The value of the human brain is set to become one of the defining forces in business events, according to a first look at the IBTM World Trends Report 2027, which points to an emerging Brain Economy worth an estimated $6.2 trillion.
Written by Alistair Turner, Managing Director of Eight PR & Marketing, and with valuable input from Megan Henshall of Google XI, this year’s report introduces ‘Regeneration’ as a new direction for the Experiences Economy, building on the industry’s recent focus on personalisation and transformation. Alongside the growing value placed on human cognition, Regeneration considers how business events can foster more meaningful friendships and rethink the established stories that shape how people see the world. The full findings will be presented at IBTM World in Barcelona on 28 November, where delegates will be among the first to explore them.
As technology takes on more of the thinking we once did ourselves, the report argues that our capacity to imagine and learn is only growing in value. What that means for the spaces and experiences the events industry creates is one of the central questions it sets out to answer.
It also asks whether the industry has been undervaluing networking, which has long been the measure of a good event. Against a backdrop of hybrid working and rising loneliness, the report suggests friendship may deserve a far bigger place in how we understand the value of gathering.
AI features heavily, though perhaps not in the way many would expect. Alongside the tools already changing how events are designed, the report considers what becomes more precious as more of working life is automated and makes the case that being physically in the room may matter more than ever.
Alistair Turner said: “In essence, the Trends Report seeks to understand how we, as an industry, Meet the Moment in this age of disruption. This year’s answer is optimistic, exciting and revolutionary. The industry now has the growth, stability and confidence to move beyond evolution, rethink established ideas and reinvent and regenerate itself. Across the research, from regions and industry sectors around the world to conversations with leading voices in events, there is a clear ambition to turn that confidence into meaningful change, shaping both what business events can achieve and how they contribute to the world.”
Megan Henshall, Google XI, said: “So many of the stories organisations tell about themselves were written for a world that no longer exists. Events are one of the few places where people can come together and start writing new ones. My message to the industry is that it’s time to pick the pen back up.”
The full report goes further still, looking at how a shifting global picture and a changing workforce will shape where demand for meetings comes from in the years ahead. Destinations will also find a fresh way of thinking about what makes a place distinctive, beneath the familiar city and national narratives.
IBTM World’s Show Director, Claudia Hall, said: “Nobody in our industry needs telling that this is a period of disruption. What struck me about this year’s report is how much reason it gives us for optimism. As artificial intelligence changes how we work, the human qualities that events enable (creativity, learning, trust and meaningful connection) will become more valuable, not less. The report challenges us to think differently about the environments we create and how we measure their impact. I am looking forward to beginning that conversation with the global industry in Barcelona.”
Over 2,500 destinations, hotels, venues, event tech suppliers, and event startups are expected to attend this year’s event, to meet with more than 12,000 event professionals from across the globe for three days of scheduled appointments, product discovery, practical learning and networking.
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