The annual Brightspot Outlook and actionable To-Do’s draw fandom that’s just below the level of new-year pop-culture forecasts, fashion trends, and romance predictions for Taylor Swift + Travis Kelce. Our January webinars are top draws. Once again, our bright brainstormers compiled insights from 75 clients, dozens of industries, and 300 programs.
Brightspot aligned with the Incentive Research Foundation think tank, and we put dollars to our passion by sponsoring The IRF 2025 Trends Report. Many predictions align, and the Brightspot future forecast is split between:
- corporate meetings and incentive travel (here), and
- channel incentives and sales contests
Meetings
Bigger Budgets
CPI (consumer price index) inflation was 3% in 2024, 4% in 2023, and 8% in 2022, but “vacation inflation” ran even hotter due to strong demand for leisure travel, business meetings, and group incentive travel. Meeting costs have risen the most in Tier 1 cities and for luxury hotels. The latest Meetings Industry Pulse Survey, co-produced by Cvent and Northstar Travel Media, reported planners predict a 12% increase in business event costs but a budget growth of only 11%. With budgets strained, planners have tightened their belts on meeting giveaways and incentive gifting to avoid cuts to the core program.
To-Do: use this research to request more budget
Decision Cycles Hurt Hotel Matchmaking
Most business people want to be proactive. Event agencies recommend starting venue searches early, but honestly, do not start early unless the meeting host is prepared to sign the contract. Availability changes rapidly. Hotel sales teams get flooded with eRFPs and then reply hurriedly and inaccurately. Negotiation and redlines drag slowly. Hotel proposals and meeting space will not be held in this active market. Too many times, hotels are located and negotiated, but while the decision-makers ponder, the space is sold to another group with pen and checkbook ready. Then, the work must be repeated a second or third time.
To-Do: start when ready to sign
Air Travel is Tighter than a Middle Seat
Anyone who flew in 2024 knows capacity was tight, flights full, and delays greater. Demand has risen, but Boeing cannot manufacture enough planes. Nagging maintenance issues are recommended (but not necessarily required), so they cause delays because the plane cannot stop flying long enough to address them. The result is no wiggle room for weather delays or equipment problems. Brightspot had an incentive trip to a smaller Caribbean island that had to be pushed one day because insufficient seats were available to get the group onto the island.
To-Do: pray for patience, sunshine, and Boeing
Bleisure is Big
The trend toward bleisure travel – where employees extend their business trips to enjoy leisure activities – continues to rise. The blending of business and leisure is now an expectation for many corporate travelers, especially younger generations who seek a balance between work and personal time and wish to save a few vacation bucks. For any generation, the first business trip to a new city adds appeal, and bleisure is a popular perk. According to GBTA (Global Business Travel Association), 67% of travelers have taken a bleisure trip.
To-Do: use meeting cities with bleisure appeal
Europe Pulls Sustainability
Sustainability is a passionate topic for meeting planners, CEOs, and Millennial attendees. However, if sustainability increases costs or alters the banquet menu, many companies back off and do what can be done sustainably without additional charges. However, the European Green Deal, the EU’s push to become climate neutral by 2050, will impact 2025 due to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which forces companies to publish regular reports on the social and environmental risks they face – with the first reports due in 2025 for large EU-based companies. CSRD will trickle down these reporting challenges: measuring direct emissions, energy purchased, and indirect emissions, including “value chain” emissions, which some predict will pull in hotels and event agencies. Other popular (and easier) green initiatives include waste reduction, locally sourced food and beverage, and experiences that benefit local communities.
To-Do: go green without spending green
SWAG to SWAP
SWAG, stuff we all get, has in recent years become SWAT, stuff we all trash, which becomes landfill stuffing, which goes back to sustainability above. Business meeting giveaways, as well as incentive travel gifting, are seeing a fresh emphasis on SWAP – look to swapping the SWAT for a more Purposeful and Personal gifting strategy. Meeting planners are doubling their efforts on quality items that align with event themes or reinforce a message. Personalized gifts have always been a goal, but now more than ever. In lieu of a company logo, the marking is the recipients’ initials. Fewer, nicer gifts are replacing bags of swag.
To-Do: personalize instead of corporatize
Flex the Format
Death by PowerPoint is a serious affliction. Adult learning is out of shape compared to teenage students. Even school children get a recess break and end their day at 3:00. Asking adults to sit, listen, and learn from 8:30 – 5:00 for three days straight is pretty illogical, even though the business world keeps doing it. 2025 is an excellent year to explore new formats beyond traditional conferences, such as unconferences (participant-led, no fixed agenda, different venues), interactive workshops, and experiential events. Flexibility in scheduling and content delivery will be necessary. Brightspot recommends building more time for brainstorming, networking, interactive workshops, audience collaboration, and Q&A to empower attendee-driven content.
To-Do: shake up your event agenda
Mocktails and Wellness Drinks
As wellness arises among younger generations and alcohol consumption declines globally, functional wellness beverages that support health without the negative effects of alcohol are rising in popularity. Adaptogenic drinks and smoothies infused with ingredients like collagen, magnesium, and herbs are becoming popular for their ability to improve focus, enhance cognition, and provide balanced energy without alcohol. Creative mocktail bars, non-alcoholic beer and wine, and wellness-focused drinks are better for attendees, inclusive for non-drinkers, and offer new sensations while leaving everyone feeling refreshed and connected with healthy socialization.
