Cvent has recently published an e-book around the top 15 meeting and event trends for 2021 and recommendations to accelerate venue business recovery. The 24 page document can be downloaded here (PDF).

The trends report draws a quite optimistic picture. According to the authors, MICE and transient business begins to emerge from the uncertainty of Covid-19 to build a new and more resilient meetings and events industry.

The key trends identified by Cvent are:

2021 Trends for Hotels and Venues

• Planners will seek out environmentally sustainable venues.
• Training and up-skilling for digital competency is a necessity.
• Local partnerships will become a greater part of the hotel event experience.
• The popularity of small groups will continue to grow, especially with hybrid meeting technology.
• More venues will become “hybrid ready“.

2021 Trends for Hotel and Venue Marketing

• There will be greater awareness and emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
• Group and transient success will depend on the ability to optimise marketing initiatives around new priorities.
• Business travel will increasingly be regional.
• Elopements, micro-weddings, and hybrid weddings will provide scaled-down event options at hotels.
• Individual properties will increasingly leverage digital marketing to communicate their readiness for meetings and events.

2021 Trends for efficient Hotel and Venue Operations

• The ability to plan meetings remotely will be essential for event professionals.
• Hotels and venues will need to provide expanded health checks and increased safety support for groups.
• Food and beverage and lifestyle offerings will shift to immunity-boosting food, takeout or dine-in options, and mindfulness.
• Virtual meetings technology support may become an incremental revenue source for venues.
• Single-source technology platforms will become more important, as planners and venues prioritise efficiency