How will innovation shape the events world in 2023? – Reflections on our Livve Panel

On 25th January, we ran our first Livve panel of the year, looking at how events will evolve in 2023. Here are three things we learnt from our speakers:

 

1. The last three years have seen enormous innovation in technology – can we expect to see the same innovation in the years ahead?

Tim Bull

Event Tech Expert

We expect to see 2023 as a year of consolidation for event technology. The investment going into the sector has slowed and the big players need to spend time bedding in the technology they have made or acquired. So don’t expect too many breakthrough products from these providers, but do expect the products already out there to become more stable. Event measurement and data will be a big area where event tech will become more useful, and more widely adopted going forward.

 

2. Are events changing in their formats, frequency and style?

Simone Buckley 

Travel and Technology

At my last company, a travel tech unicorn, we saw a change in the role of events in our marketing mix and that is set to continue in 2023. It starts with the participants’ aspirations and constraints. Many are unable or unwilling to travel so putting all your marketing eggs in one big in-person event may be risky. Going forward we will see much more of a blend – with continuous virtual touchpoints, centred on great content, interspersed with high-impact hybrid shows. And the key to leveraging this mix is the unique insights and data we can gather along the way.

 

3. How much are external factors shaping event programmes in 2023?

Hannah Kelly

Vice President & Head of Meetings Management and Life Sciences

Events were quick to recover in 21/22 – faster than the wider business travel sector – but there is no doubt that event owners are looking carefully at their budgets and commitments for 2023. Owners want to be sure they can quantify the return on objectives, and cost will obviously be a big factor. But for some sectors the optics around spend are as important as the actual financial outlay. Lavish events at a company making redundancies will not sit well. And some sectors are also very sensitive to the environmental impacts of their events, embracing green destinations like Copenhagen, which join up their approach to minimising the impact of business travel on the environment. 

 

So all doom and gloom then? Not at all. 54% of our audience were overall more positive about the prospects for the events sector for ’23 compared to ’22. We have all now attended our first in-person event since lockdown and been reminded of the irreplaceable ability of this format as a place to make connections, build relationships and do business. Marketers and communicators will always look for opportunities to create these moments, they will just evolve the way they do it.