The results painted an interesting picture of venues’ priorities and what their clients want.
Technology was a significant focus in the report, with the survey gauging everything from artificial intelligence usage to the changes in what constitutes essential technology for meetings and events.
Survey responses suggest AI adoption is in its infancy, with the top three uses of AI being in marketing, data analysis and in HR. The report flagged opportunities for AI applications in the kitchen, for menu planning and managing food waste. Just 13 per cent were using AI in menu planning and 11 per cent to manage food waste – the lowest numbers of all usages for AI in the survey.
The report found that there is significant investment in internet connectivity, with 87 per cent of venues having invested in this in the last two years and 64 per cent planning to invest in the next two years. Planned investment was highest – by a significant margin – in Asia Pacific, while North America had the lowest investment overall, looking backward and forward.
Changes in meeting technology were also on show in the Meeting Room of the Future report, with some marked changes in what is considered essential equipment for meetings, comparing the 2026 survey results with the survey undertaken in 2024.
LED screens are considered increasingly important, while data projectors are increasingly less so. Whiteboards and paper-based flipcharts have declined in their essential status, and so have device charging stations, bucking the advancing technology trend.
Technology products offered by venues also evidence the changing landscape – hybrid event streaming technology has dropped from the second most widely offered product to the fourth, with 22 per cent fewer venues offering it. Remote participation technologies also dropped. On the flipside, screen-sharing technology and digital signage offerings rose.
Alongside this, cybersecurity is a growing concern, with 80 per cent of respondents agreeing that it would move up the priority list in the next two years, while 61 per cent agreed that cybersecurity was an issue when introducing new event technology.
A rise in the number of venues outsourcing their AV was also uncovered by the research – up six per cent compared to 2024.
Coinciding with all of this, venues reported that there had been a drop-off in prompting of connections with the natural world. In 2020, 73 per cent of venues said they encouraged a natural connection – this has dropped to 66 per cent in 2026.
There was some significant changes – and challenges – for venues in the food and beverage department flagged in the survey.
Eighty-nine per cent of respondents agreed that there had been a rise in dietary requirements and 42 per cent said that this was increasing costs – although more so amongst non-residential venues. Overall, 68 per cent said higher food and beverage costs were affecting the service the venue provided.
Dietary requirements were also the top attendee behaviour that was influencing service and space design in venues. Higher expectations for choice, personalisation and technology were also amongst the top three attendee behaviours shaping how venues operated and what they offered.
The survey also uncovered changes in alcohol consumption, with 57 per cent of respondents saying that alcohol consumption was lower. In APAC, the proportion was even larger, with 70 per cent reporting a decrease in consumption.
As far as sustainability is concerned, more than 80 per cent of venues are sourcing F&B locally where possible and said that sustainability has become more important.
However, sustainability measures had largely dropped off, with the proportion of venues reporting sustainability practices across a range of initiatives dropping off on every front – from reducing single-use plastics to managing food waste and sustainability certification – except for the donation of unused food to charity, which had risen by 13 per cent.
Just 16 per cent of venues confirmed they had a carbon calculator available to clients, while just 10 per cent said clients were requesting carbon reporting.
