Tariffs and other Trump Administration policies have disrupted numerous industries and forced spending changes for many companies. Offsite meetings and incentive travel providers are among those that expect significant impacts as a fallout of some of Trump’s executive orders.
Of course, tariff policies and other decisions out of Washington seem to be in constant flux, but as with businesses in many other industries, meetings and events providers are planning for turbulence for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), a coalition of 10 professional, industry and labor organizations, issued a statement in early April that said the latest round of proposed tariffs will “increase costs for business and professional event organizers, exhibitors and attendees alike.”
Leaders from the meetings and events industry have popped up on short-notice online round table discussions to share thoughts on the impact of U.S. policies on business. Takeaways have included:
- Clients are hesitant to commit, and contracting is taking much longer.
- Companies are weighing whether to host meetings regionally, adopt hybrid formats or lean more into domestic audiences.
- Event organizers are assessing visa/entry feasibility by country, especially for international conferences.
- U.S.-based incentive programs are seeing cancellations or budget cuts, especially when traveling to a politically sensitive host destination.
The tariffs and Trump’s unchecked rhetoric, including an expressed desire to annex Canada, has already impacted travel from that country. Reports state there has been a 70% drop in flights to the U.S. from Canada this year.
The uncertainty around costs and availability is a challenge for hospitality providers, who typically book groups months and even years in advance.
Jason Witkes, vice president of production at CNC Agency, a global experiential marketing agency, told the publication EventMarketer, “We’ve sent out budgets to clients for projects that may not take place for a couple months, and pricing could be in a completely different place by then. We’re really making sure that we’re properly communicating that one price that we provide today may not be the same in a couple months.”
During previous global crises, such as the COVID pandemic and the financial meltdown of 2008, the meetings and events industry has drawn optimism from what they claim is a basic human need to draw energy and inspiration from each other through face-to-face contact. The general consensus seems to be that neither Trump’s tariffs, nor his oddly intentional destruction of long-held relationships with other countries will be the thing that squashes this innate desire to convene, learn from each other and conduct business.