To-Do: order a new mocktail
Incentive Travel
Popular Motivator of Today’s Workforce
The #1 overarching theme of IRF research across multiple studies is the motivational view of incentive travel in the C-suite, with 48% of senior leaders calling it an “essential strategic differentiator.” The IRF/SITE Incentive Travel Index research reinforced that incentive travel is an executive priority, and the soft benefits (such as retention, engagement, and culture) drive ROI. Additionally, “friend of sales” nominations are adding non-sellers to the motivational mix.
To-Do: invite CEO to president club trip
New Places
Coming out of the pandemic, trip winners preferred nearer destinations for peace of mind – then it was farther to Hawaii and Europe – and now the preferred place is newer. Buyers are increasingly looking for something new and seeking destinations they haven’t used before (70%), according to the Incentive Travel Index. Another study, the IRF’s 2024 Attendee Preferences for Incentive Travel, rated the opportunity to experience a unique culture as a top driver of a positive incentive experience, and a SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence) study said 67% of sales reps would be more motivated to visit a new destination. If you revisit a past destination, try a boutique hotel brand offering a new experience, such as Auberge, Belmond, Kimpton, Montage, Rosewood, or LHW (the Leading Hotels of the World). With many sales teams disbursed around the globe, Brightspot recommends a 3-year rotation of Hawaii, the Caribbean or Mexico, and Europe. Or a 4-year rotation that mixes in Asia, Africa, or Oceania. See the Top 20 Incentive Travel Destinations.
To-Do: pick a new place
Immersive & Authentic Experiences
Incentive travel is becoming more experiential, aiming to create memorable and immersive experiences for attendees. Gone are the days when a simple beach vacation or golf outing was enough to inspire employees. Research shows that culture is memorable, so attendees’ experiences are remembered longer, creating better buzz and motivating performance across the company. Gen Zers and Millennials seek out local, transformational experiences unique to a destination. Skift Megatrends 2025 adds that higher-rated opportunities offer uniqueness in experiences, activities, and meals. Food is the universal language, and planners are now expected to integrate the ‘flavor’ of the destination, such as an award-winning private dinner at Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal.
To-Do: challenge travel partners for local, unique activities
Ample Free Time
The IRF study on Attendee Preferences for Incentive Travel asked trip winners to rank the most important qualities of an incentive trip. The #1 ranking for the second straight year was “ample time to relax,” voted by 81% of respondents. Good news: free time is free for the budget too! Sales reps have been stretched thin professionally and personally. Downtime at a 5-star resort is a win-win.
To-Do: avoid over-programming, add free time, save money, and please winners!
Slow Luxury
Luxury Travel Advisor (which sounds like an idyllic publication) introduces a new trend – slow luxury – particularly among high-end travelers who crave meaningful experiences over fast-paced ones. These travelers are choosing “slow” journeys that prioritize mindfulness and meaningful moments, appreciating that time itself is the most valuable luxury.
To-Do: curate private, zen spaces for CEO-hosted gatherings
Personalize
Participants wish to personalize their incentive experience, but how is that done within a group? Choice of activities rather than a lone group activity. Room-drop gifts of the same bag for everyone are being replaced with gifting experiences that allow freedom of choice (such as sunglass fittings, electronics, watches, footwear, apparel, or localized merchandise). A few extra questions on the registration website can capture special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries), sweet or savory preferences for room amenities, or preferred beverages. New laser-cutting technology can carve personal nameplates from wood (or other materials) for dinner place cards; these low-cost solutions can have a great impact.
To-Do: shift thinking to groups of 1
Unreasonable Travel Incentives
According to Stephanie Harris of the Incentive Research Foundation, corporate sales teams aren’t motivated by the same-old beach vacation or rounds of golf anymore. Instead, companies should turn to the principles outlined in Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara. The power of surprise and delight is the ultimate gift in the incentive industry. This means knowing what people actually want—often through well-crafted surveys or perhaps a little strategic Facebook stalking. It’s about creating moments that matter. The new focus is not just on rewards but on understanding what will resonate on a deeper, more personal level.
To-Do: create unreasonable moments
Artificial Intelligence
AI is all the buzz. It’s in every business story. It drove the stock market up 20% in 2024 for the second year in a row. Planners have started using AI tools, but most say AI impact has been insignificant. According to the Northstar/Cvent Pulse survey, only 13% of planners say AI technology has significantly changed the way they plan and run events. Initially, it is being used to automate lower-value functions that are highly repetitive or require sifting vast amounts of information. Powerful chatbots are replacing offshore call centers. Brightspot believes AI can be a “helper” for event and incentive professionals to prompt brainstorm ideas, suggest themes or event names, create first drafts of boilerplate copy, or generate drafts of forms or surveys. Our team also experienced an event where AI was used to make table assignments for guests of similar networking interests.
To-Do: dig into ChatGPT; don’t be a dinosaur
As we move into 2025 and beyond, one thing is clear: The era of cookie-cutter corporate travel and events is over. The future is personalized, sustainable, and driven by a blend of AI innovation and human empathy. In this rapidly shifting landscape, flexibility is key. Event planners must be nimble and responsive.
Are You Ready to Work With Us?
Regardless of the industry, corporate meetings and incentive travel are crucial for a company’s success, bringing together individuals from various roles, departments, and locations to strategize and drive the company forward. From selecting the perfect venue to coordinating food & beverage services and crafting detailed agendas, our team handles all the logistics. We do the research and groundwork so you can focus on high-level decisions and enjoy a seamless experience. Drop us a line to save time, reduce labor, and streamline your processes!
