United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market By Event Type (Corporate Events, Association Events, Trade shows, Conferences, Exhibitions, Others), By Revenue Source (Exhibit Rentals, Registration Fees, Sponsorships, Advertising, Accommodations, Transportation, Others), By Size (Small, Medium, Large), By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 125.09 BIllion
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.79%
Fastest Growing Segment	Advertising
Largest Market	Northeast
Market Size (2031)	USD 165.63 BIllion

Market Overview

The United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market will grow from USD 125.09 BIllion in 2025 to USD 165.63 BIllion by 2031 at a 4.79% CAGR. The United States Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions market encompasses organized professional gatherings including corporate strategy sessions, employee reward travel, large-scale conventions, and trade shows. Market expansion is primarily supported by robust corporate profitability which necessitates face-to-face interaction for relationship building and knowledge exchange. Additionally, the continuous development of specialized venue infrastructure and the recovery of business travel budgets serve as fundamental pillars supporting industry growth distinct from temporary trends.

One significant challenge impeding market expansion is the rising cost of operations, including inflation in hospitality and travel expenses, which forces organizations to scrutinize budgets heavily. This financial pressure can limit the scale and frequency of events as planners seek to maximize return on investment. The sector nevertheless represents a massive economic contributor. According to the U.S. Travel Association, in 2024, spending on meetings and event-related travel reached $126 billion in the United States.

Key Market Drivers

The Resurgence in Corporate Business Travel Spending serves as a primary catalyst for the market, driven by organizations prioritizing in-person interactions to restore client relationships and internal culture. As corporations move past pandemic-era restrictions, there is a renewed commitment to funding travel for conventions, trade shows, and strategy sessions, viewing these expenses as critical investments rather than discretionary costs. This recovery is quantitatively evident. According to the Global Business Travel Association, July 2024, in the '2024 Business Travel Index Outlook', business travel spending in the United States was projected to reach $395.4 billion in 2024. This influx of capital directly revitalizes the entire ecosystem, from venue bookings to specialized event management services.

Simultaneously, the Rapid Integration of Advanced Event Technologies is reshaping event execution, moving beyond basic streaming to deploy tools that enhance personalization and operational efficiency. Planners are increasingly leveraging software for real-time attendee engagement, data analytics, and automated logistics, thereby increasing the value proposition of physical gatherings. According to American Express Global Business Travel, October 2024, in the '2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast', 50% of meeting professionals plan to utilize artificial intelligence in 2025 for applications such as attendee matchmaking and content creation. Furthermore, the incentive sector remains robust and adds to market momentum. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, in 2024, 72% of surveyed sales professionals reported winning an incentive travel award in the past three years, underscoring the sustained demand for reward-based tourism.

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Key Market Challenges

The rising cost of operations, driven by persistent inflation in hospitality and travel expenses, constitutes a substantial barrier to the organic expansion of the United States Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions market. As prices for accommodation, airfare, and venue services escalate, corporate organizations are compelled to exercise rigorous fiscal discipline and scrutinize every expenditure. This financial strain forces event planners to prioritize return on investment more aggressively, often resulting in reduced attendee counts, shorter event durations, or a decrease in the overall frequency of gatherings. Consequently, while total market spending may appear robust due to higher unit prices, the actual volume of business interactions and event occurrences faces stagnation.

This inflationary environment directly erodes the purchasing power of corporate budgets, limiting the industry's capacity for real growth in terms of participation and scale. According to the Global Business Travel Association, in 2024, the average daily cost per attendee for meetings and events was projected to increase to $162. Such elevated costs mean that companies must spend significantly more simply to maintain previous levels of activity, effectively dampening the market's potential for volume-based expansion.

Key Market Trends

The Widespread Adoption of Sustainable and Carbon-Neutral Event Practices is fundamentally altering venue selection and operational protocols within the United States MICE sector. Corporate planners are increasingly mandating eco-conscious criteria, ranging from zero-waste management systems to locally sourced catering, effectively making environmental stewardship a prerequisite for winning contracts rather than an optional value-add. This structural shift is driving venues to invest heavily in green certifications and carbon tracking tools to remain competitive against conventional counterparts. According to American Express Global Business Travel, October 2024, in the '2025 Global Meetings and Events Forecast', 54% of meeting professionals consider sustainability to be highly important in their 2025 planning, forcing suppliers to accelerate their environmental initiatives to align with client ESG mandates.

