Breaking Down the Trends, Factors, & Innovations Impacting Specialty Meeting Sectors
This is more than a road to recovery, this is the future of the event and meetings marketing industry. These new ideas and changes are not fads but are real, permanent, and here to stay. Now more common than ever before, virtual and hybrid events have become a meeting option of motivation to create safe, encouraging spaces for attendees.
Here’s a breakdown of the trends, factors and innovations being seen in the key specialty meetings sectors of tech, manufacturing, medical and education.
But First, Health & Safety Programs are a Must for Most Meetings
Planners will go the distance to ensure they are able to host safe and clean meetings for their attendees. With that in mind, there will be certain protocols included into their health and safety programs before, during and maybe sometimes after in-person meetings and events. This will give attendees peace of mind knowing they can safely and comfortably attend a meeting or event.
As the delta variant continues to run its course, more protocols have been implemented and the M&C industry has taken notice. These could include providing proof of vaccination before or during an event, mobile ticketing and contactless payment, on-site rapid tests, and individually packaged meals.
Tech is Taking Advantage of Virtual Meetings
It’s no surprise that big tech conferences will provide technical capabilities, right? It’s now more pertinent for tech meetings to almost specialize in providing a virtual component and hybrid options to their attendees.
“There will always be a hybrid component to a conference from now on; your numbers [attendance] will be greater.”
– Aaron Feigin, Chief Communications Officer, Sumo Logic
Smaller tech companies have learned that they can draw more attendance when taking their events online and since there continues to be growth in popularity for the technology meetings market, hosting more virtual conferences, trade shows, and webinars will be their guiding light. Specifically in the tech sectors, there is a great demand for education and how planners can use these different technologies to leverage their meetings and events. With so many vertical markets of a bunch of different varieties, it’s important to know how to use those solutions.
Booming Technologies in Manufacturing Sectors
The manufacturing meetings sector has now become one of the hottest markets for events, trade shows, and conferences — and continues to receive more attention for its increasing production and supply-chain complexities across many industries. Whether these meetings are in-person, hybrid, or virtual, experts are bringing in new ideas, innovations, and incorporated technologies to make an impact — and it’s working. Attendees are eager to learn about cutting-edge manufacturing technologies that will create history — and who doesn’t want to be a part of that?
Multiple Forms of Communication for Medical Meetings
Medical event planners have experienced the most challenges for how they will continue their events, conferences, and tradeshows. In-person events are tough on their own when most of the potential attendees, such as nurses, physicians, and doctors, don’t have as much control over their own time because the majority work for hospitals or other healthcare offices. To challenge obstacles like this, planners and larger groups have expanded their communication resources.
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are especially more busy nowadays given the ongoing pandemic, so they need to see a beneficial factor for why they should attend a particular medical meeting and that can be what they favor the most when attending events. Including interactive components where attendees can learn and gain skills to take back with them to the office is ideal and incorporating different learning styles can impact the attendance rate immensely.
Importance of Where & How Education Sectors Meet
Location, location, location. What’s trending most for the Education meetings sector is the destination of in-person events and conferences. Proximity to resources is key to having a successful education meeting. Planners and large groups will find it easier to host events and meetings where their surroundings can support the concepts and technology that is being discussed. When people do attend these conferences, they want to feel inspired by someone who is respected in the industry and seen as an equal. Certain programming like general hot-button issues that impact educational institutions can help define what attendees want to learn and how they engage in learning.
Embracing Change is What the Industry is All About
It’s time to get with the trends and be a part of the change in specialty meetings sectors. Good news! Change is what the meetings industry is all about and it is embraced! Learn more about how your DMO can embrace change and leverage it for your meetings marketing efforts. Reach out!
