46% anticipate hosting more virtual events in 2022 than in 2021, according to an events technology report by Splash. Photo Credit: gettyimages/.shock
While in-person events are steadily gaining momentum for a come-back,
the pandemic has created the catalyst for virtual and hybrid events –
and they are here to stay. 2022 is expected to be a solid year for
in-person, virtual and hybrid events, according to the Getting Back to
Business: An Outlook on Events in 2022 report by Splash.
The event marketing technology company gained valuable insights from a
November 2021 survey of about 3,400 event professionals and attendees.
The report underscored the importance of leveraging events technology to
maximise attendee engagement, an objective that has taken on a new
dimension of interpretation in Covid-19 times, which requires high-tech,
low-touch experiences that meet safety protocols.
The
past two years have forced event planners to grapple with the
challenges of utilising technology, and they have emerged with the
ability to take things to the next level this year and navigate more
skilfully across the multi-format events landscape.
Organisations that have built on the successes of virtual events will
be best positioned to generate positive outcomes from their events this
year. 46% anticipate hosting more virtual events in 2022 than they did
last year, while 50% anticipate hosting more in-person events.
Investment in event technology is expected to increase from 38% in 2021
to 59% this year.
It bodes well for the new precedence in event participation this
year, with 63% of respondents currently registered to attend two or more
virtual events in 2022, while 64% are registered to attend two or more
in-person events.
The report also highlighted that 60% of respondents expect to attend
conferences in 2022, followed by networking events at 51%, product
launches and demonstrations at 36%, association meetings at 35%, and
industry expos at 34%.