The Promising Future of Business Events in 2024: What Trends Will We See This Year?
After a period of undeniable uncertainty due to the global pandemic, 2023 marked the significant return of in-person events worldwide. Conferences, trade shows, and other business gatherings regained their place, providing companies with a unique opportunity to reconnect with their clients and partners in a physical context. As we draw valuable lessons from this recovery, our focus eagerly turns to the year 2024 to discover the trends and innovations that will shape the world of business events.
No surprise, hybrid eventswill remain highly popular. The emergence of the hybrid format in 2023, combining virtual and physical elements, significantly expanded the reach of events. In 2024, this trend will gain even more strength, with organizers seeking to provide an inclusive experience for a global audience to participate virtually while preserving the dynamics of in-person meetings. Innovative technological platforms, such as the one offered by our company, will continue to evolve to facilitate a smooth transition between the physical and virtual worlds.
While hybrid events continue to rise, there is a disadvantage of bringing additional costs for event planners. Rather than focusing on events where the entire in-person program is replicated live 100% virtually , more events will opt for a two-phase deployment: first, a 100% in-person component with video capture of activities, followed by delayed broadcasts on the event platform. This greatly facilitates coordination and leads to a reduction in production costs.
Law 25 has changed the game in how data collected during events is handled. Make sure to deal with suppliers who adhere to these new regulations. International platforms may process data in a way that does not meet local requirements. By choosing a Quebec-based platform like PairConnex, you can have peace of mind.
The use of an all-in-one platform has significant advantages for event planners. Firstly, they will only have one platform to learn, where they can find centralized information in one place. This reduces data transfer and the risk of information or outdated data loss. The participant's history throughout their participation process will also be easily accessible. For participants, the simplicity and smoothness offered by an all-in-one platform are appreciated. With the ability to group certain user journey steps to decrease necessary communications, there will be no need to go through the terms and conditions consent step (Law 25) multiple times. It will also be much easier for the participant to retrieve their access, for example.
The integration of augmented and virtual reality into business events will gain even more momentum in 2024. These technologies offer unique immersive experiences, allowing participants to experience presentations, booth visits, and product demonstrations as if they were physically present. Companies will invest more in these solutions to captivate their audience and provide memorable experiences.
But beware: while technologies are improving at a rapid pace, make sure to understand the needs of your target audience before implementing such experiences. While immersive experiences are often appreciated by a younger audience accustomed to this type of virtual environment, some professional events may prefer simple, intuitive, and ergonomic platforms, where even less experienced users can easily navigate.
AI will play an increasingly significant role in personalizing business events in 2024. Organizers will use advanced algorithms to analyze participant preferences, recommend relevant sessions, and create customized agendas. At PairConnex, our platform has proven itself in this regard, offering extensive customization during conferences and trade shows with thousands of participants. As events are often opportunities for exchange and networking, our intelligent matchmaking feature becomes very relevant to guide participants on the best people to meet.
All tools are at your disposal to increase participant engagement. Using an all-in-one platform will allow you to easily reach your participants from their registrations, provide documentation, and communicate with them via email. With PairConnex, you can reach them in real-time through push notifications sent to their mobile application. After the event, you can make recordings available and conduct surveys.
In the context of a sluggish economy, professional associations become important venues to help their clientele meet, network, and grow their businesses. Therefore, business events are expected to continue experiencing significant growth, as the clientele will be looking for solutions to network, make new connections, and develop their businesses. Platforms that optimize networking and help showcase partners and sponsors will be sought after tools by professional event participants. Connection and lead retrieval tools to collect the contact information of people met, like those offered by PairConnex, will become essential for your participants, exhibitors, and sponsors, as they will want to maximize the benefits of their participation.
The year 2024 promises to be an exciting period for business events, with innovative trends and emerging technologies redefining how we connect, interact, and collaborate. By adopting these new perspectives, event planners can not only adapt to the rapid changes in the business world but also offer unique and memorable experiences to their participants, contributing to the growth and sustainability of their business."
