Ninety-five percent of event planners may run a hybrid event in 2020, according to a survey by etc.venues. This figure reflects the growing commitment to hybrid events as, at the beginning of July, 73 percent said they expected to hold a hybrid event this year. Many are already putting this into action, with 34 percent of respondents in the process of organizing a hybrid or multi-hub event, while 61 percent are in the decision-making phase for their event.

As signs of recovery continue in the business travel sector, travel procurement professionals are prioritizing the health and safety of employees, according to a new poll released by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

A survey of event professionals by etc.venues during its first hybrid event since lockdown revealed that almost three-quarters (73 percent) of them are planning a hybrid event before the end of the year.

A fifth (19 percent) of planners said the biggest barrier to choosing a hybrid event is a lack of experience, followed by concerns over cost (17 percent), risk of failure (17 percent), perceptions of low attendance (17 percent), confusion with technology (16 percent) and getting stakeholder buy-in (15 percent).

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Last week’s ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) U.K. and Ireland Chapter meeting was attended by more than 90 delegates from destinations, venues and suppliers. It was moderated by newly appointed chairman of Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), Simon Hughes. 

The majority of organizations will take a phased approach to resuming domestic and international business travel over the next 12 months, according to the first part of a combined multinational "State of the Market" survey by global travel management company (TMC) FCM Travel Solutions and sister SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) specialist business travel provider Corporate Traveler.

The business travel sector is showing higher levels of optimism of late, according to new research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Domestic and essential business travel will likely resume first, especially with industry standardized health and safety standards.

To continue to understand the effects of the coronavirus’s on business travel, GBTA conducted its eighth poll among membership from June 9 – 14, 2020. GBTA received responses from 1,708 member companies throughout the world.

Per a new report from BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, online and digital gatherings are on the rise, with seven in 10 event professionals already having rebooted face-to-face programs as virtual events, according to industry leaders. Moreover, fall 2020 is when most meeting professionals expect to resume live programs, even as they anticipate that online programming will increasingly live side-by-side alongside, rather than detract from, in-person events going forward.

There continues to be small signs of optimism in the travel sector according to new research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Health and safety measures, while always a cornerstone of travel, are now of significant importance as the industry tries to gain momentum for recovery.