It’s that time of the year again, when the major industry organizations and associations reveal their trends lists. IBTM kicked off the trends season with some good news in its annual IBTM Trends Watch Report.
The 2017 IBTM Report predicts a bright year ahead for the meetings and events industry, thanks to a renewed resilience and confidence driven by the past few years of economic and geopolitical instability.
While recognizing that there are still uncertain times ahead, the report points to an industry that is focused on “getting on with business.” IBTM notes its observation is underpinned by significant optimism among meetings and events professionals as they continue to adapt to the “new normal,” embracing new technologies and investing in staff, communications, knowledge and relationships to secure their future and thrive.
Dr. Rob Davidson, managing director with MICE Knowledge, and Alistair Turner, managing director with EIGHT PR & Marketing, compiled the report, using over 25 key sources of existing industry data and interviews with industry luminaries to deliver a synthesis of industry performance in 2017 and predictions for 2018.
“There’s no getting away from the fact that there is still a period of uncertainty ahead, with several evolving and new economic and geopolitical developments continuing to play out across the globe,” Dr. Davidson said regarding the findings in the IBTM report. “However, our industry is approaching this proactively, continuing to ‘take care of business’ both literally and figuratively, which points to a very positive year ahead.”
“It’s essential that business events professionals continue to discuss and debate the possible impacts of different scenarios in order that they can adapt and react in a considered manner,” Turner added.
The IBTM World Trends Watch 2017 report is available for download on the IBTM website.
