Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report features a special section to spotlight the future of meetings and events.
Alongside the highly anticipated release of its 2025 Trends Report, Hilton launches a multi-faceted initiative designed to spotlight the transforming nature of meetings and events in the context of rising trends such as the increased demand for group and incentive travel and digital meetings.
The “World’s Most Welcoming Events” initiative includes a special section in the 2025 Trends Report, “The Meetings Maximizer: The Next Generation of Meetings & Events,” alongside the new World’s Most Welcoming Events Playbook, which can be found within Hilton’s EventReady Playbook.
Based on the findings, the report concluded that the 2025 planner and their attendees are “maximizers,” in the sense that they seek to make the most out of their in-person connections, networks and the time they spend together; and they’re doing so in evolving ways, especially with the rise of Gen Z in the professional workforce. At the heart of the matter is building events that are welcoming and therefore inspire this maximization.
Kelly Knowlen, vice president of sales engagement and special events at Hilton, says, “The world has a fresh new approach and perspective toward in-person gatherings, and young corporate employees are influencing the evolution of meetings, events and conferences…this new generation entering the workforce is more digitally savvy than ever while still valuing connections and redefining the purpose of face-to-face interactions.” As has become clearer than ever in the past few years, she says, “Travelers embrace more engaging, human experiences and connections.” Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report identifies the key takeaways for planners to meet the needs of their evolving audience.
Read More: Gazing into 2025: Trends Shaping the Year Ahead for Meeting Planners
Methodology
The Meetings Maximizer poll, conducted between September 30 and October 16, 2024, interviewed 1,050 U.S. adults between 18 and 65 who planned to attend an in-person work event over the next two years.
Jason Dorsey, president and lead researcher at The Center for Generational Kinetics, who partnered with Hilton to conduct the study, remarks that its key goals were to uncover the most up-to-date perceptions, beliefs and expectations—both overt and hidden—about in-person meetings and events and reveal key trends, resulting in new, data-driven solutions. He says, “This special section of Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report does all of this and more by diving into key aspects of transforming meetings and events into more welcoming experiences from a variety of perspectives.”
It identified four key areas, from high demand for comprehensive meeting preparedness to the rise of “Frolleagues” and more.
Insights
Event Prep 2.0: The Surge of Extreme Meeting Preparedness
A leading takeaway of the study is that young and emerging professionals are transforming the industry. PBS reports that Gen Z will outnumber Baby Boomers in the professional workforce in 2025, and that, together, Gen Z and Millennials will make up 75% of working professionals. Though these professionals are beginning to dominate the workforce, only 44% of those who have five or less years of work experience feel very comfortable attending in-person events, the study found. There is a need for events to evolve in order to increase this number. Cue data-driven solutions to create “The World’s Most Welcoming Events.”
Further questions reveal some specific changes that can maximize attendee comfort. Over two-thirds (71%) agreed that receiving agendas well in advance helps them to feel more comfortable. In a similar vein, 58% report that they feel more comfortable at all forms of events, virtual or in-person, when they have the option to attend a pre-con meeting to address last-minute pre-event questions. Once the event begins, 60% of attendees find that being able to attend a meet-and-greet for first timers alleviates anxiety.
Attendees Seek Steps for a Stress-Free Start
While the previous area addresses the highest demands for maximizing attendee comfort, the following categories break it down into more specific action items.
Today’s attendees take preparing for an event more seriously than ever. Some of the most common practices include studying the event schedule, with 40% reporting that they do so, aligning with the 71% of those surveyed agreeing that receiving agendas in advance makes them feel more comfortable.
Around 42% of those surveyed expressed feeling unsure of proper attire. Broken down by generation, 79% of Gen Zers report that they feel at least a little anxious about not having the right attire for a work event. 67% of respondents stated that they feel more comfortable at in-person events when they are provided with attire guidelines to reference, with supporting visuals, as they get ready to pack.
Another source of anxiety for meeting attendees is food and beverage, with 28% of respondents experiencing anxiety about spilling on their clothes, 30% worrying they will not like the food served, and 28% worried about getting food stuck in their teeth. As for what attendees want, 60% feel more at ease when they can look at the food menus in advance, 52% of attendees want non-alcoholic drink options available and 52% want food options for people with allergies.
