5 NEW TRENDS IN EVENT PLANNING

Event planning is an exciting and evolutionary field. As people’s interests ebb and flow along with the constant advancements in technology, it’s important to stay on trend in the event planning industry! These trends may vary to cater to the planner, attendees, venue, or other potential stakeholders.

We’re taking a look at the top five new trends in event planning today!

1. Incorporating technology

As technology continues to develop in innovative ways, it is important to use the latest and greatest technology for your event.

This can be done in numerous ways including:
Apps: With the majority of people owning a smartphone these days, mobile event apps are increasingly popular to increase attendees’ engagement.
Tracking: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and iBeacon can track an attendees’ interest (which sessions they attend, where they spend free time, and other factors) which allows planners to create a more targeted experience.
Wi-Fi: If you plan on incorporating technology, it is mandatory that Wi-Fi be easily accessible from everywhere in your venue. It is also crucial to ensure that your bandwidth can handle the high volume of usage from those attending the event!
End-to-end meetings management: These tools can assist planners in every aspect of the planning process from a single platform.

2. Event networking

Again, with increased technology, networking for events begins well before and event takes place and continues well after it ends. In a sense, the networking groups from events are becoming communities. Event planners should strive to manage these communities and use them to gather crucial information.

3. Food trends

With the emergence of popular food shows, food trucks, and an increased awareness of the positive global impact of eating locally—food is on trend! Food can be used as décor for an event by utilizing local farm to table movements and hosting local food trucks to cater events.

4. Local venues

Choosing to plan events locally is an emerging trend considering increased travel costs and other travel-related barriers.

5. Utilizing data

Event planners and venues have always collected a vast amount of data during registration and post-event. Now, with current technology, it is possible to collect data during the event which can help planner to make immediate changes and receive instant feedback.

When planning or attending your next event, be aware of the ever-changing trends and aim to incorporate new technologies into your experience. This will be extremely worthwhile to all involved and create lasting impressions of your event.