As the dust settles on 2023, savvy event planners are already peering into the future. Scrutinizing data and metrics from the past year, they eagerly map the path to success for their 2024 events. Their goal? To build impactful experiences that resonate with target audiences and stakeholders, seamlessly aligning with business goals, and leaving a lasting mark. But in the ever-changing landscape of the events industry, how do they accomplish this?

Most event professionals know the drill: reflect and analyze the learnings from 2023 while also identifying wins and pitfalls. Ineffective elements are discarded while winning strategies are amplified to propel future events forward. This requires understanding all the stakeholders involved, their expectations, and their event goals. By doing so, organizers can craft a memorable experience with tailored journeys and engaging content, specifically catering to their audience.

However, forging a powerful link between event goals, your business strategy, and your audience's aspirations requires prioritizing a few key points to ensure successful events in 2024. We’ll be diving into these points in this article.

Looking at Industry Trends

Planning a winning event in 2024 goes beyond looking at your own data. Stay ahead of the curve by factoring in external trends – think tech leaps, changing audience needs. These whispers from the outside world hold the key to successful planning.

Rise in Sustainability Practices

Sustainability's booming anthem echoes across the event industry, drowning out the wasteful practices of the past. Shifting priorities are evident in this rising tide of eco-consciousness, and with good reason. Consider this: MeetGreen's research reveals that a typical 1,000-person event generates a staggering 530 metric tons of CO₂. Examining this breakdown of emissions from plastics, food, travel, and venue energy is the first step towards planning more sustainable events in the future.

This rising awareness in sustainability may suggest that growing environmental demands could lead to more local/regional meetings and fewer international trips. Thus, understanding the impact of this trend on your events and skillfully incorporating it into your 2024 event planning is crucial.

Major event organizers are also leading the charge on sustainability, implementing improved practices and ensuring adherence to stricter environmental standards.  For instance, eleven leading event organizers are piloting a program to reduce single-use stands and promote reusability, through the Better Stands initiative. 

Going green isn't just a feel-good trend, it's a smart business decision. With reusable stands, the impact you can get from the initiative includes:

• Up to 80% less waste
• Smoother setups and breakdowns
• Reduced overtime costs
• For you as an event organizer, a positive brand image, showing the world that you care about more than just profits.

Sustainability should go beyond just stands and the physical event space. Leverage the power of digitization to weave green practices into the entire event experience. Ditch paper trails with online registration and ticketing. Swap printed materials for digital signage, brochures and presentations. You can even take it a step further by incorporating all this in an all-in-one event app, further streamlining logistics and minimizing waste.

Finish it off by selecting partners and vendors who share your eco-conscious values Partnering with fellow sustainability champions will allow you to forge a collaborative path towards a responsible future in the industry.

AI - Friend or Foe?

The rise of AI in the events industry is fueling both excitement and anxiety among professionals. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is understandable, as AI automates tasks like data analysis, research, and even aspects of event planning and execution historically tackled by humans.

But hold on – does this mean AI is snatching away event professionals’ jobs? Not so fast! 

Experts like PCMA assure us that AI won't replace roles requiring abstract reasoning, personal interaction, and collaboration – precisely the core skills that make event professionals shine.

Instead, embrace AI as your loyal data cruncher and schedule optimizer, freeing you to focus on the human touch, creativity, and strategic direction that only humans can offer. Let AI handle the repetitive tasks, while you guide the journey using data-driven insights to build events that engage and measure success.

Here's a look at some ways AI can truly  impact event execution and improvement:

• Personalization and trend analysis: AI tools delve into data and attendee behavior, tailoring event experiences and uncovering trends that inform future planning. It's a continuous cycle of improvement!
• Data/insight collection: AI personalization and feedback tools gather valuable data, providing an invaluable perspective for optimizing future events.

Keep in mind that AI is not an enemy, but a powerful ally to augment your human capabilities and create better events. Embrace this technological shift, seek out its benefits, and see it as a collaborative effort, not a competition. By focusing on developing human skills and working alongside AI, event professionals can thrive in the evolving landscape. And the payoff? Improved events, happier attendees, satisfied organizers – a win-win for everyone!

Prioritizing Stakeholder Event Experience

Prioritizing both sides of the event coin – sponsor ROI and attendee engagement – unlocks the true potential of any event. By crafting experiences that nurture meaningful connections and maximize value for both stakeholders, you design not just successful events, but thriving ecosystems of collaboration and growth.

Sponsors: Beyond Contact Capture, Cultivating Engagement

For sponsors, events represent fertile ground for cultivating valuable leads. Interestingly, as  Julius Solaris aptly points out, the focus often solely revolves around maximizing contact acquisition, overlooking the crucial element of meaningful engagement. Sponsors tend to prioritize the sheer volume of leads, sometimes at the expense of brand alignment and targeted interaction.

To ensure that their event sponsors and exhibitors are getting the most out of their event, organizers should equip sponsors with tools that not only facilitate efficient contact capture but also enable deeper audience insights and allow for subsequent engagement. In other words, show them what they’re missing. It's about moving beyond basic information like names and emails, including data capturing preferences, interaction data, and notes from meetings. Seamless integration with popular CRM systems further empowers sponsors to leverage these insights in real-time.

Furthermore, recognizing that different sponsors have distinct lead generation strategies is crucial. While some prioritize sheer quantity, others focus on targeted engagement and qualified leads. Offering tools that cater to both approaches ensures every sponsor can maximize their event involvement.

Ultimately, the goal is to shift the sponsor mindset from a transactional data grab to a strategic cultivation of connections. Event organizers hold the key by providing the tools and framework that foster genuine engagement, nurture relationships, and transform fleeting encounters into long-term loyalty.

Attendees: Maximizing Event Impact Through Physicality

Imagine stepping into an event where everything, from the venue layout to the digital tools provided, whispers "Welcome home." That's the power of crafting a seamless and personalized experience for your attendees, and an aspect not to be forgotten when planning events.

Organizers should prioritize intentional venue selection. This means focusing on accessibility and intuitive flow within the venue and for easy arrival. Offer clear instructions and alternative routes for navigating to and from the venue, ensuring a smooth start for your attendees' event days. Inside the venue, provide ample space to cater to different needs: exploration, networking, and focused sessions. Attendees can have the freedom to explore what interests them most and engage with the event on their own terms.

Consider implementing clear signage to help them move about, better yet interactive AI-powered Maps as a way to navigate the event hall(s). These should enhance on-site wayfinding, making it seamless and efficient for guests.  But don't stop there. Inside the event, elevate your attendees' journey even further with intelligent matchmaking. Connect attendees with those with shared interests, maximizing networking potential and goal achievement. By leveraging personalized information and content, ensure every encounter and session resonates with their specific objectives, making their event days more efficient and impactful.

Crafting a personalized and seamless journey from the welcome mat to the final session, unlocks the true potential of your event: transforming attendees into loyal advocates and securing future success, one happy interaction at a time.

Ensure Your Event Success in 2024 with Jublia

Event planning in 2024 is a juggling act, balancing data, trends, and stakeholder goals. However, powering events with a comprehensive engagement hub such as Jublia, allows event organizers to take the weight off their shoulders. By equipping your stakeholders with the information they need, Jublia fuels confident data capture, analysis and decisions, and streamlines their overall event experience. Forget information overload, focus on success. Jublia helps you orchestrate events that resonate with every stakeholder, delivering a standing ovation, every time. Speak to our Solutions Specialists to find out more, and don’t forget to follow for more updates!