Survey: Incentive Travel Faces Cuts, Could Travel Manager Involvement Reduce Event Creativity?
Click here to subscribe to RRN weekly, and here for an RRN media kit.
.png)
A survey of 1,600 travel managers by Cvent suggests that price pressures have significantly increased the involvement of business travel departments in meetings and event planning and potentially could reduce demand for group incentive travel.In 2025, the survey finds, 91% of travel managers say they are now responsible for sourcing hotels and venues for their organizations’ meetings and events. Conferences are the most common event type sourced by corporate travel departments (53%), followed by training and workshops (45%) and seminars (40%).
Citing Linkedin data that about 30% of employees have some sort of hybrid work arrangement, the study suggests the need to account for that new reality in travel and meeting planning considerations.
Nearly one-third of respondents say are cutting budgets on incentive trips and internal meetings to protect profit margins; only 13% report that they plan to cut technology spending.
According to the study, “the top reasons for consolidating the management of both programs under one job function are enhanced operational efficiency (49%), cost savings (48%), and ensuring attendee satisfaction (48%). Many organizations are achieving success in at least one of these areas. A significant percentage (83%) report saving costs by jointly managing employee travel and meetings/events programs, with 54% saving between 5-10% and 32% saving between 11-20%.”
The report also finds that “The primary type of meeting driving business travel is events and conferences (62%), followed by meetings with current clients (55%) and trade shows (45%). Several key factors fuel the necessity for in-person business meetings, with organizations prioritizing opportunities to gain new customers (43%), networking opportunities (42%), and retaining existing customers (37%).
The survey suggests that a new generation of travel leaders has emerged. Millennials now account for over half (54%) of the travel managers surveyed.
Considering the new demographics in the workplace and the prevalence of hybrid work, it is questionable if most travel planners have the experience to craft the innovative new meeting formats to engage a younger generation of attendees who don’t see a benefit in sitting in auditoriums and meeting rooms all day.
Enterprise Engagement Alliance Services
Celebrating our 15th year, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance helps organizations enhance performance through:
1. Information and marketing opportunities on stakeholder management and total rewards:
ESM Weekly on stakeholder management since 2009; click here for a media kit.
RRN Weekly on total rewards since 1996; click here for a EEA YouTube channel on enterprise engagement, human capital, and total rewards insights and how-to information since 2020.
2. Learning: Purpose Leadership and Stakeholder
Management Academy to enhance future equity value and performance for your organization.3. Books on implementation: Enterprise Engagement for CEOs and Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap.
4. Advisory services and research: Strategic guidance, learning and certification on stakeholder management, measurement, metrics, and corporate sustainability reporting.
5. Permission-based targeted business development to identify and build relationships with the people most likely to buy.
6. Public speaking and meeting facilitation on stakeholder management. The world’s leading speakers on all aspects of stakeholder management across the enterprise.
