NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL EVENTFUL
Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that work best – a maxim that certainly holds true in the events space.
The people behind our Lime Talent team have been turning their minds to what will define the best events in 2019.
And the result of exercising all that grey matter is, we’re happy to report, very simple: if you want to get the best return on your events spend, you need to provide the very best experience.
Why? Well, people actively want experiences rather than products. Gone are the days when people were content with being sold ‘stuff’ – now they want an experience that helps them learn, has the feelgood factor, a live event that will help them understand a product or service.
Memorable events create customers and advocates – people who don’t just buy, but return time and again. And when they enjoy an experience at an event, they will tell their friends, jump onto social media and spread the word to others. So, if you want to get the maximum return on investment, you’d do well to think about how talent and experience go hand in hand to provide most impact.
Innovative experience creation will continue to be the trend this year and needs to be at the forefront of planners’ minds, be it conferences, meetings or events. But whatever you’re planning, the audience needs to be immersed in what’s going on.
And as planners continue to strive for the very best experiences at their events, making sure you book reliable and remarkable talent is key.
That’s why venues and event planners will need to partner more closely with talent managers to bring these experiences to life adding value as creative collaborators in the face of sky-high event expectations.
Another interesting fact for venues and event planners is that the average spend on UK weddings has fallen for the first time in years (according to a new report). However, the demand from the Bride and Groom’s to make their wedding stand out and memorable for guests remains the same.
TOP TEN TALENT TRENDS
We’ve pulled together a list (in no particular order) to help event planners and venues recommend the top trends to their customers. Whatever your event, this talent list will help to liven up the entertainment, creating memorable and fully immersive experiences for guests.
- 1. Henna Tattoos – Meghan Markle was inked on a recent trip to Morocco, we suspect people may be following in the royal’s footsteps
- 2. Face and Body Art – Cute, scary, funny or beautiful; face and body art brings out the creativity and imagination in all of us
- 3. Harpist – Romantic and calming, harpists are perfect for a sophisticated drinks reception or a wedding ceremony – let guests make song requests
- 4. Musical Requests – From a few words provided by guests, singers will write and perform a song-on-the-spot
- 5. Quiz/Games Host – For a memorable and well delivered quiz or games event, our hosts have confidence, excellent comic timing and are wonderful at engaging with both small and large audiences
- 6. Magician – Ideal for immersing guests in an entertaining experience, magicians are always pro-active and mobile when engaging guests so works really well when space is limited
- 7. Balloon Modeller – Space saving and fun, a balloon modeller can create wonderful creations for adults and children alike
- 8. Tarot Card Readers – For magical and unforgettable entertainment, a tarot card reader will give guests a glimpse into their future and an experience they’ll never forget
- 9. Tastings – The big tasting trends for 2019 will be with vodka and tequila – you heard it here first – bottoms up!
- 10. Mindfulness/Meditation Sessions – Wellness is now a $4.2 trillion industry, mindfulness or meditation sessions can help guests reduce stress, re-focus and emerge feeling refreshed
Whilst it isn’t exactly a talent, we also predict digital will continue its importance in events during 2019. Tech can be used to facilitate the event planning processes, event check-in, increase security, enhance attendee experience and provide ROI analytics. We predict, AR (augmented reality) will start to make a big impression on the events industry in 2019. Imagine receiving an invite which, when scanned with your phone, talks to you? Imagine banners and posters at conferences and product launches that when scanned tell you all about the company, product or service. When you start to understand the technology, you start to understand that the only limit is your imagination.
All in all, we are in for a fast-paced year of creating innovative content for our clients. We wish all of our fellow event co-ordinators luck in delivering current, cool, forward thinking, engaging and interactive events during the rest of 2019.
Here’s to an eventful year!
Psst…Did you know we can provide all of the entertainment mentioned in this blog?
ABOUT LIME
We manage talent and create exciting concepts for all kinds of events. For more information on how we can help you contact Sarah on SarahM@limemcp.co.uk.
Posted: 01/04/2019