7 New Trends in the Events Industry You Must Follow in 2023

The events industry has seen many changes over time, especially in the last couple of years. As new technologies continue to disrupt how people experience events, the industry is reinvented to keep up with these improvements. From social media to mobile apps, these innovations are changing the way people interact with each other and the world around them. So, what is the best way to keep up with this fast changing market? In this post, we’ll talk about 7 new trends in the events industry to follow in 2023. Continue reading to learn more.

Why Is the Events Industry Changing so Fast?

Now more than ever, interests and information are constantly evolving. What used to be commonplace becomes outdated with new words and concepts such as the FOMO factor arising. It is no surprise that an industry built on people's interests would need to adapt as fast as these changes.

Moreover, as new areas of interest, entertainment and technology arise, the events industry needs to keep up the pace to continue bringing people together. The audience is becoming more demanding and are not interested in events that lack planning, information and adequate space.

Event professionals are recognized for their expertise in planning large scale events. They're also becoming more involved in other aspects of business, such as marketing and sales. What was just a part of entertainment and selling products in the past is now a whole industry. And this new event industry has its own trends and technologies. 

Trends in Events Industry to Expect in 2023

What can we expect and start planning as event professionals for 2023? We have listed 7 aspects to consider anticipating these changes and new approaches. Hope you enjoy it!

1. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) for Events 

AR has become an increasingly popular form of entertainment. It allows users to interact with virtual environments and virtual objects using smartphones and other devices. This new technology is being used by businesses to enhance customer service, provide additional information, and even sell products.

VR is an emerging trend in the event industry too. It's quickly gaining popularity because it provides event guests a realistic experience. VR headsets allow people to immerse themselves into a completely different world. They can see what others cannot, and they can feel as though they are there. In addition to providing a more immersive experience, VR also provides a unique opportunity to engage customers in ways that were previously impossible.

Many famous technology events, such as E3 and BlizzCon, use VR to showcase their new games. Some even offer a space to test this technology in new consoles. Moreover, it’s used to increase health habits in the gaming industry and keep people moving in their leisure time. 

It’s important to consider that gamification is expanding to different areas to help people learn and develop new skills. Consequently, AR and VR play a huge part in making people practice their skills. For 2023, we can expect an expansion in events with VR areas and gamification. So start planning your next event with this new industry trend, and get ahead of the competition!

2. Social Media as an Event Promotion Tool

As social media continues to play an increasingly large role in the lives of consumers, it too becomes important for event organizers. According to a recent survey conducted by Eventbrite, 64% of the attendees said they will make their decisions about which events to go based on what they saw online.

Therefore, using social media to promote events is an events industry trend that is here to stay. We understand social media doesn't replace traditional advertising methods, such as flyers or even word-of-mouth marketing. However, it still has an effect on how people find information and decide whether or not to attend an event.

Furthermore, social media is still one of the best ways to measure success and acceptance for events and ideas. Our suggestion? Make partnerships with new and potential digital influencers and keep good professionals running your social media pages.

A major technology trend for the event industry is social media integration. As more and more people turn to social networks to learn about events and share their experiences, event planners must ensure their event promotion tools can integrate with these platforms.

3. Mobile technology is changing how people attend events

Attendees are increasingly using mobile devices to access information about events. In fact, more than half (52%) of attendees use smartphones at events, according to a recent survey by Eventbrite. This event trend is expected to continue as more people become accustomed to using mobile devices.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of mobile applications designed specifically for events. These apps allow users to search for events, view event schedules, make reservations, and even purchase tickets. While these apps aren’t yet as prevalent as other forms of social media, they are growing in popularity and becoming an event industry trend.

As for event organizers, not using mobile technologies means you may be losing time and money. A research conducted by Bizzabo stated that 72% of event organizations believe events technologies to play a crucial role in event management nowadays. 

Developing an app or using an event software can change the way you plan events for the best. As an event planner, you can use event technologies to plan events remotely. You can also share your events on social media and newsletters to increase your events awareness and popularity.

4. Live streaming events to attract attendees

More people than ever before are watching live streams online. Also, companies are beginning to use live streaming technology to broadcast their products and services. Most of these live streaming are in the format of an event. In our view, this events industry trend is expected to continue in 2023.

Millennials and Gen Z are more likely than older generations to attend events and engage with brands. They also tend to be more open to new experiences and innovative ideas. It plays a huge deal on why many famous brands are becoming more interested in making partnerships with digital influencers than advertising in magazines or billboards.

5. Sustainability as a New Events Trend Rule

In the past, we developed technologies without paying much mind to what they were doing to our environment. Nowadays, we're concerned about the effects these new technological advancements are having on the world around us. So we find ways of developing clean energy solutions while still maintaining our lifestyles. The events industry is no exception. There is a great need to adapt and promote sustainable events going into 2023.

In fact, the COP26 Sustainability Report made great research about sustainable events and how to promote them. Among the most important aspects in planning these events are economic and climate concerns, partnerships, promotion of sustainable behaviour, encouragement of healthy living, using responsible sources and leaving a sustainable legacy.

Many technological aspects and energy sources are becoming cleaner. Among best practices, event organizers are also encouraged to promote sustainable transport among attendees and employ local people for their events. In 2023, these measurements will play a huge deal on how people behave and which events they choose to attend. We are becoming more conscious of our legacy and the world around us, and so it will be for the technologies and services we promote.

6. Accessibility for Digital and In-person Events

In our opinion, accessibility is not only a trend for the event industry, but a must. However, many event organizers are still unsure on how to find accessible venues or make their events accessible, even when it comes to virtual events. How can one make events more accessible to everyone?

We are certain that, in 2023, people and organizations will value digital accessibility and adherence to accessibility agreements. Event professionals will have to learn how to use technology to improve accessibility. This includes becoming familiar with screen readers and voice recognition tools, for example.

We are already witnessing an upsurge of job fairs and entertainment opportunities tailored for disabled people. We expect that event venues will soon implement accessibility standards to further promote inclusivity.

7. Privacy & Security for Events

Privacy regulation is changing fast. Personal data from customers is now considered as sensitive as financial information in many parts of the world. It shows us how important we are as consumers and also tells us how well we need to handle our attendees’ data. 

What type of personal information can we collect from our event registrants? How should we store their personal information? For what purposes can we use their data? How long can we keep the data on our servers? For how long can we send marketing emails to past event attendees?

By 2023, event organizers need to be extra careful with how they handle event data. For example, attendee's personal and financial information. As we become increasingly reliant on the digital sphere, our primary mission should be to make it as secure as we can.

For that reason, we predict an intensification of the security and privacy regulations and training as a new events industry trend for the year of 2023. Topics such as sensitive data, payments, and software engineering for event management will be very popular among event professionals.

How to Take Advantage of 2023 Event Trends?

Many event organizers and brands are already working towards these changes. Some are just getting to know them, some are already on top of them. If you want to expedite this process, you can always count on technology to help you take advantage of these event trends faster.

Timely event software solutions are here to help you. It offers not only an event listing system for your website, but also a powerful event management software. It has all the necessary tools to start planning an event, promoting it online, receiving payments, managing attendees list and even issuing refunds with just a few clicks. 

Aside from having the highest standards of information security and controls, our event management system is compliant with all major global privacy laws. Moreover, it is completely accessible, which also improves event SEO and how your attendees navigate through your event calendar online.

If you want to take advantage of all new trends in the events industry, Timely events software is the perfect tool for you. Talk to us to know more about our amazing features and all we can do for you!