EVENTS TRENDS FOR 2021
Over the last year we have seen a shift in every sphere of our lives, from the way we learn, our habits around health and hygiene, to how companies work and engage their potential customers and more importantly their teams. As a new year unfolds and cases start to drop, hopes for a more ‘normal’ future are taking shape, but some kind of restrictions and distancing measures will likely still be in place with hybrid events looking like the next go-to experiences.
Although is difficult to predict exactly what the future holds, we can foresee and spot trends that will, with no doubt, outline the events industry for the time coming. Here are our top 5 predicted trends:
Hybrid events
Whilst events companies have familiarized themselves with new platforms and apps to make their live experiences interactive and highly engaging, they’ve also realized that thanks to the magic of technology they can reach and accommodate a broader audience. There are huge elements of engaging a global team, or reaching clients overseas which means an element of virtual can add significant value to your event. This means virtual components will likely remain as hybrid events have:
no travel costs,
reduced environmental impact,
the ability to reach a wider audience,
have higher engagement!
This means that many events companies are now looking to permanently incorporate a digital strategy into their business.
Personalized events
The continual progress in technology globally has led to infinite custom-made content. From Spotify to Netflix, viewers have access to unlimited content that has been curated based on their personal preferences. The events industry are following the same path as customers become used to these online behaviours.
As many events companies have pivoted their business online, they are becoming familiar with platforms, apps and tools that makes the personalization process easy and effective, delivering virtual events able to achieve the same level of engagement as the in-person ones. The technological progress has consequentially risen expectations on what customers look for in events and it will expectedly be applied to in-person and hybrid events too.
Sustainable events
With air pollution during Covid-19 being reduced globally during lockdowns, and wildlife reclaiming their spaces, people have adopted a new found respect and awareness for the environment - which will directly influence their decisions. This includes making decisions when picking an events company. We can say that in this respect virtual events have also played a role in being eco-friendly as by being online there has been a hefty reduction of waste and even travel to get to these events. It seems likely that the events industry will avail of technology for the foreseeable future, implementing technology in the hope of reducing waste and making their products more appealing for the new climate conscious clientele.
Educational events
In the age of self-help blogs, YouTube tutorial videos, online courses, eBooks and information-first marketing content, the new tech savvy audience is veering towards educational events as they are perceived as “high-value content”. Although ‘fun’ is and will always be the focus point for every events company, organizers are aware that in order to differ themselves from all the other businesses alike, they have to offer clients a valuable experience that has ongoing benefits and go beyond entertainment.
Unique, themed events that ‘add value’ allow participants to enjoy an interactive activity whilst giving insight on a specific topic they might be interested in without loosing the fun elements which is all so important in order to keep the attendees engaged.
Outdoor events
Finally and certainly not least - outdoor events look like the most favourable option (especially in 2021). Not only is this because spending time outdoors boosts mental and physical wellbeing, but also because COVID-19 has been shown to be less contagious in the open air. Organizing and taking part in activities held outside is also beneficial for both parties as it allows organizers to manage and distance participants more efficiently and allow more people to join.
We have been told many times that keeping outdoors and socially distanced is the safest place to be when it comes to the virus. Whilst many events may find this tricky - we are happy to say that our Scavenger Hunt embodies this principle as it is an outdoor activity that can be done in small teams (5/6 people)! The added benefit is these smaller teams facilitate communication and team work, allowing attendees to get to know each other better which with a year of remote working under our belts is key.
We hope you find these industry insights useful - and look forward to a bigger and better year for the Events industry, both online and in-person in 2021 and beyond!