Experiences, technology, and venue choice are highlighted in the milestone report
IACC [1]’s 2025 Meeting Room of the Future report examines shifts in experience-led event planning, technology, and venue Selection as the report celebrates its tenth anniversary.
IACC [2] and research partner DCI [3] analyzed responses from 205 meeting planners throughout North America and Europe. IACC’s annual In-depth trends report builds on previous surveys, as well as exploring key emerging trends and highlighting regional differences.
Experience-led planning
The number of events being held at hotels has continued to decline since 2017.
Creative demands have been driving a shift in the type of venues used for events, with 51 percent of planners opting for specialty event venues, such as sports stadiums, museums, vineyards, or conference centers, compared to 33 percent in 2023.
Joe Santo, VP of Major Accounts with Encore, said: “Planners feel that In-person, immersive events improve engagement with the power of storytelling and engaging senses. They feel that in-person, creative events boost retention rates up to 75%, and 83% believe that immersive experiences enhance their event ROI.”
Technology and hybrid evolution
This year, planners feel less pressure to incorporate new technology into meetings. Only 68 percent of them, compared to 80 percent during 2023, said incoming generations were prompting an increased integration of new technology. Meanwhile, respondents who said artificial
Intelligence is a critical technology that jumped from 4 percent to 14 percent.
When considering a hybrid, forty-two percent of planners do not plan to use streaming during their events this year, reflecting a trend away from hybrid events.
The evolving development of easy-to-use, indoor, and outdoor digital signage, combined with reduced unit costs, is leading to more solutions being offered by venues to their clients. In addition, the sustainability benefits of printed materials may be another factor.
Joe Santo, VP of Major Accounts for Encore, said, “As LED technology and screen enhancements continue to improve, the larger formats such as LED Walls are becoming increasingly popular in the events environment. In addition, with the introduction of LED banners into the marketplace
In the last several years, we have seen more requests for directional signage, event agendas, trade show posters, speaker bios, and theme-enhancing art to be added to the event space and throughout the venue itself, utilizing these lightweight, sleek units.”
Venue selection
Respondents chose location, travel time, and access as their must-haves meeting venue elements, all of which remain consistent from 2023. The flexibility of meeting space remains essential, but has declined from second to third place this year, while food and beverage offerings have jumped from 2023 to second place.
Networking spaces, rooms with flexible layouts, and ethical and Sustainable operations remain as vital as they were during 2023.
The considerations of venue suitability remain wide-ranging, with Charlotte Stridbeck from Unionen, Sweden’s largest trade union, noting: “It is difficult to achieve good audio and video in a hybrid meeting in most conference facilities. It’s always a stressful factor.”
Only one-third of planners said a major brand’s reputation can instill confidence and reassurance that the event will be of a high standard. Regionally, 40 percent of planners from North America are willing to trust brand-name recognition solely, compared to one-fourth of planners from Europe.
Consistent with 2023, planners ranked the accessibility of a venue for disabled attendees and public transportation as their most essential credentials.
Food and beverage
Food and beverages are more important than ever, with respondents providing an average rating of 9.0 for the statement “food and beverage is a key part of the meeting design and experience”. This same statement received an average rating of 7.9 during 2023.
When considering regional priorities for F&B strategy, in North America, providing visible nutritional information was important, as was using food to complement the event tone and fuel attendees.
Tracy Stuckrath, Founder & CCO, thrive! Meetings & events comments: “43% of planners want to reimagine break and mealtime formats, and 74% are calling for creative food stations, that’s not just a shift in taste, it’s a shift in intention. Food is becoming a central
part of the experience design, not a sidebar. When done well, breaks move from cookie-cutter to connection-driven.”
Sustainability
Sustainability remains a core focus in food and beverage strategy at meetings. Still, the emphasis is evolving to reflect a growing awareness that true sustainability in catering is not only about managing excess, but also about designing menus, portions, and service styles that prevent it from occurring in the first place.
In addition, as event organisers place increasing pressure on venues to not only uphold sustainable values but also to evidence them, the Industry is shifting from static policy statements to dynamic, data-driven reporting.
When asked which components planners expect to grow in the Meeting Room of the Future (over the next three years), the responses were high-quality internet, room acoustics and lighting, ethical and sustainable operations, and the importance of networking spaces outside of meeting rooms.
Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, said: “Since the launch of our first Meeting The Room of the Future report, ten years ago, it’s exciting to see the industry embracing bold approaches to event design, experimenting with dynamic formats, and investing more in delegate experiences, all of which are driving greater value in live events.
“With shifting demographics, advancing technology, and growing Sustainability goals shaping the industry, our report is designed to serve as a bellwether for emerging trends and a practical resource for meeting planners as they navigate future challenges.”
Nancy Lindemer, Global Chair of IACC, concludes, “We continue to recognize the challenges our meeting planner partners face when sourcing venues for their meetings and events. The demand for unique, engaging environments that inspire productivity across all generations has never
been greater, and food experiences that bring people together play a vital role in this.
“IACC venues are ready to meet that challenge. Our members offer creative, non-traditional spaces, backed by service models designed specifically with meetings in mind. As we mark the 10th year of the IACC, in the Meeting Room of the Future report, we thank the meeting planning team community for its ongoing insights and support – your input is central to shaping the future of exceptional meetings.”
For the past decade, the Meeting Room of the Future report has explored insights from meeting planners, IACC members, and industry experts worldwide. Conducted by IACC and Development Counsellors International, this research provides firsthand insight from meeting planners into their experiences in a post-pandemic world, as they navigate returning business, new clients’ priorities, and an evolving hybrid-technology landscape.
Alex Cabañas, Executive Chairman of Pyramid Global Hospitality, was the IACC global president 10 years ago when the report was founded. “I still remember when the idea germinated, and it was simple. Who better than IACC to lead the conversation on the future of meetings – before, inside, outside, and after the meeting. It’s not about the “room.” It’s about the entire experience that also happens to take place most times in a “room” of some kind. We’ve helped to redefine the experience of meetings with the help of so many bright minds and partners in the meetings industry.”
To download the full report, visit
www.iacconline.org/iacc-
About IACC:
Founded in 1981, IACC [5] is dedicated to representing a broad spectrum of venues, including hotels, conference centers, and experiential venues globally, and is, by definition, the future of the meetings industry realized. The association brings together the brightest, most innovative minds from around the globe. IACC elevates the meeting experience by creating a unique point of entry that incorporates the best-in-class meeting venues internationally. IACC membership is a symbol of meeting excellence and exceptional connections amongst the best in the meeting industry. This exclusiveness makes IACC’s members part of an elite group representing the most innovative, forward-thinking, and results-driven meeting venues globally.
All members meet a set of stringent Quality Standards and agree to a Code of Ethics. IACC includes over 400 conference venues from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Finland, Canada, and the United States.
The IACC Mission Statement: “To bring together the brightest industry minds to promote the best meeting venues, which deliver exceptional meeting experiences. There are meetings… And then there is IACC Meetings”.
The IACC Vision: “IACC is a global community of passionate people and organizations delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences.”
