CEOs Who Delay Booking Meetings Are Throwing Money Away

Planners have been finding that a growing number of CEOs are waiting until the absolute last minute to make a decision on events — both internal and customer-facing — due to a number of factors, including budgetary and safety concerns.

When the CEO delays, it’s the planner who must act as the intermediary with the hotel and vendors, all of whom are under pressure from their higher-ups. Trying to hold the venue and keep the suppliers from moving on can be a challenge.

During a recent Skift Meetings webinar, participants shared how disruptive CEO delays have been, with one planner saying she got the okay for a meeting just a week beforehand. “2025 sometimes felt like moving from one fire after another, between the delays and the changes, and I don’t expect this year to be much different,” said another.

It’s not just small company off-sites that are being affected; even large six-figure programs have faced shorter lead times, according to Global DMC Partners’ most recent survey of 151 event professionals. The research found that 13% of the respondents were dealing with lead times of as short as four to six months out, and 4% faced lead times of less than three months out. 

These delays are costing companies a lot of money, said Hillary Smith, global head of creative and marketing at Creative Group. “In 2025, groups that signed contracts 45 days or less paid 15% more on average than groups who booked in advance.”

What Can Planners Do?

Planners say the best strategy is to assign monetary value to their CEOs’ delays. “I am crystal clear up front and very direct. I speak in numbers and absolutes,” said Smith. Using vague phrases like “It could get more expensive” do more harm than good. Focus only on data and facts, not emotions.

“Having radically candid conversations backed by clear tradeoffs early makes all the difference,” said Smith. “We use specific deadline dates and reference insights from other cases to show specific trends in percentages and timelines.”

Jami Yazdani, founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation, suggests that planners document key decision dates to avoid additional costs or limited availability on a timeline and present that to leadership. Then, secure 15 or 30 minutes on a leader's calendar at least two weeks before key decisions are due, to give them time to identify potential areas of concern.

She also suggests outlining the costs for contingency plans, to make everyone aware of what will happen if the delay forces a change in venue.

Planners can sometimes also make a difference by asking the CEO the right questions, such as "What information would be most helpful to you in making a final decision?" or "What concerns you most about this event?” 

"Understanding what is blocking their decision may help you provide needed information or anticipate changes,” Yazdani said.