Less than half of the 500 meetings and event professionals surveyed by American Express Global Business Travel had clear goals and action plans related to sustainability. However, 54% believe it is very important to their plans for next year.
According to the 14th Annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast survey, 47% of organizations have SDGs and action plans, 23% have SDGs but no action plan, and 9% have an action plan However, there are no clear sustainability goals, and 4% of organizations have sustainability goals.
Sustainability influences meeting location decisions
Gerardo Tejado, senior vice president of professional services at Amex GBT, said the company began considering CO2 consumption when choosing meeting locations. “People are also paying more attention to local sourcing and food waste management,” Tejado said at a conference at IMEX America 2024.
Cities that offer sustainable options such as eco-friendly venues, electric vehicle options and green policies are attracting the interest of planners. These include London and Paris.
budget increase
Tejado also highlighted that two-thirds of meeting planning professionals expect meeting budgets to be larger next year.
Internal meetings are particularly popular. Content continues to be the primary driver for engaging attendees. Tejado said it’s more important than location or destination. “Meeting professionals need to be more strategic in creating content and memorable experiences,” he said.
It is predicted that 38% of meeting professionals prioritize content and 27% prioritize location.
Conference spending by region
According to forecasts, 70% of meeting professionals in North America expect their meeting spending to increase in 2025, compared with 72% in 2024. and Latin America, the figure is 70%.
Top meeting destination
The ranking also identifies the top conference destinations for 2025.
In North America, New York surpasses Las Vegas as the top destination for corporate meetings. Tejado attributes this to an increase in internal meetings with short lead times.
North America
- New York
- chicago
- Miami
- las vegas
- dallas
In Europe, Madrid overtook Barcelona for the first time. It is located after London. Furthermore, Berlin enters the top five for the first time. Tejado attributes this to Berlin’s cost-effectiveness. The top five destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in 2025 are:
- London
- madrid
- barcelona
- Paris
- Berlin
In Latin America, Cancun jumped to the top spot from fourth place last year, while Mexico City dropped to second place. Buenos Aires jumped from fifth to third, Costa Rica entered the top five, and Sao Paulo fell from third to fifth.
- Cancun
- mexico city
- buenos aires
- costa rica
- sao paulo
In the Asia-Pacific region, the top three are the same as last year, but Hong Kong and Sydney have swapped places.
- Singapore
- Tokyo
- Bangkok
- Hongkong
- Sydney
A full global forecast for American Express GBT conferences and events is available here.
