The Latest Trends in Event Planning , What’s trending in the event planning world? For awhile there, we saw a slight decline in the trend of business events being held by companies and organizations. The recession had affected their bottom-lines to a great extent, and holding events was no longer feasible, particularly at the scale and frequency at which they were being held before. However, that trend seems to have reversed. In fact, an independent survey has suggested that business event spending will rise from its current level of 9% to 20% over the next year or so. Hence, this is the best time to look at the latest trends in event planning.
Using Technology to Lower Costs
Cost remains the foremost concern for businesses and organizers alike. Events are only feasible if it can be conducted within budget. As well delivers the event return on investment (ROI) the parties are looking for. In a bid to lower the costs of staging the event, planners and organizers are likely to use more automation than previously. Strategic meeting management tools are widely available. They make it easier for the organizers to streamline the tasks that need to be performed in order to plan a successful event. All in all, automating the event planning process is a rising trend.
Shifting Away from Patchwork Solutions
Until recently, businesses made use of patchwork solutions in order to put all the pieces of the puzzle into place. This increases the hassle involved in holding the event. This is something businesses are looking to move away from in order to reduce the time it takes to plan an event. They are going for consolidated solutions and strategic planning so that their planners have enough time to focus on the more important areas of the event planning process.
Use of Apps for Mobile Devices
The use of smartphones and tablets for accessing the internet is on the rise. This is something corporate event planners are taking into consideration now. In a bid to enhance the overall experience for attendees, there is a trend of creating special apps for each event. Apps allow for user interaction and can provide insight into what the event is about and what the business wants to achieve through it. Moreover, this reduces the need for printed programs and other literature. This is another way to keep costs down, though the impact depends on the percentage of attendees who have mobile devices on hand. We recommend the use of web apps vs. downloaded apps, which can be a barrier to entry.
Tracking Success of the Event
There are various metrics against which the success of an event can be measured. Over $250 billion was spent by businesses on corporate events. These were attended by over 200 million people. However, less than a fourth of the business actually had real-time tracking in place for the events. As a result, they weren’t able to keep an eye on attendee management. This hampers their chances of getting the results they are looking for through the event. If you aren’t sure how to track the value of your event, try hiring an event planner like SED. This helps put measurable results on your event budget.Gathering Greater Attendee Information
The success of a corporate event depends on the attendees. Yet, not every business is able to obtain the information they are looking for about the attendees. This is why a trend has emerged where event planners do their best to use technology to gather as much information about the attendees as possible. There are digial companies who provide easy ways to gather contact information without having to exchange business cards or write anything down. Following up after the event is important to ensure the business can reap the fruits of the event. This is one of the best ways to improve the ROI of the event.
These are some of the latest trends in event planning. Keep these in mind so your corporate event is a success. And keep Strategic Event Design in mind for your event planning needs!
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