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5 Key Event and Marketing Trends for the Industry in 2018
To ring in the New Year we’ve decided to give you a head start on what will be the current trends in event planning. Throughout this article we’ll give you pointers on how to get a big thumbs up from your guests. Although these are the latest crazes it’s important to carve out a unique path and we’ll show you how you can brand and personalize the event. Consider these trends as stepping stones to skip your way to a memorable and enjoyable soiree.
The reason we see patterns in events at all revolves around the marvels of current society. For example, twenty years ago a vegan-market festival would have been pushed to the fringes of society where only those in yellow, elephant pants and knee-length dreadlocks could attend. Now veganism floods instagram accounts and dairy-free alternatives fill shopping trolleys. Anyway the point is that it’s all about jumping on the bandwagon at the right time! A good event organizer Malaysia will have spotted trends before they even enter center stage: they greet them on the wings before they make their grand performance and beat everyone to the new rising commodity. So without further ado let us show you the ones to watch in the industry!
Customization / Personalization
I would consider this to be the real gem of event trends 2018. However, it is a tricky one to get right. There can be a lot of planning involved and it can be hard to find an ‘experience’ that will appeal en masse. However, when done well they really do make a lasting impression on guests. And my advice here is the quirkier the better.
The coffee-making and cocktail-shaking parties have been doing the rounds for a few years now. How about thinking outside the box with a calligraphy tutorial or evening learning how to do hand massages. These are definitely a giggle and break down barriers. The wonder of experiential events is that people who have nothing in common are all of a sudden cracking jokes and slapping oil on each other’s hands! It gets rid of bland, routine conversations and allows people to just live in the moment! And on that note meditation parties are also on the up in this trend.
Customization / Personalization
This seems like a vague title so let me specify through the use of a few examples. Think custom-made door gifts that represent the brand. Personalizing parting gifts such as chocolates or funny fridge magnets is going to be all the rage this year.Consider an orienteering day with clues based on the company’s ethos and core beliefs. This is much more interactive and engaging than simply listing out the information on an induction day and with this method there will be a higher absorption rate of the important facts.
Social Media
Social media has a bad rep at office parties. It is often seen as the baby monitor that keeps all the employees playing nice and being polite in the play pen. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Nor does it have to be a sad attempt to appear ‘trendy’ by purchasing luminous yellow emoji cupcakes. Strike the balance by creating a shareable moment with a personalized photo wall. Here guests can capture and share not only their lovely outfit but also your company’s sense of community.
Social media can often be detrimental to a party’s success as it drags guests into a five inch screen so why not avoid this and use it to your marketing advantage? With photo walls guests as the latest trends in event management, guests are encouraged to use social media overtly which verifies the company’s modern ethos. They can also be a fantastic focal point for a theme event such as the iconic opening bullseye shot for a dazzling Bond party.
Unique Venues
Gallery nights; theatres; a beach party this really is an exhaustive list. And with corporate events getting more elaborate it’s almost sacrilege to have a party set in a standard hotel or conference centre. The trick to this is working with what’s in your area. Is there a quirky old mansion that you can hire for an evening? A forest where you can hang lanterns and create a cozy space? It doesn’t have to be a castle (although who doesn’t love a turret party?). Unusual venues create a talking point, they can put your company on the map. Again photo walls can help to really define the theme and create not only capture memorable moments but also make them shareable across social media platforms. So this is why 2018 should be the year you don’t book that conference room because it’s “good value”.
Technology Trends in Event Management
You might think technology to be quite closely related to social media but with a few new specs added within the last year they are diverging into two different branches of corporate event planning. Virtual Reality, for instance, is a huge game changer that encourage interactions amongst guests. You can now hire VR equipment and once you have the goggles set up the sky is the limited: or maybe even further if you want to have a space party. You can create any theme you want; put your company on the moon for an evening or even assimilate pilot lessons. Companies can also help you place brands and logos into the VR games to make it more personalized.
Now that your party bag is packed with inventive, current trends your event is sure to be so ‘in’ it’ll be considered avant-garde! So whether your guests are toasting marshmallows in a forest or recording slow motion videos of each other they are sure to have a good time.