CWT Forecasts Top 2014 Meeting Trends

Companies will hold more but smaller events next year, according to Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), which recently published its predictions for the most significant meetings industry trends of 2014.

Thanks to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the Winter Olympic and Paralympics Games in Russia, 2014 will be an “exciting time” for the events industry, according to CWT, which forecasts an increase not only in sporting events, but also in business-related meetings, which have seen a steady 1-2 percent growth year on year, it says.

Fueling that growth will be the following trends, according to CWT:

• More focused meetings: “Clients will continue to hold more events, albeit on a smaller scale,” CWT says. “With more access to big data, planners are able to tailor and adapt events to suit individual attendee requirements, from personalized invitations, to bespoke mobile itineraries on arrival, to interactive voting at the event.”

• More short-haul meetings: “Clients will continue to opt for more domestic or short-haul destinations to ensure cost-saving compared with long-haul destinations favored in the past,” CWT observes. “Looking further afield, Brazil and Russia are both hosting major events in 2014 and will be key destinations for large corporates looking to tap in to the halo-effect hospitality surrounding these popular events.”

• Strategic Meetings Management (SMM): “Companies will continue to consolidate their SMM programs and look for one-stop-shop global suppliers who can offer global support and global cost savings,” CWT predicts.

Read more: http://www.successfulmeetings.com/