• July 17, 2025

Q&A with Catherine Chaulet: Global MICE outlook, destination trends & what makes a great DMC

Q&A with Catherine Chaulet: Global MICE outlook, destination trends & what makes a great DMC

Q&A with Catherine Chaulet: Global MICE outlook, destination trends & what makes a great DMC 1024 683 micebook.

At the GDP Connection event in The Bahamas last month, micebook editor Susie Harwood sat down with Catherine Chaulet, president & CEO of Global DMC Partners, to discuss macroeconomic shifts, short lead times, and creating unforgettable experiences…

How would you sum up the current global outlook for the MICE industry?

We’re seeing a very healthy environment, but with a lot of caution. Despite inflation coming down in many regions, there are still high levels of uncertainty, particularly due to geopolitical instability. More than half of our planners say they’re rescheduling events due to political reasons, whether it’s visa issues, instability, tariffs, or the unpredictability of planning ahead.

At the same time, the industry’s economic impact is undeniable. By 2025, business tourism is projected to increase by 59%. The MICE sector is expected to represent 11.5% of global GDP. So, the foundation is strong—but we’re planning in an era of short lead times and fast pivots.

How has the pace of planning changed for DMCs and their clients?

Planning timelines have shrunk dramatically and lead times are shorter than ever. Everything is happening at the last minute now, sometimes within two or three weeks. Even for large programs, people are deciding and confirming very late. We’ve seen clients approve events only a month out, with our DMCs then having to plan, confirm vendors, and deliver complex programs in record time.

It’s very difficult to operate like that, because you can’t plan ahead or forecast costs properly. And it’s not that clients don’t want to plan further ahead – they’re often being held back by internal approvals, economic uncertainty, or political instability.

Everything has become hyper-short term. But at the same time, the expectations haven’t dropped. It still has to be flawless, creative, on-brand, and delivered under pressure. It’s a huge challenge for our partners on the ground and makes it hard to plan as a business.

You don’t want to jump to conclusions and reduce workforce or scale down because of lack of visibility in the pipeline. The business could still be coming, just very late. It’s a real balancing act, and it puts pressure on both planning and operations teams to stay agile.

How are you helping your partners remain agile and resilient during these challenging times? 

Our role is the same as it’s always been. For our DMCs, it’s about bringing them clients. And for our clients, it’s about opening up global opportunities that allow them and their events to shine.

We’re doing this with even more focus: participating in trade shows, hosting webinars, sharing real-time insights, and being present with both clients and DMCs. In times like these, with so much uncertainty, short lead times, and tighter budgets, collaboration is more critical than ever. Meeting planners are stretched, and they need reliable, experienced partners to make things happen smoothly.

We’ve also encouraged our DMCs to rethink how they view smaller requests – things like a dinner reservation, local transport, or a brief site visit. These might seem like low-value tasks, but we tell them to take it. That meeting planner is likely overwhelmed, and your support now will build trust and could lead to much bigger business later.

It’s all about partnership and supporting each other, something we were discussing at our partners meeting. And many of them have embraced it, saying, “Yes, we’re taking it, and we’re building strong client relationships because of it”.

How have client expectations changed in the last year?  

We’re seeing a real shift in how people travel, with more of a blend between business and leisure. Attendees want to extend their stay, make the most of the destination, and enjoy a fuller experience when they travel.

People won’t travel now unless it’s either mandatory or a truly great opportunity, because virtual still offers a strong alternative. So many client requests now include components for possible extensions or add-ons that participants can benefit from.

Sustainability is another area where expectations are shifting. In Europe, it’s second nature, but in the U.S., it hasn’t been as strong until recently. Now we’re seeing growing interest, not just in terms of carbon footprint, but in a deeper appreciation of local culture. Clients want to include local, meaningful activities that reflect the destination.

What are you seeing on the incentive side in terms of trends?

2024 was such a stellar year that what we’re seeing now is relatively flat in comparison. There have also been some cancellations of incentive programs due to concerns around tariffs and their potential impact on costs which makes it difficult to plan. It goes back to that broader question: how can we justify spending so much when there’s so much financial uncertainty? A lot of this hesitation is coming from finance teams, they’re just not confident about committing the budget.

We’re also seeing a reduction in the number of attendees. The selection criteria for qualifying for an incentive trip is becoming more stringent across various sectors. For example, in the direct sales industry, companies are raising the bar for who qualifies, it’s a way to manage costs without cancelling the program entirely.

2026 looks more promising, with some incentive trips planned for 2025 postponed till next year, with hopes that conditions will improve.

Are the factors influencing destination choice changing? And if so, how?

Budget and accessibility will always be important, but what’s interesting right now is that demand for secondary destinations is at an all-time high.

Of course, the big capitals will continue to attract business because they have the venues, the airlift, the recognition. But we’re hearing a lot of “been there, done that” from planners and clients. They’re asking, “Where else can we go?” That’s where secondary destinations come in.

In the past, many of these destinations couldn’t support large groups or meet the required quality standards. But now, they’re investing in infrastructure specifically to support groups and meetings, which makes them more viable from a logistical perspective. That’s a real shift.

What makes a DMC stand out and succeed within the GDP network? Are there certain traits or values you consistently see in top performers?

The number one element is care and pride. It’s about how proud they are of their destination and the people they work with. When that pride is deeply personal, when you genuinely care about the driver, the chef, the helper at the hotel, that’s when we know they’re the right fit for us.

Of course, all our DMCs go through thorough vetting: financials, insurance, client reputation, vendor relationships, all of that. But ultimately, what makes them stand out is personality and passion. When we see that, we get excited about promoting that destination, because the connection becomes real.

I remember a fam trip we organised to Morocco with some American guests who were a bit hesitant about the destination. One of the activities was having tea in a local family’s home in the Atlas Mountains. It was a traditional tea ceremony, and we sat in their home and had a meaningful conversation – American guests speaking with a Moroccan woman who had opened her home to us. It was such an emotional experience and by the time we left, they’d completely fallen in love with the people, the food, the warmth.

That’s what makes a DMC exceptional: the ability to create those personal, emotional, unforgettable connections.

What are planners and suppliers still getting wrong when it comes to communicating value?

We still aren’t reporting our impact clearly enough. More than 58% of international deals start with a MICE event, but most of the time that never makes it into the post-event report to the CFO or CEO.

We need to get better at quantifying ROI, not just showing that the event was successful, but that it led to actual revenue. That’s how we’ll unlock bigger budgets and more strategic buy-in.

Are there any innovations or trends you’re particularly excited about?

AI is a major force, and it will only continue to grow. We’re already seeing it used for live translations, closed captioning, event summaries, and personalisation. But there’s a caveat: people can tell when content has been written by AI. Authenticity still matters.

Sustainability is another key trend, but we need standardisation. Most of what’s being reported today like carbon emissions is self-reported and inconsistent. There’s a real opportunity to create meaningful global benchmarks.

 

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