Being on top of new trends and planning for future trends is an important skill for event professions. The technology landscape in the event industry is ever-changing and if one does not keep afloat with new trends, one is likely to drown. Here are our tips and tools that we think event managers should be around this year.
Be social
If you’re not already using social media for your events then, I’m sorry to say, you should probably stop reading now. EVERY event organiser should be using social media before, during and after an event.
You should be promoting your event on all of the major social media channels (facebook, twitter, and instagram in particular). You also need to be prepared to pay money to reach your audiences especially on Facebook and Instagram.; gone are the days in which you could reach your entire audience for free.
Create an official, easy to remember, hashtag for use at your event and ensure your attendees know what it is. You should have a staff member solely dedicated to social media activities, tweeting, instagraming and facebooking all the action of your event using the dedicated hashtag.
Ensure you have a dedicated social page (ie. facebook event) where your guests can view information about the event, before, after and during the event. After the event you can then use this page to reach out to attendees and request feedback.
Experiences are the new black
Yeah, I said it. In with experiences, out with predictable and mundane events. People no longer want to simply “attend” an event; they to be immersed. Think less merchandise and physical gifts and try to focus more on offering more of an experience for your guests in exchange for their attendance. Offer a more engaging experience for your guests and give them something that they didn’t even know that they wanted. They’ll be bragging to all of their friends about what an amazing time they had.
Health trends
Wellbeing and mindfulness are on everyone’s agenda these days. It’s the antidote to modern day stresses and you should be taking note. You event should be offering healthy eating options and be catering for a variety of preferences and needs. This includes having more than one option for vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, low sugar and unprocessed foods, as well as more exciting varieties of non-alcoholic drinks for. Also provide quiet break out spaces for people to chill away from crowds and noise. Providing a peaceful place for patrons to regroup is vital to keeping people at your event longer.
Mobile devices and paperless events
Mobile devices now dominate our Internet usage and purchasing habits so it is crucial that your event website and ticketing pages are optimised for mobile devices. Ideally there should be no need for a patron to print their ticket, they should be able to attend your event with their ticket on their phone and you should have the facilities to accept a digital ticket.
Live streaming
There’s been a massive rise in professional live streaming tools like Periscope and Facebook Live (apparently Instagram is getting in on the action soon also). More and more people are tuning in to watch events live from the comfort of their home. This presents a new way for event managers to connect with fans and broaden their audience and also offers a new revenue stream for events. Studies have also shown that a large percentage of people who watch a live stream of an event will then go on to attend the event in person next time.
If you’re looking shade cloth and/or banner mesh signage for your temporary fencing at your next event, make sure to get in touch with our team today.
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