Event Industry Pros Share 5 Ways to Prep for 2022

Act on what event data tells you — and try not to take it personally.

Allie advocated for reframing event data that’s hard to take. “We argue with the data because we feel like we’re failing. Flip the script — see it as telling you what people are really caring about.” Will agreed, adding, “Let ego go; let technology help drive ways to make events better.”

Don’t fall into the trap of wishful thinking.

The industry’s changed: we’ll never be back to how things were. Our community needs to continue to experiment and build resilience; that means accepting failure, regrouping, and trying again.

Take in new ideas, but know when to say no.

What works for others may not work for you, your clients, or your attendees. Don’t compare yourself to what or how others are doing. Allie encourages maintaining pandemic-era changes that elevate your event, stating, “Before COVID-19, I would never have produced an event and said let’s bring speakers in remotely.” Now, she sees how it expands inclusivity.

Build in time to think — schedule it like any other task.

Emails, meetings, and constant decisions all put you in reactive mode. Block out a chunk of time, preferably while “off the grid,” to mull over strategic or creative options. It’s a tactic that supports both your business and your personal wellness.

Remember that our pandemic-era reactions are more universal than unique.

We need to remember that our prospective attendees may be feeling overscheduled, uncertain, frustrated, scared, and overwhelmed just like us — which means tailoring our programming to reflect that. Will noted that traditionally, meeting planners have had expectations about how attendees would behave. Now, it’s time to “focus on attendees and how you’re going to do something differently for them.” Providing on-demand content and longer breaks between sessions are just two ways to address new realities.