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5 event trend predictions for the next 5 Years!
If there’s one thing we can say about the event industry, it’s that trends are constantly changing. In such a fast moving industry, it’s important for event professionals and teams to consider the changing world of events when creating a long term event strategy that will deliver results both now, and in the future.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 key trends we anticipate will dominate the event industry over the next 5 years, and what that means for how we plan and execute event experiences.
- Continued growth of hybrid events
One of the biggest event trends that have undoubtedly changed the way we create events has been the growth of hybrid. In the light of lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures, 2020 saw 52,000 hybrid events take place on just one platform, a near 100x increase compared to the previous year! With the hybrid market projected to grow by 23.7% each year over the next 5 years, it’s safe to say that hybrid events aren’t going anywhere.
- Year long event calendars
We’re seeing a rising event trend of brands creating longer term event strategies that allow for more points of contact with target customers, clients, or team members over the year. Especially in light of the rise of virtual events, it’s becoming easier to bring people together, and over the next 5 years we can see more and more brands capitalising on creating full, year-round calendars of events for audiences to engage with.
- Greater focus on event experience
Even though the priorities and values of attendees might evolve over the next 5 years, one thing that shows no signs of fading is the demand for enriching and valuable event experiences. News source Event MB even revealed a new order of priorities across the event industry, with content ranking below both meaningful connection and entertainment. Insights like this reveal how future event experiences need to shift away from focusing solely on the content shared with attendees, and towards the event experience as a whole.
- More data collection
Having rich data around events allows event professionals to better understand their target audience and how they truly engaged with the experience. Not only do we predict that this focus on data will become more pronounced over the next 5 years, we also see a wider definition of the ‘data’ being used in years to come. Rather than using the same range of metrics to gauge attendee engagement, over the next 5 years event professionals will harness the wealth of technological advancements to get precise insights into their attendees and their behaviours.
- Truly sustainable strategies
There’s no denying, sustainable events have sprung into prominence over the last few years, with 80% of respondents from a recent survey claiming that their organisation takes sustainability into account when planning meetings and events. But where some brands are merely adopting these practices to jump on the bandwagon of the latest trend, the next 5 years will see those who care about our society and communities really making their mark across the sustainable and ESG compliant event space.
Need support from the experts to make sure your event strategy stands the test of time? Get in touch with the First Event team. We have the know-how and the keen eye for event trends to help your brand stay on the right side of trending.
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