Meetings & events spend expected to rise in 2025, NYC named top destination: Amex GBT

The meetings and events industry is projected to flourish in 2025, according to a new report by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT).

The TMC’s annual Global Meetings and Events forecast, which surveyed more than 500 people working in the M&E sector around the world, found that budgets are on the rise for two-thirds of respondents.

There’s also a high level of optimism heading into 2025, with 74 per cent of meetings professionals feeling optimistic about the industry’s health, despite challenges like rising costs and ongoing staffing shortages.

Internal meetings are expected to be the most frequent meeting type in 2025. Professionals predict that half will be held at a hotel, 34 per cent will be in a different city, and 35 per cent will include social activities for networking.

Key trends reshaping the meeting and events industry are technology, sustainability and engagement.

"Our forecast highlights a strong and optimistic outlook for the meetings and events industry,” said Gerardo Tejado, senior vice-president, professional services, Amex GBT, in a press release.  “In-person meetings continue to dominate with prioritization of attendee engagement, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology like AI to enhance the experience.”

When asked what technology they plan to use in 2025, half of those surveyed answered Artificial intelligence (AI). AI will be used for tasks such as attendee matchmaking (42 per cent), content creation (41 per cent), theme development (40 per cent) and tracking attendee engagement (39 per cent).

Additional insights from the report include:

The top five meetings and events destinations in North America for 2025 are New York, Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas and Dallas.

Location availability is the number one challenge for planning a meeting in 2025, with high costs, budget cuts and hotel staffing levels among other top concerns for planners.

The top three elements cited that contribute to a memorable meeting experience are content (38 per cent), venue (27 per cent), and destination (25 per cent).

54 per cent of meeting planners are incorporating sustainability goals, best practices and tracking across their meetings.

A significant majority (86 per cent) of meeting professionals have already implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices or plan to do so in 2025.

To see the full forecast, click here.

Top cities for meetings & events

New York has "leapfrogged Las Vegas" as the top meeting and events destination in North America, according to the 2025 Meetings & Events forecast by Amex GBT.

The TMC has published the 2025 “Top Destinations Study” as part of its annual forecast identifying the top business travel destinations for meetings and events worldwide.

The 2025 Forecast reveals significant changes in the rankings of top cities for corporate gatherings, driven by factors such as accessibility, venue affordability, and new developments in key destinations

Key Destination Rankings for 2025

North America:

1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Miami
4. Las Vegas
5. Dallas

Europe, Middle East and Africa:

1. London
2. Madrid
3. Barcelona
4. Paris
5. Berlin

Latin America:

1. Cancun
2. Mexico City
3. Buenos Aires
4. Costa Rica
5. São Paulo

Asia-Pacific:

1. Singapore
2. Tokyo
3. Bangkok
4. Hong Kong
5. Sydney

Year-on-Year Trends

The 2025 Forecast reflects notable shifts in each region, says Amex GBT. In North America, New York has overtaken Las Vegas as the top destination, while Miami and Dallas entered the top five for the first time, replacing Los Angeles and Toronto.

London remains the dominant city in EMEA, with Madrid rising to second place, overtaking Barcelona. In Latin America, Cancun surged to the top, driven by accessibility and all-inclusive options, while in APAC, Singapore and Tokyo continue to dominate with Hong Kong moving up the ranks.

To see the full forecast, which projects a high level of optimism for the Meetings & Events industry in 2025, click here.