In the world of event planning, staying on the pulse of the latest in eventing tools, tech, and trends is vital to staying one step ahead of your competition.
As event planners, taking a posture of learning, observing, and experimenting can go a long way to giving your events an exciting edge. If you make it your mission to make a memorable impression in the way you put on an event, you are sure to reap the rewards of your creativity. One of the best ways to do this is to keep a keen eye on what’s making waves on the global event stage.
So, what eventing practices are we likely to see more of this year? Let’s dive in…
Here are some event trends to watch out for in 2023
Mixed Format Events
While event-related health concerns are (mostly) a thing of the past, mixed format events are here to stay. Events with in-person, virtual, and hybrid elements show little sign of disappearing. Surveys have suggested that the choice to attend an event online has less to do with health concerns and more to do with the potential for logistical inconveniences like travel delays or the desire to reduce one’s environmental impact.
Virtual and hybrid events haven’t lost their value – their value has changed. In today’s growing work-from-home climate, attendees need excellent reasons to leave the house and attend an event in person. Hybrid events that allow them to experience most, if not all, of the benefits of in-person attendance, are growing in popularity. That, together with the chance to save on travel time, money, fuel and other expenses, makes hybrid eventing all the more appealing and convenient.
Tech and Engagement Tools
There is always something new trending in the tech space that event planners can harness to make their events awesome. Technology that boosts flexibility and efficiency, captures event KPIs, measures attendee data, and simultaneously adds all-around value to both attendees and event planners is becoming critical to the success of events. User-friendly eventing tools that provide end-to-end solutions for planners and attendees are essential.
Here are just some technology-based solutions that we are likely to see more of in the eventing space in the coming year:
- Event apps
- Contactless check-in tools
- Registration websites
- QR codes
- ChatBots
- Engagement software
- Augmented reality
- Streaming software
- Concierge robots, and much more.
Furthermore, engagement tools allow attendees to influence and weigh in on the presented content. Examples include:
- Gamification
- Polling
- Live Q&A’s
- Selfie booths, etc.
Smaller Scale Events
Short and sweet is the order of the day. Attendees are showing favour towards events with shorter sessions that leave room for more networking, learning and collaboration. Registering for an event based on entertainment incentives is less of a draw card for attendees than we previously thought. Rather, people are actively looking for professional, career-driven, ROI-based reasons to attend events.
Running smaller events more frequently also presents more cost-effective opportunities for brands to engage attendees, whether they are hosted in person or online. Connecting smaller groups more often helps build communities and keep brands top-of-mind throughout the year.
Personalisation
Brands that have the edge are the ones who have mastered the art of personalisation. They are harnessing the power of technology and data to help them understand their attendees and what those attendees are looking to gain from an event.
A personalised experience can take a ‘lost in the crowd’ attendee and make them feel like one in a million. A series of simple, effective, personalised touch points can effortlessly create a tailor-made event experience. Registration systems, surveys, social media, mobile apps, personalised event badges, even branded merchandise are all great ways to achieve personalised experiences. We expect to see the power of personalisation shine in this aspect of event management next year.
2023 is sure to be an exciting year for events. We are excited to see how these trends roll out. Watch this space…
Take your events to the next level in 2023!
At Flock we are passionate about helping our clients put on incredible events. With our world-class eventing tools and resources, we can help you streamline all aspects of your event planning and wow your attendees. We would love to show you how they can work for your business. Book a demo today!