How To Plan Events In Uncertain Times: Use VUCA To Overcome Challenges

Forbes

3 days ago

Shawn Pierce is president of the Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives (SEM&I) division at MCI USA.
Every morning, I open my news apps to headlines about evolving government policies, new tariffs, shifts in international relations and economic fluctuations—all of which directly impact how businesses organize and plan meetings and events.
These unpredictable, and often downright unfavorable, conditions are already impacting event attendance. A global survey of more than 175 event professionals by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) found that more than 75% of event organizers report lower event registration numbers due to the current political and economic environment.
In addition to domestic event attendance dropping, global organizations are questioning whether it's advisable to host events in the U.S. at all. Between March 31 and April 8, 2025, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) conducted an industry sentiment poll of global business professionals. One out of five respondents reported their organizations have considered canceling (or actually have canceled) a U.S.-based meeting.
What is clear is that we now operate in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environment. Our inclination might be to freeze event planning and ride out the storm, but history shows that innovation thrives in adversity. Leaders who master this environment don't just survive the disruption; they turn it into a competitive advantage. Here's how you can do the same:
VUCA Prime: Your New Guide
The solution isn't to retreat or cancel strategic meetings. It's to approach them with what leadership expert Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future calls 'VUCA Prime,' using 'vision, understanding, clarity, and agility' to navigate volatile times.
When external forces create chaos, successful leaders anchor their teams with a clear, compelling vision. Budget constraints and concerns about travel are powerful forces within an organization. Attendees must be able to make a case to decision-makers to demonstrate what attending your meeting will accomplish and why it matters more than ever. Your goal is to ensure that your event isn't seen as an optional networking opportunity, but as essential to an organization's success.
Communicate your event's strategic importance early and often. Frame it as mission-critical. Ensure promotional materials describe exactly what attendees can expect to take away from your event. Bonus points for providing attendees with easily digestible 'soundbites' in-session materials that they can bring back to their organizations to demonstrate quick wins.
Event planners must develop a deep understanding of attendees' unique situations. Do international participants need extra visa processing time? Are businesses worried about funding freezes?
International attendees face especially significant hurdles. One respondent to the PCMA survey said, "All of our Canadian members canceled [their event attendance]. They are afraid of border detainments." Yet even with travel bans and visa requirements changing day by day, fewer than one in five event organizers have updated travel-related messaging to support international attendees—a critical missed opportunity.
Remind attendees to check passport and visa requirements well in advance. Share destination details, including local culture and safety information. Offer invitation letters to facilitate applications for necessary visas. Designate informed liaisons for international guests to contact with questions, concerns and requests. Understanding what stands in the way of event attendance is key to addressing those issues to a level that attendees can feel comfortable and confident in attending your event.
In our current environment, event planners must manage unpredictability and complexity by insisting on clarity in every facet of event planning, from attendee communications to vendor relationships. A reliable way to create as much stability as possible in a volatile environment is to tighten up the logistics that are within your control. Consider these tips:
• Speakers: Insist on early arrivals and make robust backup plans, both for in-person alternatives and remote presentations. Ensure you have adequate technology and expertise to go virtual if needed.
• Food And Beverage: Lock in written agreements; verbal agreements are obsolete. PCMA survey respondents noted food prices are "through the roof." Sourcing locally is key to availability, price reliability and sustainability. Build anticipated cost increases into initial budgets.
• Products And Services: For events outside the U.S., prioritize local sourcing over international shipping to avoid customs delays and tariff costs. Event planners are already feeling tariff effects on everything from giveaway items to AV equipment.
• Venue Selection: Consider "secondary cities," which often offer more pricing flexibility and greater room for contract negotiation than primary markets while still providing excellent facilities.
The most successful organizations display agility—the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions. This requires both a flexible mindset and robust systems.
• Build flexibility into contracts. The PCMA survey revealed that 73% of organizations haven't changed their contracts in response to policy shifts. Smart planners are updating standard contracts with protective language, including force majeure clauses that specifically address policy changes and performance clauses to ensure vendors deliver despite their own challenges.
• Prepare for multiple scenarios. Develop contingency plans for various scenarios, including postponement options, venue alternatives and attendance thresholds that might trigger plan adjustments.
The New Normal
The good news is that the initial panic over tariffs, travel bans and other policy changes has generally stabilized into a 'new normal.' It is a reality, however, that requires advanced planning, contingencies and strategic thinking. Successful leaders are not reactive to current conditions. Instead, they see opportunities to improve, streamline and deliver more impactful experiences to event attendees.
The organizations that structure their approach around the proven framework of VUCA Prime won't just survive the current disruptions; they'll emerge stronger and more resilient.
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