Anything but small: Are micro events still big for planners?

A micro event – a customised and carefully curated gathering, typically lasting several hours or a day proved popular during the pandemic - but is this still the case today?

The trend took off when events went virtual, with the online environment providing the ideal backdrop for a one- to two-hour meeting with a select number of individuals. And as the pandemic eased, meeting in smaller numbers was the norm.

However, with people eager to travel again and network in greater numbers, events of a short duration appear to be losing their appeal, unless they are held exclusively online.

New goals drive in-person meetings

CWT Meetings & Events' regional commercial director for SEA & Hong Kong, Petrina Goh, has not observed micro events gaining traction among the agency’s client base, particularly for in-person events that require attendees to travel.

“Most of the corporate events we organise still typically run a four-day, three-night programme, if not longer,” she says. “On the contrary, we have been seeing a decline in one-day trips, likely as a result of the growing focus on sustainability and employee well-being. Shorter events with programmes of less than a day are increasingly being held virtually, or in a hybrid format where participants gather at one or more hub locations, ideally situated close to where the majority of them are based.”

Overall, where networking, collaboration, or motivating and rewarding employees is the objective, Goh says there is a strong preference towards in-person events that are generally spread out over several days.

Natalie Crampton, director at Dubai-based agency TEC, says it is unlikely their corporate clients would fly attendees in for a short event – it is expensive and they would be open to criticism from a sustainability/environmental point of view.

Is longer better?

"If anything, clients are doing the opposite and making events longer and getting attendees while they have them to do more,” Crampton says. “They come a day earlier [prior to the conference] and join a social programme, stay a day later and take a visit to the clients’ office in that country.”

Crampton does not believe that it is appealing to travel for a one-day micro event, unless it takes only a couple of hours of travelling time. Such short-haul trips might work in destinations between London and Barcelona in Europe, or Dubai and Riyadh in the Middle East, but they are unlikely to be favoured by corporates otherwise.

“The hassles of travel still need to be considered. For example, would you want to spend time getting a visa for a destination just for a four- to six-hour meeting?”

Purposeful agendas for micro events

On the other hand, Crampton believes micro events would have to be in held in a very unique venue or destination, and with a very attractive agenda that features a once-in-a-lifetime speaker and entertainment.

If a planner considers a micro event in terms of restricting the number of attendees, Rachel Phillips, sales director at UK-based The Celtic Collection, which has a number of resorts, hotels and lodges, says these can make businesses think harder about which attendees should take part, thereby freeing up the diaries of others.

“You are increasing productivity, focus and creativity across all aspects of your business,” she says. “If you are reducing the number of people at your meeting, you should also consider reducing the agenda points. If you’ve selected the most relevant people to attend, it is important to only discuss items which require clear outcomes and actions.”

Phillips added that scheduling an in-person meeting away from your daily work location will be much appreciated by your attendees. With a smaller group you can be creative about the location and structure of your meeting; factor in a meeting on the move or opt for a space outside which is surrounded by nature, for example.