Costs Rise With Expectations for the Event Sector

As the event sector gears up for 2019, higher costs and increased expectations are on the horizon.

The latest research from American Express Meetings & Events suggests that corporations are going to continue reining in spending on events even as they demand more creative meetings.

There are plenty of takeaways on the intersection of meetings and technology, particularly that systems intended to streamline operations end up adding unwanted complexity to the event planning process. Better technology also means increased visibility into spending, causing companies to further clamp down on pricey events. Check out the story below.

We also have the implications for travel in the U.S. in light of Tuesday’s elections, and new challenges emerging across China as business meetings boom.

If you have any feedback about the newsletter or news tips, feel free to reach out to me via email at as@skift.com or tweet me @sheivach.

— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Editor

The Future of Events and Meetings

Cost Cutting Could Lead to Big Changes for Meetings in 2019: Planners have to get creative as both expectations and costs are set to increase in 2019. Technology can only do so much and event design will shift to reflect the financial priorities of organizations holding events.

What Looms for the Travel Industry in D.C. After the Midterms: Midterm elections have rarely been this galvanizing or controversial. For industry observers and executives, the question remains of how changes in Washington will impact the business of travel. With a divided government, expect most of the changes to regulations to come from the Trump administration.

Ethiopia’s Nascent Luxury Tourism Market Starts to Take Hold: The question is not whether hoteliers and operators should invest in Ethiopia, but what is best for Ethiopia in balancing these new demands while protecting its people and its profound history and cultures.

Around the Industry

SAS New Emotional Video Takes the Prize for the Best Travel Ad of 2018: “Travelers will forget what we say in our ads, they will forget what we do with our promotions, but they will never forget how we make them feel.”

Emerging Cities Pose Biz Travel Challenge for Chinese Executives: China is expected to remain a hotbed of both domestic and international business travel. Chinese corporations are attempting to keep costs down even as the need for business travel increases.

New Swedish Museum Is Betting Tourists Will Flock to Gross Food: Some museums have been leaders in emerging tourism trends in recent years. Those trends include travelers’ fascinations for strange, even disgusting, experiences that they can’t get at home.

Subscribe

Skift Senior Editor Andrew Sheivachman [as@skift.com] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.

Subscribe to the Skift Meetings Innovation Report