Event Trends 2018
Summer of 2018 is approaching quickly and with it, a long list of summer events.
There are plenty events throughout the year such as musical performances, food festivals, corporate
meet-ups, etc. But summer sees a sharp rise in the number of activities intending on attracting large crowds.
There are plenty events throughout the year such as musical performances, food festivals, corporate
meet-ups, etc. But summer sees a sharp rise in the number of activities intending on attracting large crowds.
In this post, we will examine some of the up and coming trends for the digital age in event management and promotion, some of the problems that can arise, and of course a number of solutions to these issues.
What's new in events?
The most recent trend on the event scene is "un-theme". Previously, events would take on a theme ranging from a specific decade or time period to the new Marvel movie. In recent years, though, events have turned towards focusing on a feeling or emotion like love, unity, or hope.
This permits event organisers to attract a wider demographic, instead of just reeling in fans of the latest pop culture phenomenon.
Event planners are also incorporating more and more playful elements, giving people stuff to do as opposed to passively attending a speaking event or concert. This can help build trust and relationships between total strangers.
Corporate events use these activities as a healthy way to add a competitive and team building flair to their occasions.
This permits event organisers to attract a wider demographic, instead of just reeling in fans of the latest pop culture phenomenon.
Event planners are also incorporating more and more playful elements, giving people stuff to do as opposed to passively attending a speaking event or concert. This can help build trust and relationships between total strangers.
Corporate events use these activities as a healthy way to add a competitive and team building flair to their occasions.
Speaking of corporate events, it has become custom to avoid having attendees sit through hours of talks, speeches, and presentations. A wise person once said "The brain can only absorb what the butt can endure", and in this spirit has come a trend geared towards purposeful movement, in which attendees are encouraged to move around for 2 minutes every 20 minutes in order to remain focused and energised.
On the digital side, swag bags are evolving from cumbersome bags full of fluff that generally ends up in the trash, to digital swag bags containing redeemable or discount coupons. This not only saves money and space by omitting the need to produce, transport and store countless bags of stuff, but also creates great marketing opportunities for the event organisers or their sponsors by allowing tailored content to be sent to individuals while gathering valuable marketing data.
Limited Edition
It's not just event content which is changing, but events themselves.
One very popular trend is the time-limited temporary event, which is a highly popular way to create buzz and capture interest. Limited availability of content for a finite amount of time provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to be "part of the moment".
And thanks to social media, this can also increase FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), which is a strong marketing technique used across all social media platforms.
These types of events can encourage users to search, click and interact with brands, which in turn helps gain Google visibility.
One very popular trend is the time-limited temporary event, which is a highly popular way to create buzz and capture interest. Limited availability of content for a finite amount of time provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to be "part of the moment".
And thanks to social media, this can also increase FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), which is a strong marketing technique used across all social media platforms.
These types of events can encourage users to search, click and interact with brands, which in turn helps gain Google visibility.
Wish you were here
So many big events, so little time, and the world is a big place.
Enter VR!
360° video is a strong way to connect remote audiences, and opportunities to attend events remotely with friends is a great incentive for buying online-only tickets.
Enter VR!
360° video is a strong way to connect remote audiences, and opportunities to attend events remotely with friends is a great incentive for buying online-only tickets.
Facebook has announced a major Oculus Rift project geared specifically towards events, offering social remote attendance to concerts or music festivals.
People often go to these types of events with their friends and share a common experience.
This may be the start of a more structured remote attendance revolution that will change the event business forever.
People often go to these types of events with their friends and share a common experience.
This may be the start of a more structured remote attendance revolution that will change the event business forever.
Better, Faster, Stronger
Enjoying events to their fullest extent requires keeping track of what's going on, and many organisers provide apps which contain all the info necessary to enjoy the full experience. But downloading more apps on an already full phone can be cumbersome, and if you forget to do so prior to an event, it can use up a chunk of your precious data.
One trend that helps with these issues are Chatbots. Simply open up Messenger (or your preferred messaging app) and ask the bot what you want. They can also provide guidance using quick replies depending on the users needs.
One trend that helps with these issues are Chatbots. Simply open up Messenger (or your preferred messaging app) and ask the bot what you want. They can also provide guidance using quick replies depending on the users needs.
Chatbots can offer an interactive means of getting all event info and scheduling activities without needing to download anything, thus saving storage and data.
Furthermore, for event planners, chatbots provide a continuous feedback channel. They collect all the interactions at any stage of the event. Instead of sending out the usual "Give us your Feedback" e-mail after an event, chatbots offer a colloquial way to gather info compared to the over used multiple choice questionnaire.
Chatbots also offer marketing opportunities as they can connect with social profiles, offering a new set of data for marketers.
A great example of this is Eventumbot, an event communication and automation platform powered by Artificial Intelligence and chatbot technology which helps event organisers save resources on event management, provide better service to event attendees and help them to communicate more easily.
Chatbots also offer marketing opportunities as they can connect with social profiles, offering a new set of data for marketers.
A great example of this is Eventumbot, an event communication and automation platform powered by Artificial Intelligence and chatbot technology which helps event organisers save resources on event management, provide better service to event attendees and help them to communicate more easily.
In Conclusion
The impressive evolution of technologies such as AI, Social Media, and Virtual Reality are changing the landscape of event organisation and interaction.
These advances are permitting event planners, and attendees alike, to be more connected to what is important to them, as well as customising experiences in a more personal manner.
Digital marketing can become more human, experiences more emotional, and planning more creative.
Enjoy the plethora of summer events, and don't hesitate to contact us to help you gain more interaction with your event's attendees.
These advances are permitting event planners, and attendees alike, to be more connected to what is important to them, as well as customising experiences in a more personal manner.
Digital marketing can become more human, experiences more emotional, and planning more creative.
Enjoy the plethora of summer events, and don't hesitate to contact us to help you gain more interaction with your event's attendees.
We live in a DIGITAL age, in which PEOPLE EXPECT SIMPLE and INSTANT COMMUNICATION