About 54 percent of member planners surveyed this month by meeting planner network i-Meet believe they will be ready to resume operating face-to-face meetings and events by the end of September.
I-Meet, with more than 112,000 members, began conducting a weekly poll the beginning of April to create what it calls its Planner Confidence Index. The most recent poll, with data through April 20, received more than 900 responses from planners throughout the world. The largest portion, about 31 percent, believe meetings will resume by August or September, with an additional 19 percent targeting June or July and about 4 percent expecting them to begin before the end of May. About 26 percent answered October through December.
Compared with the previous week, when more than 600 planners responded, the percentage planning to resume operations by August or September held steady, by June or July declined from about 20 percent, and by October through December increased from about 25 percent. Those who were uncertain declined from about 12 percent to about 10 percent.
The survey also queried planners on the factors that would influence their decision to begin planning face-to-face meetings now. The No. 1 factor was favorable or flexible cancellation or attrition terms, at about 93 percent. Second was confidence in duty-of-care components focused on attendee health and safety, at about 89 percent. They are least interested in limited-time special offers, with just 38 percent finding them influential.
The next survey, currently being conducted, will include polling on hybrid meetings.