This yearly report is always interesting as it helps us look into the crystal ball regarding the meetings industry. I’ll put the entire report in the comments, but here’s my summary, including challenges and opportunities and what you need to know.
340 Event professionals took part in this survey, which consisted of:
- Corporate 38%
- Non-profits 30%
- University 17%
- Other 15%
378 Speakers took part in this survey, which consisted of those with this experience:
- 10 years or more, 62%
- 5-10 years 18%
- 2-5 years 12%
- Less than 2 years 7%
The number of events:
- 82% of Meeting professionals are planning the same or more events in 2024.
Most requested topics:
- Leadership and motivation.
- DEI/Belonging – contrary to what we may hear in the news, according to this report, it’s still a requested topic
- Artificial Intelligence
- Mental health
- Future of work
- Corporate culture (can mean many things)
- Business and tech
I want to add my cautionary note here. Decision makers are looking for high-content meetings. Motivation as a topic, in my opinion, and what I hear from my clients, isn’t a topic as much as it is a style. Ensure you’re leading with content when selling and using motivation as a style or tool.
Kinds of presentations being booked:
- Keynotes 63%
- Workshops 40%
- Q&A or panel 37%
- Emcee 21%
- Meet and greet 17%
- Entertainment 13%
In-person events:
- A whopping 78% of events planned will be in person. In 2023, it was 69%. The return to in-person is undeniable. The same percentage, 78, plan in-person events four months or more in advance.
Audience engagement:
- We saw coming out of COVID that engagement was vital. It still is. Meeting professionals want speakers who can provide engagement and content (education) and allow them to stay within budget.
Artificial Intelligence and speakers:
- According to this report, 43% of meeting pros use AI in planning. That’s a lot. 88% of those who use AI are using ChatGPT. Most common use? Assisting in creating event descriptions.
What Speakers want (and nothing that follows here is a surprise):
Speakers are mainly looking for three things.
- Events that align with their expertise
- Pay their fee
- Stay true to their values
Other interesting facts:
Speakers reported the following regarding audience size:
- 60% said audience size did not affect fees
- 40% reported it did
The entire report can be found at:
https://22376379.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/22376379/2024%20Speaking%20Industry%20Benchmark%20Report/2024%20Speaking%20Industry%20Benchmark%20Report.pdf
This report confirms a growing marketplace. I’ll repeat something I’ve said over the last couple of years: There’s never been a better time to be a professional speaker!
Copyright 2024, Lois Creamer, Book More Business. Lois works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money, and fully monetize their message.
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
314-374-4007
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