B2B event planners are adapting to budget pressures and ROI accountability by shifting towards smaller, more focused events, according to Forrester’s Q1 2025 State Of B2B Events Survey. The survey, which gathered responses from planners across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, highlights several key challenges facing the industry.
Budget Constraints Continue
The survey reveals that budgets for B2B events remain under strain, with two-thirds of event teams experiencing flat or reduced budgets for the second consecutive year. Even among the 19% of organisations that have seen budget increases, inflation has effectively rendered these gains flat or negative in real terms.
Smaller Events on the Rise
The budget constraints appear to be influencing the size of B2B meetings, with 59% of respondents planning to host smaller events over the next 12 months. This shift comes as the number of companies planning larger events decreased by 12% year-on-year.
Focus on Core Objectives
More than 90% of surveyed planners are concentrating on core event objectives, such as attracting the right audience, demonstrating ROI, and improving post-event follow-up. However, this focus on fundamentals has led to a decline in prioritising longer-term considerations like inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability.
Need for Integration
The survey indicates that B2B events are often planned and executed by disparate teams, resulting in poor attendee experiences. Forrester’s data shows that when events are managed by a centralised team, overall event satisfaction levels rise significantly. Additionally, there’s a lack of integration with technology, with 28% of large organisations using six or more event technology platforms, while only one in five has fully integrated their primary platform into their broader sales and marketing tech stack.
AI Adoption in Early Stages
While 39% of respondents use artificial intelligence for content creation, the technology’s potential to enhance productivity, personalisation, and data analysis remains largely untapped. However, a growing number of planners intend to expand their AI usage over the next year.