Simultaneously, the Rising Demand for Bleisure and Extended Stay Travel Options is reshaping attendee behaviors and extending the economic impact of corporate gatherings beyond the conference dates. Attendees are actively seeking opportunities to prolong their business trips for personal exploration, prompting organizers and hoteliers to curate pre- and post-event experience packages that highlight local tourism assets. This behavior maximizes the value of travel expenditures and boosts occupancy rates for host cities, turning standard business trips into hybrid tourism experiences. According to Skyscanner, October 2024, in the 'Bleisure Travel Statistics for 2025' report, 83% of Americans turn their work trips into leisure at least sometimes, indicating a profound integration of vacation elements into professional travel itineraries.

Segmental Insights

The Advertising sector currently represents the fastest-growing segment within the United States Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions market. This expansion is driven by the heightening demand for experiential marketing and direct client engagement strategies. Agencies are increasingly utilizing physical events to showcase campaign results and foster stronger business relationships in a competitive landscape. Consequently, the industry is witnessing a surge in product launches and networking gatherings designed to demonstrate return on investment to stakeholders. This trend underscores the critical role of face-to-face interactions in securing contracts and driving business development within the advertising field.

Regional Insights

The Northeast United States maintains a leading position in the domestic MICE market, primarily driven by its high concentration of corporate headquarters and commercial hubs. Major metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia host dense clusters of financial, healthcare, and technology firms, generating consistent demand for business events. This regional dominance is reinforced by established transportation infrastructure and international connectivity, which simplify logistics for global delegates. Furthermore, the presence of renowned academic and cultural institutions adds significant value, making the Northeast a preferred destination for large-scale professional conferences and executive meetings.

Recent Developments

• In January 2025, Hilton released a specialized research report titled "The Meetings Maximizer" alongside a new initiative focused on creating welcoming event experiences. The research highlighted emerging trends among the next generation of corporate travelers and meeting attendees, such as the increasing demand for "silent meeting" times to prevent overstimulation and the rise of "pod squad" travel for small teams. The company utilized these insights to introduce a new playbook for planners, offering strategies to design inclusive and productive in-person gatherings. This development underscored the industry's shift toward data-driven event design to meet evolving workforce preferences.
• In October 2024, Marriott International launched a new program titled "Connect Responsibly with Marriott Bonvoy Events" to help meeting planners incorporate sustainability into their gatherings at participating properties. The initiative provided customers with access to detailed impact reports that captured event-specific carbon and water footprints using established industry methodologies. Planners were also offered options to purchase verified carbon credits to offset the environmental impact of their meetings. This global rollout aimed to address the growing demand for sustainable meeting solutions and support the company's broader goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain.
• In June 2024, Cvent unveiled a suite of new artificial intelligence-powered enhancements for its event management and marketing platform during its annual customer conference. The company introduced an AI writing assistant with conversational capabilities to help planners generate content for event websites and emails more efficiently. Additionally, new predictive modeling tools were launched to assist organizers in forecasting registration and attendance counts, allowing for better adjustments to room blocks and catering needs. The launch also included attendee-facing chatbots designed to act as virtual concierges, improving attendee support and engagement throughout the event lifecycle.
• In March 2024, American Express Global Business Travel announced a definitive agreement to acquire CWT, a global business travel and meetings solutions provider. The transaction valued CWT at approximately $570 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis. This strategic acquisition was designed to provide customers with expanded choices while creating greater capacity for investment in software and services. The deal was projected to deliver approximately $155 million of annual run-rate synergies within three years. The combination of these two major companies aimed to accelerate a vision of a tech-enabled future for business travel and meetings, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions for the industry.

Key Market Players

• Global Experience Specialists, Inc.
• Marriott International, Inc.
• Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
• Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Las Vegas Sands Corp.
• MGM Resorts International
• Caesars Entertainment Inc.
• InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
• Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC.
• Cvent Inc.

By Event Type	By Revenue Source	By Size	By Region
Corporate Events Association Events Trade shows Conferences Exhibitions Others	Exhibit Rentals Registration Fees Sponsorships Advertising Accommodations Transportation Others	Small Medium Large	Northeast Midwest South West

Report Scope:

In this report, the United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market, By Event Type:

• Corporate Events
• Association Events
• Trade shows
• Conferences
• Exhibitions
• Others

• United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market, By Revenue Source:

• Exhibit Rentals
• Registration Fees
• Sponsorships
• Advertising
• Accommodations
• Transportation
• Others

• United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market, By Size:

• Small
• Medium
• Large

• United States Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions Market, By Region:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West