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convention bureaux and the supply chain to minimise their impact,” says Swanson. “And health and wellness will continue to be top of mind for all event participants, with COVID-safety and risk mitigation remaining for the foreseeable future. Destinations with high vaccination rates, COVID-safety standards of venues and trusted healthcare systems will have a competitive advantage. “Further to that, I see the wellness of attendees growing in importance. is will increase focus on outdoor events, pre and post regional touring and incorporating wellness programmes into meeting design,” she says. ENGAGE WITH A CONVENTION BUREAU Toget themost valueout of anevent inapost pandemic world, Swanson recommends event planners should consider engaging with a destination’s convention bureau. “In today’s fast-paced, changingworld, the event industry has evolved and opportunities to connect can certainly be overwhelming. is is exactly where a convention bureau can step in and help.”
TOP TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS EVENTS
As international associations get to grips with short-term planning and evolving technology, Melbourne Convention Bureau’s Chief Executive, Julia Swanson, explores the trends towatch.
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multi-channel meetings and understand the impact on their bottom line.” TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS With the explosion in technology brought on by necessity during COVID, Swanson says we should expect to see the range of products evolve and consolidate. “A focus on diversity will be key to ensure a wide range of perspectives are brought to audiences and maximum engagement can be provided. It’s an exciting time for the sector,” she adds. MEETINGS WITH PURPOSE Swansonbelieves there is ahugeopportunity for the sector to continue to grow its focus on legacy outcomes. Organisations can look to create legacy visioning into their forward planning – setting goals well in advance on what they want to achieve for their organisations, members, delegates and destinations. SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLNESS Planners will increasingly look to include sustainability credentials in their request for proposal and seek assistance from
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organisations been forced to re-evaluate their strategy and focus on value. have
High impact activities and less is more approaches have been needed particularly while cash ows are under pressure. “ e global meetings industry has been incredibly resilient and adaptable, navigating the challenges the past few years have thrown up with many organisations forced to re-evaluate their strategy,” says Julia Swanson, Chief Executive of Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB). But with those challenges come innovation and new opportunities. OPTIMISING MEETING DESIGN “Optimisation of meeting design is the buzz phrase of 2022,” says Swanson. “With strong demand for in-person events to return and rapid developing technology, the focus needs to be on optimal meeting design to cater for both in-person and virtual attendees, noting their needs and experiences di er and delivery needs to be personalised to the channel. “Organisations will also need to think through the commercial realities of
CONTACT V s t melbournecb com u, sc n the QR code to w tch how our conference c n come to l fe n Melbourne or cont ct the te m t nfo@melbournecb com u
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