ATLANTA-After quizzing over 100 willing participants from across the country, PKF discovered that 62% of meeting planners anticipate orchestrating the same number of events in 2012 at hotel properties as in 2011. At least that's what analysis from Robert Mandelbaum, director of Research Information Services for PKF Hospitality Research, reveals. While this may not be the outstanding news that many in the hotel industry may have hoped to hear, holding steady is good, for now.

This sentiment of cautious optimism is currently seen across the hotel sector, presumably as businesses, owners and operators wait until a clearer picture of 2012 emerges. That being said, some meeting planners – 44% to be exact – have budgeted to spend more on meetings in 2012, finds PKF. And some of these individuals may not shy away from spending a little bit more on a higher-tier hotel for their events. Mandelbaum notes that 57% of planners surveyed "are no longer concerned with negative publicity or feel compelled to book less conspicuous meeting venues."

Even though it looks like some may be ready to open their wallets again, others are still looking to be a tad frugal – bringing the "cautious" part of the industry’s buzz phrase of the moment into play. PKF data shows that 53% of respondents are going to cut food and beverage costs during their events and 28% of those queried feel it necessary to cut off-site event expenses. But, again, not all meeting planners are playing Scrooge: 28% of respondents indicated that they won’t cut costs in 2012, according to the data.