Event Trends and predictions for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has resulted in several changes in the event industry. A shift of trend has also been observed from traditional in-person events to virtual and hybrid events. Essentially organisers and attendees have started to prefer online presence over physical presence in lieu of social distancing. It is no surprise that the corona pandemic has impacted the whole world in a negative way, however one benefit of the pandemic is that it helped the organisers realise the true potential of the virtual platform and since then several improvements and technological advancements have been experienced for maximum interaction and engagement. 2020 had been an eventful year for the event industry as several lockdowns, curfews, and quarantines were present, amidst these conditions the people started attending the events online at the comfort of their home. Thus, let us understand the trends in the event industry and present our predictions for the same.

Trends and Predictions for the event industry in 2021

It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 virus hit the world, yet we still are influenced by it. Many countries have started experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus and the situation doesn’t look promising for 2021 as well. Essentially this year may also be eventful for the event industry and we may experience many more advancements and shifts of trends, however, we can never be truly sure about this! Thus, we present you with this list of trends that we expect will shape the event industry in 2021. Without further ado let us take a glance at it:

SOCIAL DISTANCING

This may not come as a surprise at all for most of you out there. Given the current situation of the world, the people are still influenced and affected by the coronavirus, thus it is natural for them to follow the norms of social distancing. It is essentially a healthy habit to follow as such awareness is necessary for one’s good health. In the case of events, there will be traditional and hybrid events with a physical venue however we expect most of the audience to attend the events online remotely.

HYBRID EVENTS

Hybrid events are expected to be the future of the event industry as per many experts and professionals. Hybrid events are a mixture of traditional in-person events and virtual events, that is a segment of the audience and staff attends the event at the physical venues whereas the other segment of attendees attends the event via a virtual platform, over the internet. Hybrid events offer a solution to bridge the gap between in-person and virtual events without compromising the level of interaction and engagement. The attendees share the event and may also interact with each other with leverage of the latest technology, tools, and features.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is subject to never-ending upgrades and advancements. Since the introduction of modern technology, the industry has experienced several advancements that make the events more immersive, interactive, and engaging. Since the pandemic and popularity of virtual events, the organisers have started realizing the potential of technology and started leveraging it to make their events stand out. Some of the examples of technology incorporated in the event industry are; wearables for tracking, 360-degree view, VR technology, virtual platform, etc.

FESTIVALISATION

Festivals are a universal approach for a feeling of oneness. The traditional approach to celebrating festivals may not seem as engaging due to the current situation. It is not necessary to hold your event in a venue of a festival or encourage your guests to set up camps, you may subtly incorporate activities that complement the festival and engage your audience.

CREATIVITY

Creativity and upgrades are never-ending for the event industry. The attendees are always on the hunt for comfort and convenience, thus it is the organiser’s job to provide it to them. Every day the world changes a little bit, thus the event industry will also be experiencing many creative changes that will engage the audience the most.

PERSONALISTION

Personalisation is an engaging feature for any event, it allows the attendees to feel included in the event. Personalisation such as event apps, gamification, polls, and much more encourages the attendees to take part in the event activities and thus eventually get engaged with the event, at the end of the day the attendee’s engagement and satisfaction are what matter the most. Organisers have started implementing many of these tools and features which provides the event a personalised look and thus approach the attendees and compels them to interact with self-consent.

Essentially the year 2021 is expected to improve the event industry by a large margin, especially the virtual part of it. With the current scenario, people will still prefer to attend the events from the comfort of their own place and avoid any physical interaction with anyone in order to avoid infection. The event industry will be more emphasised on making technological advancements and introducing interactive features and tools that will promote maximum engagement.

Over to You

The year 2020 has been eventful for the event industry; we have experienced a shift in trend from traditional in-person events to virtual and hybrid events, with a virtual events platform. It is significant to understand the new trend as in light of the current situation, COVID-19 virus, people prefer to attend the event remotely. Organizers have started adapting to the new trend and started improving their virtual platforms by incorporating engaging and interactive features by leveraging technology. As the foreseeable future predicts virtual platforms to be the dominant platform it is important to understand the current trend and complement your event with the same. The above-mentioned trends are what we expect will shape the event industry in 2021 and with upcoming days the hybrid and virtual events will experience a set of technological advancements which will allow the hosts and organisers to leverage certain tools and features that will provide the attendees with an immersive and interactive virtual event without compromising on the level of interaction provided by the traditional event.