Supporting Your Society’s Convening Power

Throughout 2025, FASEB has convened your society’s meeting professionals to assess and respond to the evolving landscape of scientific meetings. These sessions serve as a platform for cross-society dialogue, enabling planners to share insights, anticipate challenges, and collectively inform strategic decision-making.

Key topics of discussion in the past few months have included:

• AI in Meeting Planning: Participants exchanged experiences with AI tools currently in use across various societies. The conversation explored how emerging technologies may reshape workflows, and some societies shared both successes and limitations.

• Hotel Contracting Trends: The group examined recent shifts in hotel contracting practices, noting a tightening of terms that traditionally protected scientific societies. A growing number of planners reported that hotels are now routinely requiring prepayments, prompting discussions around risk mitigation and negotiation strategies.

• Federal Shutdown: Concerns were raised regarding the potential impact of a federal government shutdown on Q4 2025 meetings, with some anticipating possible disruptions extending into Q1 2026.

• National Guard in DC: The teams discussed implications of National Guard activity in the District of Columbia, particularly as it relates to meetings scheduled in the area. Considerations include attendee communication about the Guard presence.

• General Meeting Operations: Broader conversations addressed the overall state of scientific meetings, including attendance trends in 2025.