Think back to the last event you went to – did it look something like this? Broken pop-up stands, mismatched chairs, discarded lanyards, and empty paper cups everywhere? Many event companies UK face this battle every day – how to take tired speakers, uninspiring content and misspelled name badges and turn them into the best event their delegates have ever been to!
It doesn’t have to be this way though. Any event management service worth their salt should be on top of what the latest trends in events are, and by using this to power their event strategy for the next six months. We’ve done some of the hard work for you, we’ve sifted through the mountain of information available out there to help to inspire you to create the best events that money can buy:
#1 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is a real buzz term in every industry at the moment, and it really doesn’t have to fill you with dread. Robots are not going to take over the world, don’t worry. AI can be used to enhance events by helping you to personalise the experience which will mean you can provide delegates with meaningful interactions that delight them in a way that will help you to stand out from the crowd.
Keeping it Simple
As Coco Chanel once famously said, “less is more”. It can be tempting when you are organising an event to plan lots of different things to try and keep people engaged. However, this normally tends to have the opposite effect. Keep the message clear and simple, and make sure it is at the heart of everything you are doing to try and communicate it.
Sustainability
It feels awful to write it in black and white, but the events industry is the second most wasteful industry sector (with construction being the first). This should come as no surprise when you think about the carbon footprints of delegates travelling to attend the event, the waste that delegates will produce while at the events, and the disposal of items used at the event once it is over. Sustainability is, therefore, key to the future of the events industry and is a hot topic the world over.
Different Formats
99.9% of events follow the following format: networking, breakfast, breakout, lunch, networking, and a bland exhibition area. It doesn’t have to be this way, though, you can engage and inspire your event delegates by putting some thought into it and designing your event in a different way.
Facial Recognition
Event registration is one of the hardest parts of an event to get right. It varies massively between events, and can often be complicated and messy. However, the advent of facial recognition, coupled with AI (which we have mentioned above) could mean an end to this mess and be a best practice that is used the world over in the future.
Healthy Options
Food and beverage options are often afterthoughts at events and can sometimes be a little bland and featureless. However, we believe that event organsiers have a duty to take dietary options seriously – especially as health and wellbeing is such a huge industry in the UK now. Think about nutrition and using local ingredients, where possible, and you should be able to come up with a menu that is a little more inspiring than the norm.
Video
Video is a great way to get your message across as it offers depth, insight, and narrative into your subject. You could even release a video pre-event to build excitement, during the event to get your message across, and after the event to show a roundup of the event to attract people to come to the next one. It will require a little creative input from you but it can be a brilliant medium for any event.
Social Media
Social media is everywhere now, it is part of our daily life, However, too much social media activity or the wrong type of social media activity could actually be detrimental to your event – as it could be seen to be clumsy, poorly thought-through and inauthentic. Focus on creating a strategy the projects the value of your event to a global audience, raises the awareness of your brand and is genuinely appealing and engaging.
If you are into event management London, Manchester or Glasgow and are looking for the right venue for your event then don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Conferences Group team today. We offer a free venue finding service that will ease the burden on your shoulders.
