Gen X now dominates the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) workforce with 50% of all employees, according to research from Global DMC Partners, a network of independent destination management companies. The remainder of the workforce includes millennials (23%) and baby boomers (25%). The research was based on 127 responses from meeting and event professionals, mostly based in the US (58%) with others in the UK (18%), Europe-non-UK (11%) and Canada (7%).  They represent agency/third party planners; corporate/direct planners; and association and independent planners, as well as suppliers.

The research also showed:

• Global budgets tightening — Nearly 50% of planners reported budgets staying the same from 2024 to 2025, with only 25% seeing increases, as compared with nearly 40% reporting increases in the last survey. Despite even tighter budgets, end-client expectations for quality and deliverables continue to rise.
• Rising costs — Event planners are still facing notable increases in hotels/venues, food and beverage, airfare and A/V costs, adding further pressure to budgets.
• International focus on DEI and sustainability — International planners lead in both sustainability and DEI. While 32% integrate sustainability into most programs vs. 18% in the US/Canada, the DEI gap is even wider: 41% of international planners include it in most programs, compared with just 23% in the US/Canada. Cost remains a key barrier.
• Rapid growth of AI adoption — AI use in event planning grew from 48% to 57%, with chatbots (87%) leading the way, followed by grammar checkers (51%) and translation tools (30%).