Event Planning Trends Poll

EventMB State of the Event Industry Report data shows hybrid events grew from roughly 12% of all professional events in 2020 to 35% by 2025. The growth was accelerated by the pandemic but has sustained because hybrid formats expand audience reach and provide content that can be repurposed after the live event. Pure in-person events still dominate for networking-heavy formats; pure virtual events have declined as pandemic restrictions ended.

EventMB data shows post-event ROI measurement is the top challenge for 47% of planners, followed by attendee engagement (38%), budget constraints (35%), and technology integration for hybrid formats (29%). The ROI measurement gap persists because most organizations lack the CRM attribution infrastructure to connect event attendance to downstream revenue, making event budgets harder to defend than measurable channels like paid media.

Industry research shows engagement varies by objective. In-person events consistently score highest for networking and relationship-building. Virtual events perform best for educational content delivery and global reach. Hybrid events extend the audience but require deliberate engagement design for the virtual audience, which is often treated as a second-class experience. The format should follow the primary objective rather than a default preference.

EventMB and Bizzabo research shows event budgets are shifting from pure venue and catering spend toward technology, production, and content creation. Hybrid events typically cost 20-30% more than pure in-person events of the same size because of the production infrastructure for the virtual component. Organizations are offsetting this by reaching larger total audiences and extending content value post-event.

Embedding the poll on your own site captures real preference and challenge data from your specific audience rather than relying on industry reports. You learn which formats and challenges your visitors actually experience, and you can segment responses by traffic source to see how different referral channels compare. Most planners use the result to calibrate format decisions and vendor conversations for upcoming events.

Event ROI = (Pipeline or Revenue Generated − Total Event Cost) ÷ Total Event Cost × 100%.

10 areas: date, venue, catering, entertainment, invitations, budget, vendor contracts, timeline, contingency plan, and day-of coordination.

10 criteria: clear objectives, realistic budget, audience definition, success metrics, timeline, brand guidelines, technical needs, dietary requirements, accessibility, and contingency planning.

Overall event satisfaction, content quality, speaker quality, format, networking, registration and check in experience, the single biggest improvement opportunity, and likelihood to return.

Event costs vary widely: a simple 50-person gathering costs $3,000-6,000, a 100-person corporate event costs $10,000-30,000, and a 200+ person conference costs $30,000-100,000+.