Destinations in Eastern and Northern Europe and North America are increasing in popularity among event planners, while Western Europe has seen a drop in demand according to the recently published 2025 Cvent Planner Sourcing Report: Europe Edition.

The annual report provides hoteliers, venue operators and destination management organisations with insights into the sourcing priorities of UK and European event professionals.

One of the biggest shifts between the 2023 and 2024 reports is in destination sourcing activity, with 46% of planners sourcing in Western Europe in destinations such as Austria, France, Germany and Belgium), a decrease of 20%.

In contrast, Eastern and Northern Europe have gained traction, with 26% of planners sourcing there (up from 19%). North America has seen a similar increase, now at 24% (up from 15%).

The report presents an encouraging outlook overall, revealing that 90% of planners feel positive about the current state of the events industry. This optimism is further reflected in planners’ expectations for a rise in in-person meetings, with 59% anticipating more onsite events and 60% expecting an increase in offsite events in 2025.

The combination of more in-person events and resource constraints has put pressure on event teams looking to secure meeting space, with 83% expecting responses to their RFPs in four days or less and 20% stating venues could improve response customisation to support faster decision-making.

Despite some concerns about rising costs, 61% of respondents believe that planned budget increases will help alleviate higher expenses. The report also highlights the value of collaborative relationships between planners and venues in helping to offset cost concerns. Nearly all (93%) of planners say they are willing to pay more to book with hotels or venues where they have established relationships with staff and trust in the quality of service.

Last year, almost half (48%) of European event and meeting planners expressed a desire to find different venues. The trend has continued as 45% are still sourcing special event venues.

AI is becoming an important part of planners’ processes, with more than half (54%) already using AI tools during the venue sourcing process. That number increases to 68% in France and 64% of Gen Z respondents. These tools are being used for tasks such as comparing bids (53%), venue searching (48%) and creating RFPs (47%).

As time management constraints and resource limitations stretch smaller event teams, this reliance on technology is expected to continue, with 69% of planners anticipating increased use of AI-powered tools for venue sourcing.

Sustainability remains a key priority for event planners. Nearly a quarter (23%) of planners are concerned about maintaining a commitment to sustainability for their meetings and events programmes in 2025. An increased emphasis on sustainability will shape event planning priorities for 29%.

Cvent commissioned independent research company, Censuswide, to survey over 600 event professionals across the UK and Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) between June and July 2024