While the globe has been in and out of restrictions and lockdowns last year, we’ve all been busy adjusting to the “new normal” and charting a new course for ourselves in many facets of our lives and enterprises. This is also true with the events industry.
Despite ongoing concerns about Omicron, we feel the events sector is eager to return larger and better than before (as soon as it is safe to do so), and this has fueled new trends that we predict will continue to drive the market far in 2022. In this article, we cover the top ten event industry trends for 2022.
Top 10 Event Industry Trends We Predict for 2022
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Hybrid events will continue to gain traction, and technology will advance
Hybrid events mix live and virtual components and offer a number of advantages, including expanded reach, increased ROI, and possibly a lower carbon impact. Given these advantages, it’s no surprise that 97 percent of respondents anticipate seeing more hybrid events in the future, or that 70 percent of respondents believe hybrid events will be crucial for the advancement of the events industry, according to a survey by MPI on Bizbash.com.
Searches for the keyword ‘hybrid event’ have climbed 150 percent in the preceding three years (according to Exploding Topics), and in-person or hybrid events in London have increased 231 percent month over month last year (according to Conference News). This only goes to demonstrate that, while we were limited by virtual in 2020, the sector has been eager to return in-person this year in any means available. In the face of adversity, EventLAB 2021 turned hybrid, with over 450 people participating virtually and in person.
To deal with the growing demand for hybrid events, organizations will need to continue to evolve and expand their offerings to meet the changing needs of attendees and customers. Learning new safety measures as well as how to use new tools and technologies are all part of this process. As the demands of event organizers’ grew, Arena, a new hybrid and virtual events platform, was built in conjunction with event organizers, to cover the market vacuum for an inexpensive and accessible platform.
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Workplaces will continue to evolve for the better
This year, perceptions toward employee well-being have shifted dramatically. With the majority of us now working remotely, mental health is now much more frequently discussed, which has aided in the opening of discussions about enhancing our work-life balance and assisting event planners in dealing with constant change.
This year, there has been an increase in the use of co-working facilities as a way to provide vital face time for employees, along with more employee incentives to keep motivation strong and recognize staff for their perseverance through these difficult times.
But it goes even beyond that: we feel that employee expectations have shifted significantly this year. This year, we’ve seen ‘The Great Resignation,’ as highlighted in this session from International Confex 2021: employees now have more expectations in their jobs than merely a paycheck, putting pressure on employers to make positive changes in their companies. Organizations are also under more pressure to modify their diversity and inclusion policies.
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Virtual events will decrease in size and increase in frequency
Prior to the pandemic, it was usual for businesses to organize one big, in-person event per year. Reflecting back to 2021, we’ve noticed that organizations are opting to organize a number of smaller virtual events all through the year, covering a variety of themes, instead of waiting all year for a single major event that may have to be hosted virtually anyway due to ever-changing regulations and restrictions.
These more regular and personal virtual events not only raise brand awareness, but they also help businesses to communicate with their customers more frequently and give the most up-to-date content. A basic webinar for 100 people, for example, may be scheduled with only a few weeks’ notice, so it’s no surprise that these events have become a key element of the marketing mix for huge global corporations (who may also be concerned about traveling).
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Live events will have a greater impact
With the risk of Coronavirus looming in the background, delegates are weighing the benefits and drawbacks of going in person far more than they used to, especially since they can just participate digitally.
That is why, in order to persuade people to attend live events, the activities must become more valuable. Those who do come are mostly motivated by the opportunity to interact with people in person, something we’ve learned not to take for granted after such a long time apart. The combination of the excitement of being together and catching up with industry pals, as well as the experience of witnessing outstanding content firsthand, is a significant driving force for attendance rates.
To attract individuals to come, the quality of the information given will have to upgrade and the focus will need to shift. This year, we’ve noticed that content is increasingly helping to address societal challenges and developments, such as diversity, wellness, and sustainability, rather than just focusing simply on business-related topics. Education and training are also receiving more attention.
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Health and safety will be given a fresh start
In 2022 and beyond, instituting a well-thought-out health and safety protocol for every event is not only a requirement but a moral duty. It can not be an afterthought any longer; instead, the event planner must examine the risks in all aspects of the planning process and take all necessary efforts to curb them as much as possible.
The way we view health and safety, and hygiene in general, has evolved to the point where a thorough risk assessment and contingency plan has become a need rather than a luxury. Whether it’s preparing for onsite testing, cleaning more regularly, or ensuring proper ventilation, planners must do everything possible to keep people safe – from their own workers to the guests.
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We’ll always have a backup strategy in place
Despite the fact that 2020 was a frenzy of canceled plans, we knew where we stood. Last year, the UK had gone in and out of lockdown, but travel has been restored, and life has appeared to be returning to normal before being engulfed by new restrictions. Given that things change so frequently, it’s been challenging for venues, vendors, and organizers to prepare for the future.
While the unpredictability has been frustrating, we believe it has honed our planning skills. We’ve got to keep ahead of the curve and make educated decisions about what’s best for our business, our events, and, of course, our attendees.
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We’ll make a big step forward in terms of sustainability
2022 is all about reviewing processes and considering how we can improve the way we do things across all of our events, including sustainability. The events business has a history of being extremely wasteful: unending single-use plastic, catering trash, single-use signage, complimentary merchandise with a first-class ticket to landfill, and so on. However, it appears that event planners are, more than ever, rekindling a fervent desire to produce more sustainable events this year.
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Machine learning generates revenue
Because of the rapid advancement of technology during the Covid pandemic, event technology may now use actual machine learning and AI, and not just complex algorithms. According to MeetingPlay CEO and co-founder Joe Schwinger, this technology is a “game-changer.” The largest advantage is enjoyed by events with more than 50 sessions or 5,000 attendees, and there is a positive ROI.
Schwinger noted at the EventMB 2022 Event Trends Summit, that “Machine learning creates personas that are never cemented in concrete.” For ever-larger events with more content, this continually growing awareness of audience behavior and wants is even more vital.
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Engagement based on insights
According to Julius Solaris, VP of marketing strategy and events at Hopin, engagement is the indicator that can determine the outcome of an event regardless of the format. It is now feasible to continuously modify and improve any event to create increased interaction by monitoring event parameters that act as proxies for audience involvement.
Moving events to data-rich environments and adopting a hybrid event strategy might completely change the game of event planning. “As technology continues to innovate, particularly for hybrid and in-person events, insights will be the main ingredient for successfully engaging an audience in 2022, regardless of your event type,” Solaris stated.
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Taking steps toward the Metaverse
Video games are currently the closest thing we have to a metaverse. But just because they’re games doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat them and the technology that drives them with seriousness. The question of whether an immersive online experience is an appropriate location for a certain event will drive the decision to conduct events in the metaverse. While it has a lot of potential for specific use cases, it won’t work for every form of event.
For the time being, the metaverse’s possible event venues may be a little too bizarre for most commercial purposes, and seeing them necessitates the use of a bulky headset that is now unavailable to several non-gamers. Brandt Krueger, the owner of Event Technology Consulting, agrees with this viewpoint: “There is no rush or immediate need to pivot to the metaverse.” In the meanwhile, according to Krueger, we should take advantage of opportunities to study and learn from our own metaverse experiences.
In Summary
As you’ve seen, there were a variety of trends that emerged last year and that will become more visible in 2022.
As we navigate the new year with a typical feeling of uncertainty, organizers can use these top 10 event industry trends to navigate 2022 and create up-to-date innovative solutions for various event types. We remain optimistic that these developments will continue to improve our industry.