What Corporate Event Planners Are Booking for 2027

Picture a corporate events manager in Dallas on a late-October afternoon, with next year’s budget spreadsheet open and a line labeled “keynote” she has not filled in yet.

Her costs are going up. Her leadership wants an event people talk about. Somewhere between those two pressures, she has to decide what kind of speaker earns a place on the 2027 agenda.

Corporate event planners expect to run more meetings in 2027, spend more on them and ask more of the people on stage. That is the clearest signal from the 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, released by American Express Global Business Travel on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026.

The forecast, now in its sixteenth year, is based on a YouGov survey of 500 meetings professionals in eleven countries, with fieldwork from Aug. 5 to 14, 2026. For speakers planning next year’s pitches, the details matter more than the headline.

What did the 2027 meetings forecast find?

Optimism is high but cooling. According to the full report, 93% of respondents are optimistic about the health of the sector in 2027, and they expect to hold more meetings of every type than in 2026. But only 45% call themselves “very optimistic,” down from 62% in last year’s forecast.

North America is the more confident region. The report puts North American respondents at 94% optimistic, with 51% very optimistic. Hotel Dive’s coverage on Oct. 14 highlighted the same 51% figure.

Spending is expected to climb. The press release says 91% expect overall meetings and events spend to rise in 2027, and the report adds that one in ten expect budgets to rise by more than 11%.

What formats are planners asking for in 2027?

For the third year in a row, the top priority is “improving attendee experience with more memorable events,” chosen by 42% of respondents. Asked how attendee expectations have changed over the last two years, planners pointed to:

• More personalized interactions (35%)
• Richer social and curated networking (31%)
• Hands-on, interactive sessions and workshops (31%)

The report describes the “instagrammable” era as receding, replaced by in-person experiences that feel human and personal. One contributor put the case for live events plainly:

“Events are the only part of the marketing mix where you can tap into longer dwell times, cut through the noise, and engage all five senses to connect with your customers.” Richard Atkinson-Toal, Global Vice President, Experience Studio by Amex GBT

For speakers, that is a brief for participation. A 45-minute monologue competes with a format the audience can touch: a working session, a facilitated table exercise, a keynote that ends in a breakout.

How will rising costs change who gets booked?

Costs are rising on every line. The report says total cost per attendee is expected to increase for every meeting type, with 91% expecting increases for product launches and 82% for conferences without a trade show.

Planners are not cancelling to cope. Only 25% report holding fewer events in response to economic uncertainty. Instead they are adjusting: 36% are making more use of virtual meetings technology, 35% are changing destinations and 31% are reducing food and beverage spend per attendee. About one in five (21%) are seeking sponsorship or other supplementary funding.

Cost has also fallen to fifth place among planning challenges, from first in the 2026 forecast, which suggests planners feel better equipped this year. Even so, a fee will be judged against what it delivers. Our list of nine things speakers should negotiate besides the fee covers ways to add value without discounting.

Where are 2027 meetings headed?

In a survey of 186 Amex GBT meetings and events professionals cited in the report, the top North American destinations for 2027 were Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Dallas. Europe’s list was led by Barcelona and London, and Asia Pacific’s by Singapore and Bangkok.

Venues are shifting too. Cvent’s 2026 Planner Sourcing Report, published Oct. 8, 2025, from a July 2025 survey of more than 1,650 planners, found 48% sourcing non-hotel spaces such as restaurants, art galleries, bars and wineries, up more than 30 percentage points since 2023. The same survey found 70% expected in-person events to increase in 2026, down from nearly 90% a year earlier.

Smaller, more distinctive rooms change the job on stage. A talk built for a ballroom with a confidence monitor may need a version that works in a gallery with no riser.

How do planners actually choose a speaker?

The Amex GBT forecast does not break out speaker selection. The most detailed recent data comes from AAE Speakers Bureau’s 2024 Speaking Industry Benchmark Report, which PCMA’s Convene reported on in April 2024. It is older than the forecast, so read it as context, not a 2027 prediction.

In that survey of 340 organizers, audience engagement was the top booking priority (67%), followed by education for the audience (49%), with staying within budget a top priority for two in five. Fewer than 8% of organizers made booking decisions alone, and attendance was the top success measure for three in four.

That last point matters. If several people sign off on a speaker, the pitch has to survive being forwarded. Our guide to effective strategies for engaging with event planners covers how to make that easy.

What should speakers pitch to corporate planners for 2027?

Based on what planners told Amex GBT and Cvent, a few adjustments look sensible for the next booking cycle:

• Offer an interactive version. Package the keynote with a workshop or facilitated breakout, since hands-on sessions are a stated attendee expectation.
• Show how you personalize. Explain how you tailor examples, exercises and follow-up to the specific audience.
• Make the value visible. With cost per attendee rising, connect your session to an outcome the planner’s leadership cares about.
• Be flexible on format. Have a version ready for virtual delivery and for unconventional venues.

Back in Dallas, the events manager is not looking for the most famous name she can afford. She is looking for a session her attendees will remember and her finance team can defend. In 2027, the speakers who fill that keynote line will be the ones who make both arguments in the same pitch.

Frequently asked questions

When do corporate event planners book speakers for the next year?

Timing varies by event size and company, but many planners set budgets and agendas in the fall for the following year. Larger conferences often lock keynotes months ahead, while internal meetings and workshops can book on shorter notice.

What topics are corporate events booking speakers for?

In AAE Speakers Bureau's 2024 benchmark survey reported by PCMA, organizers' top topics were leadership and motivation, DEI, AI, mental health and the future of work. Topic demand shifts each year, so check recent event agendas in your target industry.

Are corporate events still mostly in person?

Planners expect more meetings of every type in 2027, according to Amex GBT's forecast, and the report stresses demand for in-person experiences. Virtual tools remain part of the mix, with 36% planning more use of virtual meetings technology to manage rising costs.

How can a speaker stand out to a corporate event planner?

Make the planner's job easier: show a clear audience outcome, offer an interactive or workshop format, provide video and references, and explain how you tailor content. Remember that several people often approve the booking, so materials should be easy to forward.

Is the Amex GBT meetings forecast free to read?

Amex GBT publishes a press release and a downloadable PDF of the 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast through its meetings and events pages. The report covers priorities, costs, AI use, risk management and regional outlooks.

Sources

• Amex GBT: Meetings Professionals Refuse to Compromise on Attendee Experience in 2027
• Amex GBT: 2027 Global Meetings and Events Forecast (PDF)
• Hotel Dive: Global meeting professionals overwhelmingly optimistic about 2027
• Cvent: 2026 Global Cvent Planner Sourcing Report
• PCMA Convene: Survey Explores Speaker and Planner Dynamics