Meeting and Event Trends and Insights for 2025

It’s that time of year again when event planners in the US and beyond are looking ahead to the must-know meeting and event trends for 2025. If you want to get a head-start on 2025, read on to discover some of the biggest 2025 event trends, from choosing local venues to sustainable meetings and the use of AI to create better event experiences.

Continued rise of in-person meetings

One thing is clear: attendees are craving human connection. 88% of respondents in a Harvard Business Review study said that in-person meetings are critical for developing positive, long-term relationships. We’ve seen a huge surge in the number of organizations requesting in-person meetings and events, and we’re confident that this will continue into 2025 and beyond.

This includes everything from networking events, professional “speed dating” events, conferences, team meetings and more. While online meetings have their place, there’s nothing quite like getting everyone in the same room to meet face to face!

Of course, attendees still expect events to meet the heightened post-pandemic hygiene and safety standards, so be mindful that some attendees may appreciate having extra space for social distancing.

Looking local

While a massive 66% of event planners expect the number of offsite meetings to increase in 2025, attendee budgets aren’t expected to keep up. In 2024, 50% of event attendees said that their travel budgets had decreased, and this is likely to continue into 2025.

What this means is that event planners should be looking at more local venues for 2025 events. Instead of flying everyone out to a big city, such as Orlando or NYC, look at where the majority of attendees are based, and choose somewhere closer to home, where you can also incorporate authentic local experiences to elevate your event. If your events attract people from a wide range of locations, consider more cost-effective, second-tier cities with affordable transport links to help attendees stretch their travel budgets further.

Working with experts like AMI can help organizations maximize their budget by making smarter location choices. Our meeting organizers keep a close eye on venue price trends across the US, so we can recommend the best cities for your upcoming events.

Prioritizing sustainable events

Sustainability is set to be a huge 2025 event trend. Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their events and meetings, whether that’s printed resources, unwanted swag, or the carbon footprint of attendee travel.

Sustainability is one of AMI’s core values, which is why we’re committed to eco-friendly sourcing, waste reduction, recycling, and helping our clients make greener choices. Simple swaps, such as digitizing event resources, opting for eco-friendly “slow travel”, and choosing sustainable venues helps our clients help the planet, which can only be a good thing in 2025 and beyond!

It’s also important to consider DEI as part of your sustainable events. This can include everything from ensuring there are catering options which are both sustainable and inclusive for a range of dietary requirements, to partnering with local, diverse vendors.

Making use of AI

AI is the hottest topic in the event world right now, and we see it being used in two ways to enrich events in 2025:

• For event organizers and meeting planners – AI is a powerful tool for sourcing event venues, generating session descriptions, creating event artwork, and more. We expect to see a massive increase in organizations using AI as part of the event planning process in 2025 – find out how it’s already being used.
• To enrich the attendee experience – It’s not just about the organizers! AI can also boost the attendee experience, from smart session recommendations based on interests and job role to matching them with other event guests for valuable networking opportunities.

If you missed our recent webinar about AI for events, watch the recording on LinkedIn!

Quality, not quantity

We’ve all returned from a conference or expo with swag that inevitably ends up in the trash or at Goodwill. In 2025, event organizers who want to offer swag to attendees should opt for more thoughtful, genuinely useful items that won’t just end up in landfill in six months.

Instead of sending attendees home with a tote bag stuffed with pens, stress balls, branded t-shirts, and desk toys, invest in fewer, high-quality gifts that your guests will genuinely appreciate. This includes items such as charging pads, sherpa blankets, and ring lights, that people can use at your event, back at their desk, or on the move.

Health-conscious catering

Today’s event attendees are much more health conscious, and the standard meeting fare of basic sandwiches or fast food will no longer cut it. Event organizers also need to cater for a wide range of diets, including vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher and all number of allergies and food intolerances, meaning it’s worth taking the time to come up with inclusive, healthy meeting menus.

Many venues will provide their own in-house caterers, who will be experienced in creating menus for a wide range of attendees, but going the extra mile to select healthy food options to keep guests energized and focused all day will help set your events apart. 2025 catering trends include plant-based food, global cuisines, and bowl-based meals, such as rice and poke bowls. For your 2025 events, why not take inspiration from your meeting destination with nutritious local cuisine?

Prioritizing mental and physical wellbeing

Beyond healthy catering, organizations are also thinking more deeply about the impact of events on attendees’ mental and physical wellbeing. Traveling to events can be mentally and physically stressful, and can be particularly challenging for those with disabilities.

That’s why event organizers are considering new ways to make events more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone. This could include everything from building more breaks into the agenda so attendees can stretch their legs, to providing quiet rooms to get away from busy spaces, to providing pre-event networking opportunities to enable attendees to introduce themselves in a low-pressure virtual environment.

Themed environments

A key 2025 event trend will be designing more immersive, themed live event environments, which stick in attendees’ minds and give the event some real character.

In our recent AI webinar, Brian Cole explained how edgefactory uses AI image generators such as Wonder to come up with super creative, eye-catching event imagery, for everything from the stage backdrop to the pop-up banners.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to event themes – you could go for anything from a glitzy, James Bond-esque casino theme to a whimsical candyland, or choose a theme inspired by your sector, the event venue, the city, or even the time of year. Imagine hosting a big summer picnic for your next sales meeting, or a cozy Alpine-inspired winter wonderland for a conferences around the holidays.