If you think “meetings” conjure up a windowless room and bad coffee, think again. Club Med, once known for cocktails, kaftans and carefree holidays, now wants to rewire how the corporate world comes together. And yes, there’s still a cocktail or two involved.
Its new industry report, Inspirational Experiences: The Trends Redefining the Future of Meetings and Events, is part study, part strategy manual, and part wake-up call for event planners stuck in the PowerPoint era.
With its Meetings & Events division posting a 62 per cent jump in business volume over the past year, Club Med has decided to share the secret sauce and perhaps the sunscreen behind its success.
When spreadsheets meet sunsets
The report is more than a glossy brochure. The result of a survey of 200 key decision-makers in the meetings and events (or “MICE”) sector is Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events for those not fluent in industry acronym soup.
Club Med’s goal? To map out how the next generation of gatherings can be meaningful and measurable. It’s about results as much as resort views.
“As the Meetings & Events industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, it’s clear that success lies in creating experiences that not only leave a lasting impression but are also purposeful and reflective of attendees’ values,” said Julie Voultepsis, Head of Meetings & Events for Club Med Pacific.
“At Club Med, we see ourselves as more than a venue provider. We work in partnership with businesses to deliver events that inspire connection, support wellbeing, and drive measurable outcomes.”
That’s corporate-speak for: we’ll host your sales conference and ensure everyone enjoys it.
The numbers behind the nibbles
The data confirms what many planners already suspect: the industry is changing fast.
-
63% of respondents said cost remains the top concern. The post-pandemic budget hangover is clearly not over.
-
84% believe that personalisation improves attendee satisfaction. Cookie-cutter conferences are out; bespoke is in.
-
45% use immersive technology to enhance learning and engagement. Virtual reality may finally have found its rightful home between the welcome drinks and the team-building session.
-
Networking still reigns supreme as the defining measure of event success.
-
72% have integrated sustainability practices not just because it looks good on a brochure, but because guests increasingly expect it.
-
And 70% put wellness at the top of their agenda, proving that a morning yoga class may do as much for productivity as another panel on “synergy.”
These numbers sketch a clear picture: the age of the cookie-cutter conference is ending, replaced by gatherings that focus less on plenary sessions and more on personal connection, wellbeing and long-term value.
A shift from boardrooms to beach decks
This transformation plays directly into Club Med’s wheelhouse. Its resorts, from Bali to the French Alps, have always been about togetherness, albeit usually in togs rather than ties.
Now, the company is translating that ethos into the business space. The report positions Club Med not as a passive backdrop for corporate retreats but as an active collaborator helping clients create inspiring events.
“Staying ahead of the curve is critical to achieving the best outcomes,” said Voultepsis. “Through industry insights and expert commentary, this report captures the trends at the forefront of the Meetings and Events industry and provides a valuable resource for leaders looking to anticipate what’s next.”
And if what’s next includes a beachfront brainstorming session with fresh coconut water, so be it.
Sustainability, but make it stylish.
This is not Club Med’s first foray into the business of better business. Last year’s Sustainability Report outlined how companies can incorporate eco-conscious practices into their events, from renewable energy and waste reduction to sourcing local produce.
The follow-up, Inspirational Experiences, builds on that groundwork, placing sustainability firmly alongside cost and creativity as one of the top three pillars of modern event planning.
In the words of one corporate organiser quoted in the study, “Sustainability has gone from being a nice-to-have to a must-do.”
It’s an evolution that feels perfectly in step with Club Med’s French roots, a nation that takes both pleasure and planet rather seriously.
Technology with tact
Perhaps the most interesting insight is the embrace of immersive technology. Forty-five per cent of organisers now use tools like augmented reality to teach, train or immerse their teams.
But the message isn’t “robots replacing rapport.” Instead, technology is seen as a bridge connecting people across borders and disciplines while leaving room for laughter, handshakes, and the occasional dancefloor disaster at the gala dinner.
Club Med’s report threads the notion that meetings should inform and inspire through this human dimension.
Wellness takes centre stage.
One of the strongest trends, and perhaps the most overdue, is the rise of wellness. Where once event organisers measured success by attendance numbers and post-conference surveys, today’s leaders are tracking how people feel.
Sessions that blend light exercise, outdoor experiences and relaxation breaks are becoming standard, and Club Med’s portfolio of sun-drenched resorts is ideal for that.
After all, a strategy session on a wooden deck overlooking turquoise water tends to deliver better engagement than one next to a flickering fluorescent tube.
Meetings with meaning
The real takeaway from Club Med’s research isn’t just that the MICE industry is rebounding, though it clearly is, but that the very purpose of meeting has changed.
Events are no longer just information dumps; they’re experiences that reinforce brand values, foster connection, and inspire loyalty. In this new world of purposeful gatherings, destinations that can balance work and wellbeing have a serious advantage.
Club Med’s report doesn’t just chronicle that change; it helps shape it.
Inspirational Experiences: The Trends Redefining the Future of Meetings and Events will be available on Club Med’s official site from 3 November 2025.
Summary:
Club Med has turned its decades of leisure expertise into a blueprint for how modern companies can meet with meaning. The lesson? Whether you’re brainstorming quarterly goals or sipping something with an umbrella, the future of meetings may be found halfway between the boardroom and the beach.
By Soo James – (c) 2025
Read Time: 6 minutes
About the Writer
There’s nothing predictable about Soo James, and that’s precisely her charm. Of Malaysian descent, she set down academic roots at the University of New South Wales, majoring in Arts, before veering off into the unlikeliest of places: IT. It mightn’t sound romantic, but somewhere between data strings and deadlines, Soo was fascinated with how people and words connect.
What began as a curiosity soon turned into a craft. Over time, her writing slipped effortlessly into travel blogs and lifestyle features, each piece marked by her dry wit and a mind that notices the small, telling details others might miss. She writes with a traveller’s eye and a local’s heart, grounded, observant, and quietly amused by the world’s contradictions. Today, at Global Travel Media, Soo’s words do what travel should always do: take readers somewhere new, even for a few minutes.
