5 insights to boost your events

I always look forward to exploring the findings in our annual insights report, which is based on a survey and interviews with event industry experts. We produce the report to help our clients and those interested in working with us to understand the industry landscape better and help them shape their plans for the year ahead.

In the best possible way, it’s a relief to note that 2023 was an unexceptional year, which allowed the events industry to focus on what it does best: bringing people together, making connections and engaging audiences. Organisations had the freedom to make decisions for their event strategies based on the needs of their audiences and the priorities of their business, which is how it should be.

For me, there are some standout observations from our 2023 research.

1.???? The event mix. While nothing can match in-person collaboration and networking to drive change and inspire growth, audience attendance is a challenge for many businesses. This is particularly noticeable for internal events where the main purpose is information-sharing. Many people will avoid travel and being away from home, and organisations who can be flexible and responsive to this continue to see good engagement.

2.???? Hybrid events. Hybrid continues to evolve since its early days as an alternative solution to live, but primarily for occasions where accessibility and audience reach are priorities. As a more niche format it is particularly suitable for events such as AGMs and investor meetings, with the option of regional ‘viewing parties’ providing an important opportunity to engage with attendees on a more personal level.

3.???? The future of tech. New technology remains an untapped opportunity in many organisations. Budget and lack of maturity of the tech available were named as the biggest factors for the slow progress. Our interviews with industry experts suggest that excitement for new tech and the opportunities it provides is building but not at the cost of human content and interaction.?

4.???? Improving diversity. Many organisations are increasing their DE&I efforts within their own teams and in terms of accessibility and diversity at events. However, only slightly more than half of those surveyed feel confident that they can meet their agreed DE&I objectives in 2024. There is a lot more work to be done. The good news is that 73% believe their teams now have the right mix of skills to meet their events needs in 2024 – an increase on last year’s 56%.

5.???? Sustainability and ESG. Sustainability is a consideration for 90% of our survey respondents when developing their event strategy - but only 13% currently measure carbon emissions from their events. Confidence levels to deliver sustainable events are relatively low, with many organisations lacking the resource and expertise they need to drive real change. As an industry, we need to do more to turn our positive intent into action and tangible outcomes.

Creativity and innovation remain at the heart of everything we do, from content to technical production and the use of data to strengthen human relationships and build trust. But we’re not out of the woods in terms of economic instability and the uncertainty that creates. Across all industry sectors, venue availability, resource, and cost still present major challenges. Our focus must be on managing budgets strategically and intelligently to get the most value from them, with agencies and clients working together to leverage resources in the most efficient way.

I’m heartened to see from our research that the outlook for 2024 is positive, and that events remain vital as a marketing channel for many organisations.

Read our full report here