The event industry is constantly changing and evolving in response to new trends and emerging technologies. From the metaverse, to supply chain uncertainties, to sustainability impact and personalised curation. As event professionals it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest developments in order to create successful and impactful events for your attendees. To help you navigate this, we’ve listed 4 trends that we see continuing to influence the event industry in 2023.
Virtual Events (including Web3) and Hybrid Events
Even though the effects of the pandemic have softened, virtual and hybrid events are here to stay and will continue to be a tool for both event managers and event marketers. Don’t worry, we get it: Zoom/Team fatigue was definitely a problem early on, but with the rapid advancement of technology, virtual events have become more engaging and interactive, providing attendees with a one-of-a-kind and immersive experience.
The rise of Web3, a.k.a. the metaverse also goes hand in hand with virtual events. Without going down the metaverse rabbit hole too much, Web3 looks to shape the year ahead in the way virtual events are rolled out, from virtual concerts to virtual conferences and trade shows to virtual fashion shows. Who would’ve thought brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana, Philipp Plein, and Esteé Lauder would be showcasing their wares to over 100,000 attendees during last year’s Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW), with a bigger and better MVFW expected to return next month.
The trend of virtual and hybrid events will continue to play a role in the event landscape for 2023 and shouldn’t be dismissed as merely a way to get more “bums on seats” but as a genuine way to build brand engagement, foster meaningful conversations, and amplify event impact through a broader attendee reach.
Sustainability
Sustainability has grown in importance in all aspects of business, including events. With the impact on the environment at the forefront of many event attendees’ minds, we’ll continue to see organisers prioritise waste reduction, eco-friendly practices, and the use of sustainable materials throughout the lifecycle of an event. Simple initiatives could include promoting sustainability in the pre-event comms: encouraging attendees to bring reusable water bottles and coffee cups, and providing recycling and composting stations throughout the event for attendees’ use.
Organisers can also implement a sustainable mindset at the planning stage by not just assessing a venue’s compatibility based on budgets and layout but also on how strong its commitment to sustainability is. For example, is the venue a LEED-certified building or one that uses green technologies such as rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse? Does it ban single use plastic or promote sustainable travel? If you’re looking for more ways to lower the negative impact on the environment at your next event, you can check this Sustainable Event Guide by The City of Melbourne.
Personalisation
This year we’ll see a continued emphasis on providing attendees with customised and personalised event experiences. As organisers we need to ask ourselves, “How do we make the event unique for each attendee?” Instead of creating one event for 1,000 attendees, how do we create 1,000 unique attendee experiences?
Event personalisation can take many forms, from allowing attendees to choose which sessions and workshops they want to attend and building a personalised agenda for them, to using data and analytics to make recommendations to attendees based on their interests and previous attendance patterns. Event organisers know that attendees want to make the most of their time at an event so it’s crucial to give them the ability to consume content of their choosing as well as giving attendees structured opportunities to network with individuals who share similar interests and event goals.
When we produced Oracle’s Construction Technology Summit, we knew that personalisation was a priority for our client so we built a “choose your own adventure” environment, allowing attendees to choose from 4 concurrent streams of content and relevant activations to match. Another fun way to personalise the event is to offer the attendees the opportunity to customise their event swag, such as t-shirts or tote bags, with their name or a unique design. It’s not only an easy way for personalisation but also helps prolong the event’s brand presence.
Insights Based on Big Data
The power of big data provides valuable insights for event organisers, allowing them to make informed decisions that improve the attendee experience as well as maximise ROI and measure the success of an event. Examples of how big data can be used to gain insights include data from social media that can provide insights into an event’s online buzz, sentiment, and engagement. Event organisers can use social media monitoring tools such as Hootsuite to track event-related mentions, hashtags, and interactions and use this data to improve their social media strategy and engage with attendees well after the event has ended.
Attendee data can be used by event organisers to collect and analyse data such as demographic information, registration patterns, and past attendance history. This can assist event organisers in better understanding their key audience and tailoring the event to their interests and preferences (which ties back into personalisation). Event traffic data is another important subset, analysing attendee traffic patterns and bottlenecks, traffic data can assist event organisers in optimising the layout and logistics of the event. This information can be gathered using heat maps, tracking technologies, and sensors strategically positioned around the venue. Traffic data in particular plays a vital role in determining how successful an exhibition or trade show event was for vendors and sponsors. It can also help organisers understand which part of the event received the most traffic and why, helping with planning for future events.
Overall, big data can provide event organisers (and event marketers in particular) with valuable insights that can help them make data-driven decisions as opposed to “gut feel”. Remember the key is to collect the right data, effectively analyse it, and use it to inform decisions that benefit both attendees and event stakeholders.
In conclusion, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the events industry, especially after the last few years we’ve all experienced. With the emergence of new tech and a continued focus on sustainability, personalised event experiences and the use of data-driven insights to level up an event, it’s crucial as event organisers to see how we can implement these trends into the work we produce. It’s all about using these trends to create new and unique event experiences to ensure your attendees are engaged and inspired, ultimately ensuring that your event is a successful one.
Looking to level up your event game? Reach out to the team at hello@landtevents.com.au