The future of conferences is an ever-changing one and as tech such as AI, VR and AR continue to have more of a presence in our everyday lives, conferences have to adapt to ensure they are providing what their audience demands. As a result event organisers have been incorporating these and other exciting new trends into their conference format to deliver their target audiences needs and also improve ticket sales.
In contrast to the new technologies hitting the events sector, customers are also demanding more human interactions and experiences. Whether you’re a conference events planner or a business looking for the most valuable event to attend ensuring there’s a distinct balance between tech and human elements will be key to a great conference.
So, what makes a great conference in 2019? Roll over the icons to find out.
What you do with the data you gather will be instrumental in creating a conference that your guests really want to attend. So tracking audience behaviour and creating experiences that react to attendees needs and deepest desires will make an event worth attending.
iBeacon technology and apps like Eventbase will help map behaviour. They’ll help you understand and shape attendee experiences, giving your guests exactly what they need and want.
With so much competition in the conference sector and often a limited budget for businesses to attend out of office events, you’ll need to stand out from the crowd. That means bold design, strong branding and lots of colour.
Think about how you can use creative lighting to compliment the theme and location of your conference. And don’t restrict colour to décor: expect your competitors to use big colours and creative design in the food and drink being served as well. It all adds up to a bold and memorable statement – and it could make the difference when your potential guests are weighing up their options.
Everyone loves social media, but most people (61%) still prefer to communicate face to face at conventions and business events. Event apps are brilliant, but bear in mind that only 35% of attendees see them as the best way to interact with you and your event.
And it seems the more senior you are, the more you prefer talking to human beings. 91% of CEOs cite this as their preferred way to find stuff out, compared to 67% of junior staff. So if you want to make an impact on the big hitters in your crowd, get out there and shake them by the hand.
If you listen to your attendees, they will listen to you. But customers are becoming increasingly savvy to ‘salesy’ events – and they know when they’re not receiving value.
Authenticity will be key to the success of conferences in the next year. That means addressing key issues even if they’re tough topics. Exit surveys and breakout sessions will provide opportunities to hear the thoughts of the most important contributors at the conference, the attendees who need to feel that they’re not just a number.
And remember to keep your sense of humour. ‘Attendees’ are just people, and people always engage when you make them laugh.
According to Google, 20% of all searches in 2016 were voice searches. Voice-activated assistants like Alexa started to enter our homes in 2017 and are becoming the norm so it’s only a matter of time until attendees will expect it at events. So get ready to see voice integrated in all areas of conference events in 2019.
You need to communicate with your guests on all levels. Electronic translators aren’t new, but the technology is becoming more user friendly and accurate. It not only allows you to stream straight to attendees’ phones and receive direct feedback. Translation apps like Google Translate and iTranslate are pretty reliable – so make the investment and use them to broaden your horizons and attract a more global audience.
How do you know if your guests are happy? How can you be sure they are feeling valued and having a great experience? By being more empathetic and responding quickly to their emotions.
Apple and Samsung are leading the way in facial recognition, which will allow you to judge the mood perfectly. You’ll be able to address the needs and struggles of specific attendees and create personalised forums and activities. Not only that, it’ll make event check-in much easier for everyone.
Food has the ability to wow. There’s now huge pressure to impress with unusual and exotic flavours and ingredients. Conferences will be hiring executive chefs to transform the humble lunch break into opportunities to create unforgettable, localised and personalised experiences.
Expect to see pop up kiosks and food that excite all the senses. From flavoured mist to deconstructed traditional dishes, caterers will pull away from stodgy conventional quick fixes and move towards innovative dishes and ingredients that promote local suppliers, showcase new flavours and support health, concentration and wellbeing.
We don’t want to be negative nellies, but you need to be thinking about the safety and security of your guests at all times. More than ever before, attendees are looking for reassurance when it comes to their wellbeing. Ensuring events are as secure as possible without causing distraction and alarm will be an important balance to strike.
It’s all about going back to basics, humanising the event and putting the attendee first. Creating a secure environment doesn’t have to negatively impact the experiences attendees are having. In fact, it can positively reinforce the overall feeling of trust and value.
Think about the bare bones of your event and the infrastructure. So your conference venue is visually stunning, packed with delicious food and kitted out with the latest digital innovation. But it’s in the middle of nowhere. Guess what? People won’t come. And if they do, they won’t be back next year.
Conferences will need to ensure that the destination and venue they choose has the appropriate infrastructure to support it. Simple things like parking and toilet facilities make a huge difference to the customer experience. The same goes for transport. If your conference is hard to get to, there will be plenty of conferences that aren’t. So make sure you’re accessible.
eventmanagerblog.com suggests that pointing guests in the right direction will be a key factor at events in 2019. Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get this wrong.
Next year, the really effective directional signage will be strategic, digital and interactive. This creates opportunities for creativity and last minute revisions, so attendees are well informed at every stage of the event. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have Meet and Greeters too. People appreciate the human touch, even when you’re at the cutting edge of technology.