These aspects—attire guidelines and menus showing versatility of options—could ideally be included in a comprehensive agenda with ahead of the event.
Sound Shhhift: The Rise of Silent Meeting Time
Quiet rooms and spaces to unwind and re-center have become a staple in events, and the study results confirm it, with 78% agreeing they sometimes need a break or time to themselves when attending a work event. Quiet rooms have been a positive shift in events for all attendees, whether they use them as an accessibility feature or just as a space to stay up to date with their work. 65% feel more comfortable having dedicated quiet areas that they can use to work or check emails.
Many attendees (68%) agree that work events are often too long, and 71% feel more comfortable when they have built-in breaks, so their schedules are not completely full. 51% report that they feel the need to be “on” for large periods of time, and that it causes them anxiety, which is a major area where dedicated quiet spaces are helpful.
Many attendees also find it difficult to speak in large groups. 62% feel more at ease speaking when they can do so in smaller groups instead. This trend speaks to the growing recognition of attendees’ desire to foster quality connections, as speaking in smaller groups allows attendees to foster more authentic conversations and get to know the people in their group.
Read More: Four Quick Ways to De-stress During Meeting Crunch Time
The Emergence of Pod Squad Travel
Much in line with the desire for smaller groups revealing a greater interest in authentic collaboration, a whopping 82% of attendees feel more comfortable attending events when they are with somebody they know. Over half (59%) share that they feel more comfortable when they can bring at least one “Frolleague”—a work colleague who is also a friend—to an event.
However, attending events alone also provides opportunities for growth, with 83% agreeing that they have made new friends at work meetings or events; and this increases the likelihood that the next time they go, they’ll have a friend there. 71% agree that they have met someone at a work event who has helped further their career.
There’s no question that work meetings and events build meaningful connections. The survey results confirm this, with 82% agreeing that they have built a better connection with their team members, 78% with their boss and 76% with executives and senior leaders because of work events.
Yet, many attendees of younger generations find it difficult to make new connections at work events, with 54% of Gen Zers and 48% of Millennials more likely than Baby Boomers to report they feel this way.
There are plenty of ways event planners can help make this easier, such as offering first-timer meet-and-greets as suggested in the Event Prep 2.0 section, which helps people to possibly even find a friend. Enabling smaller discussion groups, as suggested in the Sound Shhhift section, or the ever-popular conversation-starter stickers for name badges, can make it easier for an attendee to strike up a conversation with senior leadership in a way that feels comfortable and approachable.
The power of events to foster authentic, lasting connection is undeniable, especially based on the high volumes of respondents who confirmed the connections they’ve gained through attending events. The study’s findings show that there is space to expand this power even further when planners make changes to make events feel more comfortable and welcoming.
The Meetings Maximizer
The greatest lesson from The Meetings Maximizer is that today’s attendees share some very specific baseline needs that would enable them to get the most out of the meetings and events they attend. “Understanding the changing needs of customers and attendees and acting quickly to evolve and innovate is pivotal to propelling our industry forward,” says Frank Passanante, senior vice president and global head of sales at Hilton.
The World’s Most Welcoming Events Playbook offers even more solutions, from avoiding traditionally messy foods (begone the fear of spilling on that new outfit!) to enabling easier networking with conversation-starter stickers, as well as information on offerings available to planners, such as the Hilton Meeting Packages, the Hilton Incentive Collaborative and the Meet with Purpose program. All of these offerings seek to make it easier for planners to meet the unique needs and desires of their attendees based on factors that vary with every meeting, such as size, industry and demographics.
Read More: Incentive Travel 2025: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
Kelly Knowlen, vice president of sales engagement and special events at Hilton, shares, “The positive power—personally and professionally—of meetings and events is endless, from unlocking solutions to strengthening workplace culture to building greater team trust. Understanding what attendees need to feel welcome, comfortable and supported is the key to making one moment in time have a lasting impact.”
As Hilton debuts this initiative, it is a recognition of the rapid transitions in the meetings and events industry, and a call to action to planners to transform their events to create more welcoming, more impactful environments that maximize attendees’ goals.
