Event planning pushes past travel hurdles

Risk, safety, and travel logistics are shaping how companies approach meetings and events in 2026, even as demand for in-person engagement remains strong. New data shows organisations are maintaining or increasing budgets, while placing greater emphasis on flexibility, disruption management, and operating across complex destinations.

The global FCM Meetings and Events (FCM M&E) 2026 Trends Report reveals that safety requirements and regional travel challenges are influencing event planning, particularly across Africa. The report highlights the growing role of AI and event technology in improving planning, engagement, and risk management.

Most organisations (92%) expect their meetings and events budgets to hold steady or increase this year, with 79% naming safety and security as their top priority. Almost two-thirds (62.9%) of respondents in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) cite bigger budgets for more activities, with 48.6% managing larger delegate numbers than before.

Lance Nkwe, FCM M&E SA business leader, says: “Planners in our market are not deterred by uncertainty at the moment, they’re planning around it. Medium-sized events with 50 to 150 delegates remain the sweet spot, offering meaningful engagement without overexposure on cost or logistics.

“The 2026 Trends Report confirms what we’re seeing in RFPs across the region: the belief in face-to-face is firm, but the planning conversation starts earlier now and covers more ground: Can you deliver in Africa? Can you manage disruption, including alternate destinations and routings? How flexible are your contracts? What are your exit clauses? Understandably, clients want to know their partner has the presence and the track record to respond in a crisis.”

Key findings include:

• 74% said meetings drive employee engagement.
• 79% responded with safety and security as the top priority.
• 35% revealed that their 2026 budget will be more than 10% higher than last year.
• 63% of EMEA respondents anticipated increasing MICE spend in 2026, while 29% said it would remain flat, with just under 8% intending to decrease their spend.

Simone Seiler, FCM M&E global general manager, says: “Events are being crafted with greater care and creativity, ensuring people feel valued and safe. With 79% of respondents citing safety and security as the number one priority, choosing the right destination for your people, ensuring your supply chain is trusted throughout, and having contingency plans in place are some of the many ways customers can travel to events with confidence.”

Nkwe says: “In Africa, you’re often juggling many moving parts. Handling logistical complexity is now a baseline expectation. Visa facilitation, still a barrier across many African markets, is increasingly part of the brief, as is the ability to manage VIP and delegate security, including coordinating with law enforcement and meeting Joint Operations Compliance (JOC) requirements in South Africa, which ensures the safety, security and legality of public events.”

In addition to safety and security, sustainability and innovation are key.

Nkwe says: “Planners are making visible strides with environmentally conscious choices in venue, catering, and waste management, and there is growing interest in responsible, scalable solutions. Increasingly, it’s also about what an event ‘leaves behind’. ESG and community impact are growing in importance as clients look to demonstrate that their presence in an area contributes positively to local community development.”

* Access the full report on the website here.