What 1,000+ Travel Executives Really Think About Conferences 

Only 36% of regular conference-goers said their last event clearly delivered ROI.

That leaves a lot of “it was useful, I think” floating around, which is a tough sentence to stand behind when someone asks what exactly came out of the time and money spent.

What’s interesting is that attendance hasn’t really dropped: 71% still go to at least two events a year.

So people keep booking flights, keep blocking calendars, even when the last one didn’t quite land.

Part FOMO, part habit, part “I should probably be there.” Not great reasons, but they’re honest ones.

What Attendees are Hoping to Get (And Rarely Do)

67% said they attend for strategic insight. In practice, that usually means sitting through panels where everyone circles the same talking points. A CEO hints at something interesting, then pulls back. A moderator runs out of time right when the conversation might have gone somewhere.

55% said in-person only makes sense if they hear something they couldn’t have picked up from a report or a call with someone in their network. That’s where things fall apart.

You leave with a few quotes in your notes app, maybe a stat you half-remember, and by the time you’re back at your desk, it’s already starting to blur.

The Same Problems, Every Time

The complaints weren’t dramatic. Just familiar.

• 43% pointed to panels that wrap without saying anything you’d actually repeat to your team.
• Another 40% flagged sponsor sessions that quietly turn into product demos, which everyone notices.
• And then there’s the schedule. Packed enough that 26% said they barely had time to think, let alone have a real conversation.

None of this is new, which is probably the problem.

What People Actually Want to Walk Away With

If most events fall short after the applause, the issue isn’t attendance. It’s what people actually take back with them.

That’s the bar the industry is being held to now, whether organizers acknowledge it or not.

Across responses, the ask was consistent:

• 57% want takeaways that make it easier to align their teams after the event
• 55% want a clearer answer to ROI
• 38% want meetings set up before they arrive
• 39% want depth over breadth, one topic that actually matters

Where We’re Starting

These findings reinforce choices we’ve already made in how we build Skift Live and where we’re pushing further.

Through the Skift Live app, attendees can see who’s coming and plan meetings before they arrive. The most valuable conversation at any conference shouldn’t depend on running into someone at the coffee station.

Instead of broad agendas that dilute relevance, we’re doubling down on smaller, topic-specific gatherings like Skift Data + AI Summit and Skift Aviation Forum. More announcements to come soon.

We’re sharpening our stage formats with more audience participation, tighter moderation, and clearer session intent.

Finally, every Skift Live event now comes with a pre-read. Not an agenda preview. An intelligence document that puts you in the right frame of mind before the first session starts – so the time on stage actually lands.

Where We’re Pushing Further: What Happens After

Most events effectively end when the lights go down. That’s where a lot of the value gets lost.

The number one thing respondents said they wanted, ahead of better panels, better speakers, better networking, was a clear takeaway they could share with their leadership team. A one-scroll summary that makes the case for why what they heard matters.

We’re building that.

The Skift Takeaways are now being delivered quickly in a clear, easy-to-digest format designed to make key insights immediately usable.

Three sections: what was actually said that matters, the specific data and quotes behind it, and what it means for your business. Not a recap. An argument.

Attendees of Skift Asia Forum and subscribers to Skift Pro can access these insights at the Skift Asia Forum What We Learned hub.

This is where we lean into what Skift does differently: not just hosting conversations, but interpreting what they mean for the industry.

Back at Your Desk

This is where most events lose whatever value they had.

You’re back, inbox is full, someone asks how it was. You say it was good. Maybe mention a couple of names, one idea if you can remember it clearly enough. Then it fades.

That’s the gap we’re closing.

The Standard Going Forward

If events are going to keep taking time, budget, and attention, “pretty good” isn’t enough anymore.

If you can’t point to what you got out of it a week later, it probably wasn’t worth going.

That’s the standard we’re building Skift Live around, and we have a lot more in the pipeline.

Take a look at the upcoming Skift Live events or sign up for the updates on our events beat.