Event Trends Forecast – Our Top 5
Shanthi Sivanandham from our team recently attended the World Education Congress (WEC) 2019 hosted by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and picked up some great tips and trends. This educational conference showcased multiple speakers and exhibitors focusing on a wide variety of global topics. It was tough to pick our top five faves, but here they are!
1. How important is tech security for your group? Event venue trends currently lean toward non-traditional spaces, but they may have inherent security risks. Hotels and conventions centers can have similar risks with their on-site wifi networks as well. So, if cybersecurity/cybercrime keeps you up at night, you may want to address this with your venue when planning your next conference or meeting.
2. Furniture brands are going on a diet. Planners want the opportunity to move furniture and create collaborative spaces on the fly. Most rental furniture companies have always preferred lightweight pieces to make setup and teardown easier, but venues are also reconsidering their lounge furniture purchases.
3. Did you know that china coffee cups are not only better for the environment, they save money for meeting organizers? Attendees go through more coffee when they can toss the cup.
4. In-person site visits will likely go virtual in the not-too-distant future. As planners who work nationwide, Special D Events understands the tremendous value of an in-person site visit. But, in some cases, there is insufficient funding and/or time to make the trip. Venues are moving toward virtual reality as an option to provide.
5. Mid-day slumps no more! The future of conference food and beverage will focus on nutritious, locally-sourced ingredients, and energizing offerings. Attendee demand for vegetarian menus and superfoods such as spirulina is challenging chefs to create dishes that invigorate, not put you to sleep.