1. The Unavoidable Standard: Hybrid Events
No surprise, hybrid eventswill remain highly popular. The emergence of the hybrid format in 2023, combining virtual and physical elements, significantly expanded the reach of events. In 2024, this trend will gain even more strength, with organizers seeking to provide an inclusive experience for a global audience to participate virtually while preserving the dynamics of in-person meetings. Innovative technological platforms, such as the one offered by our company, will continue to evolve to facilitate a smooth transition between the physical and virtual worlds.
While hybrid events continue to rise, there is a disadvantage of bringing additional costs for event planners. Rather than focusing on events where the entire in-person program is replicated live 100% virtually , more events will opt for a two-phase deployment: first, a 100% in-person component with video capture of activities, followed by delayed broadcasts on the event platform. This greatly facilitates coordination and leads to a reduction in production costs.
2. Compliance with Law 25
Law 25 has changed the game in how data collected during events is handled. Make sure to deal with suppliers who adhere to these new regulations. International platforms may process data in a way that does not meet local requirements. By choosing a Quebec-based platform like PairConnex, you can have peace of mind.
3. Use of an All-in-One Platform
The use of an all-in-one platform has significant advantages for event planners. Firstly, they will only have one platform to learn, where they can find centralized information in one place. This reduces data transfer and the risk of information or outdated data loss. The participant's history throughout their participation process will also be easily accessible. For participants, the simplicity and smoothness offered by an all-in-one platform are appreciated. With the ability to group certain user journey steps to decrease necessary communications, there will be no need to go through the terms and conditions consent step (Law 25) multiple times. It will also be much easier for the participant to retrieve their access, for example.
4. Immersive Experiences through Augmented (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
The integration of augmented and virtual reality into business events will gain even more momentum in 2024. These technologies offer unique immersive experiences, allowing participants to experience presentations, booth visits, and product demonstrations as if they were physically present. Companies will invest more in these solutions to captivate their audience and provide memorable experiences.
But beware: while technologies are improving at a rapid pace, make sure to understand the needs of your target audience before implementing such experiences. While immersive experiences are often appreciated by a younger audience accustomed to this type of virtual environment, some professional events may prefer simple, intuitive, and ergonomic platforms, where even less experienced users can easily navigate.
5. Increased Personalization through Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI will play an increasingly significant role in personalizing business events in 2024. Organizers will use advanced algorithms to analyze participant preferences, recommend relevant sessions, and create customized agendas. At PairConnex, our platform has proven itself in this regard, offering extensive customization during conferences and trade shows with thousands of participants. As events are often opportunities for exchange and networking, our intelligent matchmaking feature becomes very relevant to guide participants on the best people to meet.
6. Engaging Participants at Every Stage In 2024
All tools are at your disposal to increase participant engagement. Using an all-in-one platform will allow you to easily reach your participants from their registrations, provide documentation, and communicate with them via email. With PairConnex, you can reach them in real-time through push notifications sent to their mobile application. After the event, you can make recordings available and conduct surveys.
7. Economic Slowdown and the Rise of Business Events
In the context of a sluggish economy, professional associations become important venues to help their clientele meet, network, and grow their businesses. Therefore, business events are expected to continue experiencing significant growth, as the clientele will be looking for solutions to network, make new connections, and develop their businesses. Platforms that optimize networking and help showcase partners and sponsors will be sought after tools by professional event participants. Connection and lead retrieval tools to collect the contact information of people met, like those offered by PairConnex, will become essential for your participants, exhibitors, and sponsors, as they will want to maximize the benefits of their participation.
The year 2024 promises to be an exciting period for business events, with innovative trends and emerging technologies redefining how we connect, interact, and collaborate. By adopting these new perspectives, event planners can not only adapt to the rapid changes in the business world but also offer unique and memorable experiences to their participants, contributing to the growth and sustainability of their business."
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