How 2025 event trends will influence 2026

The indispensable role of the human element

Something shifted this year. Profoundly. After years marked by Zoom fatigue and hybrid formats often experienced as stopgap solutions, 59% of event planners reported a clear preference for in-person-only events over hybrid or fully virtual options. Not a marginal inclination, but a decisive signal.

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The data tells a story that goes beyond mere statistics. Research presented by IMEX Frankfurt and The Meetings Show confirmed that 70% of attendees place face-to-face networking at the top of their priorities, while 62% stated that in-person sessions generated higher-quality business relationships compared to virtual formats. This is not nostalgia speaking, but evidence of tangible outcomes. Still, this shift did not amount to a rejection of digital formats, which continue to hold strategic value for reach, accessibility and continuity when integrated thoughtfully.

Sustainability stopped being optional and became law

Here’s what changed: companies can no longer choose sustainability as a nice branding exercise. The European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now requires organisations to disclose detailed sustainability metrics, including the environmental impact of their events. Legal obligation, not marketing fluff.

The numbers underscore this transformation. 54% of meeting professionals agree sustainability is “extremely” or “very important,” a figure representing mainstream adoption rather than fringe concern. More telling: the new ISO 20121:2024 standard links events more closely with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

What does this look like practically? Venues with energy-efficient infrastructure became baseline requirements. Digital materials replaced printed programmes. Recyclable badges. Carbon-neutral catering from local vendors. Zero-waste ambitions moved from aspiration to implementation.

Personalisation evolved from buzzword to science

Generic messaging died in 2025. Good riddance. Research demonstrated that personalised communications can outperform generic messaging by over 200%, transforming personalisation from nice-to-have to competitive necessity.

Artificial intelligence drove this revolution, particularly in content delivery. But here’s the nuance: AI served as tool, not replacement. The most successful events combined analytical AI strengths with thoughtful human curation, ensuring every touchpoint resonated authentically.

What actually mattered beneath the surface

Companies that treated events as strategic investments rather than discretionary expenses saw measurable returns in employee engagement, client relationships, and brand perception. Those viewing events as line items to minimise missed opportunities their competitors seized.

The corporate events landscape transformed not because new technologies emerged (though they helped), but because organisations finally understood what attendees actually valued: genuine connection, environmental consciousness, and acknowledgment as individuals rather than attendee numbers. 2025 didn’t invent these principles—it simply stopped ignoring them.

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