Rob Davidson reveals key themes for global industry trends watch report

Davidson identifies that key indicators of the meeting industry´s health, including attendance, budgets, exhibitors, and revenues-continue to remain positive, signalling that the growth trend is set to continue. Commenting on his research, Rob says “a number of surveys of meetings industry associations point to ongoing expansion in meetings and events business, with expectations that 2015 will prove to be more prosperous than the previous year.”

The report will also discuss the changing design of meetings and meeting venues. Davidson continues, “We are seeing radical qualitative changes in the ways meetings are designed. And forward-looking venues are adapting their offer to meet the evolving demands of new-generation meeting planners and attendees.”

The impact of the global economy and its uneven recovery across various geographical regions is also set to feature as a key theme in his presentation. For Rob, “in the US, where hotel supply is up, with almost 100,000 new rooms added in 2015, demand for meetings continues to grow at up to quadruple the rate of supply. That means that the US is experiencing a suppliers´ market, with pricing power set to remain in the hands of hoteliers until the second half of 2016.” This move to a seller´s market after years of buyer´s market is probably less strong in Europe, where recovery, although clear, is more subdued.