Having been in the industry for over 15 years now, I have certainly witnessed a lot of changes in the event industry. COVID also was a big game changer; there were some positives coming out of the pandemic, but also a lot of things we are still trying to overcome and adapt to.
At our recent professional showcase event Illumination, I shared some of our learnings about some of the key focus areas we are seeing in our industry. These include:
- Sustainability,
- Artificial Intelligence and
- Personalisation
Sustainability
From our own experience in addition to industry research, clients have been increasingly recognising that aligning events with circular economy principles not only reduces their environmental impact but also contributes to their Corporate Social Responsibility goals. We are constantly working with not only our clients, but also our suppliers to embrace more sustainable practices.
A few key considerations we suggest looking into for your next event include:
- Single use plastics – out the door! We love that Crown Perth are removing plastic water bottles from their event spaces.
- Coffee Cups – Encourage guests to bring their own keep cups or offer biodegradable/compostable cups.
- Partner with a food rescue service. We love Ozharvest, and any unserved food can be collected and distributed to people in need.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In today’s tech-driven landscape, AI has certainly been a big topic of conversation in the events industry. The full capabilities of AI are still relatively new and can be something you fear or embrace.
Our recent showcase event introduced a small element of AI with the guess who game (pictured). However, there are so many ways AI can assist us in our work including:
- Chat GPT- This is a great resource when you have questions and need some quick answers or possibly help with some copywriting? There are endless with this one!
- AI can help curate personalised event experiences. By analysing data from previous events or attendee preferences, you can recommend program elements, create customised event satchels, recommend post event tours and so much more!
Personalisation
Personalised event experiences are becoming increasingly important to enhance the attendee experience and satisfaction.
It’s often some of these small things like personalised name badges, curated networking experiences or customisable agendas that our event attendees remember most, we are always looking at ways to introduce these elements into our events.
Want some more inspiration? Check out the full photo gallery of our recent showcase event!
Illumination was run with the kind support of our partners:
Crown Resorts
Brightside Live
Absolutely Corporate
Blanc on Briggs
Howard Park Wines
Fliptease Pty Ltd
Australian Distilling – Old Young’s and Gingin Gin
state of art events
Williams Creative Co.
Matt Jelonek Photographer
Rebecca Cole, Director at Event & Conference Co.
If you’re looking for assistance managing your next event, we would love to hear from you. Please send me an email, rebecca@eventandconferenceco.com.au.