Smaller, regional, pop-up gatherings are in.
The era of mega-conferences may be cooling, but group travel isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving. 72% of planners say they’ve noticed more of their recurring large events being exchanged for smaller, more intimate and spontaneous formats.
Most cite their clients looking for agility and richer purpose from their events. These smaller formats enable brands to reach niche audiences, reduce travel friction, and still deliver impact, without the multi-million-dollar event footprint. This means target venues aren’t necessarily bigger; they’re faster, more responsive, and strategically regional.
Quote from the Tribe:
“We’re not doing one huge event anymore — we’re doing five smaller ones. Same budget, better targeting.” []
- United States-based planner, 18 events per year
Commercial Takeaway:
Position your properties as hubs for intimate, high-impact gatherings. Offer customizable event packages, fast booking workflows, and incentives for repeat or multi-city programs. Demonstrate that you get how smaller is smarter for some events.
About the MODIV Tribes Series
Since 2022, MODIV’s always-on Mindset® study has engaged more than 48,000 frequent travelers across 25 countries. Our mission: decode the why behind traveler behavior—so travel and hospitality brands can act smarter, faster, and with greater commercial precision.
Our Tribes series distills what hospitality leaders need to know—direct from the source. Each quarter, we engage Business Travelers, Luxury Travelers, Zillennials, and Meeting Planners through our proprietary Mindset® study, then translate what we hear into strategic insights you can use.
This isn't one-and-done research. Each quarter, we go back to a tribe to test sharper questions based on what you tell us you need to know. Got a question you want answered? We invite you to add your voice in the comments or reach out directly.
About the Event Planner Tribe
This study draws on insights from a blended qualitative and quantitative session with 28 event planners from six countries who plan two or more events per year, requiring 50 or fewer peak nights.
COMMENTS