Mega Trends - Part Three

-By Andrea Michaels

It's been a while since we started our blogs on trends, and so here we are; it's 2016, and what do we see coming?

Last year we talked about the importance of creating an emotional and connective experience. Let's take a closer look at that and how we do it.

Think of all the Cirque du Soleil shows you've been to. They tell a story. We all have a story; you just need to decide how you should tell yours. Is it about your business, or is it in the form of a proposal? Whichever it is, you want your targeted audience to connect with it, so make sure that it is completely authentic.

Think of how your meeting or event will connect with your participants (remember, we're going to refer to everyone there as a "participant,") and how then the participants will connect to each other. Driving that kind of experience through live events is the future. Create communities.

Before you introduce the "what," ask yourself the "why." If there is no answer to why you are doing what you are suggesting, change paths and go in another direction. Everything you do has to have a reason and a purpose.

BtoB; BtoC: passe! Today is about H2H ... or Human to Human. Take a look at popular campaigns of today such as Tom’s Give Back to Move Forward, or Hotels for Hope, and incorporate this philosophy into your program.

Cross Promotions: What is better than one brand? Two or more that support each other's messaging. Mini Night Out combined with Urban Daddy.  Google it.

Made By You ... If you want to understand a brand, ask its customers and not its designers. Engage them. Immerse them. Let them be a part of your plan.

Influencers ... just getting started but getting bigger all the time. Tap into "influencers" that have large pre-existing social media followings to promote. Let them announce events, news, prizes, giveaways and then extend the reach of a live event by having influencers post real-time experiences online to their followers.

So that's kind of 2016. What about beyond that?

Here are some things to contemplate:

Relevance

 

Age ... we are heading into a world where 80-year olds, as well as 20-year olds, will be in the workforce at the same company. How do we take all of these ages into account?

What does generational seating look like? What does the workspace look like?

Thank you to Juliet Funt for putting a name to this concept: Give your participants "white space" or time to do nothing, except maybe think. Not connect; not listen; not watch. Quiet time. Time for creativity and reflection.

I believe that team building will be passe. It will be replaced by Shared Experiences.

I believe that ROI will be replaced by ROE².  Return on Engagement and Experience which is a longer term holistic approach of the total brand experience.

And I wonder …. How do we connect with an upcoming generation that will never need to learn how to drive a car? Do you wonder about that, too?

Andrea Michaels is the founder of president of Extraordinary Events. We are excited to announce our nominations for four 2016 Special Event Gala Awards for the production of the Grand Opening of Downtown Summerlin. Winner of 39 prestigious Galas in the past, EE is currently nominated in the categories of Best Achievement in Technical Support with partner, Brite Ideas; Best Event Entertainment Concept and Execution ($25,000-$100,000) in partnership with Fred Tallaksen, Kaboom Entertainment; Best Event Produced for a Corporation or Association, Overall Budget Above $500,000 and Most Outstanding Spectacle. The ceremony will be held on January 14, 2016 at TSE in Orlando. For more information about this event and other news from EE please visit www.extraordinaryevents.net. To reach Andrea, email amichaels@extraordinaryevents.net.