Posted on June 15, 2023

7 Event Planning Industry Trends to Watch in 2023

Why should you constantly watch out for emerging event planning industry trends?

It’s simple—the events planning industry has experienced rapid changes in recent years, mainly triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Besides, new technologies have continued to transform how people experience events.

From augmented and virtual reality to social media and mobile technology, these innovations have transformed how event planners promote and host events and how participants experience them.

So, to host successful events and keep up with the ever-evolving market, you must constantly update yourself with the latest event planning industry trends.

This post discusses six new event planning trends shaping the event industry in 2023 and beyond.

So this post is for you whether you’re an event venue owner/manager, event planner, supplier, operations manager, or event management company.

Let’s get started.

Why Keep Up With the Event Planning Industry’s New Trends?

The global events industry has multiplied in recent years, albeit facing disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a global events industry analysis by Research Dive, the market size was valued at $863.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $2,972.4 billion by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 13.7%:

The rapid growth in the events industry exists because of technological innovations and transformations in the industry.

Thus, to keep up with the increasing audience demands, you must always stay on top of the latest event planning industry trends. 

6 Event Planning Industry Trends to Watch Out For in 2023

Here are the latest trends in the events planning industry you should watch out for in 2023 and beyond.

1. In-Person Events Are Back

In-person meetings and events were not happening during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2023, they are roaring back.

In fact, according to a Global Meetings and Events Forecast survey report by American Express Global Business Travel, respondents believe there will be more in-person events and meetings in 2023 than ever.

In North America, respondents believe 90% of meetings will have an in-person component.

65% of event planners expect their meeting spending to increase as a result of this return to in-person meetings wave:

As a result of this trend, the demand for event venues, staff, and other vital services will increase.

What does this trend mean for event planners?

It’s time to reconsider your budget to cater to the return of physical events. Also, if you have an upcoming event, it’s essential to book venues and event services early.

1. Hybrid Events Are Increasingly Becoming Popular

Virtual events became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to a vFairs survey report, 88.1% of respondents hosted at least one event, and 46.3% at least four virtual events.

In fact, according to the same survey, 93.2% of event planners stated that their virtual events had higher attendance than in-person events during that time.

However, hybrid events are the future.

A LinkedIn poll by vFairs shows that 34% of event professionals want to host hybrid events in 2023.

What’s more?In 2022, 71% of organizations with more than 5000 employees included hybrid events in their portfolio:

This means hybrid events will become popular going forward, so event planners must prepare to host more hybrid events to reduce the high expense of hosting traditional in-person events and cater to all people of all preferences.

1. Events as the Major Source of First-Party Data

Modern customers want brands to personalize the shopping experience.

Here’s the proof.

Approximately 49% of online shoppers say they will likely buy again from a retailer after a personalized shopping experience.

But brands can only personalize customer experiences by collecting customer data.

But here’s the challenge.

Google recently announced the phasing out of third-party cookies from Chrome.

Considering that Google Chrome accounts for more than 60% of the browser market share, it means that 60% of the global web traffic will go cookieless:

Brands that rely on cookie data, such as browsing history, product purchases, and more, must use other avenues to collect data. You could still add a Google review widget to your website and get people to write reviews there. This can help you understand what your customers want.

This is where events become a great source of collecting customer data.

Event participants are more likely to give out their contact details when you organize engaging events since they want to get more personalized experiences.

The data will aid them in making customized experiences based on the information they already know about their audiences. However, with the rise in data breaches over the year, it’s imperative to consider the different security technologies you have in place to protect this data.

1. Environmentally Conscious Events

The world has felt the effects of climate change—and everyone has a role to play in combating this crisis.

Thus, there is a need to promote sustainable events in the future. Event venue owners must observe environmentally friendly practices, and event suppliers can use sustainable and reusable solutions to help minimize waste.

In addition, adopting eco-friendly initiatives like transitioning to online invoices can further reduce paper waste and carbon footprint in event management.

According to the latest COP26 Sustainable Report, to promote sustainable events, planners should focus on economic and climate concerns, promote sustainable behavior, use responsible sources, encourage healthy living, etc.

You can partner with environmentalists and turn them into your event ambassadors too. This way, you can promote your event well through brand ambassador marketing. 

1. Continued Adoption of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality is already a popular trend in the entertainment industry. 

This lets users interact virtually with environments and objects via smartphones and other devices.

Due to the popularity of this trend, by 2024, there will be an estimated 1.7 billion mobile AR devices worldwide.

Businesses leverage AR to enhance customer service, promote their products, etc.

Virtual Reality is another emerging trend in the event planning industry. The technology enables event attendees to have a realistic experience.

For instance, with VR headsets, event participants can immerse themselves in a completely unique world and feel as though they are physically attending the event.

1. Use of Social Media to Promote Events

Social media has become an integral part of the success of any business and event. This is thanks to the vast number of social media users.

Today, event planners can easily promote their events on social media and attract many participants.

And that’s solely because they can reach people interested in the event’s subject.

Here are helpful tips to promote your events on social media:

• Choose the right social channel and optimize your profiles. You can use a profile picture maker to make a perfectly sized profile picture for any social media platform.
• Create an event hashtag that can go viral.
• Leverage social media ads to promote your event.
• Share event teasers on social media.
• Partner with influencers in your industry.
• Leverage Instagram Stories.
• Create engaging content related to your event and publish it regularly on social media using social media tools. Here’s a list of tools recommended by Attrock.

Conclusion

By constantly watching out for these event planning industry trends, you can prepare and organize successful events in 2023.

So, start leveraging these event planning industry trends as you chart your path to business growth in 2023 and beyond.

Gaurav Sharma is the founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions |  300K organic monthly traffic. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business 2 Community, TechCrunch, and more.

Check out our latest guide on Corporate Event Planning Guide 2023 Ebook.