Darren Kerr: The biggest creative trend for 2015 will be the return of creativity itself. Clients will place greater value on creativity and will set aside time and budgets to better realise their business communication goals with creativity as a means of cutting through the ‘white noise’ clutter of competing events and to foster deeper meaningful brand affinity.
This trend will see a greater emphasis placed on a sense of business theatre showcraft. Expect more thoughtfully constructed and designed programmes that inform and entertain groups in insightful and personally relevant ways.
We’ll see two distinct event-design trends next year: the zen of white and single, solid-textured colour accents and a more lush, luxe trend of ornate glamour and costumed elegance.
The ‘zen’ trend will look towards occupying non-traditional event sites such as museums and galleries populated with extraordinary entertainment moments. The broad appeal of the luxe trend will feature vintage furniture, customised high-design menus, free standing florals, speak-easy cocktails, highly choreographed song and dance performances with lots of colour and movement, and a continuing emphasis placed on tactile local products.
CULINARY CHOICES
Local produce and catering to artisanal sensibilities were the hot culinary trends in 2014. In 2015, we will see an accommodation of individual dietary restrictions and time-poor guests catered to by more polished tray-service-only events with bite-sized, comfort-food catering.
For the grander sit-down affairs, structured fine dining always has a place, but corporate events will increasingly gravitate towards the more communal family-style dining approach. This will emphasise the social and sharing aspects of an event over any attempts towards culinary elitism.
Local produce and catering to artisanal sensibilities were the hot culinary trends in 2014. In 2015, we will see an accommodation of individual dietary restrictions and time-poor guests catered to by more polished tray-service-only events with bite-sized, comfort-food catering.
For the grander sit-down affairs, structured fine dining always has a place, but corporate events will increasingly gravitate towards the more communal family-style dining approach. This will emphasise the social and sharing aspects of an event over any attempts towards culinary elitism.
Darren Kerr is founding partner at FACTOR168 Creative Event Company
DIGITAL EVENTS
Apps are becoming integral to conferences with developers now extending their use to incentive travel.
Jonah Wolfram, communications manager of EventMobi, says organisers and their clients will continue to press for paperless events. In 2015, this will be the case for smaller meetings too. “Secure, cross-platform enterprise business-meeting tools make it possible for organisations to collaborate, share and grow more effectively,” says Wolfram.
According to EventMobi data and feedback from clients, there is a growing demand for apps to serve a series of small meetings throughout the year.
“Because event apps are becoming more affordable and simple for event planners to create, building an event app in less than an hour is more efficient than printing and reprinting meeting documents,” says Wolfram. “In 2015, we’ll see more companies using event apps at smaller meetings, cutting paper costs and ultimately delivering more value to their organisations.”
But app developers may still struggle to find common ground with creative event agencies. Kerr says: “We value and deploy a mobile app if it forms part of a well considered in-person, on-line event campaign, but we are yet to see a single app that does everything. Considerable time and effort is required in working with our developers to get the right fit in. Part of that right fit is an app that is easy to use, cost effective, pleasing to the eye, and ultimately meaningful.”
Factor 168’s Kerr believes that apps will “extend beyond previous functional remits”, such as registration and programme consolidation, to make better use of individual social channels and extend the interactive opportunities they already provide.
“Gamification through Bluetooth and iBeacon technology and the add-on of interactive philanthropic activities will be even more popular in 2015.” he says.
INCENTIVE DESTINATIONS
While venues in Tokyo are hoping to reap dividends from both the run-up and legacy of hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, a combination of stability, dining and shopping is likely to see Japan winning gold medals from incentive groups in Asia.
Lily Agonoy, managing director of BCD Travel Hong Kong, says Japan, along with South Korea, are seen by companies as “exciting destinations to reward or further motivate participants”.
She says safety remains the over-riding concern among groups when choosing a destination and Japan and South Korea are seen as secure places to visit.
Agonoy says the short-haul destinations that meeting and incentive organisers have been asking BCD to prepare proposals for in 2015 are Bali; Hong Kong; Kyoto; Osaka; Macau; Zhuhai; Maldives; Seoul; Singapore and Taiwan, including Taichung. Long-haul requests include Copenhagen, London, Paris, Sydney, Vienna, and Miami for cruises.
MORE INGENUITY
2015 will see a return to authentic, exceptional service and true value for clients. The industry has been caught in a death spiral of cost cutting and that’s hurting service standards across the industry.
That’s been the story of the past couple of years, actually. But I’d like to see a much-improved level of service and better use of Hong Kong’s MICE infrastructure.
Hong Kong’s a relatively mature market and clients want to see something unique, aside from the obligatory temple and market tours. There are great entertainment venues that are under utilised right across the city, and meeting facilities that are still finding their niche, a bit like the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
A bit more ingenuity in delivering unique experiences, greater attention to detail and personalised service is going to ensure Hong Kong is a better all-round MICE destination.
Adrianne Lynch
Managing director, Greater China, Events Travel Asia
MULTI-TASK AGENCIES
I’m already experiencing a new trend. A lot more independent operators will be wearing more than two hats, particularly if they are PCOs. More conference organisers and DMCs will look at owning, rather than just organising, conferences.
Experienced DMCs are well versed in introducing overseas conference delegates to a destination. But they may also be called on to apply PCO skills and sit on an association secretariat.
This is what I found when I was made chairman of the Asia Pacific Association of Technology and Society. It’s about trust and having skills as a conference organiser and experience as a buyer. There will be more
professionally run associations, but the function demands high levels of trust. Exhibition organisers will also need to give greater scrutiny to the quality of buyers at events, particularly in China. There is concern among suppliers about “vagueness” from buyers they meet that have qualified to be hosted at events.
Laurie Lau
Director of Momentous Asia
