September! How did that happen so quickly? We all know that life in events means you’re always thinking months ahead, but 2019 seems to have flashed by in record time. The agency has been a hive of activity, but what exactly has been keeping us so busy?
Apart from the obvious – events, events, events – there have been some key trends that have been emerging through either client requests or from the mothership itself.
We’re talking sustainability, festivalisation, mental health and, of course, diversity and inclusion to name just a few. It’s not all food tastings and FAM trips here you know. These themes have sat firmly at the heart of our business for a few years now – they are not just tick boxes, they are now a requirement of any successful event.
Going green is a commitment
We don’t just preach about sustainability – it’s something we’re heavily committed to and we’re passionate about helping our clients integrate green measures into their events. New for this year is our partnership with Ecosphere + who offset the total of our events carbon footprint to help protect the critical ecosystem of the Amazon Rainforest. How awesome is that?
Closer to home, we’re helping event planners make impactful changes to their events through smart F&B changes ideas to reduce their reliance on plastic and paper! I could literally talk for days and I mean days, about sustainability and events. Anyone else feel the same?
‘Live every day as if it’s a festival’
We love this saying at the agency. This Summer, I’ve survived the scorch of Glasto and immersed myself in Bestival at the iconic Lulworth Castle, but am also eagerly gearing up to the Women in Tech Festival later this month. Festivals are big and fun in B2B too, in fact we’ve stopped thinking B2B or B2C, H2H is now our go to! Attendees are humans and we must not underestimate the power of human connections. Events need to deliver a genuine experience that leaves the delegate saying, ‘That had an impact on me, it emotionally engaged me, it intellectually engaged me’. We’re pros at delivering this type of event brief.
Mental health matters
Mental health used to be a topic that was left at the door when you walked into work, however thankfully the world seems to have woken up to the issue and organisations are understanding that a healthy mind plays part in developing a strong business.
The agency certainly does, and it’s reassuring to see that’s it’s a theme being explored at more and more at events. This year we’ve Introduced mindfulness sessions into our event programmes and at larger events we’re creating ‘zen zones’ where delegates can calm their mind and relax and even practice yoga. Clients are going all yin and yang over that one.
Difference is good
How great was it to see the streets awash with so many Pride rainbows this June? Diversity is finally owning its place across all business and industries. As I said at the start, it’s not just an agenda item to tick off, it should be at the core of event delivery.
When organising an event, diversity of both speakers and delegates is key to success. There are numerous factors to consider – diversity of origin, gender and/or sexual orientation, ensuring accessibility for the differently-abled, respecting various dietary, religious and/or cultural beliefs it’s a huge area but we’ve learnt a LOT in a short space of time and are enjoying helping our clients create events to be proud of.
You’ll hear me talk a lot more about all of these themes in the coming weeks.
Carrie x