ITB News Berlin spoke with Federico Toja, Director Chapter Operations Europe at Meeting Professionals International (MPI), about the encouraging projections for the sector over the next 12 months.
What are some of the challenges facing meeting professionals today when it comes events-related decisions?
Rising costs for the various components of an event; safety and uncertainties due to geopolitics and weather conditions; and cybersecurity and being prepared to safely store the data of attendees.
How can current projections help overcome some of these challenges?
From the MPI “Meeting Outlook” quarterly report, we see good projections for the future with 71% of respondents saying that business conditions will improve in the next 12 months and 66% claiming that budgets will also increase.
What are some of your predictions for trends in the sector?
A wider use of AI at all levels, from managing registrations at events to RFP/BID proposals and adding participants’ digital interactions. Sustainability is also now a must, and another trend is for wellbeing programmes at events.
What main message do you hope the audience took away from your presentation “Meetings Outlook: Future Predictions for the Business of Meetings” at ITB Berlin yesterday?
I spoke about managing client expectations and the use of flexibility during events. I think it is important to understand that creativity and local experience make a difference, as well as staying updated through industry associations.
