CHICAGO — The timing of the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) just-released Futures Landscape Report 2025 could not be more apropos.
The report, which is based on a series of “Think Tank” workshops with leaders from EIC’s 60-plus members, strategic partners and volunteers, explores how macro forces, from climate change to geopolitical disruption, are influencing various aspects of the events industry.
Since the research was conducted throughout 2024, culminating in an online survey of event stakeholders in November and December, there has been significant disruption resulting from the new U.S. presidency. But the macro forces — including economic redistribution, technology shifts, population fluctuation and polarized politics — remain constant.
“While we recognize that our industry will continue to face disruptive forces, we believe this unified effort will equip us to be prepared for the activities that will shape society and business events in the years to come,” EIC President and CEO Amy Calvert said.
Among the more significant macro trends that the report predicts will impact events:
- First and foremost, around the world, the geopolitical landscape is reflecting new nationalist and populist tides, manifesting as highly polarized and fragmented societies.
- Global wealth divides are deepening in developed nations, while developing markets are experiencing a growing middle/consumer class.
- The growing familiarity around AI, machine learning and the increasing ubiquity of data collection have created a sense of wariness.
- The Americas, Europe and other nations (e.g., Japan) are experiencing slowing (and aging) populations, while nations across Africa and Asia are leading global population growth.
- The majority of people believe in and are feeling the effects of climate change, while experiencing pushback led by the fossil fuel industries.
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Each of these trends affects various aspects of business events. For example, when it comes to polarized politics, there’s an increasing awareness of invisible disabilities such as neurodiversity, but in some countries, DEI supporters face political backlash. While most people around the world would agree that climate change is real, progress toward more sustainable meetings could be stifled by naysayers.
The report also includes insightful predictions from anonymous members of various segments of the industry, such as this one from a Vice President of Education, U.S./Canada: “As extreme weather and climate-related crises increase, the ability to meet becomes disrupted, insurance to protect meetings becomes harder to obtain, and downstream, geopolitical stability is threatened by migration and related issues such as famines.”
The report is available free online at https://news.eventscouncil.org/futures/
Reach Amy Calvert at acalvert@eventscouncil.org
