The last few years have been a continuous period of change for all event organisers – but what event trends should we look out for in 2023?

Here’s our pick of the continuing and predicted event trends for the coming year.

In-person events are back – but different

Last year saw a large increase in the number of in-person and hybrid events and we expect that number to grow in 2023.

But while there’ll be more in-person events, we don’t think they’ll return to exactly how they were before the pandemic.

Alex Palmer, founder of Kina Events, says:

In-person events will be the preferred option for many businesses in 2023 – though virtual and hybrid events will continue to have their place.

“With costs rising and budgets squeezed, it will be important to keep events as cost-effective as possible.

“There’ll also be a huge focus on creating memorable experiences for attendees, so it’s worth them spending time and money travelling to your event – and offers organisers a good return on investment.”

Unusual venues

Driven by the need to provide attendees with a unique and rewarding experience, we predict there’ll be an increase in requests for unusual venues in 2023.

From wildlife parks and historical sites to multi-sensory bingo experiences and private funfairs, there are so many ways to surprise your guests – and make your next event unmissable.

The rise of ‘bleisure’

Post-pandemic, companies and event attendees have shown increased interest in combining business and leisure travel, particularly if they’re travelling longer distances. 

As a result, we’ve seen more client demand for event venues in tourist destinations where attendees might want to extend their stay.

This could be because of pent-up desire for travel after the pandemic, but we think there’s also a link to making best use of time – and increased awareness of the impact of travel on the environment. 

Greener events

Event organisers, venues and suppliers will be expected to be transparent about their sustainability credentials – and be able to show how their promises translate from paper into the real world.

Alex says:

Sustainability is no longer just a nice to have – in 2023 everyone in the events industry must be able to demonstrate they’re taking meaningful action to be eco-friendly.”

Organisers should choose partnerships carefully – and scrutinise every element of the supply chain to ensure their events are as environmentally-friendly as possible.

Technology

Technology will play an important part in helping planners create events that provide attendees with an immersive, interactive experience.

Events will increasingly make use of augmented reality (AR), for example to view information and graphics overlaid onto the real-world environment.

Meeting planners will use virtual reality (VR) to allow attendees to experience events in a completely virtual environment.

As economic issues continue to cause uncertainty across the world, virtual and hybrid event technology will help organisations mitigate risk and make budgets go further.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

This year we’ve seen accessible, inclusive events given higher priority, and we expect it will become a standard part of the planning process in 2023.

Issues to be aware of include checking your venue is accessible to everyone, selecting an inclusive range of speakers and ensuring you create a neuro-inclusive event.

We also predict that recruitment processes across the events industry will have a renewed focus on diversity and equal opportunities – and employers will prioritise the wellbeing and career development of existing workers in order to aid staff retention.

Alex says:

If you’d like to create good value for money, unmissable business events in 2023 without the stress, we can help and would love to hear from you.”

You can contact the Kina Events team on 020 7205 7901 or send us an email.