Looking Ahead at 2025 – Trends and Opportunities
Exhibitors, event professionals, and attendees all agree – 2024 was a good vintage! Now, let’s look ahead at some trends that will be front and center in the year ahead.
The New Kids on the Block
Gen Z has arrived in full force and has overtaken Boomers in the workplace. This generation is rapidly shaping trends and driving innovation as they redefine value propositions, leading event planners and organizers to tailor their event programs dramatically based on the needs and wants of a younger cohort. Innovators who are in tune with trends and adapt swiftly, making changes to meet objectives from one event to the next based on feedback from attendees and marketers, will stand to benefit the most.
Elevating the event experience for attendees over increasing the number of attendees is another solidly emerging trend. By creating a more meaningful and rewarding event experience, planners and organizers stand to improve the overall quality of attendees and further enhance the overall experience. This dovetails with an emerging concern that more exhibitors are now planning their own events. This trend underscores the need to revamp and rethink programming to meet the newer generations’ definition of value if potential attendees don’t see an event as a Heck Yes! It runs the very real risk of becoming a Heck No! Younger generations are not so much looking for an event as they are looking for The Event.
Here are snapshots that further illuminate what Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X are looking for:
- Exhibits and networking win out over keynotes, general sessions and celebrity speakers.
- Career advancement opportunities and substance over brand recognition and event reputation.
- Collaborative learning experiences, hands-on demos, and face-to-face opportunities over classroom sessions and lectures.
- Networking during events vs. after.
- More topic-specific meetups, participatory learning, immersive experiences, and career-enhancing content.
- Less happy hours, classroom lectures, wellness opportunities, and flashy branded swag.
If there is one big takeaway from these emerging trends, it is that generational shifts are inevitable. However, seasoned and experienced planners and organizers shouldn’t just think of this as ‘passing the torch’ but rather as an opportunity to light the path and pass on learned and acquired insight, experience, and leadership. By mentoring a new generation, they can help them create events that set new benchmarks for tomorrow.
Events Are Resilient!
The pandemic that shut down B2B trade shows and exhibitions and threatened to do irreparable damage to the meeting and exhibition business is a faint speck in the rearview mirror. The resiliency of this model stands tall as the number of attendees and investment levels have rebounded to levels last seen in 2019. The forecast for the coming year is also robust – showing solid growth for the industry, with increasing budgets and high levels of optimism among event professionals.
At the core of this resurgence is an emphasis on strategies and tactics that yield a high return, thereby creating deeper connections that foster higher engagement between exhibitors and attendees. Planners and organizers who utilize digital tools to help attendees locate and interact with content that sparks interest, adopt emerging technologies like AI, and incorporate smart digital tactics, including dedicated show websites and microsites, QR codes, and social media, are leading the way.
In addition to tried-and-true tactics to draw attendees, more exhibitors are taking advantage of staff training to help boost engagement on the floor. This tactic is rated as highly effective, but it remains surprisingly underutilized.
Connections Are Everything
As our world continues to evolve and more digital technology like AI takes an ever-increasing role, there is a growing demand for human connections. Yes, event professionals should adopt new tech and use AI, but this clear and evident need for human interaction and creating face-to-face experiences should not be ignored. Meeting professionals and strategic advisors are growing roles, as they are well-equipped to help align emerging technologies and solutions to help stakeholders achieve success.
In closing, there is discussion about exhibitors getting more value out of their pre- and post-event attendee lists to foster higher levels of networking before, during and after the event – a trend that is clearly emerging among younger attendees that would allow them to schedule meetings in advance with experts and vendors of their choosing.
Here’s wishing everyone a fantastic and prosperous year ahead!
For Further Reading:
CEIR 2024 Attendee & Exhibitor Engagement on The Exhibition Floor
Freeman Syndicated Survey of Event Organizers, 2024 Report