Global event trends for 2022
Curious to know what’s what, what’s hot and what’s not in business events for the year ahead? Here’s a look at the top five trends in events for 2022 (as predicted by us.)
Micro events, major impact
Micro events are small, often online broadcasts and events like webinars, workshops , podcasts or live video broadcasts. They typically form part of a hybrid or online event line-up and, while they’re unlikely to gain you thousands of new followers or promote your business on a macro scale, they’re an effective way to establish your organisation as a thought leader and help you gain insights for your sales funnel. They’re also great for creating community and building authentic – and productive - connections with a select audience. They help make your clients/customers feel valued and ‘seen’, rather than just another face in the crowd and allow you to curate content to appeal to a very specific audience.
Safety first.
Unsurprisingly, there will be a huge emphasis on event health and safety into 2022 and beyond. We’ll continue to see physical distancing rules, masks and vaccination mandates at live venues, which will encourage many major event producers to focus on designing spectacular smaller events or choosing hybrid and virtual formats.
Hybrid is here to stay.
Emerging technology, including augmented reality and AI, will continue to offer more opportunities for connection and interaction between guests from all over the world. With the rapid advancement of digital event technologies smoothing the way to engagement and interactivity between live and online audiences without the looming spectre of lockdowns, capacity limits and travel bans, hybrid events are, for many, the way of the future.
Purposeful events.
Sustainabilit y and corporate responsibility will take centrestage at events this year, with more than half of the world’s CEOs intentionally emphasising efforts toward tackling environmental and social issues in 2022. With a recent study suggesting close to 60 per cent of consumers reported being more loyal to brands and businesses dedicated to addressing these challenges, it’s easy to see why.
Take it personally.
Personalisation will become a prime driver of event and marketing success. No longer able to rely on physical spaces and face-to-face interaction, future-proof brands need to focus on creating highly personalised events and forging personal connections with attendees that go far beyond what happens on event day. Virtual or touch-free experiences, an emphasis on empathy and a consistent and unified approach across all touchpoints will become essential to optimising your customer journey and ensuring solid ROI on marketing and events.
Our expert events team at MCEC are across all the latest trends and love planning innovative, surprising, creative events. Event bookings are filling fast for 2022 so chat to our team about your next meeting event today!