The Future of Event Marketing: 2023 Predictions
With 2023 just around the corner, we asked clients and industry friends their thoughts on what the future of the events and digital marketing industry will look like, as well as a retrospective look back at 2022…
Disclaimer: These are the personal predictions of the individuals quoted, they are not speaking as official representatives of their respective companies.
Abdul is a Senior Marketing Manager at Messe Frankfurt Middle East for Automechanika Dubai, Jeddah and Riyadh, and has over 11 years of experience in Marketing. The Tag Digital team has worked with Abdul for the last 2 years. All the best to Abdul for his events in the New Year. We look forward to working together in 2023.
What are your predictions for event trends in 2023?
The positive trend that events and exhibitions witnessed in 2022 will continue on to next year as well. In 2023, it will be important to carefully plan out the event. What happens with any of these events will set the event’s future course in the years to come! Therefore, 2023 will be an important year from a strategic standpoint.
What has surprised you most in the world of events?
The intensity with which events and exhibitions bounced back in 2022. Most of the exhibitions, at least in the United Arab Emirates, had a record number of visitors. They also surpassed visitor numbers of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
This shows the importance that trade shows play in supporting their respective industries in enabling business connections. There is a strong appetite for everyone to fast-track their growth coming out of the pandemic.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
The events and exhibitions industry had gone through one of its most challenging times – globally – with the pandemic. Challenges before were regional and nothing had impacted the global events and exhibitions industry like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seeing the importance that large-scale trade shows play in supporting business and the direct and indirect contributions towards the economy. Especially after trade shows were canceled during the pandemic.
The eagerness with which the stakeholders, exhibitors, and visitors welcomed them in 2022 is a testament to their importance. An immense sense of pride and accomplishment comes with being part of the organising team of such trade shows.
Adam is a Co-Founder of Event Industry News and Event Tech Live, with over 10 years of experience in the events industry. The Tag Digital team has been part of Event Tech Live since 2017 and cannot wait to see what the future holds for 2023 for the Event Industry News Team. Good luck for their Las Vegas event in April 2023.
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
Every event will now have Karaoke at it now that Apple has introduced the feature in Apple Music!
What has surprised you most in the world of events?
The increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) content-writing tools being used to create marketing copy and ad copy.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
Scaling our event, Event Tech Live to the ExCeL Centre London which was a long-term vision for us.
Matt is a founder of Waves Connects, with over 15 years of experience working in the events and exhibitions industry. The Tag Digital team has worked with Matt for over 5 years and always love hearing about his latest adventures! We are excited to work together in 2023.
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
Everything will be virtual, to allow companies and organisations to host events anywhere in the world.We’re all going to be showing our faces on iPads, so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home.
2023 will be the year of virtually meeting everyone in person! It’s ok to add humour to your content in 2023 (read Matt’s trend predictions here)… of course, we’re going to get back to in-person in a big way, but marrying up virtual and in-person experiences will be crucial to event success in the future.
What has surprised you most in the world of events?
One of the toughest challenges to our industry right now, is not trying to get people out of the office as in years gone by, but to get them away from their home where they are comfortable, and have other commitments such as child care, or they just don’t want to travel 2-3 hours to your event.
So what does this mean for our events? It means that we need to be more creative in how we engage, and all panellists agreed, focusing on quality content. It’s not about just taking your sponsor’s money and giving them a stage to speak from, but if you’re going to go big, if you want to create real impact and drive an audience to connect at your next event, “create a show”. Go really big.
George is a Marketing professional, with over 17 years experience in managing brands in Australia and across the globe. The Tag Digital team started working with George and his team in 2022, and it has been a pleasure working together. Here’s to another incredible year!
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
Things are picking up again and there is lots of activity in the industry, people are responding and reacting in terms of attending trade shows and exhibitions.
Additionally, the market will go through a “Networking Fatigue”, the attendance for trade shows and exhibitions has increased in 2022, however, Networking Events are struggling for attendance.
What has surprised you most in the world of events?
Digital Marketing is getting better and better by the day. Technology is leaning more towards Call to Action engagement than just branding. Scalable and gauged results are what matter the most. Every time you learn something new, something newer pops up. And it’s a change for the good.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
Achieving all the targets and fulfilling objectives and in some instances achieving the set targets.
Francesca is a Co-Founder of Bbr Web Design and Podcast ‘The Events Cast’, with over 5 years of experience in Events and Marketing. The Tag Digital team are looking forward to working with Francesca much more from 2023!
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
In 2023 we will see smaller, more frequent, more experiential events with some element of community built into them.
What has surprised you most in the world of events?
What surprised me the most was that the events industry simply returned to running the same style of events we did pre-pandemic.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
Personally, it was being a guest speaker at an in-person event and seeing the return of in-person events. Also, attending various industry events, and finally meeting so many LinkedIn and digital event peers.
Tamar is CEO at Gleanin, with over 20 years of event experience from individual project to portfolio management. Tamar is one of Tag Digital’s longest-standing industry friends. Thank you for joining us on our journey!
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
Events will become more transparent in the way they are designed around delivering value to their attendees and therefore sponsors and exhibitors too. I think this will be the year of the webinar, short, specific value-orientated content.
Webinars will be weaved into the event brand proposition and used to generate a demand for in-person attendance, convert pre-registered attendees to onsite, and provide value to those who cannot attend in person.
Attendees and exhibitors will have stricter selection criteria for deciding which events they attend. The number of attendees that are willing to travel since COVID has decreased, but those attending have serious intentions.
What has surprised you most in the world of events and/or digital marketing in 2022?
The speed at that many trade show organisers have gone back to business as usual. The resourcing issues and the success of events owned by businesses that are not specifically event organisers.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
Learning that Gleanin’s best marketing channel is word of mouth. We started asking new customers where they heard about us. Since COVID we’re now a more scalable and sustainable business having recruited 5 amazing new team members this year!
Alex is Senior Corporate Relations Manager at Explori, helping organisers and corporate event planners build better event experiences, and deliver something exceptional for their own audiences. We love to catch up with the Explori team at all industry events. See you in 2023!
What are your predictions for Event Trends in 2023?
I think we’re going to see more event organisations consolidating and streamlining their event technologies.
Going digital and companies investing in different pieces of tech without knowing what would last. They’ve now got data all over the place and have invested huge amounts, with costs rising.
The re-evaluation of which channels are most effective and which technologies are best suited.
What has surprised you most in the world of events and/or digital marketing in 2022?
Firstly, how slow event programs, especially corporate events, have taken to come back in force. Also, exhibitions have had a stronger resurgence, but still nothing like pre-pandemic (despite what they may tell you!).
The Geopolitical influences in Europe and the economic downturn have impacted this. However, I thought that businesses would want to re-invest to bring back face-to-face events. To reintroduce the positive impact it has on the audience, regardless of the event format.
What was your standout moment in 2022?
Moving to the corporate events side of Explori. Working on breaking into that market, which has been challenging but fun and exciting times!
A huge thank you to everyone who kindly shared their predictions for 2023 and highlights from 2022. It has been a great year and we can’t wait to see it what 2023 brings!