Are your 2026 events built for the reality planners are facing this year?
Event satisfaction dropped 8% from 2024 to 2025, budgets remain tight for two-thirds of teams, and attendee behavior is changing quicker than many expected.
Even so, the broader events industry is heading in a strong direction. It’s projected to grow at a 13.5% CAGR through 2028, more than doubling from $886.99 billion in 2020 to $2.19 trillion.
When you understand what’s driving those changes, planning stops feeling like guesswork.
Here’s what’s worth paying attention to this year, and how to respond.
Below is a breakdown of the six core trends we’re seeing, along with insights from GoGather’s event planning experts and affiliate partner network.
Let’s dive in!
Attendees no longer want to sit through long sessions, eat banquet chicken, and stand around awkwardly at cocktail hours. They want experiences that feel personal and aligned with the destination they traveled to.
The strongest ROI in 2026 comes from thoughtful experience design, not throwing more stuff at your agenda.
Experience design is about value. Attendees want their time onsite to mean something, both professionally and personally.
As Valentina Perez, a Project Manager at GoGather, explains:
“Attendees love experiences that feel tailored, not generic.”
And from Dave Wanger, President of GoGather:
“More people are asking for experiences that tie into their company’s actual purpose.”
If your 2026 events don’t offer moments people will talk about later, they risk blending into everything else.
Large general sessions with 90-minute slideshows are losing their shine.
Attendees want content that is tactical, specific to their role, and so helpful they couldn’t have found it on Google or ChatGPT.
Attendees expect content that directly applies to them.
“Attendees have a lower threshold for content that feels too generic. They’re not here [at your event] for abstract ideas. They want real answers to real challenges.” – Katie Moser Stuck, Director of Business Development and Marketing at GoGather
How can you apply this to your events?
Less content is okay, but make sure it's better content.
Attendees behave differently than they did even two years ago, because they’re far more protective of their time and less willing to sit through content that doesn’t feel relevant.
As Shannon Fouts, Project Manager II at GoGather, says:
“Attendees are booking hotels later and later, right up against cutoff dates, and it impacts everything from attrition to revenue planning.”
And from Hannah Baumgartner, Project Contractor from GoGather:
“People want more networking and social time. With content available virtually, the real value is connection.”
Attendees are more selective, but they’re also more appreciative when your event truly fits their needs.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now, but most of the adoption is happening backstage, not in the attendee journey. With only 45% of planners using AI to improve operations or personalize experiences, many events are missing easy wins.
Shannon Fouts, Project Manager II at GoGather, shared:
“AI note takers help us stay more present on-site. We use them constantly.”
Valentina, Project Coordinator at GoGather, adds:
“AI is useful for explaining contract clauses or researching a destination before sourcing.”
But it’s coming. AI will eventually help attendees:
Our prediction? 2026 is the bridge year.
If the last decade was about giant LED walls, 2026 is about thoughtful production that helps tell a story.
Our event production partners at Tallen put it best:
“Technology is incredible, but pairing it with theatrical and emotional moments of human connection is what makes an event unforgettable.” – Tamesis Batiste, Director of Enterprise Events, Tallen
“The real magic happens when you blend theatrics with thoughtful design. A quick shift in lighting, staging, or layout can completely change the energy in the room and create those unexpected ‘wow’ moments attendees remember.” — Victor Johnson, Production Designer, Tallen
Event attendees are harder to impress, but they’re also more emotionally attuned. A well-designed room can:
Production is becoming less about maximum intensity and more about resonance.
2026 still carries many of the constraints of recent years. There are still tight markets, rising costs, limited availability, complex contracting, and leadership pressure.
Planners are being asked to manage:
But there are only so many hours in the day for smaller, internal planning teams.
Leslie Taborga, Director of Strategic Partnerships at GoGather, shared one of the most common issues:
“If not reviewed carefully, people often miss the fine print in contracts (service charge taxability, bartender fees, waste removal); those small things can blow up your F&B budget.”
As Sierra Gillis, Project Manager at GoGather, put it:
“Lean on the people around you. Surround yourself with good support and rest, otherwise it’s easy to get overwhelmed.”
Need support aligning your budget, goals, audience needs, and destination into one cohesive plan? Our team would be happy to help shape your 2026 or 2027 event strategy. Schedule a meeting with us to talk through your goals.