7 Event Planning Trends To Shape The Coming Decade

Events had the room to grow and mature in the decade ending 2019, and we know planners are ready for the next stage of growth to commence from the year 2020.

To fully embrace this, though, will be to know what trends to even look forward to. That is why we have curated some of the hottest trends – and also taken the time to explain what it means for you (as a planner).

How about we dig into the meat of the post?

Trend #1 – Less is More

Events have grown to a stage where companies now use the size of theirs to outpace one another. While that has worked for some time now, it is time to retire that strategy.

Consumers are continually growing distrust for brands who always want to go big at all times. This means the event planner now has to find a way to plan more intimate, smaller-sized yet impactful events for brands now. That way, meaningful engagement can be made and more achieved altogether.

Trend #2 – Demand

The demand for events has been growing, but we will see even massive growth in 2020.

Brands and their executives are demanding more events by the hour, putting a lot of event planners on their feet. Besides just being on the ground to plan more events in the new year, you also have to be proactive in your bookings.

Since more events are happening all around, waiting to make that booking could cost you more than the basic price. Group discounts for hotels and such other packages should also be sourced and kept handy since you will be needing such frequently now.

Trend #3 – Personalisation on the Rise

This is not a trend unique to the event industry, but that does not make it less important here anyway. Interestingly, personalization can be approached in several ways.

It can be anything from creating a special schedule for each attendee at the event based on their personal needs and interests to mapping out a unique floor plan for them. The best thing about this is that data collected from the user (usually when an event app or any other such piece of software is involved) can help personalize follow-up mails and modes of contact for better overall customer experience.

Trend #4 – Venues Become Flexible

The first point of call for event planners when it comes to the venue is either that big conference hall or some other top-of-the-line location. There is nothing wrong with this, but they are starting to bring one word to mind: boring.

Event planners are now more likely to host their coming events in an unusual location than ever before. The attendees/ consumers demand authenticity and flexibility, and that is what they get with a non-traditional choice of venue.

Interestingly, choosing a great unconventional venue is even a nice way to mentally prompt attendees to take pictures and share their experiences on social media.

Trend #5 – Mixing Business with Pleasure

It has always been said that business and pleasure do not go well together, but all that is changing rapidly.

Business executives, for one, do not get a lot of time away. Thus, they might not be interested in attending an event if it will only contribute to their stress levels. What they would love, though, is an event being held at a vacation-worthy location.

Even if they would not be spending so much time there, it is a great opportunity to see the place and mentally enter the holiday vibe – even if they are not on vacation. Referred to as Bleisure by some, let that always be at the back of your planning mind too.

Trend #6 – Food is Key

We are at the time and age where everyone is making their choices about everything – from what they choose to wear, how they choose to be identified to how they eat. Speaking of the latter, the vegan population is growing at a rapid pace. If anything, event planners should also grow at the same pace to meet up with their needs.

It will be in your best interest to include a feeding preference section in your event registration process. That way, you don’t offend a group of people by not providing what foods they prefer.

Trend #7 – Security

This isn’t a trend so much as it is a requirement. Depending on the event, security may be the most important factor to your event guests. However, even if your event’s requirements are not particularly high, it’s best to have contingencies at hand.

Just a little over half of the event planners have a set plan in place for emergencies, with the rest just leaving things to chance. If you have not thought about it before, the lives and well-being of all those attendees are in your hands, so you should assume responsibility before and when they get to the venue.

From check-in through the event proper to the end of the entire program, always have the security of all attendees to be a paramount concern.