Despite tighter budgets and ongoing staffing shortages, optimism in the hospitality and group industries is rising. 82% of North American planners feel positive about the industry’s future, and it’s easy to see why. With new technologies, shifting attendee expectations, and evolving industry dynamics, hospitality leaders have more opportunities—and challenges—than ever before.
As planning teams innovate and adapt, the key to success is staying ahead of event and hospitality trends. From hyper-personalisation and AI-driven productivity to the growing importance of Return on Relationships (ROR), 2025 will require a fresh set of strategies to get ahead.
In this blog, we’re diving into the top trends shaping hospitality and events in 2025 and what they mean for you.
1. It’s all about personalization at scale
Personalization is no longer optional – it’s expected. Guests, planners, and event attendees expect experiences tailored to their preferences.
Think about how Netflix recommends shows based on what you’ve watched or how Spotify curates playlists around your listening habits. But doing this efficiently across thousands of interactions? That’s a challenge.
Here are three ways to offer event planners a more personalized experience:
Personalize your RFP responses
Use AI-powered tools to respond to planners’ requests for proposals (RFPs). This is a quick and easy way to customize your proposals based on their specific needs. Demonstrate that you understand their requirements and offer tailored solutions to match their event vision.
Offer unique setups
Getting to understand planners’ requirements (and your own event space) means you can also offer tailored setups that enhance the onsite experience. Do this using tools like 3D virtual tour solutions to ensure the setups align with attendees’ expectations and needs.
Provide local expertise and recommendations
You know your destination best. Offer personalized recommendations for dining, activities, and entertainment suited to guests’, planners’, or attendees’ preferences.
If you’re a Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB), help personalize itineraries to ensure attendees’ downtime is tailored to their event schedule.
2. AI connects the dots for productivity and partnership
AI is moving beyond chatbots and into real revenue-driving roles. In 2025, leading hotels and venues will use AI to:
Offer personalized guest experiences
Your guest data is a treasure trove of information. But digging through it manually is time-consuming. Instead, use AI to analyze guest data to tailor experiences from booking to checkout. Doing this creates memorable moments and encourages loyalty.
Enhance customer support
There never seem to be enough hours in a day. Cut your workload by handing over those routine or simple enquiries to AI chatbots. Instead, use that saved time to focus on more complex tasks or face-to-face customer service.
Strengthen partnerships with planners
Communication is vital, so what if you were to upgrade it? Instead of that endless back and forth over email, use collaborative tools like Cvent Event Diagramming to share the task of event space diagramming with planners.
Create personalized pitches
Use an AI Writing Assistant to generate personalized, on-brand messages that persuade planners to learn more about your property.
Prioritize leads
Use RFP management software to gather data and prioritize the best leads for your property.
Manage room blocks and meeting spaces
Use AI-powered tools to process and extract insights from your data about slow periods, rate adjustments, and upselling.
Optimize revenue
Use AI tools that consider market dynamics and competitor behavior to adjust pricing.
Improve forecasting
Better predict demand with AI. This is particularly useful for inventory and resource management.
3. Data activation still remains a challenge
From STR Reports, Pace Reports, and Daily Business Reviews to your marketing and guest reservation systems, you have more data than ever. But turning it into actionable insights remains a challenge. The biggest hurdles? Disconnected systems, outdated tech, and manual processes.
To create seamless, memorable experiences across your business, you need to manage this data effectively. For example, aligning room booking information with event registrations effectively means a frictionless experience for guests attending a conference or event.
Here are a few ways to utilize your data:
Use data insights to understand the industry and vertical markets booking your hotel
Use tools like CSN Business Intelligence to measure performance, identify trends, and monitor key metrics
Use a tool that can easily be integrated with your other technologies to avoid handling data from multiple sources
Get more tips in our guide to hotel data.
4. Return on Relationships (ROR) will be key to success
Hospitality is a relationship-driven industry. A planner or corporate client who trusts your venue will return repeatedly—driving revenue far beyond a single event. In 2025, the focus will shift from one-time transactions to long-term value.
According to our 2025 Planner Sourcing Report, 24% of planners in North America, 24% in Europe, and 30% in APAC are making rebuilding relationships a top priority. Here are a few ways to build ROR:
Invest in collaboration: Use technology, like Cvent Event Diagramming, that makes collaboration easy.
Speed up proposals and responses: Use AI to speed up your RFP responses without sacrificing quality.
Make communication regular: Maintain regular and transparent communication at all times. This means regular check-ins, updates on new offerings, and prompt responses to queries.
Did you know that 80% of planners say the ideal RFP response time from a hotel or venue is four days or less?
5. Field marketing events drive group business growth
Large industry trade shows aren’t disappearing, but small, high-touch experiences are gaining traction. According to Forrester’s Q1 2024 State of B2B Events Survey, 58% of respondents stated their organization planned to host more small in-person events (under 200 in-person event attendees) over the next 12 months.
