Corporate budgets growing defensive
The IMF cut its 2026 global growth forecast and a PwC survey found 29% of CEOs expect margin declines this year, signalling tighter justification for discretionary spend. That backdrop is linked to a preference among corporate buyers for short, outcome‑led team‑building formats that are easy to approve and cost‑bounded. ( )
Companies are tightening the case for optional spending after the International Monetary Fund cut its 2026 global growth forecast and chief executives turned more cautious. (imf.org, pwc.com) On April 14, the International Monetary Fund said global growth is now projected at 3.1 percent in 2026, down 0.2 percentage point from its January update. The fund said 2026 and 2027 growth would run below the 3.7 percent average recorded from 2000 to 2019. (imf.org) PwC said in January that only 30 percent of chief executives were confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months, down from 38 percent in 2025 and 56 percent in 2022. Its survey of 4,454 chief executives across 95 countries and territories also found 29 percent expect profit margins to decline this year. (pwc.com, pwc.com) That caution is showing up in how companies buy internal events. American Express Global Business Travel said its 2026 Global Meetings and Events Forecast is built around “capturing the value” of meetings, and the report is based on a July 2025 survey of 601 meeting professionals in eight countries. (amexglobalbusinesstravel.com, amexglobalbusinesstravel.com) Cvent, an events software company, said events in 2026 will be defined by “intentionality” and that “outcomes matter more than ever.” That language tracks with buyers who need a shorter approval path and a clearer return for team sessions that sit outside core operations. (cvent.com, cvent.com) In practice, that favors formats with a fixed headcount, a set run time, and a simple budget line over open-ended retreats. Vendors that pitch team-building in terms of engagement, retention, project speed, or fewer cross-functional handoff problems are also speaking more directly to finance teams. (outbackteambuilding.com, magnovo.com) The pressure is not only on demand. American Express Global Business Travel said planners are entering 2026 focused on priorities for the year ahead as they manage meeting value in a market still dealing with cost scrutiny. (amexglobalbusinesstravel.com, amexglobalbusinesstravel.com) The result is not that companies stop gathering. It is that discretionary programs face a higher bar, and the sessions most likely to survive are the ones that are short, cost-bounded, and easy to explain in one approval memo. (imf.org, pwc.com, cvent.com)
