Las Vegas – October 13, 2026 -- oneworld has relaunched its dedicated Meetings & Events product, giving event planners preferential fares across the alliance's 15 member airlines and access to a network serving nearly 1,000 destinations.
The product targets groups of at least 50 independently travelling delegates converging on a shared destination. Organisers receive a dedicated booking link that they can send directly to attendees or add to an event website. Delegates book their own flights from their respective departure points and choose journeys that fit their individual schedules.
Roger Blackburn, vice president of Commercial and Loyalty at oneworld, announced the relaunch at IMEX Las Vegas. He said in-person meetings are growing in importance and that the tool is meant to make it easier for organisations to bring people together.
Globetrender report names seven trends for 2027 to 2030
The launch coincides with a trend report that oneworld produced with travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender. It examines seven forces expected to reshape international gatherings between 2027 and 2030:
- The Human Premium: as AI makes information ubiquitous, face-to-face connection gains value as professional currency.
- The ROI of Presence: rising travel costs push organisers to prove returns on in-person attendance, with meaningful outcomes taking precedence over footfall.
- Experience-First Events: conferences borrow from festivals, immersive entertainment and fan culture to turn passive audiences into active participants.
- Destination as Content: the host city becomes a headline attraction, and local experiences increasingly influence the decision to attend.
- Geo-compression: ultra-long-haul flights, expanding airline networks and geopolitical shifts redraw the map of viable event destinations.
- Loyalty Ecosystems: airline and hotel partnerships create more connected journeys, with recognition and rewards extending beyond the flight.
- Meet Me Airside: airports and their surrounding hotels emerge as meeting destinations in their own right.
Globetrender CEO says attendance economics are shifting
Jenny Southan, CEO of Globetrender, described "a new golden age of gathering" while noting that attendees are becoming more selective about where they travel, whom they meet and what they expect to gain. She said the most successful events by 2030 will give people a compelling reason to make the journey.
oneworld Meetings & Events covers corporate meetings, industry conferences, international association conventions, religious gatherings and large private celebrations.