As we move forward into the New Year, I want to take my time registering a few predictions for posterity—Google, take note! Some are bold, and some not-so-bold. And for most, I’m hopeful I’m right because they could all have a positive impact on our industry. So here goes, in ascending order of boldness.  

5. Events and Commercial Alignment 

Events and marketing teams have always enjoyed some level of collaboration. When it’s good, we are besties (think Wolverine and Deadpool), priorities line up nicely, and event programs get the resourcing they deserve as a strategic driver of growth (when it’s bad, think Captain America and Buck Rogers). And yet, the trend over the last decade or so has been to more closely align events programs, and teams, with marketing and sales. Even more recently, the meetings and events function is being picked up and moved to report directly into commercial leadership, allowing for significantly tighter alignment with growth objectives.  

Prediction: This trend will gain momentum in 2025, underscoring the critical role event programs play in driving overall revenue growth. New business cards for all! 

4. “Small Meetings” Gets Its Big Moment 

Large enterprises have long sought solutions tailored for small meetings, which have largely gone unsupported by event professionals due their decentralized nature and inconsistent definitions of requirements. Spend and other resources on these “Tier 3” meetings can eclipse that of Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs in some industries. Recent efforts by several current tech and services providers, as well as some new entrants, have prioritized small meetings.  

Prediction: In 2025, organizations can expect viable options for small meetings, marking a significant milestone in this area. If we build it, will they come? Time to find out. 

3. Emergence of New Direct Booking Options 

Business and group travel nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, and new direct booking options were a catalyst. Advancements in direct booking tech, along with more hotel inventory coming online, could disrupt traditional contracting methods, providing travel and hotel procurement teams with innovative alternatives.  

Prediction: The lure of disruption will encourage new market entrants in 2025, offering more consumer-like experiences, greater flexibility, and more options to choose from. 

2. Big Tech Makes the Leap 

The technology landscape for meetings, events, travel, and hospitality has long been poised for disruption. Several of the “major” tech players have been tantalizingly close to entering the market. Some, like Microsoft, are tangentially in the game, but could perhaps accelerate it via a strategic acquisition of one of the current meetings and events tech providers.  

Prediction: 2025 will see at least one of the big tech players finally make the leap. Why now? See No. 1. 

1. AI Goes Native 

Adoption of AI is skyrocketing, with more companies investing in it every day. While the state of AI is fluid, it’s stable and—more importantly—it’s mature enough to tackle the core generative and agentic AI use cases for the $1 trillion-plus meetings and events market.  

The household names in meetings and events are adding AI as “bolt-on” capabilities. Platform players like Salesforce (Agentforce) and ServiceNow (ServiceNow AI) have made massive investments in “near-native AI” and are extending into the meetings and events workflow via native apps Blackthorn (Salesforce) and Tenon (ServiceNow).  

Prediction: Adobe (Sensei), HubSpot (Breeze), and Zoom (AI Companion) could follow similar paths. Much like big tech, platform players could be enticed to enter the market in a bigger way via strategic acquisition.  

These options are great, but Native AI represents a paradigm change. Consider this example: 

• Bolt-on is akin to adding AI features to an older car, like installing GPS 
• Near-native is like building a car with some AI features integrated, like lane assist 
• Native AI - Designing a fully autonomous car from the ground up 

Without limitations, Native AI will enable a new entrant to completely re-imagine the experience for meetings and events (and travel and hospitality!).  

If any of these predictions holds true, our industry will benefit immensely, becoming more data-driven and efficient, while upleveling the participant experience. Here’s to hoping my crystal ball got it right! 

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