Planners are sourcing in-person and hybrid events.
Martech Outlook | Tuesday, February 15, 2022
To meet the new planner requirements and attendee expectations, venues are expected to provide enhanced support including hybrid- ready rooms and studios.
FREMONT, CA: According to the Cvent 2021 Planner Sourcing Report, 80 percent of event planners in the UK and Europe are now sourcing in-person events. Among them, 81 percent of event planners are looking for venues for events in 2021, while 63 percent are looking for venues for events in 2022. The report's findings indicate that the industry is gaining traction as event planners gain confidence in holding in-person events in the region. Nearly half of the respondents, 46 percent, indicated they are planning hybrid events - events that offer both in-person and virtual experiences. Hybrid-ready meeting space and studios accounted for 30 percent and on-site production and technological knowledge for 29 percent, when asked what venue offerings would impact their venue sourcing decision for their in-person events.
Report estimated that event planners are generally confident in their abilities to manage a hybrid event. When asked to rate their level of confidence in planning and operating a hybrid event on a scale of 1 to 10, 40 percent said they were extremely confident (from 8 to 10), 58 percent said they were indifferent (between four and seven), and only 2 percent said they were not confident. In August 2021, Cvent, a market-leading provider of meetings, events, and hospitality technologies, commissioned Censuswide, an independent research firm, to survey 500 event planners, managers, coordinators, and directors throughout France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
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Respondents work in a variety of industries, including education, healthcare, finance, legal, human resources, information technology and telecommunications, travel and transportation, and sales, media, and marketing. The study results provide hotels and venues with insight into UK and European planners' venue sourcing goals and requirements, allowing them to tailor their offerings to attract more MICE business.
With the return of leisure travel, hotels and venues have adapted their service offerings to protect the safety and well-being of their guests, said Chris McAndrews, vice president of marketing at Cvent. Now that in-person events are returning and MICE businesses are picking up, hotels must adjust their service levels and products once more. It's vital for hotels to be visible to planners online – which is where they're sourcing – and for hoteliers to be able to communicate with them to streamline the sourcing and planning process for both in-person and hybrid events.
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