Over the last few years, the events industry has undergone many changes. The field’s players were forced to innovate to adapt to the restrictions in place. Momentarily, events switched over to a completely virtual mode.
You may wonder, is this new trend here to stay? What will the events industry be like down the road? We’ve painted a portrait of what current and future experts have to say on the subject!
Are Virtual Events Here to Stay?
Saying that the events industry has been particularly affected by the pandemic that has unfolded over the last three years would be an understatement. In 2020, Radio-Canada goes so far as to say that event-planning businesses are commonly overlooked when it comes to the victims of this global crisis.
In hindsight, though, is it fair to say that the industry has evolved and grown instead of crumbling under the pressure of the pandemic? In terms of technological innovation, it seems it has!
The Future Lies in Hybrid Event Planning
More than ever before, event planning businesses were forced to innovate to remain afloat. With multiple lockdowns having proven that humans are social beings – to anyone who’s ever doubted that fact – it’s obvious that the in-person aspect of events is here to stay. On the other hand, we’ve had a taste of the multiple advantages of virtualized events, and many keep asking for more.
Suddenly, transportation, finances and distance are no longer barriers, and it’s all thanks to hybrid events.
Here are 5 considerable benefits :
- The World at your fingertips: international customers, guests, panellists and experts of all kinds are just a click away.
- Reduced costs.
- Increased participation rates: busy parents, people with mobility impairments; everyone can easily attend from the comfort of their own home!
- Eco-friendly: instantly reduce your event’s carbon footprint and the amount of waste generated.
- Statistical data: readily available feedback! For example, are people leaving the online session halfway through? You might even want to include a quick survey once the presentation is over!
It seems future experts also agree. According to a study conducted by Shape Your Com, MyEN and Meet-In, 78% of students studying in an events-related field—out of a pool of 514 students from 33 different schools—believe that event success is related is technological evolution.
The industry’s future entrepreneurs, therefore, seem to believe that digitalization is a priority.
Event-Planning: Headed Down a Greener Road?
The aforementioned study also revealed that more than half of respondents were unsatisfied with the sector’s efforts when it came to environmental concerns.
As one student so keenly noted, growing environmental awareness means that sustainability is becoming the norm; fewer and fewer customers are therefore interested in ephemeral events.
Sustainable Events: Small-scale and Large-scale Solutions
How do we know the events industry is headed in a greener direction? A simple Google search suffices. At a smaller scale, event-planning formulas are becoming increasingly sustainable: ethically and locally sourced foods and drinks, zero paper, public transport solutions, eco-friendly tableware, virtual formulas, etc.
Larger scale projects such as the Net Zero Carbon Events will also have a considerable impact on the event-planning industry. World-renowned businesses regularly publish articles that aim to guide event planners toward a more sustainable approach. BCD Meeting & Events has recently published a guide titled The Green White Paper: Sustainability in Meetings and Events.
In Quebec, the Sustainable Events Council—a non-profit organization—even offers trainings that aim to enable the organization of sustainable and eco-friendly events.
The Next Event Planners: A Career in the Events Industry
There are 3 main branches to the events field: planning, suppliers and marketing.
1. Event Planning
Event planners are usually part of a larger firm that specializes in the organization of all aspects of an event.
Here are 3 players that hold a key role at this stage:
- The events coordinator is in direct contact with the client and will be responsible for creating a strategy to achieve the client’s goals.
- The operations manager takes care of everything related to logistics when it comes to both human labour and materials. Once on the site, they’re in charge of giving the instructions!
- The communications manager ensures that internal and external communications run smoothly. For example, they would be in charge of hiring and communicating with the marketing team.
2. Behind the Event Scene: Suppliers
Once the project has been approved, and a goal has been set, it’s time to find suppliers. What’s a supplier, exactly? They provide a service come D-day!
Your customer wants a professional to handle the music? You find the best DJ/Entertainer. Guests need to be fed? You find an experienced caterer. You get the picture!
Needless to say, you need to be talented to work in this field, but you also need people skills!
3. The Event Marketing Mandate? Attracting Crowds!
Basically, those in charge of marketing need to find ways of drawing the target audience to the event. Once preparations are underway, the marketing team is in charge of event visibility and ensuring potential guests are intrigued!
4-Célébrations.com: An Event Planning Platform
These 3 key components can be found under one roof on the 4-Célébration.com platform. Just like an event planning firm, it contains all the players needed for a successful event. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, contact us, and we’ll find what you need! It’s a one-stop shop for finding suppliers, evaluating costs and placing orders!
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