Corporate Australia has well and truly joined the experience economy, and it has brought its travel budgets along for the ride.
For the first time on record, conferences, conventions, events and trade shows have overtaken traditional meetings as the primary reason Australians travel for work. It marks a decisive shift in how businesses build relationships, motivate staff and, increasingly, justify every dollar spent away from the office.
According to the Flight Centre Corporate 2025 State of the Market survey, conferences and events now account for 63 per cent of all business travel, pushing meetings into second place at 53 per cent. The numbers are more than symbolic; they signal a structural change in how organisations view the value of coming together.
The trend is even more pronounced among clients of FCM Travel, the flagship large-market corporate arm of Flight Centre Travel Group, where events represent 68 per cent of travel activity. In short, businesses are no longer flying people around to talk; they are travelling to connect, inspire and perform.
Katie Fraser, General Manager Customer and Operations for FCM Meetings & Events (FCM M&E).
At the coalface of this shift is Katie Fraser, General Manager of Customer and Operations at FCM Meetings & Events, who says the move reflects a more profound rethink of what drives results.
“Forward-thinking companies are transforming their approach to business relationships and team building,” Fraser says. “When you bring people together for meaningful experiences, you create stronger connections that drive real business outcomes.”
From boardrooms to brand moments
The data suggests this is not about prettier venues or better catering, though neither hurts. It is about measurable return on investment. Companies are replacing one-dimensional meeting formats with experiences designed to strengthen culture, improve engagement and deepen customer relationships.
That ambition is increasingly global. FCM Meetings & Events reports a 35 per cent increase in events organised during 2025, with attendance up nearly 30 per cent. Popular destinations ranged from the United States and China to Fiji, Turkey and New Zealand, clear evidence that Australian businesses are prepared to spend more to achieve more.
Event formats have evolved just as quickly. Alongside traditional conferences, incentive programs, networking showcases, and brand activations are all recording strong growth, reflecting a broader understanding that shared experiences outperform slide decks in terms of influence.
“What we’re seeing goes beyond just choosing nice venues,” Fraser explains. “Smart companies understand that shared experiences create competitive advantages. Whether it’s a conference in Turkey or an incentive trip to Fiji, these investments in connection pay dividends in employee engagement and business relationships.”
2026: the year of acceleration
If 2025 marked the tipping point, 2026 is shaping up as the acceleration phase. Demand is rising, event design is becoming more sophisticated, and companies are growing bolder in how they use travel to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive talent market.
“It’s not just about having a good time, though that matters too,” Fraser says. “It’s about building culture and driving results in ways traditional meetings can’t match.”
To keep pace, FCM Meetings & Events is expanding its global capabilities, deepening partnerships with premium suppliers and preparing to manage more complex, multi-continent programs next year.
For Corporate Australia, the message is clear. Meetings may still matter, but experiences now lead the agenda. And in a world where connection has become a competitive asset, that may prove to be the most valuable journey of all.
by Sandra Jones – (c) 2025
Read Time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer.
Sandra has spent much of her working life untangling the world for others, one itinerary, one dream, one frazzled traveller at a time. With years spent in some of Australia’s best-known travel agencies, she’s the calm voice on the line when flights go missing, luggage takes its own holiday, or someone decides to “see Europe properly” in nine days.
A qualified travel consultant with a knack for making sense of chaos, Sandra fine-tuned her skills through a specialised advisory course, the sort that teaches both knowledge and patience in equal measure. But the storyteller in her was never far away. A later foray into writing gave her the perfect excuse to blend that industry wisdom with her gift for words.
Now, through Global Travel Media, Sandra shares the small truths of travel, its frustrations, laughter, and quiet moments, that make every journey worth the fuss.
