Cvent has released its ‘Top event trends for 2026’ report, which offers a wealth of fresh insights on what is shaping our great meeting and events industry and signposts the areas that are ripe with opportunity.
The new report draws on extensive industry research and Cvent’s own data to offer clear insight and perspectives as event professionals look to chart a smart course across today’s uncertain economic and political landscape.
The Cvent report offers plenty of evidence of how advances in technology continue to reshape how events are planned, executed and measured.
Highlights from the report centre around economic factors and, although it identifies budgets are rising, so too are costs, with 35% of planners signalling that staying within budget is their top concern, and 30% specifically calling out the rising cost of meetings and events.
Opportunities
So where lie the opportunities? Cvent’s report points to busy times for marketers, with 69% of them saying their company plans to increase its total marketing budget and more than half reporting that at least 20% will be allocated to events, so both stakes and expectations are high.
Event organisers, as ever, remain optimistic, with 85% feeling positive about the health of the events industry – the highest level recorded for five years.
Cvent’s analysts believe that there are huge gains to be made for those organisations that adapt to the event landscape with intent and who position themselves to win.
AI of course is well to the fore in planners’ thinking and has already had a major influence – from creating efficiencies in processes and workflows to unlocking smarter data use and more accurate measurement. AI has been shown to elevate both operational performance and the attendee experience when used thoughtfully. That said, the consensus is very much that human connection remains irreplaceable and that the most effective event strategies will blend the benefits of intelligent technology with the power of meaningful, personal interaction.
There appears little room for uninspiring, bland content and attendees expectations are rising with demands for relevance, personalisation and clear value at every event touchpoint.
Nine key trends for 2026 stand out and are examined in separate sections in the report:
- AI goes operational
- Safeguard data, build trust, and drive brand recognition
- B2B continues to demand authentic emotion
- Personalisation is attendee-led
- Exclusivity and micro events drive demand and engagement
- Design environments with purpose
- Tech for all
- Cost – the big influence for sourcing
- Measurable outcomes are more crucial than ever.
The report not only compiles opinions, feedback and insight, but offers concrete tips and solutions to industry challenges.
To take the first bullet point above as an example, the Hot Tips in the section for effective AI use include:
- Be purposeful: don’t invest in AI for the sake of it. Define your desired outcomes first and implement solutions that align with them.
- Assess your risk tolerance: think about what can safely be automated or delivered as self-service, versus what still requires human oversight and sensitivity.
- Evaluate data privacy and security: undergo a thorough governance and security assessment when selecting large language models (LLM). If you work at a larger organisation, review your guidelines, as your IT team likely has approved technologies for you to use.
The report delves into GenAI versus Agentic AI and looks at AI across the event planning cycle, as well as introducing CventIQ ™, a collection of powerful intelligence capabilities embedded across the Cvent platform.
The essential learnings from the Cvent insights are not necessarily to do more (more sessions, more events), but suggests those who succeed will be those who act and plan with intention and clarity.
As the report concludes: “By staying true to the fundamentals, while working to build a community that keeps your brand alive between events, you can build greater trust and loyalty that grows with every event.”
Follow the link to drill down into the full 45-page, Cvent report to learn more on how marketers, event planners and suppliers can all turn industry shifts into opportunities, and maximise your impact in the year ahead.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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