Some 87% of professionals who plan in-person business gatherings such as conferences say they have canceled events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent research from PCMA.
The report was based on data from a survey conducted in the first week of April, 2020, among 1,230 business event professionals.
Two-thirds of respondents say they have postponed an event because of COVID-19, and 61% say they are in the midst of deciding whether to cancel or postpone an upcoming event. The majority of events still under review are scheduled for June.
Fully 70% of business event planners say they have moved a face-to-face event partially or fully to a virtual platform.
Some 63% of planners say they have considered or started using this time to cultivate other skills, with a majority focusing on developing virtual event strategies and learning about online platforms.
Some 24% of planners worry that digital events will cannibalize face-to-face events in the future, while 62% don't worry about that happening.
Some 27% of planners think that once the pandemic has passed there will be pent-up demand to meet face-to-face, whereas 48% think people will still be hesitant to travel.
About the research: The report was based on data from a survey conducted in the first week of April, 2020, among 1,230 business event professionals.
