Cvent publishes 2026 global planner sourcing insights for meetings and events

Background and context

Table of Contents

Venue sourcing has become a more data-driven and technology-supported task as planners manage rising costs, tighter timelines, and hybrid event formats. In this environment, research-based guidance on how planners are approaching future sourcing decisions has gained significance for both venues and technology providers.

Cvent, a major player in event management and venue sourcing software, regularly surveys meeting and event professionals to track how their needs and behaviors evolve. Its latest research focuses on expectations for 2026, a year by which many in the industry anticipate more mature hybrid strategies, renewed corporate travel, and further normalization of in-person gatherings.

Key announcement

Cvent has released its 2026 Global Planner Sourcing Report, a study that explores how meeting and event planners around the world expect to source venues and configure their events in the near term. The report is positioned as a benchmark for venues, destinations, and suppliers looking to align with planners’ medium‑term priorities.

According to Cvent, the report analyzes planners’ anticipated budgets, preferred event formats, decision timelines, and expectations of venues and technology partners. It also looks at how digital tools will inform sourcing, including the use of online venue profiles, virtual site tours, and integrated RFP workflows.

The publication aims to provide a snapshot of how planners see their programs shaping up by 2026, with breakdowns by region and event type. Further details and access to the full report are available via Cvent’s official website at cvent.com.

Industry impact

For hotels, convention centers, and other meeting venues, the report’s findings may help prioritize investments in technology, space configuration, and services that planners consider essential. If planners are signaling stronger preferences for flexible meeting layouts, built‑in streaming capabilities, or enhanced Wi‑Fi and production support, those insights can guide capital planning and sales strategies.

Technology providers and event production companies can also use the report to gauge which tools planners expect to rely on most heavily by 2026. This includes platforms for online registration, mobile event apps, session engagement tools, and integrations between sourcing systems and production workflows.

Suppliers may refine their response to RFPs based on how planners evaluate proposals.
Destinations can align marketing narratives with the formats and program types planners expect to prioritize.
Corporate and association planners can benchmark their own strategies against broader market expectations.

Why this matters

Forecasts for 2026 are arriving as the meetings and events sector continues to stabilize after years of disruption and rapid adaptation. Planners now balance in‑person experiences with digital reach, while facing tighter staffing resources and pressure to demonstrate return on investment.

A focused sourcing report offers the industry a common reference point for understanding how those pressures are likely to shape event design and venue selection. By mapping planners’ stated priorities, Cvent’s study may help reduce guesswork for suppliers and support more productive collaboration between planners, venues, and technology partners.

For event technology professionals, the report underscores the growing role of data, automation, and integrated platforms in the sourcing phase itself, not just in event delivery. As sourcing becomes more tightly linked to digital tools, understanding planners’ expectations for 2026 could influence product roadmaps and implementation strategies across the events ecosystem.