Last updated: October 2026
Looking for the latest event planning trends and event industry statistics for 2026?
This page brings together 42 current benchmarks on industry growth, in-person attendance, virtual and hybrid events, AI and event technology, budgets, trade shows, venue sourcing, and attendee behavior.
The data includes 2025 and 2026 survey findings plus longer-term market forecasts, with each statistic tied directly to its research source.
Event Planning Industry Trends 2026: Key Takeaways
- In-person events continue to grow: 57% of B2B event organizers reported higher in-person attendance, while 66% planned to host more events. (Bizzabo)
- Costs are putting more pressure on planners: 72% of planners expect event costs to rise in 2026, and 35% say staying within budget is their biggest concern. (Cvent)
- AI is becoming part of everyday event planning: 84% of planners expect AI to have a moderate-to-major impact on the industry, while 61% expect to increase their AI use. (Cvent)
- Attendee engagement is becoming a core success metric: 63% of planners now cite attendee engagement as their primary KPI. (Cvent)
- Attendees expect better event technology: 73% expect in-person conferences to incorporate modern event technology. (Bizzabo)
- Event decisions happen earlier than registration data suggests: 84% of attendees decide to attend an event at least one month before they actually register. (Freeman)
How Big Is the Event Planning Industry? Market Size Statistics
Market-size estimates use different definitions of the events industry, so they are best treated as directional benchmarks rather than directly comparable totals.
- $736.8 billion was the estimated size of the global events industry in 2021. (Allied Market Research)
- $2.5 trillion is the projected size of the global events industry by 2035. (Allied Market Research)
- 6.8% CAGR is the projected growth rate for the global events industry from 2024 to 2035. (Allied Market Research)
In-Person Event Planning Trends & Attendance Statistics
- 57% of B2B event organizers said attendance at their in-person conferences, summits, and conventions increased over the previous year. Bizzabo surveyed more than 1,500 organizers and attendees. (Bizzabo)
- 66% of organizers planned to host more events in 2025 than they did the previous year. (Bizzabo)
- 54% of attendees said they planned to attend more in-person events in 2025. (Bizzabo)
- 49% of event professionals in PCMA's 2025 Meetings Market Survey said attendance at their latest in-person event was higher than at their comparable pre-pandemic event. (PCMA Convene)
- 34% of PCMA respondents said attendance at their most recent in-person event remained below its pre-pandemic level. (PCMA Convene)
- 49% of PCMA respondents expected their in-person event attendance to increase over the following year, while 38% expected it to remain stable. (PCMA Convene)
PCMA's survey included 80 qualified event professionals, with 89% working for North America-based organizations, so those results should be read primarily as a North American benchmark. (PCMA Convene)
For registration-to-attendance rates and no-show benchmarks, see Nunify's 39 Event Attendance Rate Statistics & Benchmarks (2026).
Virtual & Hybrid Event Statistics
- 44% of event professionals in PCMA's 2025 Meetings Market Survey said their events were fully in-person with no digital component. (PCMA Convene)
- 34% offered real-time streaming of at least part of their in-person events. (PCMA Convene)
- 21% offered asynchronous digital content alongside their in-person events. (PCMA Convene)
- 64% of organizers surveyed by Bizzabo hosted multiple local field events alongside larger conferences. (Bizzabo)
- 77% of organizers said field events were important to their organization's impact. (Bizzabo)
These figures measure different approaches to combining physical and digital experiences. Streaming, asynchronous content, field events, and full hybrid events should not be treated as interchangeable measures.
Event Technology & AI Adoption Statistics 2026
- 73% of attendees expect in-person conferences to use modern event technology, up from 63% in Bizzabo's previous comparison. (Bizzabo)
- 79% of organizers integrate their CRM or marketing automation system with their event management platform. (Bizzabo)
- 64% of organizers said they wanted to change their event management software provider within the following year. (Bizzabo)
- 84% of planners expect AI to have a moderate-to-major impact on meetings and events in 2026. (Cvent)
- 61% of planners expect to increase their use of AI in 2026. (Cvent)
- 75% of planners surveyed by Cvent were already using AI for venue searches. (Cvent)
- 65% of event professionals in PCMA's 2025 survey reported using AI tools, up from 62% in the previous survey. (PCMA Convene)
Event Budget, Cost & ROI Statistics
- 72% of planners expect event costs to rise in 2026. (Cvent)
- 35% of planners say staying within budget is their biggest event-planning concern. (Cvent)
- 53% of event organizers surveyed by Bizzabo expected their event budgets to increase in 2025. (Bizzabo)
- 39% of Bizzabo respondents managed event budgets of $1 million or more in 2024. (Bizzabo)
- 36% of PCMA respondents expected their overall event budgets to increase during the following year. (PCMA Convene)
- About 40% of PCMA respondents expected their overall event budgets to remain unchanged. (PCMA Convene)
- 40% of event organizers still reported difficulty proving event ROI in Bizzabo's 2026 research, compared with 70% in its previous benchmark. (Bizzabo)
Rising costs and rising budgets are not the same metric. The research suggests many teams are receiving more budget while still facing pressure from faster-growing event costs.
Trade Show, Exhibition & Venue Planning Statistics
- The U.S. B2B exhibition industry's CEIR Index reached 93.6 in 2025, leaving overall performance 6.4% below 2019 levels. (IAEE/CEIR)
- Professional attendance at U.S. B2B exhibitions grew 4.7% in 2025. (IAEE/CEIR)
- Real exhibition revenue remained more than 10% below pre-pandemic levels in 2025, despite improving attendance. (IAEE/CEIR)
- CEIR forecasts overall U.S. B2B exhibition industry growth of 2.1% in 2026. (IAEE/CEIR)
- 48% of event planners surveyed by Cvent were sourcing non-hotel venues such as restaurants, galleries, and other special-event spaces. (Cvent)
- 63% of planners expect venues to respond to RFPs for events of up to 50 attendees within four business days. (Cvent)
- 97% of planners say following a structured RFP and venue-sourcing process saves time and money. Among them, 42% report cost reductions of 10–30%, and 40% report time savings in the same range. (Cvent)
CEIR's figures cover the U.S. B2B exhibition industry, not the entire global events market. Its index combines exhibit space, professional attendance, exhibitor numbers, and inflation-adjusted revenue. (IAEE/CEIR)
What Do Attendees Value Most at Events?
- 63% of planners now identify attendee engagement as their primary event success metric. (Cvent)
- 51% of attendees say effective networking alone can be enough of a reason to return to an event. (Freeman)
- 40% of younger attendees in Freeman's NowGen cohort say networking can feel awkward. (Freeman)
- 30% of younger attendees say they struggle to start conversations while networking. (Freeman)
- 61% of attendees in Freeman and IMEX research defined an immersive experience as hands-on product interaction. The study surveyed more than 2,600 attendees and organizers. (Freeman and IMEX)
- Attendees who experience a standout, goal-aligned “peak moment” are 85% more likely to return to an event. (Freeman and IMEX)
- 84% of attendees decide to attend an event at least one month before completing registration, according to Freeman's September 2026 survey of 3,459 attendees and exhibitors. (Freeman)