As 2025 closes, one thing is clear: The meetings industry continues to evolve at record speed. Attendee expectations, geopolitical uncertainty, and emerging technologies reshaped how events are planned and staffed — making flexibility and foresight more critical than ever.
Here at Cadre, we found gig workers for more than 2,500 events this year. Analyzing the resulting data revealed five staffing shifts that defined 2025 — and will shape the way planners and freelancers work in 2026.
Specialization became the price of entry
In 2025, industry-specific expertise wasn't just a "nice to have" — it became the deciding factor.
- Pharma meetings (31 percent of Cadre's 2025 events) required freelancers fluent in health-care compliance and medical terminology.
- Incentive meetings (18 percent) favored professionals with luxury hospitality backgrounds and VIP service experience.
- Freelancers who upskilled into defined sectors secured more — and higher-quality — contracts.
"Clients now ask about industry experience before anything else," says Ashley H., Cadre's senior account staffing manager. "Generic résumés don't cut it anymore."
Local talent became the default
In 2025, 72 percent of staffing requests prioritized local professionals — up from 59 percent in 2024.
Why the shift?
- Cost savings: Meeting hosts don't have to pay airfare or hotel costs.
- Sustainability: The trend aligns with host organizations' environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and reduces carbon footprints.
- Efficiency: Local talent can work flexible or partial-day shifts.
Staffing locally has become a best practice, not just a preference, and the trend gives planners greater agility, allowing teams to scale up or down quickly while maintaining compliance and quality standards.
Last-minute staffing lost its edge
In 2024, more than a third of staffing requests arrived within a week of the event. By 2025, that number dropped to 19 percent.
Planners learned the value of early sourcing:
- It secures stronger talent matches.
- Top freelancers book out weeks — or months — in advance.
- Late requests increase administrative time and costs.
"It's no longer acceptable to treat staffing as an afterthought," says one enterprise client. "The early bird doesn't just get the worm — they get the right team."
Global events pulled back
International staffing requests declined 22 percent year-over-year, reflecting a cooling in global meetings volume. The causes were multifaceted:
- Geopolitical disruptions and visa hurdles;
- Currency fluctuations that increased logistics costs; and
- Ongoing travel restrictions in such sectors as tech and finance.
This mirrors the Global Business Travel Association's findings that international corporate travel remains down 14 percent compared with prepandemic levels, with many organizations opting for regional or hybrid hubs instead.
For freelancers, that translated to more domestic opportunities and fewer long-haul assignments — another reason local and regional staffing surged.
The rise of the fractional planner
One of 2025's most striking shifts was a 38 percent increase in long-term, off-site freelance planner roles. These "fractional planners" supported projects virtually, coordinated regionally, or managed ongoing programs for multiple clients.
Why the growth?
- Enterprises adopted decentralized planning models.
- Organizations sought surge support without adding headcount.
- Clients wanted continuity without full-time hires.
"We're seeing the rise of the ‘fractional planner,'" explains Kim D., Cadre's field operations manager. "It's a smart way to scale without overhiring."
Trends for the coming year
Leading industry organization, such as the Professional Convention Management Association and Meeting Professionals International, predict these dynamics will continue — evolving around four dominant forces shaping staffing and success in 2026:
AI will automate, but EQ will differentiate. Automation will streamline scheduling, sourcing and contract management, but human connection will remain the competitive edge.
Risk management will take center stage. Risk planning now goes beyond weather and logistics. Visa delays, protests, DEI sensitivities, cybersecurity and data privacy for hybrid events all require attention.
Budgets will stay tight. Teams are shrinking, and freelancers are being asked to wear multiple hats. Maximizing return on staffing (ROS) will become the new ROI.
Freelancer competition will heat up. More professionals are entering the gig economy. The most in-demand will prove their value quickly, bring niche expertise, and integrate seamlessly into client teams.
The "new-age freelancer"
Planners are redefining what they want in freelance partners. Tech-savvy, proactive communicators who think strategically — not just tactically — are leading the pack.
"We're looking for freelancers who act like partners," says a Fortune 100 client. "Not just task takers."
As roles evolve, so will expectations: Understanding event-tech platforms, collaborating across time zones and anticipating needs will separate good freelancers from great ones.
The message for 2026 is clear: Those who specialize, plan early and think strategically — whether planner or freelancer — will be the ones who thrive.
Lana Wos is manager of customer success for Cadre, which offers a marketplace of meetings industry freelancers looking for gig work.
