It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!
(No, silly. Not the Superbowl. That’s next week.)
It’s the Meetings and Events Industry Forecast 2025… and it’s packed with the latest trends that will impact your speaking career in the coming year.
Overall, the speaking industry is riding a wave of optimism. Budgets are increasing, event organizers are prioritizing LIVE experiences (yay!), and both in-person and virtual events are thriving.
But here’s the kicker—costs are rising, and meeting planners are under more pressure than ever to justify every dollar they spend.
What does that mean for you?
So let’s break it down. Here are the five biggest trends shaping the speaking industry in 2025—plus exactly how to take advantage of them.
1. Lead Times Are Shrinking—Be Ready to Book Quickly
Planners are booking speakers later than ever. Last-minute bookings aren’t just common… they’re the new normal. So, be ready to book quickly.
I know this firsthand. I was in Washington, D.C. on Monday to speak at an event that booked me only three weeks ago. (My team had to be on their toes to lock down all the logistics on time and budget!)
That used to be unheard of. But today, planners are juggling budget constraints, skyrocketing costs, and tight schedules—which means they’re making decisions at the last minute.
How to Take Advantage of Shorter Lead Times
If you’re waiting around for months to hear back from a planner… don’t. The entire timeline has shifted, and you need to shift with it.
✅ Be proactive. Don’t panic if you haven’t heard back from an event organizer. Short lead times mean late-stage decisions are common. Check in regularly, stay engaged, and keep the conversation open.
✅ Streamline your booking process. If your contracts, proposals, and follow-ups take too long, you’ll miss out. Make it easy to say yes. Create simple proposals, follow up quickly, and be the fastest, most responsive speaker in their inbox.
✅ Stay flexible. Last-minute gigs are real, but you can’t take them if your calendar is clogged with unpaid or low-fee commitments. Be really mindful of the days that you’re booking. A few weeks out, it might not look like you’re going to be busy, but you’ll start to see those short lead times fill up your calendar.
When they ask you to speak in just three weeks, don’t let yourself be caught off guard. Yes, they’re serious! Start packing your bags.
2. “Happy Meal Pricing” Makes It Easy to Get Booked
We know these planners have strained budgets. They want your offerings to be easy to book, easy to understand, and easy to package. This way, they’ll feel like you’re a real smart investment.
You see, event planners want value, but they also want simplicity. They’re working with strained budgets and need packages that make sense without complex add-ons or upsells.
85% of planners say their organizations see events as a top priority—but rising costs mean every dollar is under scrutiny.
How to Use “Happy Meal Pricing” to Get More Gigs
Think about a McDonald’s Happy Meal. It’s a single price for a bundle of items—a burger, fries, and a drink—all wrapped up into one simple package. No extra fees. No complicated add-ons. Just a clear, easy-to-buy offer.
That’s exactly how you should price your speaking engagements.
Here’s a nice little list to check out…
✅ Bundle everything into one flat fee. Include your travel, your keynote, and any extras like book giveaways or meet-and-greets.
✅ Make your pricing simple and clear. Planners hate hidden costs. Eliminate the friction.
✅ Avoid unnecessary upsells. Planners don’t want decision fatigue. Give them an easy choice.
Planners feel price pressure, so position yourself as a high-value, low-friction investment.
Andrew Davis
3. High-End Events Are a Goldmine—If You Leverage Them Right
One of the things that I noticed in the research is that the demand for group business is really strong at the upper end, upper-scale luxury hotels. These venues are hosting really high-end corporate events.
Corporate and luxury event demand is at an all-time high. Upper-scale hotels are experiencing record-breaking revenue from high-end corporate bookings.
The meetings industry is seeing strong demand at premium venues. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) is projected to grow even more in 2025 because of group business.
How to Turn Premium Events Into a Referral Machine
When you land one of these gigs, don’t just show up, speak, and leave.
✅ Be intentional about networking. The biggest decision-makers—the ones with the power to book you repeatedly—attend these events. Go to the receptions. Join the cocktail hours. Mingle during the breaks.
