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.

Research amongst event buyers, conducted by BMA House, an event venue in London, has shown a significant desire to seek a better work/life balance.

With the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis providing an opportunity for many individuals to focus on family, leisure and personal relationships, 68 percent of event organizers said they will seek a better work/life balance going forward. This was reflected by 60 percent of event delegates also saying they would seek improvements. 

While virtual conferences are a convenient and inexpensive option, a recent survey from PromoLeaf revealed that over 70 percent of participants prefer to attend conferences in-person. 

Among the reasons that in-person meetings are preferred are: The best networking usually happens in person (it’s hard to get the same effect online); body language and subtle communication cues don’t come across as well via video chatting; and vendors and service providers can’t provide the same level of examples and demonstrations virtually as they can in person.

Over the past several months, the world watched the global business travel industry come to a halt—but according to new research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), there are signs of optimism and recovery on the horizon. The study found that most companies are planning a recovery for 2020 with one in three planning for a recovery in three months or less. 

Among the poll’s key findings are: