The share of meeting planners looking to resume events in 2020 has increased slightly this month but still comprises only about one-fifth of planners, according to the latest weekly survey results from i-Meet, which has been tracking meeting planner sentiment since the beginning of April.
About 21 percent of 284 planner respondents surveyed the week ending Aug. 23 expect to stage in-person events during 2020, up from 16 percent two weeks prior. Meanwhile, about 69 percent of respondents to the most recent survey expect resumption in 2021, down from a peak on Aug. 9 of 74 percent.
About 68 percent of respondents will offer a virtual component in future face-to-face events, while 22 percent remain undecided about digital offerings. Small, drive-to meetings of under 25 attendees remain the most likely events to first return, with 67 percent indicating as much as of Aug. 23.
The top factors that would influence the planning of future in-person events were confidence in duty-of-care components focused on attendee health and safety at 92 percent, followed by availability of a vaccine and other therapeutics for Covid-19 at 91 percent, and favorable or flexible cancellation and attrition terms at 90 percent.
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