By 2020, Millennials will form 40 percent of the workforce,
according to CWT Meetings & Events' recent 2018 Meetings & Events
Future Trends report. That fact overlays much of the future of meetings and
events, from digital engagement to venue selection. Other trends CWT M&E
highlighted:
- It used to be that visible security personnel
and ID checks were considered negatives for attendees. Now that even
traditional, major event locations can experience attacks, though, visible
security may add to the attendee experience, at the least because it reassures
attendees that the meeting organizer takes security seriously. CWT M&E also
notes that meeting organizers are tightening security procedures industrywide.
- Digital security presents a conundrum. Wi-Fi is
a minimum expectation of event attendees, but easy-to-access Wi-Fi is
vulnerable to hacking. CWT M&E recommends strong cybersecurity at both the
head office and the event site, and the company suggests changing the event
Wi-Fi password everyday and notifying attendees through the meeting app.
- Registration, the land of first impressions, is
going digital with tablets. CWT M&E notes that travelers who've just
experienced hotel or airport check-in kiosks are likely to compare that modern
experience against the manual meeting registration process.
- Virtual reality, now a solid way to present
products that are difficult to transport, could progress to virtual meetings.
Already, remote speakers are viable event agenda items.
- Social media and event apps are factoring in
during sessions rather than after presentations and conferences end. That includes
polling attendees to engage attendees in real time.
- Systematic data collection, across multiple
events, compounds the value of data by enabling companies to compare and
analyze multiple events both together and against each other.
- Procurement teams are becoming more involved in
event management in order to lend cost-tracking and -management skills to the
bottom line.
- Room layout is veering from tradition to sofas
and even standing meetings.
- Unique venues—including arenas like Richmond,
Va.'s Richmond Raceway—are playing host to events, especially when such a venue
reflects the company's brand. This can up attendee takeaway, but CWT M&E
cautions that it also can increase planning time and cost, so keep an eye on
attendee experience versus cost.
-
Snacks at every break are yielding to a
quality-over-quantity approach favoring local and healthy food and beverages.
The localized approach also can increase an event's impact by differentiating
events from each other.
How Strategic Meetings Management Can Make Use of Data
- Evaluating data-capture systems & providing
customized analytics
- Gap analysis between your status & your goal
- Comprehensive business intelligence strategy
- Scorecards that engage stakeholders
Source: CWT Meetings & Events