✅ Turn stageside leads into future bookings. The best gigs come from referrals. Position yourself as the speaker people can’t stop talking about.
✅ Treat premium events as a chance to generate high quality referrals and stageside leads.
In other words, make yourself unforgettable and watch the opportunities roll in.
4. Event Planners Need Proof of ROI—Give It to Them
In fact, planners are desperate for proof of ROI these days. So you’ve got to be able to demonstrate value without customizing every presentation. Budgets are tight, and planners need to justify every dollar they spend.
78% of planners say events are more valuable than other business initiatives—but they still need measurable proof of ROI to maintain buy-in.
How to Prove Your Value Without Over-Customizing Your Speech
✅ Customize toward the problem, not the presentation. Planners don’t need a new speech for every audience—they need a talk that solves a problem.
✅ Use success stories, testimonials, and measurable outcomes. Show planners how your speech creates real impact.
✅ Package your keynote as a high-value, reliable, and proven investment.
Make it clear that your keynote isn’t just another expense—it’s a strategic investment in their audience’s success.
5. Optimism Means Opportunity—Build Long-Term Relationships
The industry’s confidence is driven by a genuine belief that the events are important – and that’s great for us! Planners want those long-term relationships with trusted speakers to continue to deliver.
In fact, 85% of planners are optimistic, and two-thirds are increasing their budgets for 2025.
How to Turn Optimism Into More Bookings
✅ Stay in touch with past clients. Don’t let relationships fade. Keep your name top of mind.
✅ Offer value beyond your speech. Help planners by referring other great speakers. Be a trusted resource.
✅ Invest in your long-term relationships rather than the short-term ones. The long-term relationships are the ones that are going to get those short lead time gigs we mentioned before. Referrals and stageside leads will come rolling in when they find they all of a sudden have a budget for you.
✅ You could invest in some marketing efforts if you want. You know, send out some updates to share what you’re working on, keep yourself on those planner radars without just resorting to cold outreach. Spend some time and effort to post testimonials that show the impact you’re making.
When planners need a trusted, reliable speaker, your name should be the first they think of.
The Bottom Line?
2025 Is Full of Opportunity—
If You’re Ready for It
✅ Move fast. Short lead times mean you need to be ready to book at a moment’s notice.
✅ Simplify your pricing with Happy Meal Pricing. Make it easy for planners to say yes.
✅ Leverage premium events. Network with decision-makers and generate referrals.
✅ Prove your value. Show planners why your speech is worth the investment.
✅ Build long-term relationships. Stay in touch, offer value, and create repeat business.
Ultimately, the key to your success is in your reliable delivery. The relevance of your solution to the problem that they’re facing and the relationships you’re building. So, if you can build trust, all of this is going to work in your favor.
2025 is going to be a great year for speakers who are ready to take advantage of these trends.
Will you be one of them?
If you’re a Premium Member, check out the second part of this article and discover three essential strategies to help you land more gigs, navigate tighter budgets, and prove your value in 2025’s fast-paced speaking landscape.
Part two of this article covers:
- Why meeting planners are moving at lightning speed—and how you can be the speaker who’s always ready to jump in and save the day.
- The simple organizational trick that will make you the easiest speaker an event planner has ever booked (seriously, they’ll love you for this).
- How “Happy Meal Pricing” can turn a hesitant client into a firm yes—without endless back-and-forth negotiations.
- The sneaky way to remind past clients that you’re available—without sounding desperate (hint: they probably assume you’re already booked).
- The magic of “donut holes” and why they’re your secret weapon for customizing a speech without creating more work for yourself.
- How a well-organized testimonial system can instantly make you the obvious choice—even if you’ve never spoken in that industry before.
- The mindset shift that will position you as a trusted partner, not just another speaker for hire—and why that’s the key to long-term success.
Remember, the advice that got you here won’t get you there. It’s time for a massive move.
It’s time for a Monumental Shift.
Thanks for reading!
Andrew
