Event Industry

New Report – GREAT EXPECTATIONS: The Evolving Landscape of Technology in Meetings

by Leah Layzell
10 years ago
3 min read
Written by Leah Layzell
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Technology influences every aspect of global commerce, and new research released by American Express Meetings & Events explores the many ways emerging technologies are changing the meetings industry landscape, as well as how that innovation can be harnessed to increase engagement and productivity and generate a greater return on a meetings investment.

The American Express Meetings & Events report, titled “GREAT EXPECTATIONS: The Evolving Landscape of Technology in Meetings,” surveyed 336 meeting planners and 161 meeting and event attendees globally in the first half of 2014 and reveals the similarities and gaps in attendee and planner expectations across three areas of technological advancement: virtual and hybrid meetings, social media and events apps. Some of the report’s key findings include:

  • Meeting Apps Considered Essential for Scheduling: Communication and scheduling ranked among the most important features within a meeting app for both planners and attendees, and the ability to participate in games and contests was least important to both groups.
  • Social Media Valued Higher by Planners than Attendees: Having a meetings hashtag is more important to planners than to attendees with 41% of planners indicating it is extremely or very important.
  • Interest in Virtual Meetings Rises, but In-Person Meetings are Still Preferred: Both meeting planners and attendees strongly agreed that in-person attendance continues to provide the best overall experience, however the number of virtual meetings offered and attended continues to grow. That being said, the study showed that attendees are nonetheless looking for more opportunities to attend meetings and events virtually: 63 percent of attendees agreed they would attend more meetings and events virtually if the option were available, while only 17 percent disagreed.

Find the full report in our Resources section here.

About American Express Meetings and Events
American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel, offers longstanding experience, expertise and leading capabilities spanning program implementation to budget optimization to deliver powerful meetings and events experiences for clients. The global team is focused on meetings and events sourcing, planning, contract negotiations, budgeting, expense management, reporting and benchmarking, combined with strategic counsel and integration of leading technology. This end-to-end approach focuses on creating visibility, driving savings and enabling effective meeting experiences.

With more than 40 years in the industry and a presence in over 50 countries, American Express Meetings & Events is uniquely positioned to manage meetings and events locally, regionally, internationally and across the globe. American Express Meetings & Events works with local leaders to enhance its offering to clients. To learn more about the services offered by American Express Meetings & Events, visit https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/meetings-and-events/ 

“American Express Meetings & Events” is a service provided by American Express Global Business Travel (“GBT”). GBT is a joint venture that is not wholly-owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (“American Express”). “American Express Global Business Travel”, “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express, and are used under limited license.

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Leah Layzell

Project & Directory Manager at The Meeting Pool
Leah is a designer and digital specialist based in Essex, United Kingdom, She specializes in assisting small to medium-sized enterprises with their technical support, design, projects and digital implementation so that they can run their business with ease.
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