Procurement trends 2025
Procurement has always played a key role in corporate decision-making but its influence is expanding. As Leen Jan van Dijke explains, procurement is no longer a support function – it is now a strategic driver of business efficiency.
“More and more, we see procurement departments becoming powerful decision-makers,” he says. “They are centralising supplier selection, enforcing strict payment terms and pushing for standardisation across global operations. While this creates efficiency, it also challenges the flexibility that event owners and marketers sometimes need.”
This shift may also create a disconnect between the procurement department’s need for control and event owners’ need for agility. Balancing these competing priorities is now a crucial challenge for global businesses in terms of event procurement best practices.
Centralised vs localised procurement
Many corporations are moving towards centralised procurement models, but in decentralised markets like Latin America, strong local supplier relationships remain essential.
Ana Robalo explains how companies can transition successfully: “The key lies in strong MSAs (Master Service Agreements), SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and quality KPIs. These ensure that a centralised model still allows local teams to operate effectively. MCI can help procurement teams build adaptability into their processes, ensuring they can respond effectively to economic fluctuations while maintaining efficiency and control.”
Van Dijke agrees that the playbooks we provide to our clients help prevent some of the tension that centralisation may cause, increasing the benefits and mitigating the risks: “Clients want standardisation across regions, whether it is in event execution or supplier agreements. We help them achieve consistency and efficiency, of course, and when when procurement teams move too far from the business owner's vision, our tailored solutions can help prevent conflict between cost-efficiency and creative execution.”
For MCI’s clients, this is where having a global agency with locally embedded teams offers a competitive advantage. “We can leverage our global supplier network while ensuring that regional teams maintain strong local relationships,” says Van Dijke. “This provides the best of both worlds – centralised efficiency with on-the-ground expertise.”
Sustainable event planning and AI in procurement
How is AI transforming procurement in event management? Another key evolution in procurement is the rise of sustainability and AI-powered decision-making. Quentin Remy highlights how MCI is taking the lead with an ESG supply-chain assessment for hotels, rating them on sustainability metrics and integrating these insights into sourcing decisions.
“We are proactively rating hotels based on sustainability, empowering our clients with valuable insights to make well-informed and sustainable sourcing decisions. Procurement is no longer just about cost – it is about making responsible choices,” he says.
Remy also emphasises how centralisation in procurement is helping clients navigate compliance and supplier accountability. “In industries like pharmaceuticals, we are seeing stricter procurement regulations. Procurement teams are now defining more of these parameters, and our role is to ensure we align with them while still delivering high-quality event experiences.”
Van Dijke sees AI as a game-changer for procurement as well: “AI is making procurement faster, smarter and more precise. We now have the ability to analyse vast amounts of data in real time, leading to better contract management, more accurate budgeting and improved supplier negotiations. But AI alone is not enough – it must be combined with human expertise.”
At MCI, the integration of AI tools into procurement reporting is transforming efficiency, reducing errors and enhancing decision-making. “We have also developed an AI-powered contract management that allows us to capture hotel data automatically, track spending and generate insights with minimal manual input,” says Remy. “For procurement teams, AI eliminates human error, speeds up contract management and provides real-time data for better decision-making. The challenge, as a first-mover in this space, is keeping up with AI’s rapid advancements while ensuring these tools integrate seamlessly into existing workflows.”
Event marketing evolution as a business growth driver
Event marketing has moved beyond brand visibility – it is now a critical business growth function. According to Robalo, event marketing leaders are under increasing pressure to prove their direct impact on sales and revenue. “Successful businesses now recognise that events must align with sales strategy to maximise impact” – an approach that MCI has refined through extensive industry expertise. “We provide creative solutions, meticulous data collection and clear ROI metrics to justify event spending,” she explains.
Van Dijke sees this shift playing out across industries, particularly in Europe: “Some clients want hard data on ROI, while others focus on qualitative success – attendance, engagement and brand sentiment. But overall, the expectation is that every event should deliver clear, measurable outcomes that contribute to broader business objectives.”
This means event marketers must now think like strategists, using AI and analytics to optimise engagement, personalise experiences, and track performance across multiple events.
Global procurement solutions with local relevance
As event marketing centralises within large corporations, balancing global and local event execution while maintaining local cultural relevance remains important. Van Dijke shares how companies can successfully balance these competing priorities: “We executed the same festival across four global regions for a global client – in the US, Europe, India and Singapore. While the core structure remained the same, we adapted elements like local speaker line-ups, cultural references and communication styles to ensure relevance. Finding this balance is essential for global brands.” (Read the case story here.)
Similarly, the event strategy used for one of his global tech clients ensures that the agenda and key themes remain consistent across different markets, while allowing regional teams to adjust execution details based on local needs.
With economic, political and technological shifts happening faster than ever, event marketers need to stay agile and informed. Robalo suggests three key strategies for staying ahead:
Follow industry trends and innovations – audiences expect immersive, interactive experiences rather than passive event formats.
Prioritise personalisation – tailoring content and engagement strategies to specific audience segments is essential.
Leverage AI and data analytics – from predictive audience insights to personalised event recommendations, AI is transforming event execution.
Van Dijke agrees, adding that agility also requires constant dialogue with clients. “The best way to stay relevant is to listen to client needs, track market shifts, and continuously refine event strategies. The more adaptable we are, the more valuable we become.”
MCI’s global reach, proven approach, strategic procurement leverage and event marketing expertise ensures that our partners’ events deliver maximum business value. Find out more.
MCI Content Team
