Events 2050: The future of events and exhibitions

The pace of change - both technological and sociological - has never been faster than it is today as the whole world adapts to the restrictions Covid-19 is placing on how we connect and move around.

This is especially the case in the events industry, which has pivoted from a base in physical space to one in cyberspace. A whole-scale change that has happened in less than six months.

This switch to physical to virtual places new emphasis on technologies like VR, AR, AI and robotics. All are still in their early stages, yet look to set to define generations to come. 

Meanwhile, as tech moves, so do the generations attached to them. Millennial mindsets, for instance, are geared towards personalisation in meaning, technology, storytelling, community. A blurring of the line between work and personal life.

But what about the generations after them? And after them?

30 years from now our events and exhibitions will be attended by Generation Alpha. To appeal to these, organisers will need to rewrite the exhibition rulebook. The link between physical space and events has already been broken - will physical space ever matter again? Will the nature of networking have changed beyond recognition? 

Here are the five main trends we think will shape the events and exhibitions industry in the year 2050. 

Hybrid events

By 2050, hybrid events will be the norm. These are events that straddle physical and cyber space, each complementing the other. While collaborative and networking sessions may be hosted in a physical environment, these may not be the focal point of the event. Virtual sessions that allow the event to transcend geographical boundaries and time will make for a more inclusive experience, with technology allowing a degree of connectivity we can still only begin to imagine. Furthermore, AR will blend the distinction between ‘physical’ and ‘virtual’, throwing the overall event narrative into centre stage as an experience that can be felt in multiple ways.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By 2050, AI will no longer be discussed in excited tones as a concept, add-on feature, or hot topic. It will be a pervasive technology, underpinning almost every aspect of the event experience, from the logistical - ticket sales, venue and transport booking, and attendee management - to the experiential.

Intelligent facial recognition software - using deep learning algorithms - could completely transform the exhibitor/attendee relationship matrix. Hosts could immediately know who a delegate is, their professional histories, hot and cold points, and whether they’re just dropping by to say hello, or in the market for business. AI has the potential to make the interpersonal experience seamless and constructive for all parties, whether meeting in actual or virtual space.

Furthermore, almost everything a delegate does during an event will be measured. What web pages they linger over, stands they visit, even how much coffee they drink (at physical events) and what subjects get their hearts racing. Using this data, predictive analytics will be able to predict what your consumers want before they ask for it. The event feedback loop will be instantaneous, meaningful and inherently implementable. 

Chatbots (a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.) already offer a great deal for customer service; but artificially intelligent chatbots will be the norm in 2050. 

Conversational AI platforms targeting consumers and marketers set up conditions for conversational agents to interact with each other as proxies for their end users. This will happen on the tradeshow floor - whether virtual or a building - allowing attendees to choose when and where they access learning during their busy agendas

The Internet of Things 

The web of everyday ‘smart’ devices is increasing all the time - from toothbrushes to televisions. We predict that by 2050, almost every object we encounter at a physical event will be intelligent, connected, and designed to anticipate and respond to attendee’s needs. 

From signposts that offer personalised directions (reactive traffic signals are already in development), to invisible touch points that remind you when your next session is and how long it will take to get there (even now, some venues use Apple iBeacons to send this information directly to participants’ phones), connected technology will remove any element of manual scheduling and labour - a factor that often turns an otherwise immersive event experience into a cumbersome logistical one. 

Smart buildings that can adapt and accommodate changing attendee needs throughout the day - such as intelligent atmosphere controls adjusted by occupancy levels - are perhaps only a few years away from becoming commonplace. By 2050, we could see this advance to intelligent systems making minute adjustments in lighting, background music - even scent - through connected sensors that respond to an audience’s changing mood. 

With comfort and convenience covered by smart devices, delegates will be able to focus their sole attentions on the social and business experience of the event. 

Robotics 

According to the International Federation for Robotics, the demand for service robots increased turnover to $46 million between 2016 and 2019. By 2050, a significant proportion of on-the-ground events and exhibitions jobs could be staffed by robots. 

How close are we to Westworld-style events populated, staffed, and run by realistic humanoids? It’s hard to say, but the robotic revolution may be closer than we think. While driverless cars are yet some way from dominating our roads, we think it is realistic to assume a 30-year outlook where VIP pickups are booked automatically, and driven autonomously from airport to venue. 

While many robots and drones are still controlled manually (through a smartphone or wearable), Amazon’s Scout delivery robots use AI. And if Mark Zuckerberg’s predictions on augmented intelligence come true, and Elon Musk’s work on ‘neural linking’ prove fruitful, then all it will take is for an attendee to think about how welcome a cocktail after a busy day networking would be before one is delivered, mixed exactly the way they like it. This is a frivolous example of course - the implications of this kind of brain-computerization are vast, with the potential to change the very nature of how our internal processes are communicated externally. 

Augmented Reality 

According to Facebook - not to mention the global phenomenon of Pokémon Go - AR is the next transformative technology, with every major company in the world interested or involved in its development and application. 

At the moment, our physical and digital worlds are, for the most part, separate entities. AR has the power to merge the two by overlaying our daily lives with a digital experience.  

What could that mean for events? Location-aware branded hologram characters could materialise when you are nearing a particular stand, encouraging you to stop by. Meanwhile, icebreaker networking sessions could be transformed, bringing participants together in a treasure-hunt style mission. The real value of AR for events lies here, in the gamification of an otherwise work-related exhibition - in other words, making the experience fun. 

Virtual Reality 

In contrast to AR, which concerns itself with the meeting of digital and physical, VR promises to take users to an entirely alternative space and time. As a technology, its application to the event experience is thrilling. It has the power to transport delegates outside the conference hall, completely altering the dynamics of product demonstrations. It will underpin hybrid events (see above), creating experiences outside the usual definitions of space and time.

For example, an aerospace manufacturer wishing to impress an international delegation with a tour of their latest model will no longer have to rely on 360° videos displayed on a screen. Instead, they will be able to offer visitors the opportunity to walk around the aircraft, touch its engine (because, by 2050, haptic technology will be widespread too) and take a VR test-flight, all from the exhibition floor, thousands of miles from the factory. Currently, VR requires users to don a headset, and while untethered versions are now available, in the future, there will be no barrier to immersion at all.  

On a more practical note, VR could also transform the democratization of events. In cases where it would be beneficial for an entire department to attend, but a company can only afford to send one key delegate, an entire team could experience the event remotely, perhaps even appearing as and interacting with other delegates via intelligent avatars. 

It goes without saying that by the time Generation Alpha is launched into the world of business, they will be as used to communicating and interacting in a virtual world as millennials are on social media. Will events even need a physical venue? If not, and our recent experience shows that digital events can deliver results, then the future is limited only by our imaginations. In 2050, might the keynote speech at an Astronomical Society convention be hosted on the moon, or a wildlife conservation meeting in the middle of the Kalahari? 

Events act as the intersection between commerce and communication. As such, the fundamentals of a successful event are twofold: the right people and the right information.  Whatever technological developments occur in that time, we don’t think that is likely to change in the next 30 years. In the 2010 survey ‘Convention 2020’ participants were asked to envisage life in 2020, and select which factors would encourage them to attend a conference or exhibition. ‘Quality of networking’ (76%) and ‘seeing the very latest developments in my sector’ (69%) came out top. 

What we do believe is this. For events to compel and connect, organisers need keep up with the pace of change, and contribute to its conversation. Technology has the power to accelerate and facilitate, but not alter, the fundamentals of an outstanding event experience. 

Interested in future proofing your event technology, why not get in touch and see how we can help?