SMALLER, MORE INTIMATE EVENTS

As mentioned, event attendees want more face-to-face time, more personal connections. They want to be able to actually speak to the people behind the brand, and not get lost in a sea of people. There’s nothing worse than an overcrowded venue where guests feel less special, are fighting for canapes and are unable to find a brand ambassador to chat with.

This doesn’t mean that you have to minimise your reach. You could stagger guest entry in allocated time slots, or give out selected passes but then share the event content online for wider audiences. You could also create a sense of intimacy at large-scale events with small activities and hubs where people can escape the crowd.

MINDFULNESS AND WELLNESS

Our society is becoming increasingly conscious of the need to look after our personal and collective wellbeing. More and more people are trying to find ways to get rid of the ‘hustle and grind’ that can take a toll and damage your mental health. Events are expected to be a tool to aid wellness; they’re a means for people to explore outside of the office and to have their curiosity sparked with something new and enjoyable.

Over the coming year, expect to see more events incorporating mindfulness and wellness activities into their schedule, whatever the industry. This may include meditation and yoga workshops, break-out sessions designed to inspire creativity, ‘unplugged’ tech-free zones, outdoor activities, massage / beauty / pampering stations and other content designed to help guests unwind.

CONSCIOUS CATERING 

There are two ways in which an event organiser needs to pay attention to detail with the catering of an event, firstly in making sure that it meets all of the guests’ dietary requirements and secondly in the actual design and aesthetic of the food.

Britain’s vegan population has grown rapidly over the last decade, and so no event can be excused from not having suitable vegan options, as well as a selection of gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free items. One catering trend is to have deconstructed food available, whereby guests are presented with a range of ingredients — say avocado, salmon and bread — and are left to create their own meal ensemble. Of course, this only works for certain types of small events or conferences, your guests will still expect a fully constructed meal in an award show!

On the second point, it shows attention to detail if your catering matches the look and feel of your overall event styling. Try to incorporate the same colours, textures and shapes as your event elements when deciding a menu. An American Express party produced by Timebased featured nori squid ink tortellinis and food presented on mirrored and black slate trays, to match the aesthetic of the event.

NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION SPACES

Networking is a big motivator for attendees, after the actual event content. Planners should create ample private one-to-one meeting spaces and areas for spontaneous interactions. Try to think creatively when developing these areas, with fun seating arrangements like swings, beanbags, or enclosed domes and props for play such as table tennis or arcade games. Sometimes less seating can also encourage guests to mingle more.

You can make cavernous event spaces more networking friendly through styling details that will bring more ambience to the room — candles or low lighting, background music and fabric draping or balloon canopies are good tricks for this. All of these elements will help to bring guests together through shared experiences and increase their enjoyment of the event.

NON-TRADITIONAL VENUES 

Attendees are getting bored of traditional event venues such as clubs or standard hotels. 92% of planners and property professionals commented they believe events are more likely to be booked outside of a hotel than they were five years ago.

93% of venues also believe that it’s on them to be partners in creating the event experience at least some of the time. Venues that are true partners to planners are poised to see success in this year and beyond. Studies have shown that when venues have an active hand in helping events meet their objectives, this becomes the ultimate differentiator in gaining positive reviews, repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.

Some examples of venues that are becoming more popular for hosting events include warehouses, barns, gardens, museums, art galleries, and co-working spaces. For instance, the GQ Heroes conference was held at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire last year and will be returning to the venue in 2020. Timebased have also previously produced events at cultural institutions such as the Tate Modern, Battersea Power Station and the Royal Opera House. These prestigious places are steeped in culture and history, which means that holding an event here will help to position your brand as a cultural innovator.

FESTIVALISATION 

It would seem that the disasters of Fyre Festival have not scared brands or event organisers too much. Festivals are rising in popularity, the usuals are going strong but there’s also an influx of new and niche festivals popping up across the world. Even the lines between corporate events and consumer festivals are blurring. Forbes’ Under 30 Summit — a gathering of 7,000 30-and-under entrepreneurs — hosts an actual music festival as part of the event. Attendees can network while enjoying live music acts from Marshmello and Wiz Khalifa.

More and more brands are looking at collaborating with music festivals in a bid to gain wider publicity with their target demographic. For example Timebased created two pop-ups for Ray-Ban at London’s All Point East festival for two years in a row in order to highlight the eyewear brand’s inextricable connections to the music scene.

Even if you’re not able to provide a full-blown festival experience, adding small live performances to the agenda can still go a long way in engaging attendees.

RFID  TECH WILL HELP CAPTURE ATTENDEE DATA

Of all the event tech trends for 2020, advanced RFID technology is probably one of the most exciting for marketers. 79% of consumers stated that they are only likely to engage with an offer if it has been personalised to reflect their previous interactions with the brand. With new data available, marketers will be able to personalise and craft more effective communications based on specific attendee interests or activities. This aligns with another trend whereby guests want to have some input into what they do at an event, be it through personalisation or having multiple talks and workshops that they can choose from.

Planners can look for patterns in data gathered from RFID tech to develop precise and tailored personas. Mapping content, food, activities and so on down to these personas will allow planners to get as close as they can to tailoring events for an individual from start to finish.