Skift Conference Exclusive Survey of 103 Conference Professionals* provides confusing and challenging landscape images for conference planners as they adapt to the new Trump administration policy. Although for some it operates as usual, others have experienced rising costs of tariffs, cancellations of industries affected by government cuts, fewer international players are willing to travel to the U.S. and are concerned about the impact of immigration policies on hotel staffing.
Almost one-third of respondents (29%) have changed the location of this year’s meetings or motivated travel due to geopolitical conditions. When asked if they were considering changing the location of future events, 39% said yes, uncertain 21%, while 37% refused.
Tariff impact
Rising costs plagued the vast majority of planners: When asked about the main issues that currently affect their work, 90% said potential costs increased and 66% said potential recession. Full 82% said they expect meeting costs to increase in 2025-2026 due to tariffs.
Respondents also reported an increase in the cost of promoting products and incentive gifts, plus an increase in the time it takes to receive goods.
Certain industries suffer heavy losses
Government meetings, academic and scientific conferences, and those with international participants were hit hardest. “The government meeting industry has disappeared,” said an anonymous planner.
Kyle Jordan, director of the Informs Conference at the Institute of Operational Research and Management Sciences, said that although he expects attendance to drop 10-15% this year as 35% of his attendees come from outside the U.S., “As an academic-centric organization, we expect greater interest in our domestic attendance in 2026 as the university will become a potential long-term court for a long-term court in 2026, which is a potential long-term court.
International participants stay at home
Now, international participants face visa challenges and concerns about border visits and security. “Our international members told us that going to the U.S. to attend meetings is not currently on the card,” one anonymous planner said. “Many of our members have lost funds and have had to reduce attendance at the meeting. Overall, our registration pace is much slower than in the past three years.”
Lamontco’s chief operating officer Mark Phillips said he has seen an international attendance at the U.S. conference by 30% or more, especially those that have not purchased air tickets. ”
Canada’s inbound meeting plans have become unfavorable as cross-border tensions escalate. Of those respondents who are Canadian clients or those who plan to meet this year, 18% have changed their plans and 15% are considering doing so.
Hotel staffing issues
Another issue for planners is the potential impact of immigration policies on hotel staffing, including kitchen help, housekeeping and banquet servers. More than two-thirds of respondents (72%) said they expect hotel staff to be affected in 2025-2026, while 15% of respondents are uncertain and 13% have no impact.
Confused state
Many respondents, including Lamontco’s Phillips, said they expect more regional meetings due to the decline in international attendance. Other impacts mentioned by respondents include reducing the use of 5-Star attributes; finding far lower rates than in the past; longer pickup times to purchase and sign up; challenges for students and participants that require the need to obtain the support needed to attend certain meetings; and trade exhibit exhibitor cancellations.
Even for those planners who say they are not affected by Trump administration policies, Tim Barrett, senior director of global conferences at Southern Destinations, summarizes the current chaos that many respondents feel: “It’s confusing, especially the next day’s whip and different totals and/or start dates and/or start dates.”
Top 7 planners follow
(Ranked by percentage of respondents)
- Potential cost increase (90%)
- Potential recession (66%)
- Challenges faced by international attendees (57%)
- Job security (45%)
- Challenges to American international groups (44%)
- Challenges faced by LGBTQ+ attendees (28%)
- Participants in pregnant women who require urgent care (15%)
*Method: Skift Conference’s email survey of meeting planners was conducted between May 9 and June 9, 2025, generating 103 available responses.
