HYBRID MEETINGS ARE HERE TO STAY

Hybrid meetings will reign supreme for years to come, according to Kari Wendel, Global Vice President, Strategic Customers for CWT Meetings & Events.

"The last two years have taught us that we really can work virtually and accomplish key goals and objectives as we collaborate remotely, and that some meetings can be successfully delivered in virtual or hybrid format without undermining the impact," she says.

"This places increased pressure on sourcing activities, as the meeting that was formerly a hundred-person live event is transforming into a hundred-person hybrid and there is no foundation for forecasting what percentage of the attendees will be willing and able to travel."

As a result, Wendel says benchmarking is critical now and will be for months to come to support accurate sourcing and contracting for this growing number of hybrid meetings.