Global DMC Partners (GDP) has released the results of its Meetings & Events Pulse Survey. Conducted in Q1 2022, the survey polled 107 respondents from the meetings and events industry. Of these, 70 percent were planners versus vendors or suppliers. The survey had a wide range of respondents, with 40 percent from North America and 45 percent from Europe. Participants were primarily third-party/independent planners (approximately 66 percent), with the remainder working in sectors such as finance, pharma, insurance and associations.
Key insights from the responses included:
• As compared to Q1 2021, most event professionals are back to being employed full-time, with 30 percent more responding that they are now employed full-time. No respondents reported that they are currently looking for employment or furloughed, so the candidate market has become more limited.
• 61 percent of companies are currently hiring, will be hiring in 2022, or have recently made new hires. Of the companies who are hiring, the majority are hiring for senior and junior planners or entry-level event coordinators. With the majority (83 percent) of companies relying on personal or word-of-mouth referrals for candidates, it takes most of them less than three months to hire.
• Companies are looking for candidates with sophisticated skill sets in an ever-changing environment where candidates must now be comfortable managing events in different formats - in-person, hybrid and virtual - and accustomed to working in a dynamic environment where the event format is fluid and could change at any minute. Respondents cited that important skill sets for more senior level positions include strategic and creative thinking, understanding of financial models, working autonomously, and managing complex projects.
The full results of GDP’s Meetings & Events Pulse Survey can be found here.
