8 TRENDS SHAPING TODAYS EVENTS
8 TRENDS SHAPING TODAYS EVENTS
The event planning industry is changing and fast.
Even though trends are changing fast, there’s still good news – if you stay on top of things, you can be that event planner that everybody in the industry wants. The key is to look for opportunities, be one step ahead of your competitors and most importantly build a team who is 110% ready to take on this challenge with you. Here are 8 trends that will matter in the last few months of the year.
Opportunities
Hybrid events are all the rage
In the past, 57% of events were held in person. That number plummeted to zero due to COVID-19, but now it’s back up to 30% and is expected to go up to 40% in the future.
Hybrid events are also expected to go up from 27% of the event format share. Some people are excited about getting back to in-person events, others want to continue attending virtual events, which is why event planners have seen record numbers with some of their events lately. Event planners are in a sweet spot. It is encouraged that event planners use this opportunity to their advantage.
Need to reinvent events
There’s all this technology that works well, it’s way more stable than it was two years ago. It’s much easier to access, everything integrates way better. But at the same time, it feels like we’re in a little bit of a lull when it comes to revolutionary new ideas.
We’re at a crossroads of in-person and virtual events. Event professionals are still figuring out what the definition of an ideal hybrid and virtual event should be, and most technology comes with a standard set of features. There is massive room for innovation.
Future
Make technologies invisible
Event professionals and attendees have had a love-hate relationship with technology since the pandemic. What they need is seamless tech—tech that is so easy to use, it feels like magic.
Give Attendees What They Want
What attendees really want is bite-sized chunks of targeted content. As event planners, our goal should be to deliver events that are relevant, exciting, and enlightening—not lengthy and overwhelming.
There’s all this content, and we could be using that content and curating exactly what we want it to say. Referring to the content generated from events.
New-age technologies
Metaverse, NFT, VR, AI, crypto…these technologies are the future of events. Although these are also buzzwords for the most part. Most platforms aren’t at a place that everybody can use.
It’s interesting how the technology is developing. We’re not quite there. And there are a lot of, distasteful things happening in that space that we should all be aware of.
Skills
Build Communities
People seek a sense of belonging. Learning how to build communities and truly engage with them, whether it’s in-person, virtually, or through synchronous or asynchronous mediums, is a skill that will last event planners forever.
We all know that we want an event that is customized to us; small, nice, and tangible. However, when it comes to marketing our own events, we go big, we talk about keynotes and the big splashy things and at some point, we have to stop. We have to be strong and say let’s do a small community event because that’s what people really want. And that is what people really need.
Decide Between Virtual and Hybrid
When planning an event, you need to ensure that your virtual attendees get the same experience as if they were to attend in person. So, among the skills needed for the future of events is the skill to identify. Which sessions are best held virtually, and which should be broadcasted as hybrid.
You can sharpen this skill in two ways:
- Before the event, you can evaluate the content of your session to make this decision.
- After the event, you can learn by getting feedback from attendees and using it to improve future events.
Find Balance and Avoid Burnout
Mental health has become a cause of concern for event professionals. The mental health of everyone in the events industry is so sensitive because they’ve been through a lot. There’s pressure on anybody that’s involved in the space to deliver these events that are more complex than they ever were before and deliver them seamlessly.
That’s why finding the balance and avoiding burnout will be an important skill to have in the future. Whether it be production or planning, finding that balance of the what’s critical to the event’s success.
Keep The Ball Rolling
On one end of the spectrum, we have challenges like uncertainty, mental health, and the adoption of technology. On the other end, we have plenty of opportunities. Between these two extremes are ever-changing trends.
If you want to succeed, be open-minded. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Keep yourself informed about the latest trends and technologies. Most importantly, take a break occasionally. All this will help you keep your goal on track. All these things together will ensure that you keep the ball moving in the right direction.
Contents per Hubilo.com
