As this year’s busy summer event season nears a successful close, event planners are already hunting down ideas for their fall lineup. Staying current is important in the event world since trends and technology are anything but static. And so far, this year has been exciting in terms of new products, trends, and ideas for future events.
Need some fresh ideas for an upcoming event? Stay trendy with the following five top innovations taking the stage this fall.
Get Personal With New Event Technology
One-on-one conversation and personal engagement are tricky during large events such as conferences and trade shows. This is nothing new.
But this year’s event technology leaps did not disappoint, providing new communication opportunities for large, popular facilities. The top two communication solutions being sourced for this fall’s events are:
- Quiet Spaces: Totally Mod transformed the traditional show tent with their new Quiet Rooms. A light aluminium frame with transparent (and soundproof) tiles provides a small enclosure for attendees to communicate with vendors or hosts. It requires no tools to assemble, and banners or other branding accessories can be attached to the frame with magnets.
- Virtual Reality (VR): Augmented reality, or VR systems, are becoming increasingly popular among busy events. They provide an opportunity to remove attendees from distractions while showing them a powerful message. As the technology continues to improve, VR event applications will soon become a conference staple.
Remember that attendees are more likely to remember your event and recommend it to others if they experience some form of positive, personalized encounter.
New In Design: Keep An Eye Out For Metallic
The bright colors of summer will soon be replaced with shimmering metallic hues. Chrome, bronze, and delicate golds are in style for eye-catching accents this fall.
Event hosts should also consider decorations and accessories with an opalescent luster; for this year’s fall event season, if it shines or shimmers, it’s (at times literally) design gold.
Think & Drink Like A Local
The top events planned already for this fall have a similar theme: proud locality. In the past, designing an event around a destination or a color pattern was the norm. Now, event coordinators are turning to local influences when choosing cuisine, décor, and entertainment.
Not too familiar with the area? Do some online research to determine the event location’s top restaurants and attractions. You can also draw tons of inspiration from local menus and cultural hubs, or even from just asking around.
Make Smart Social Media Moves
Social media has been a part of event planning for a while, but changes in its role have emerged. Popular social sites and apps recently added new features that enable making updates or uploading photos/videos during events quicker and easier.
Social is now beneficial to event promotion before, during, and after. Current top tools for fall event promotion, in order of greatest audience impact, include:
- Snapchat
Snapchat secured the lead from Twitter this year through the success of its Live Stories feature. Just like Live Tweets, attendees provide real-time updates to their friends. But Live Stories use photos and videos to provide live—albeit novice—event coverage.
Don’t Forget To Livestream
Live-streaming provides benefits to every event, including weddings; if Uncle Ray can’t make it, he can at least watch the touching ceremony from a screen while it’s happening. In general, the top use of live streaming is during large events to increase coverage and, in turn, improve future turnout.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a heavy streaming service, the following live stream tools are both free and easy to use:
- Google Hangouts on Air
- YouNow
- Facebook Livestream
- XSplit
All of these ideas can be implemented into most event plans, but many of them may be new to you. Ask your trusted event planner about implementing these trends into your next fall event. They will be able to guide you towards the ideas that will work best for your individual needs.
Happy planning!