Here’s why smaller field marketing meetings are excelling:
Cost efficiency and ROI: With economic uncertainty still shaping corporate budgets, smaller, high-touch meetings deliver greater value per attendee.
Personalization and deeper engagement: Event planners are prioritizing high-value interactions over mass attendance, making small meetings an attractive option for both corporate teams and hospitality venues.
The rise of hybrid and decentralized workforces: With more companies embracing hybrid and remote work models, the need for regional, small-group meetups has increased. Instead of gathering an entire company at a single annual event, businesses are hosting things like executive retreats, team-building events, and sales kickoffs in multiple locations.
Flexibility and speed: Unlike large-scale conferences that take months (or years) to plan, small meetings can be organized quickly—allowing companies to react to market changes, business priorities, and emerging opportunities faster.
So, as a venue, how do you appeal to this new trend? The key is to make the booking process simple. 84% of planners said they are more likely to select a venue for their simple meeting if it can be booked online.
Use tools like Cvent Instant Book to simplify the event space booking process, like removing the traditional RFP stage.
6. Unique venues and destinations are still a popular choice
Today’s planners aren’t just booking spaces—they’re curating memorable event experiences without breaking the bank. Nearly half (49%) of North American planners and 45% of European planners are turning to unique venues for their events. This is a big jump from 2023 where only 17% of North American planners said the same.
The reason for this shift is down to cost savings, according to 40% of North American planners. 37%, meanwhile, say it’s because they want to enhance the attendee experience.
Whether you’re a traditional or non-traditional venue, here are a few ways to capitalize on this trend:
If your venue is non-traditional: Highlight your event-hosting capabilities on the Cvent Supplier Network.
If your venue is traditional: Use Cvent’s 3D Virtual Tour technology to transform and personalize your space for planners.
For both: Join the Cvent Vendor Marketplace, powered by Resposite, to showcase your services and unique offerings.
7. Tech helps support accessibility best practices
Accessibility in events is moving from compliance to competitive advantage and that’s because it enhances attendee engagement and expands market reach. According to the World Health Organization, 1.3 billion people (about 16% of the world’s population, experience significant disability.
Properties that lead in accessibility will attract broader audiences and win corporate clients focused on inclusive events. Here’s how technology helps you host accessible events:
Room blocking: Use a tool like Cvent Passkey to automate the room booking process. This lets attendees choose accessible rooms while you keep track of check-ins and individual needs.
Accessible event design: Use venue diagramming tools to create accessible room layouts.
Share accessibility information: Use your website and the CSN to display useful accessibility information.
Provide additional resources free of charge: Offer things like ramps and steps onto stages, height-adjustable lecterns, and braille signage.
“Venues will take another step forward on their sustainability journey in 2025 as they implement five-year plans towards net zero by 2030. ESG will be a laser focus, and we’ll see more quiet spaces introduced in venues, hotels, and events for greater inclusivity. This will result in a trend for streaming stages so that in-person audiences can remove themselves from the strobe lighting or intensity of the main stage auditorium and watch from the relative calm of a space designed especially for them.” - Sarah Dietrich, Business Development Manager, Warwick Conferences
8. Hotels and venues adopt smarter tools for data privacy
With increased cyber threats and evolving regulations, hotels and venues are stepping up their data security strategies. For example:
Stronger encryption and AI-driven fraud detection are becoming standard.
Planner and attendee data protection is now a deciding factor in RFP selection.
Properties that demonstrate proactive data security measures will build stronger planner and guest trust.
Here’s how you can prioritize data privacy in 2025:
Be transparent: Tell guests, attendees, and event planners how your hotel or venue secures their data. Incorporate a privacy policy or data protection notice during the booking process.
Be responsive: Provide clear contact points for privacy-related questions.
“We do take the privacy of our guests very seriously…The PCI (payment card industry) compliance of Passkey, ensuring that our guests' information is protected and that everything that does come through is encrypted, is so important—and we know that we can keep our guests safe through the reservations that are coming in through Passkey.” - Lindsay Carroll, Assoc. Dir. of Revenue Management, La Cantera Resort & Spa
2025 is about smarter, more impactful hospitality
The trends shaping 2025 aren’t just about new tech or flashy experiences—they’re about driving revenue, optimizing operations, and creating long-term value for guests and planners alike. Here are the takeaways:
Technology is now a necessity: Hotels and venues that integrate AI, data-driven insights, and automation into their operations will outperform competitors in efficiency, revenue generation, and guest satisfaction.
Planners and event professionals expect more: They’re not just booking spaces; they’re crafting immersive, high-impact experiences. Properties that offer flexible venues, unique destinations, and exceptional service will win more business.
Sustainability and accessibility aren’t optional: They’re key differentiators that impact bookings, corporate partnerships, and brand reputation.
Direct, personalized engagement is the future: Whether it’s through field marketing events or loyalty-driven experiences, hospitality brands that build relationships—not just transactions—will thrive.
This is just a snapshot. For more event and hospitality trends, download our ebook: 2025 Meetings and Events Trends: Must-Know Trends Shaping the Industry.
