The Future of Events: Navigating Uncertainty in a Fractured World

By Pádraic Gilligan, Co-Founder, SoolNua | Research & Consultancy, SITE

We now live in a global society where conflict, in all its forms, has become the new normal. Game-changing decisions that impact entire industries are being made—and unmade—within 24 hours. Global trade, poverty alleviation programs, pathways to peace, and even fundamental values like inclusiveness are being actively weaponized in a frenzied power struggle that seems light-years away from the core principles of a civilized society: peaceful coexistence, truthfulness, integrity, honesty, and care for the most vulnerable. The gap between what should be and what is feels as stark as the difference between a perfectly curated gourmet meal on Instagram and the disappointing reality on your plate.

And yet, as Samuel Beckett—Irish dramatist and existentialist—famously stated in The Unnamable, “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” So on we go. Despite the challenge of keeping research in step with the breakneck pace of our evolving global marketplace, we turn our attention to a newly released report from the Events Industry Council (EIC), generously supported by SITE Foundation.

At SITE’s recent Global Conference in Tulum, Mexico, EIC’s Amy Calvert launched The Futures Landscape Report 2025, the culmination of a year-long collaboration among EIC’s 60+ association and corporate members. The report was designed to uncover and understand the key issues shaping the future of the business events community. It’s a deep and comprehensive piece of research—like peeling an endless onion of global data, each layer revealing sharper insights and leaving you wanting more (without the tears). But given the volatile geopolitical climate of the past five months, some of its findings may already be outdated.

What’s Shaping the Future of Events?

According to the report, the “futures” landscape is defined by a dozen critical themes. The top three in terms of importance are:

1. The Events Business Model
2. Talent
3. Risk Mitigation

Meanwhile, Mobility, Infrastructure, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ranked lowest.

The events business model has long been in need of an overhaul, so it’s no surprise that respondents identified it as the most important theme. The report highlights three macro forces reshaping the model:

• The entry of technology
• Rising costs
• Shifts in employer-employee relationships

I’d add a fourth: compensation—both in terms of fees paid for services rendered and overall wage levels in our industry.

Globally, the events supply chain is more complex than most clients realize. Consider an association conference originating in France and delivered in Thailand—this could involve both a core and local PCO (Professional Conference Organizer). Similarly, an incentive program originating in Canada and delivered in Brazil is likely to require both a Canadian agency and a local DMC. Each plays an essential role—but does the client recognize this? More importantly, are they willing to pay a fair fee to both?

Meanwhile, the economic model underpinning hospitality—the broader industry through which we deliver our value—remains a classic pyramid. Executive salaries at the top are made possible only by the low wages of those at the bottom. As cost pressures increase, how sustainable is this model?

The Curious Case of Mobility

One of the report’s more surprising findings is the low ranking of Mobility as a priority issue. Defined in the report as “protectionism, visa challenges, travel disruptions, and access to knowledge-sharing,” mobility is, in my view, a ticking time bomb.

From my vantage point in Europe, mobility issues are poised to escalate dramatically as travel, like trade, becomes weaponized. At SITE Global Conference, I spoke with an agency that has already been forced to relocate eight meetings and incentive programs originally planned for the U.S. to Canada due to client concerns.

Compounding this, the U.S. administration is now considering new travel restrictions affecting citizens from up to 41 countries. At the same time, Level 1 and 2 travel advisories have been issued to U.S. travelers for several destinations, including Turks & Caicos—an upscale Caribbean resort destination—and Albania, which was recently listed by Condé Nast Traveler as one of The Best Places to Go in Europe in 2025.

The intersection of geopolitical instability, travel restrictions, and industry economics presents a formidable challenge for business events and incentive travel professionals.

But as Beckett reminds us, we go on. And in that persistence, perhaps, lies the future of our industry.