Event organizers have seen uniquely drastic shifts in their industry in the last several years, and adapting to a world where no large-scale in-person events were held for more than a year required a heavier reliance on technology and significant creativity.
However, in 2023, many have adjusted to a decline in physical events and have embraced what the future of event hosting has to offer. Because of this, a distinct set of trends has emerged over the last few years, embracing an amalgamation of the once exclusively in-person event with various types of online events.
Continue reading for the trends and predictions you can expect to encounter in the event-organizing industry in 2023 and the easiest way to implement these trends into your upcoming events.
Why Event Organizers Should Be Concerned With the Future of Events
Creating and organizing a quality event is easier said than done and has become even more challenging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, event organizers need to be prepared to host successful virtual, hybrid, and in-person events, which means comprehending how to navigate numerous event processes successfully.
In addition, because the world has changed so drastically in the last few years and is only now returning to a somewhat normal state, the trends in event planning have shifted dramatically.
By understanding the current events trends in 2023 and what these trends indicate for the future of events, you can become prepared to host successful and socially relevant events for years to come.
Take Notes on These Trends and Predictions of 2023
It’s essential for event organizers to stay on top of event industry trends, as an awareness of trends helps shape the types of events you organize in the coming year and how you can implement current trends into your event strategy.
Current Trends To Be Aware Of
Below are four current trends defining the event planning industry in 2023.
1. Greater Focus on Creating a Personalized Experience
Because of the necessary shift away from in-person events at the beginning of the pandemic, people started experiencing much more of the world alone during isolation. One result of this was transitioning to attending virtual events using digital tools.
While online communication tools like Zoom ruled the pandemic, it took time for event planners to learn how to harness event-hosting software and for individuals to optimize these tools. In addition, the need to create tools for individuals to attend events in a streamlined and user-friendly way led to a rise in the focus of personalization when event planning.
Although in-person events are beginning to happen again, social distancing and mask-wearing can still affect the experiences that individuals have when attending group events. Furthermore, because digital and hybrid events are very much still a part of the events landscape in 2023, it’s essential to consider how much more important it is to tailor the event experience to each attendee than it ever has been in the past.
2. Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellness
Since the beginning of the pandemic, more individuals have been seeking mental health treatment, leading to more open and honest discussions about mental wellness.
As a result, businesses are prioritizing better mental health benefits for employees and more beneficial schedules to promote a better work-life balance. In addition, mental health events are becoming more popularized — everything from workshops devoted to stress management to fitness classes emphasizing mental and physical well-being, like yoga.
Personal growth, mental health, and physical and mental wellness will likely continue to be at the core of many event types in 2023.
3. Creating Networking Opportunities for Attendees
Once upon a pre-pandemic time, networking events were a commonplace necessity for every working person, especially those in the early stages of their careers.
Networking is essential for professionals to maintain positive relationships with other people within their industry, make personal connections with individuals they’ve only spoken to via email and other digital forms of communication, and advance their careers.
However, COVID made it extremely difficult to enter a room filled with strangers, and networking using online tools like Skype and LinkedIn wasn’t as natural or as beneficial.
Now that in-person events are expected to increase and people have grown accustomed to digital and hybrid events, you can expect attendees to seek networking opportunities again.
Roughly 20 percent of the American population has transitioned careers since COVID began, which indicates a huge market of individuals who need networking opportunities to get their new careers off the ground.
4. Striving for Diversity and Inclusivity
In the midst of the pandemic was the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which called for the American people to address the systemic racism in our society and prioritize making necessary changes to address these inequalities.
Striving for diversity, equity, and inclusion has been at the forefront of many business practices in recent years, and the events industry is no different. In 2023, not only should event organizers adjust business practices to prioritize DEI initiatives, but you can expect to see a rise in diverse and inclusive events.
Examples of this may include, but are in no way limited to:
- Confirming event hosts, keynote speakers, and panel participants represent diverse groups (e.g., racial diversity, gender diversity, neurodiversity)
- Ensuring accommodations are made to create an inviting space for any attendees with disabilities
- Hosting events and workshops that challenge systemic racism and oppression and promote equality in our society
How We Expect the Event Industry To Pan Out in 2023
In addition to the above event trends shaping the event industry in 2023, below is a list of four predictions for how the industry will pan out this year.
1. Hybrid Events and Virtual Events Are Here To Stay
Although the world has passed the height of COVID and people are attending physical events again, the virtual event trends are hardly a thing of the past. Instead, event organizers can expect to continue planning at least some online and hybrid events in 2023.
During the pandemic, people attended everything from weddings to fitness classes online, and with a rise in event-hosting technology, this became easier than ever. Hybrid and digital events address various problems, including allowing individuals with health concerns to attend events and finding an affordable alternative to the typical expense of hosting in-person events.
This means you’ll still need to be prepared to utilize virtual event platforms and prepare fully online or hybrid experiences for your event attendees.
2. In-Person Events Are Making a Cautious Comeback
In 2023, event marketing trends indicate a substantial rise in interest regarding in-person events. People are vaccinated and have become accustomed to the pandemic’s ups and downs. In addition, after years of being at home significantly more than usual, people are ready to venture out into the world.
While virtual and hybrid events will still be prevalent in 2023, in-person events are becoming popular once more. Between live music concerts, races, and festivals, people are ready to socialize in person again.
3. Event Management Technology Is the New Norm
In 2023, event management technology has become more available and streamlined than ever before and offers substantial benefits to event organizers, including:
- Increased event attendance
- The ability to host and manage virtual events
- Prioritizing the experience of virtual attendees
- Seamless organization of all aspects of event management in one place
Industry experts can help event marketers and organizers plan and execute every aspect of their virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, and the use of technological platforms makes it easier than ever to create and stick to an organizational schedule.
4. Virtual and Augmented Reality Is In
Event organizers can expect to see a surge in virtual and augmented reality use in events this year. As artificial intelligence and the metaverse cement themselves in modern reality, this is one of the biggest technology trends in event management. In addition, it can improve the experience of virtual attendees to your events.
You can create tailored spaces where attendees can experience your event and communicate with one another, such as virtual chat rooms and networking spaces.
By embracing virtual reality, event organizers can create hyper-specific, hyper-realistic events that individuals can attend from the comfort of their homes.
Event Management Software To Help Your Events Keep Up With Trends
Keeping up with the latest trends in the event industry is a time-consuming and challenging task. Trends constantly change, especially as the global landscape adjusts to the introduction of novel viruses and other unforeseen circumstances.
The easiest way to ensure your events are consistent with the latest trends is by using the event management software from Events.com. Our event management software can help with every aspect of hosting your events, including:
- Attracting your target audience
- Driving ticket sales
- Keeping your event schedule on track
- Creating essential content for your events, like custom events pages and social media posts
- Providing constant customer support
Event organization requires significant attention to detail, but Events.com makes the process of hosting a fresh and relevant event easier than ever.
