We operate our businesses and go about our professional lives hoping to align our ways of working to a trend that will stick – but the days of certainty are long gone. theplanner.guru peers into the crystal ball to try identify what we can expect in 2022.
Access to (credible) information
Having solid information resources will enable us to make the best decisions for our businesses and communities.
Home, sweet home
Domestic meeting and travel experiences will need to receive priority to stimulate industries such as MICE.
Vaccines
Vaccines will be placed front and centre of both local and international economic recovery.
Turbulent industry
Industries directly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic – such as travel, tourism and hospitality – will continue to experience uncertainty and instability until global herd immunity is achieved.
Swift decision-making
Acting swiftly and implementing the correct measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 will continue to ensure the health and safety of everyone we come into contact with.
Flexibility and adaptability
We will need to build in greater flexibility to ensure we can easily adapt our events to rapidly changing situations as they arise.
Protocols, protocols, protocols
The well-being of our staff, attendees, affiliates and clients will continue to be our top priority in how we operate.
Hybrid events may be permanent…
Technology has not only supported how we meet but also how we go about our day-to-day lives and stay connected. This will be no different in 2022.
…As will smaller, intimate events
The smaller the better… for now. Hosting smaller meetings and events is safer until the same risks are no longer present, although this does not have a clearly defined timeline.
Bite-sized content
Avoid overcommunicating to your attendees and audience by inundating them with excessive amounts of information.
Collaboration
Ongoing collaboration between parties with similar objectives will ensure that the collective can survive.
Networks
Business networks will be key. In this day and age, we cannot afford to be on the periphery of important developments.
Clearly communicated purpose
The purpose of what we communicate must be made clear, with this message forming a common thread throughout everything we do.
Memorable micro-moments
Creating powerful, impactful moments will continue to be a strategy to ensure your events are memorable experiences for your attendees.
Personalisation matters
Make sure your delegates know they are more than just a field on a database and push personalisation as far as possible.
Comfort is key
Make sure your attendees feel relaxed and comfortable by ensuring they have, at the least, access to basics such as food and snacks, a nice place to sit, and a quiet place to break-away if needs be.
Aligned values
The reasons for getting our attendees into one room must align with strong core values and principles.
Diversity and inclusion
An inclusive industry is a successful industry. More and more, it is being recognised that industries across the board need to be inclusive.
Sustainability
The recent launch of the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge highlights the ongoing efforts by the events industry to ensure it is sustainable.
Industry professionalisation
Professional designations within the MICE and business events industry will receive greater recognition as playing a key role in how these experiences come together.
More destinations are coming to the fore
The MICE industry has previously not received the necessary support to grow and develop itself; however, more countries are recognising this as a means to promote their offering as a destination.
Gauging engagement
With the support of technology, we can more closely gauge the engagement of our audiences; it is hugely important to our clients and sponsors to substantiate ROI and secure repeat business.
This article originally appeared in the November/December edition of Meetings magazine. To access the issue, click here.
