point for association congresses . Events clearly have a higher purpose for these organisations , however , for many , they are also a major source of income that is much needed by associations .

To really assess the fortunes of the association events industry , the Trends report turns to ICCA ’ s Statistics Study 2020 . That report looks at the previous year ’ s statistics and gives us an idea of the sector ’ s trajectory . The study reported that a total of 8,409 unique meetings were identified which were either held or planned in 2020 . In the previous year ’ s report , the number was 13,252 , a significant drop-off that the association believes can be ‘ partially explained by the fact that numerous event websites were taken offline prematurely or were never established in the first place as a consequence of the pandemic ’.

On a regional basis , the report looks at the unaffected and affected meetings per region and observes that the Middle East had the lowest percentage of meetings postponed and cancelled ( 49 % combined ). This means that 51 % of all meetings in 2020 took place , either unaffected ( 19 %), virtual ( 29 %), relocated ( 2 %) or hybrid ( 1 %).

When it comes to subject matter , ICCA has long been monitoring the industries and interests that have driven the meetings sector . This year ’ s statistics show that , of all meetings planned for 2020 , those concerning technology had the highest percentage of virtual ( 48 %) and hybrid ( 3 %) meetings . As a result , these technological associations had the highest continuation-rate , with events adding up to a total of 61 % continuation . Behind technology , associations focusing on education had the second highest percentage of virtual meetings ( 32 %). Like technology , the education sector also might have become accustomed to virtual meetings prior to the pandemic .

Going forward , ICCA ’ s outlook for the near future is a steady return to face-to-face association meetings and the overall recovery of the business

events industry . Between May and September 2021 , an ICCA survey of associations found that 38 % of respondents were planning an in-person meeting for 2022 . While 84 % of the associations said that virtual meetings are more limited when it comes to networking , compared to in-person .

Meanwhile , as face-to-face events return to associations ’ agendas , 51 % report that they ’ re organising regional meetings . Nearly half ( 48 %) of respondents said their meeting rotation schedule was not impacted ( at the time of the survey ) by the pandemic lockdown . ICCA have also observed that as associations reschedule their in-person events they are generally staying loyal to their original destination when feasible .

Senthil Gopinath , CEO of ICCA , says : “ We ’ ve found that the top priorities for associations when it comes to destinations and venues are flexible contract conditions and Covid-19 related safety protocols / certification .”

Associations also want more assistance with communications regarding Covid-19 regulations and greater support with travel arrangements . Association leaders are looking to destinations and venues that are willing to share in the risk of event organising with them by offering flexible planning timelines and cancellation policies .

Incentive Travel According to the Society of Incentive Travel Executives ’ ( SITE ) Corporate InSITEs research , 82 % of incentive travel buyers have committed to travel and planning in 2022 , and only 2 % have permanently moved spend away from incentive travel ahead of other rewards .

In the report , approximately 85 % of all domestic incentive travel programmes are back in the diary before Q1 2022 , and just under 60 % of all international programmes back within the same period .

This is a section of the industry

“ The top priorities for associations when it comes to destinations and venues are flexible contract conditions and Covid-19 related safety protocols / certification .”

which is often signalled by this report as one that can be used as a barometer for the general health of the wider meetings and events industry . If businesses are confident in investing in incentivising , then the opportunity for the industry to convene will then be similarly healthy .

SITE ’ s research showed that , when it came to the crucial decision-making processes for booking incentive programmes , ‘ contracts and risk management ’ was top of everyone ’ s list with a mean score of 8.26 . Close behind was ‘ destination selection ’ with 7.66 . Similar to the corporate market , measurement became the next focus , with ‘ better analytics ’ ( 5.26 ) and measurement ’ ( 4.67 ) both in the top five . Sustainability was just behind with a mean score of 4.07 , so much a part of the conversation , but falling in comparison to having a safe , secure , reliable and measured programme .

These statistics are further supported when incentive procurement professionals were asked about the key factors when choosing incentive destinations . Again , ‘ safety ’ was top of the list with a mean score of 5.4 , ahead of ‘ destination appeal ’ with 5.1 . ‘ Infrastructure ’ and ‘ access ’ came next in priority with scores of 4.8 and 4.3 , underlining the importance of destinations that are capable of handling incentive business .

One of the big opportunities for the sector is its ability to capitalise on trends such as : sustainability , wellness and global-local . A new breed of Destination Management Company ( DMC ) is being created that look to join businesses ’ renewed commitment to the environment , to delegates ’ increasing need to ‘ connect ’ with destinations and create ‘ purpose ’ from their travel . It allows businesses to achieve their own sustainability goals , it creates better outcomes for the delegate , while offering more value for the host destination .