This new survey of event professionals shows what’s driving attendance, engagement and trust. Nearly half of planners rank attendee-to-attendee connection as the top driver of event success, yet few program enough time for it. Face-to-face networking tops the trust hierarchy, reinforcing why experience design choices matter more than ever.

The findings from the 2026 Global Socio-Political Impact Survey, led by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, indicate a significant increase in industry disruption compared with 2025, with 73.84% of respondents saying global conflicts have impacted their ability to plan or host international meetings, up from 53.92% in 2025. This increase shows that global instability is now a central factor in conference planning, destination selection, risk management and participation.

Companies are more convinced than ever that in-person meetings and events drive real business results, but a new survey from Global DMC Partners (GDP), a large network of destination management companies and specialized event service providers, reveals a significant gap between that conviction and the ability to prove it, one the industry will need to close in order to sustain momentum.

The U.S. Travel Association recently released its report on the group travel segment, U.S. Group Travel Report: Strength Beneath the Surface.