Saturday, 30 March 2013

Trends 2013 in the event industry


More and more event participants are using mobiles and tablets and want to be connected constantly and at the same time. Thus, venues have to propose a WIFI access in all areas and take into account connection problems due to too many simulating connections. Besides, organizers have to note that the audience is now a media relay. Participants can comment everything on social media and have positive or negative consequences on the event image. Organizers can definitely take benefits of this free promotion and use it as testimonials in order to give value to their events. The trap with a massive use of new technologies in events is to fear some participants with other expectations. Some of them are looking for human relationships when they participate in an event. They need to find some traditional ways to get informed and to transmit their questions; they participate in events for networking and having fun. Organizers have to maintain face-to-face events and human relations to satisfy all kind of participants and keep their authenticity. Meetings technologies are getting cheaper and easier to create for organizers (low-costs and do-it-yourself applications), but event companies need to integrate it in their human resources and budget for the future and prepare them thanks to trainings. With the remaining of traditional tools, such as paper, it can generate a multiplication of costs and supports. But the trend for next years is mainly based on the disappearance of paper. Participants and professionals are increasingly environmentally friendly and are favourable to apps to replace paper programs, ticketing, course notes or maps. Furthermore it increases flexibility and control for organizers, keeping advertising sponsorships opportunities. Meeting planners should use mobile apps for destination, venue and hotels inspections. In fact, they have an attractive design, they are interactive by providing virtual visits and they provide richer and intimate experience than a website or a paper brochure. In a very short time, these apps will become a norm for all destinations, venues and hotels.
Organizers have to be aware that new technologies could sometimes be related to insecurity. For that reason, they should anticipate the risks and take extra precautions in order to be sure that their systems are safe. Organisers should also reassure their audience and give them confidence in these new tools.

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