What’s trending in meetings and events in 2024

“The desire for human connection via unique, inspiring and sustainable experiences has never been greater. As a global population, we are finding our unique identities, but we’re also exploring, more than ever, what brings us together.” – Bruce Morgan, Global President, BCD M&E.

There’s a reason that events are evolving into platforms that provide opportunities for meaningful engagements where “Connection” is that magical and often elusive ingredient that is the secret sauce in the mix. It’s all about creating the right atmosphere for face-to-face exchanges that add value that goes beyond Return on Events (ROE).

That’s why we believe that by sharing best practices and innovative solutions across industries, we can effectively address the challenges that we all share. These challenges also drive us to engage in evolutionary business practices that transcend not only borders but also our historical business practices.????

It’s a tsunami of change, and we’re witnessing some noteworthy shifts and trends that are shaping the way we operate. These transformative trends include geopolitical and economic challenges, sustainability initiatives, and the widespread implications of AI. We are committed to forging a path that draws from our rich history while embracing a future of progress and innovation.

Geopolitical factors shaping change

The effect of the Ukraine/Russia and Israeli/Palestinian conflicts has hammered the global economy and tempered the appetite for travel to these war-torn regions. It has also had a knock-on effect in terms of increased inflation across the globe, which has constrained spending.

Facing the reality of economic challenges

Budgets aren’t increasing, so we’re helping you do more with less.

In our efforts to create meaningful and enriching experiences at events, we’re taking a fresh approach to creating opportunities for face-to-face engagement for attendees that don’t blow the budget.

We’re boxing smart to consolidate large events with smaller mini-meetings that follow the core event, allowing you to get as many of your people to the event as possible and attend sessions designed to facilitate results. It’s about getting the right people together to oil the machine and get things rolling.

We’re also building content and engagement strategies developed during the height of virtual and hybrid to re-engage people at live events. As much as people are weary of virtual events, they play an important role in the mix and help stretch the budget.

Sustainability is the order of the day

We’re finding green venues that include Green Key-certified hotels that have solid sustainability policies in place, demonstrating the move to more strategic sourcing of services and products. Add to that destinations that offer well-developed metro networks and cycling lanes that provide accessibility for attendees without relying on carbon-intensive transportation. We select the recommended destinations for their ability to provide a rich cultural experience that is also dotted with opportunities to indulge in locally sourced ingredients at colourful café’s and volunteering for local environmental initiatives. It’s all designed to enhance the appeal of corporate experiences.

AI is a welcome fly on the wall

By looking at how each individual can best learn and absorb information, we make accommodations needed for them to do so. This allows us to look at attendee engagement on an individual level (in AI speak, we’re tapping into neurodiversity) to deliver much-improved experiences, richer data and better ROE for our customers.

We’re also embracing bot technology to improve smaller meetings and deliver instant results. AI has proven to be a huge benefit for being able to provide accurate real-time translations and closed captioning for in-person events. Through using third-party event technology apps and trained AI software, we can give attendees the option to read captions or listen to live translated content from their phones while experiencing the event in person.

Renewed focus on people

We don’t buy into one-size-fits-all, so we are committed to success metrics that are centred around taking a holistic approach to events, which underscores attendee engagement, inclusivity, and well-being. Our measurement is the depth of connection for people from all walks of life.

Companies now encompass a workforce that includes four different generations, including Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. With a largely virtual workforce, they’re not as connected to the company as they used to be. This is why internal events are becoming more important, and, for meetings and events teams, why retaining teams to be able to produce customer-focused events is critical.