According to SEC Newgate EU, an integrated public relations and public affairs consultancy in Brussels, it’s time for associations to have some fun and open the doors to all. Here are five exciting event trends happening in 2024.
- DEI Everywhere – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts will be a top priority for associations in 2024. Implementing these tenets in every stage of event planning and execution is key. Including DEI- oriented fields on the event registration form, promoting the use of pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them), designing the program to highlight diversity through content and guaranteeing gender balance among speakers are important steps to follow.
- Sustainability – Event planners will focus on measuring and reporting sustainability efforts such as food waste, distance travelled by attendees, energy consumption or use of local materials.
- Virtual and Hybrid Events – In-person events are coming back to pre-COVID levels, but hybrid and virtual events are here to stay. These formats complement, and don’t replace in-person gatherings. Virtual events offer flexibility, convenience and are usually very cost-effective – no venue or food and beverage costs on the planning side and no travel costs on the attendee side. Hybrid events offer the best of both formats: they offer the flexibility of online events and provide the opportunity for face-to-face conversations.
- Gamification – Who doesn’t love winning? Participant engagement at events, no matter what meeting format, are gaining in popularity. Examples including leaderboards, quizzes, online trivia and polls add fun and excitement to events.
- Year-round Events – The annual meeting will always be the most important event of the year. However, associations are planning events around the calendar to keep members involved. These additional offerings can be provided via workshops or webinars where members have selected access to exclusive content or experiences.
In summary, association events will continue to evolve in 2024. There are more options available to attendees throughout the year – keeping flexibility, inclusion, entertainment, and sustainability top of mind.