It’s that time of year again, time to digest the styles and event industry trends of the year while predicting what’s to come for 2020. So, here is a list of event industry tends that our custom event management company will be using at some of our upcoming events to add that extra “wow” to the guest and client experience.
1. Eco-Friendly Event Industry Trends
We are talking everything from reducing waste in swag bags to rethinking our food & beverage usage. In swag bags, we anticipate seeing a new round of custom event promotional items like reusable water bottles, reusable snack bags, flexi straws, and reusable utensils. These will likely replace items that get stuck in our kitchen drawers such as pens and stress balls. Moreover, there will also be a stronger push toward digital materials and app usage instead of print outs. Don’t worry, we won’t take your paper away entirely, we just plan to have fewer copies preprinted.
2. Mindfulness & Wellness
We did a little bit of this in 2019, but for 2020 we are going to really promote the usage of our unplugged rooms at conferences. What would be in an unplugged room, you ask? We anticipate yoga mats, essential oils & diffusers, facial mists, massage rollers, slinkies, paper & pens, coloring pencils and books, and the like! We also foresee an increase in optional outdoor activities such as morning yoga, lunch breaks in the park or team member hikes. Ahh, we feel calmer already…at a very low cost, but super high impact.
3. Cultural Experiences
Possibility one of the incoming event industry trends we are MOST excited for is an increase in all things diversity and inclusion. We look forward to creative menus that provide flavor and sustenance to accommodate all dietary requests of attendees and staff. We also look forward to a broader, more diverse range of keynote speakers from an array of industries, backgrounds, and preferences. We foresee an increase in gender-neutral bathrooms and a heavier focus on acknowledging preferred pronouns; we use really fun mini-buttons which guests can choose upon registering at the event.
4. Unique Locations
Be it a board meeting, conference networking, or rehearsal dinner– people are steering away from traditional venues and into more eclectic spaces. We are seeing co-working spaces popping up all over the country, along with increases in downtown rooftop venues. Art galleries are hosting ceremonies and receptions in their common space during closed hours. Historic homes are finding an increase in unique usage for specialty parties like engagement and baby showers. We love the unique imprint this leaves all attendees with, but we do recommend making sure your perfect, unique space has a plan for parking, catering staging, electrical outlets and plenty of restrooms!
And there you have it, folks! Our sneak peek into what 2020 event industry trends will look like at EventShop events! Taking all the amazing lessons, tips, and tricks we have learned this decade, we will be sailing into 2020 ready to make an impact on ourselves, clients, attendees, and the ecosystem at large. We look forward to collaborating with you and hope you’ll follow our adventures in planning on our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages!