As leaders in the meetings industry we are called to keep up on the trends. Trends come and go, some hang out for a few days and others enjoy a bit more stickiness, like the Pokemon phenomenon and the Mannequin Challenge. Check out this Audience Mannequin Challenge courtesy of TEDxGatewayArch.
Recently I shared some trends in food and drink. Last week I shared all kinds of things to know as we move forward. Here are some more trends to be aware of as we head into this New Year:
I Am Robot: They are showing up in many places, so now is the time to consider how robots can become a part of your events. Check out this robot waiter. Royal Caribbean has adopted some robot bartenders. Robots also open your event to greater participation by those who are unable to travel!
Still Flipping: A trend that has not fully come into fruition is Flipped Learning. I shared information about this back in 2015 (yay for being ahead of the trends!). It continues to grow and evolve, so keep an eye out for new information as it is shared. Though geared toward teachers, this page shares some great resources that can be utilized for your meetings.
Personal Touch: We are more connected than ever via our phones, tablets, conference calls, webinars, virtual meetings and more. We are humans and face-to-face connection matters and is important so there is still much to be said about meetings in person. So, meetings remain; just be open to including some virtual elements to create inclusivity for those whose schedules or abilities require an option.
For You: We continue to see a rise in information tailored for the individual and delivered, sometimes almost immediately, right to them. This will grow as the IoT, Internet of Things, trend becomes ever more prevalent. Meetings wise, expect to include RFID name tags and beacons.
We Speak You: Language no longer need be a barrier. Meetings can take place in different languages in many ways these days.
Socially Speaking: The trends for marketing your event via social include, more paying, less organic (yes, social media is becoming more of a paid media), seek out those social influencers in your industry to help you spread the word, and transparency continues to grow as a business paradigm.
One trend that will never end is how much I adore the meeting planning community. I’m looking forward to serving you in 2017. I am just a phone call away 636-678-7661 and I answer my own phone. So far, no robots 🙂
