With cost of travel and meetings rising over the past 12 months and set to further increase in the coming year, meeting planners and suppliers have called for a closer working relationship that is built on transparency, flexibility and willingness to try new ideas in order to overcome challenges.
Jessie States, vice president, MPI Consulting, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), shared in a presentation at IT&CMA and CTW APAC 2025 on September 24 that market studies conducted with meeting professionals have traced price increases mostly in the range of 10 per cent in the past one year, with some reporting adjustments in excess of 10 per cent.
While prices are going up, meeting budgets are not all moving in the same direction. Thirty per cent of meeting professionals say event budgets are down while 47 per cent are given more spending money. However, the segment of meeting professionals with bigger budgets now are down 25 per cent year-on-year.
Meeting planners do not expect relief from rising costs in the next 12 month, with most bracing for one to 10 per cent increments across F&B, audiovisual, venue, hotel, labour and transport prices.
States commented: “This is causing organisers to make some really difficult decisions when it comes to their meetings and events.”
She told TTGmice that meeting planners and vendors will need to tackle price challenges together, by “being very transparent” about the budget. This will allow vendors to design realistic experiences that satisfy meeting planners’ objectives and budget.
“That experience might look a little different than (what meeting planners may be used to), but we have seen how organisations are able to do things at cost and be wildly successful,” added States.
She pointed out that hotel companies, DMCs and other event vendors in the destination “are experts in their space” and will know the ways to get meeting planners more bang for their buck.
Eileen Quek, assistant director, sales (international) at Constellar, the company that manages the Singapore Expo convention and exhibition venue, is confident of being able to successfully navigate the rising cost of operations with her customers.
Quek detailed: “Tighter budgets do not mean reduced level of service. Constellar does not add a 10 per cent service charge to the bill, but we still provide top-notch service and support for all our events.
“In fact, we have built an ecosystem of partners with our Singapore Expo Advantage Program to ensure that meeting planners who pick us will get access to exclusive privileges that will elevate the delegate experience. With our hotel partners under the programme, for example, meeting groups may be able to secure preferential rates and complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and our venue.”
Quek recently led the creation of a PCO partnership initiative that will result in closer collaboration to score successful meeting bids. The collaboration will include efforts to provide the best support and experiences that match the local host’s budget as well as in-person involvement in the bid presentation alongside the local host.
Meetings on tight budgets could blend cost-saving goals with social responsibility and sustainability objectives, opined Patranuch Sudasna, director of CDM-Conference & Destination Management in Thailand.
Instead of creating unique decorations for every session, Patranuch suggested that meeting planners could adopt reusable items. Digital media could replace printed backdrops and disposable marketing materials. Event entertainment and delegate souvenirs could also be sourced from local schools or artisans, which would not only satisfy international delegates’ hunger for authentic, local experiences but also support the livelihood and social development of the host community.
States recalled “great success” in engaging a local school choir for a meeting once, and the experience moved many delegates to tears.
“We were able to help positively impact a local ecosystem like the children, but at the same time, save on costs,” she said.
