VENUE SOURCING : MAJOR TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2023
What is the current state of play for venue sourcing agents ? beam members share their top trends and insights
here are many reasons to be optimistic for those in the venue sourcing sector . First , there has been a much higher bounce back for meetings post-pandemic than expected . Second , September has been a record month for events , with meeting space almost impossible to find . Third , with very short booking lead times , coupled with strong demand , agents and venues remain very busy .
There has also been a huge return to face-to-face events rather than virtual ones – people are ‘ zoomed out ’ and value personal interaction more than ever . While international events have yet to return in a meaningful way , they should soon now that Covid-19 is in retreat and once the airlines ’ current levels of service improve .
Sector insight Which sectors are driving the recovery ? Sharon Bannister , head of venue find , event account management and sales at agiito , shares her insights : “ Some customers are significantly exceeding their 2019 venue-find spend , with the public sector leading the way , followed by transport and logistics . Banking , financial services , professional services and insurance were slower to return to face-to-face meetings last year , but we have seen a significant upward trend in booking patterns in 2022 .”
Stumbling blocks Of course , the outlook isn ’ t all rosy . The business events , accommodation and meetings industry is still relatively fragile . Venues and agents alike are carrying significant losses from the Covid-19 shutdowns , many are servicing large debts , leaving little financial wiggle room . This isn ’ t being helped by a recession and inflation . Meeting costs are www . conference-news . co . uk