Event Professionals Expect Bigger Attendance and More Group Travel in 2026

The numbers point up

Skift Meetings compiled the key research shaping the events industry in 2026, and the attendance picture is optimistic. According to the Meeting Professionals International outlook for the first quarter of 2026, 57 percent of event professionals anticipate favorable conditions over the next year, 53 percent expect favorable budgets, and 60 percent predict an increase in meeting attendance.

Corporate gatherings are growing too. The Navan and Skift State of Corporate Travel and Expense report finds that 72 percent of business travelers will attend two offsite gatherings in 2026, and one in six will attend at least four.

Group travel is surging

The most striking number in the roundup is about how people travel. Eighty six percent of business travelers say they will travel more as a group in 2026, up from 73 percent the previous year. Trade shows are growing alongside, with business to business exhibitions forecast to grow about two percent this year.

More gatherings mean more connections to manage

The industry is navigating real headwinds, from geopolitical uncertainty to shifting budgets, yet the direction is clear. More people are attending more gatherings, often together in groups, and each of those gatherings produces a wave of new introductions. The organizations that benefit most will be the ones that treat those connections as an asset to manage after the event, not a byproduct that evaporates when the badge comes off.