VenueNow surveyed 335 professionals whose roles include event planning responsibilities in January – although just 18 per cent were event managers and coordinators, with the largest group being assistants of some kind – making up 35 per cent of respondents. Another 25 per cent worked in administration or business support, indicating event planning is only part of the roles of most respondents.
Just over 85 per cent of those surveyed said they would book their events six months or less out from the event date, while 65 per cent said budget constraints had been the dominating factor in event decisions in the past year.
In good news for AV providers with a strong in-house presence, more than three quarters – 76.2 per cent – of those surveyed said will use in-house production providers over external companies.
Venues should also be on notice, with 76 per cent of event bookers expecting a response from a venue within 24 hours.
In good news for caterers and catering departments, 37 per cent of respondents said any surplus budget would be directed towards food and beverage spend.
Amongst corporate event planners – especially those for whom this function is only part of their role, as is the case with 87 per cent of those surveyed – artificial intelligence is not about to take over.
Just a touch under half of respondents to VenueNow’s survey expressed uncertainty about using AI in event planning, with 29 per cent said they won’t be using it at all.
Data privacy and not knowing how to best use AI tools were chief amongst the reasons cited for the hesitation around using AI.
“Our research confirms people are stretched, and there’s a real appetite for anything that saves time and makes people’s often-multifaceted jobs easier,” said VenueNow CEO, Jake Dimarco.
“At the same time, the biggest trend respondents want to leave in 2025 is one-size-fits-all, cookie cutter events. These professionals want to be empowered to succeed with their output, all with the right tools in their corner.
“Filling knowledge gaps about how AI can ease processes in the events industry is a clear way forward,” said Dimarco, who is a strong proponent for AI use in the events sector.
“Used well, AI has the potential to take on time-consuming admin, from building event checklists to helping planners quickly find and compare venues, meaning people can focus on the creative side of bringing events to life.”
