

These factors create opportunities for event planners. In 2026, we’ll see more pockets of opportunity in short-term bookings and second-tier destinations. The Events Industry Council’s Economic Significance Study reinforces the economic weight of meetings and events, which continues to influence pricing, negotiations, and destination strategy.

By leveraging Bishop-McCann’s sourcing intelligence and vendor relationships, planners can navigate budget limitations and create more value for event planners.

How Experience Design Will Drive Engagement and ROI in 2026

Creative, personalized experiences continue to outperform traditional event formats by boosting participation and emotional impact.

Attendees expect more than content at events. They want emotional connection, creativity, personalization, and purpose.

2026 experiential meeting and event trends include:

• Immersive environments and sensory design
• Storytelling woven throughout the event
• Personalized activation pathways
• Wellness integration
• Dynamic general sessions

At Bishop-McCann, we strive to create multisensory event experiences that are designed with intention. They help attendees feel something, understand something, and do something differently.

How Event Teams Can Prepare for 2026

A proactive strategy helps planners navigate challenges and capitalize on new opportunities.

Here’s a 2026 brief planning checklist:

• Define clear outcomes and success metrics
• Engage partners early
• Leverage opportunities in hotel and air sourcing
• Build measurement into every stage of planning
• Balance AI efficiency with human hospitality
• Protect attendee experience despite budget constraints

The Future Belongs to Strategic, Connected Experiences

The trends shaping 2026 are a call to elevate how we design, measure, and deliver meetings and events. When organizations embrace strategy-first planning, meaningful experience design, and trusted partnership, events become a catalyst for connection, alignment, and business acceleration.

Ready to design an event strategy aligned with 2026 trends? Connect with Bishop-McCann to create meaningful, measurable experiences that deliver JOY and results.

FAQ: Quick Answers to 2026 Event Planning Questions

What will matter most in 2026 event planning?

Successful meeting planners must create events that demonstrate measurable value and deliver strong ROI. This requires strategic clarity, measurement tools (such as the JOY Index™), and strong partnerships. Utilizing tools that simplify decision-making and enhance measurement are critical, as is finding industry partners who can be an extended part of the team.

How can planners do more with flat budgets?

Planners can do more with flat budgets by focusing spend on the moments that deliver the greatest strategic impact while minimizing costs in low-return areas. Early partnership with an experienced agency can help avoid costly missteps, while streamlining budget and reducing pressure on teams that are already stretched thin. This provides predictable spend, smarter sourcing, and clear justification for every investment. Together, these strategies protect the attendee experience while ensuring the event delivers measurable business results.

How should C-suite priorities shape event strategy this year?

C-suite priorities should serve as the foundation for every event decision, beginning with clearly defined business objectives before any agenda or experience is built. Strategic conversations should start early and continue often, ensuring all stakeholders continue to work toward the same goal. When planners and partners translate executive priorities into intentional and purposeful experiences, events become powerful tools for advancing business goals.