01 May Meeting Trends Keynote Speakers Say We’ll See These New Developments in the Future
Popular meeting trends keynote speakers and MICE industry futurists are quick to observe that the meetings and events industry has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, largely driven by the pandemic’s disruption as well as rapid technological innovation. But what the best meeting trends keynote speakers acknowledge is that as the industry continues to evolve, larger guiding forces are expected to shape the future of gatherings and conventions. Let’s talk about what you should be keeping on your radar.
- Prioritization of Health and Safety Protocols – While hopefully less stringent than pandemic levels, futurists and meeting trends keynote speakers foresee health and safety remaining a top priority with enhanced cleaning protocols, contactless experiences, air filtering systems, and flexible postponement/cancellation policies. Attendee confidence is critical.
- Increased Integration of Virtual Components – Even for in-person events, virtual components like live streaming, digital networking lounges, and on-demand content libraries will become standard offerings to reach broader audiences. Hybrid event models are here to stay.
- More Immersive, Multi-Sensory Experiences – To differentiate in-person events and create memorable moments, planners will further leverage technologies like projection mapping, augmented reality, immersive audio, and other multi-sensory elements to captivate attendees.
- Data-Driven Personalization and Customization – Using AI, facial recognition, behavioral data and more, meeting trends keynote speakers opine that live experiences will become increasingly customized and personalized based on attendee interests, preferences and needs for maximum engagement.
- Rise of the “Decentralized” Event Model – Rather than always hosting large, centralized conventions, a decentralized hub-and-spoke model could emerge with smaller regional “meshings” of attendees connecting to the main event virtually or in streamlined fashion.
- Festivals and Experiences Over Tradeshows – Heck, myriad meeting trends keynote speakers even predict a shift away from sprawling exhibition halls, in favor of more tightly-curated, festival-style experiences emphasizing high-impact activations, main stage programming, and immersive brand encounters.
- Meetings as Community-Building Opportunities – Events will be about much more than just programming – they’ll prioritize human-to-human connections. Expect gathering spaces that facilitate engaging interactions and foster communities around shared interests and values.
While in-person meetings are poised for a resurgence as people crave face-to-face collaboration again, the industry is undergoing transformative changes. Focusing on data-driven personalization, intentional experience design, and seamless hybrid/virtual integration will define successful future gatherings according to the industry’s leading meeting trends keynote speakers and futurist consultants.
