What Does The Event Industry Still Need?

What does the event industry still need? It’s a question we’re constantly asking ourselves – one we’ll never stop. The event tech industry is locked in a relentless pursuit of innovation to create new solutions.

Now, with all of this innovation, there are a lot of options and an understandably oversaturated market. The pandemic has led to years worth of change condensed into the space of a few months, where 40% of event planners are still unsatisfied with the event technology options available to them.

We’re here to help you find the best products through all of the noise. This blog covers what event planners need to keep in mind while we charge into 2022 – namely, live events, international attendees, fun, safety, and sustainability.

1. Simplicity

For an attendee, an event exists at a scheduled time and place. They attend, then go back to their lives. To an event planner, the event has been their life before, during, and even after it.

What we’re trying to say is that running an event is complex. Most planners will use different vendors and tech providers to accomplish a long list of objectives:

• Establish goals and objectives
• Develop sponsorship deals
• Set a budget
• Select a date
• Choose a location
• Organize catering
• Develop an event program
• Run a marketing campaign
• Launch ticket sales
• Launch registration
• Develop signage and set pieces
• Invite guest speakers
• Source and test AV equipment
• Measure success against goals, objectives, and budget
• Send surveys to guests for feedback
• To name a few…

It’s a lot. That’s why event technology is so popular – indeed, essential – for the modern event planner. However, it’s more complicated than it should be. To simplify it, companies like Stova have developed full-service solutions to combine all planning efforts under one tech umbrella. Stova 360 provides pre-event, during event, and post-event technology to make planning and executing live, virtual, and hybrid events easier.

Stova 360: Your all-in-one technology partner for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.

• Pre-Event:
  • Event Marketing Website
  • Registration
  • Sponsor Portals
  • Speakers Portals
  • Advanced Agenda Builder
• During Event: 
  • Virtual Event Platform
  • Mobile App
  • Enhanced AI Networking
  • Session Tracking
  • Enhanced Audience Response System
  • Onsite Badge Builder
  • Onsite Check-in
  • Lead Retrieval
  • MP Studio
  • Display Builder
• Post Event: 
  • Enhanced Reporting
  • Session Evaluations

2. More Live Events

A tender subject, we’ll admit. With the uncertainly of when live events will make a full recovery, it’s a hard subject to push. However, through recent research, we’ve uncovered that some events simply need to be live.

“While the evolution of the events industry continues, there is a consensus that virtual and hybrid options will be expected among attendees. A vast majority of survey respondents (88%) predict virtual and hybrid are the future for at least some events. Only 12% said in-person events can’t be replaced.”

The statistics reflect our collective anecdotal experience too. For example, 95% of industry professionals believe that in-person events significantly impact achieving their goals, and 88% believe that in-person events are a critical component of their company’s success.

It’s not just professionals that yearn for live events. Attendees themselves find live events to be more engaging, offer greater networking opportunities, and are more fun.

Overall, if full-on live events aren’t coming back in the foreseeable future, hybrid events will still be highly sought after by planners and attendees, alike.

3. More International Attendees

Now that we know virtual and hybrid events are here to stay, the opportunity to attract a wider audience for your events is more possible than ever.

A unique answer to increasing international attendee participation is a virtual event with time zone planning. International virtual event planning with live sessions in different time zones is a great way to reach attendees during virtual or hybrid events while allowing them to attend during a time suitable to their neck of the woods.

If you want the right time zone planning options, knowing your complexities, and staying wise to available solutions will help you plan the best virtual event experience for participants no matter where they are in the world.

If you are planning an international virtual event, check out Stova’s Virtual Event Solution. Our experienced team can help you navigate time zones for successful virtual events, both large and small.

4. Fun: Micro-Events, Games, and Fun

The event industry also needs to be more fun. Because getting attendees registered and turning up is only half the battle. Fun is another word for engagement in this context, one of the industry’s hottest topics.

Your theme and your content have to be more than just informative. Attendees these days should be treated to an experience.

In a recent survey with BizBash, it was uncovered that the sense of camaraderie is also evident with the popularity of tools event planners employ to generate greater participation.

Asked what interactive tools are the most engaging, attendees said:

1. Live chats (46%)
2. Polling (36%)
3. Gamification (17%)
4. Other (1%)

Sharing opinions and thoughts help build communities that event organizers rely upon for loyalty and attendance that ultimately lead to greater revenue.

Event planners are forging ahead with many new techniques, such as gamification, micro-events (workshops, experiences), swag bags, guests performers, speakers, and more. To learn more, check out our guide on how to give your attendees a voice.

5. Security: Blockchain Technology and Safety

The event industry also needs to offer more security. This is especially prescient as events move online – and as live events begin to depend on IoT more.

The FBI reported a 300% increase in cybercrimes since 2020. It’s led to a shocking 44% of meeting planners saying that security is their primary concern.

Another exciting development coming to the scene is blockchain technology. It is a technological ledger that records transactions. In practical terms, this means that every transaction is traceable. This is the same technology that drives cryptocurrency.

This has solid value to the event industry as you can prevent ticket fraud, identity fraud and increase accountability in the supply chain. And while we’re talking about it, it attracts exciting new sponsor opportunities, too!

6. Sustainability

The event industry also needs to be more sustainable. 58% of consumers consider a company’s impact on the environment when making purchase decisions and are more likely to do business with those that follow sustainable practices.

Small actionable changes you can make a start with catering, swag bag content, and carbon offsetting programs such as tree planting. After that, choosing your event partners is vital. And of course, the where is essential too; both the city and venue you choose can massively affect the carbon footprint of your event.

Wrapping up

So what does the event industry still need? Simplicity.

It’s a complicated world, made more confusing by a boom in the market, awash with products people are not sure if they need. With Stova 360, we’re building a product that offers a single solution built to serve your event needs.

That’s going to free up your time and energy to focus on things like making your events more fun, secure, and more sustainable!