How Trump-Era Policies Are Hitting the Meetings Industry

Dr. Jessica Levin, Coo and Regional Director, North America, or Abacus Worldwide, an independent International Accounting and Legal Signatures Association, is one of those people. Abacus has just transferred a global meeting that was planned for North America at the entrance of Rome “emerged as the most important group and the clearest decisive factor,” Levin said.

The decision was made in February, shortly after the Trump Administration tok office and before the RFP process. “We are sure that we make the right decision, and we are still optimistic about returning the meeting to the United States in 2027,” he said.

Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, event consultant with Nifty Method, reported that part of the assistance to a software user conference next week for which he is a contractor has moved to virtual.

“International attendees, from Canada to Europe, exaggeratedly choose to attend virtue due to concern for security, visa problems and how their decision to attend could be perceived publicly,” he said. “We have heard everything from concerns about border policies and the application of ice to nervousness about flying to places like Newark.”

The problem with virtual march is that it retains attendees, but is sacrificed as a complementary or heavy discount participation, reducing very necessary income. “It’s a CATCH-22,” he said.

The cuts in government agencies are also having an impact. The main business of the Moore Style Events CEO, David Moore, focuses on biotechnological and pharmaceutical clients, who fight with longer delays from the staff cuts in the FDA. “Recently we have found growing concerns of them regarding the terms of the project. FDA delays have become a significant challenge: what previously tok 30, 60 or 90 days now extends up to six injectors are their concerns.

The impact also extends to meetings outside the country, said: A client of the European Association who has just celebrated his meeting in Barcelona, ​​although they faced a possible cancellation due to low early assistance from US participants. “Our client chose to advance anyway, since they were beyond the point of ensuring a refund.”

Necoya Tyson, founder and executive director of Lightsey Event Solutions, lost a client whose event was canceled due to its main sponsor, a government entity, which retired in response to the Executive Order on Dei. “As an independent planner, I have lost two clients in last year,” he said.

Other independent planners and contractors echoed their Conern. Contractor Kim King reported that his employer lost half of his contracts, and two thirds of his contractors employees have been fired. “All my events and meetings were canceled in 2025 and I can’t plan future events,” he said. “I have funds per contract for a month before my position is eliminated.”

Costs in rooms, transport, AV and F&B are up; The planners who responded to the Skift Meetings survey reported increases of so many 30% axis in F&B. Said One Anonymous Independent Planner: “I’m Experienced My Worsst Leging Events Bone Bone, Legs Bone, Legs Bone, Legs Bone, and Banging Bone, Legs Bone, Legs Bone, Banging Events, Banging Tips, Legs Bone, and Legs, Legs, Blows of events, legs, events, legs and legs, legs, blows and blows of blows, legs and tips of blows.

The impact is felt throughout the supply chain, from the associations and corporations that organize the meetings, to the independent planners who hire, to the suppliers they use, including the DMCs.

“I have the work at the concert for a DMC whose main client is from Canada, and have lost the majority, if not all their business due to the current Canadian-United States relationship,” said Contractor Dianman Hermann. “The conclusion is that I also lost all that job.”