In-person events have made a big comeback. They offer a unique opportunity to establish personal connections with customers and partners. That’s why it’s more important than ever before for the event planner community to take a closer look at why people will attend face-to-face events in the future. According to the Future Meeting Space Final Study 2022, there are several reasons why in-person events will continue to be relevant and appealing to attendees. As a founding research partner of Future Meeting Space, Encore is proud to present this study and provide free access to these valuable insights and recommendations.
About Future Meeting Space
In 2015, the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. and the Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO established the Future Meeting Space innovation network. This initiative aims to enhance the significance of business events as catalysts for innovation and critical communication tools for companies. Future Meeting Space uses trend research to anticipate developments in the event ecosystem and derive conceptual, technological, and spatial requirements from them. The innovation network creates customised recommendations for different stakeholder groups and regularly puts them to the test. Encore’s partnership with Future Meeting Space allows us to provide event planners with relevant expert knowledge to help them plan successful events.
FMS Final Study 2022: Key Recommendations for Event Planners
The Final Study 2022 focuses on “Redefining Event Attendance” and examines the changes in motivation for event attendance and business travel. The research reveals that attendees place a premium on the freedom to organise their schedules, enticing mobility options, and the chance to transform their business trips into “workations“.
The study also recommends that companies define an event contingent and corresponding budget that employees can use freely. Furthermore, it strongly advises against imposing additional workloads on employees as a result of their event attendance.
To gain deeper insights into the motivations that drive attendees to participate in future in-person events, we invite you to download the complete study. Simply click here to access the valuable findings and compelling infographics.
The Value of In-Person Events
As the world still emerges from the pandemic, the role of face-to-face events has never been more important. While virtual events have been valuable in maintaining connections, they cannot replace the power of in-person gatherings. Above all, they provide a unique chance for networking and relationship building. Of course, they also provide great opportunities for education, training and professional development. And finally, they help connect people and employees to an organisation’s culture – its mission, vision and values.
The rise of remote working during the last years has changed the way employees experience an organisation’s culture. Traditional methods of displaying corporate values, such as posters or similar tools, often are no longer visible for the majority. In-person events are an effective way to build a strong company culture by providing opportunities to experience an organisation’s values, attitudes, and goals first-hand. Meeting professionals consistently emphasise the significance of purposeful face-to-face meetings and events in establishing connections and nurturing a sense of community within dispersed teams and industry networks. Cultivating a thriving organisational culture, where employees feel valued and included, is essential for fostering high employee engagement and driving overall success.
In the future in-person events will continue to play a crucial role in driving growth, fostering innovation, and building stronger connections. However, event organisers face the challenge of ever-changing attendee expectations and ever-advancing event technology. Our team at Encore is dedicated to supporting planners and organisers in their efforts to adapt to the changing expectations of their audiences and to benefit from available technological capabilities. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to to contact us.
Outlook for the Future Meeting Space research focus 2023
FMS is building on its 2022 focus with its current research topic, “Navigating Business Events in Challenging Times”. Along with the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO and our research partners for this year, the GCB German Convention Bureau is once again conducting a diverse and practice-oriented research program.The team from Encore is proud to keep the event community in the loop by providing all available results and recommendations for action on our website.
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