What's Your Biggest Hope for the Industry in 2022? 15 Event Pros Share Their Thoughts Ahead of the New Year

Event professionals around the world weigh in with their biggest hopes and predictions for the upcoming year.

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Photo: EPStudio20/Shutterstock

As 2021 comes to a close, the event industry has a lot of reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the future. To share a little positivity, we asked event professionals around the world to share their biggest hopes for 2022. 

Kristin Martinez, event manager, Fast Forward Events, San Diego
"That we see more suppliers and producers create more creative ways to partner, whether it's in pricing structures, labor structures, or even with contract terms and clauses. We are all experiencing challenges that impact each other's businesses in significant ways, and having a partner on the other side of the contract means that risk and negative impacts can be mitigated. This requires trust, openness and willingness to change, and copious amounts of grace as we all navigate recovery. I really think that some creative problem-solving and breaking out of the ‘that's how it's always been’ will change the landscape of what is possible and how we do it."

Colleen Brzozowski, director of venue sales, Sodexo Live, Chicago
"That the power of in-person events will help organizations drive their ROI, and that being face-to-face generates greater collaboration and a sense of community. The silver lining of the pandemic is that attendees are viewing live events with a new sense of appreciation and thus enabling planners to drive better engagement rates. People want to feel the excitement of an in-person networking event, and embrace the power of the human spirit. I hope the industry, as a whole, harnesses this energy to design gatherings that bolster creativity, adhere to sustainability goals and inspire attendees to think differently."

Eric Holmen, CEO, Splash, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
"I think we are all hoping for and expecting a bigger comeback of in-person events in 2022. A survey we recently conducted at Splash indicates that a comeback is coming: 50% of respondents said they plan to host more in-person events in 2022. I hope event and field marketers take this as an opportunity to host more events that are small, intimate, targeted, revenue-generating machines. That said, virtual events won’t go away and I hope they don’t. Businesses are seeing the huge ROI and flexibility of online programs. That same survey we conducted shows that 45% of companies expect to host more virtual events in 2022 than they did in 2021—but many of those event organizers are still using the same tools as they did pre-pandemic. I hope businesses will invest in the right platforms to facilitate on-brand, measurable virtual and hybrid events that engage audiences and deliver even bigger returns."

Dana Arsenault, director of signature events, Ronald McDonald House British Columbia & Yukon, Vancouver
"I hope we can connect in person with no fears because the collective society has done its part in keeping each other safe! I want to seat strangers together so they can build new relationships and accomplish goals together."

Page Jeter, founder, Create Entertainment, Venice, Calif.
“I hope event professionals continue to push the envelope with innovation, embracing exciting new technology like NFTs and blockchain. NFTs are an incredible marketing tool for direct-to-fan engagement, and they can be used as all sorts of fun takeaways, including rewards, ticket stubs and digital collectibles from festivals and live events. My client, Fanaply, is one of the original developers of official NFTs, beginning at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, and festival-goers were running all over the Polo Fields collecting digital collectible prizes through the official Coachella app before ‘NFTs’ were even a thing! I hope to see much more of that in the future from brands, festivals, arenas and artists themselves. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of how we can use NFTs.” 

Michelle Nicole McNabb, founder and director of events, Emenee Marking 'n' Events, Washington, D.C.
"I hope to see more cohesiveness with event teams with other core divisions—sales, marketing, facilities, operations, IT, HR/recruiting—rather than a siloed model. We have a voice to be heard around the boardroom table. If there isn't a specific event's division or director of events to act as liaison among the divisions, tasks are often delegated to various people across different divisions."

Greg Jenkins, partner, Bravo Productions, Long Beach, Calif.
"To navigate COVID as something we need to work around and adapt to in staging in-person events. It does not necessarily mean a return to 'normal,' but we take the lessons learned over the past two years and move forward in creating something even better—and the 'new normal' that we all adjust to can void some clients' knee-jerk reaction to postpone events or return to 100% virtual every time there is a new COVID variant."

Linsay Moran, co-founder, Unwrapit, Toronto
"That we can continue to evolve while keeping sustainability top of mind. We saw the evolution of the event industry into hybrid events, and in 2022, that evolution has to take the next step to focus on sustainability and the environmental impact of events. Merchandise and gifting contribute to a large portion of corporate waste, and industry professionals need to look at their economic impact by reducing the amount of merch and branded swag handed out. Single or multi-use physical gifts quickly end up in landfills, so an environmental strategy to reduce the impact on the environment should be on the minds of every professional working on their next event. At Unwrapit, we feel that shifting away from physical gift-giving to giving experiential, digital and charitable gifts is low-hanging fruit when it comes to the total decarbonization of business activity required by 2030. Our hope is that sustainability efforts are in consideration when preparing and planning for events."

Michelle Thornton, senior events producer, Michelle Thornton Consulting, Los Angeles
"My biggest hope for 2022 is that in the rush to get back to being face to face, hybrid and developing our new protocols, we don't forget the lessons of 2020. Continue to lead with empathy and human relationships first—as mental health matters, good work environments matter, and the team dynamic from your vendors to internal staff is a key ingredient to successful activations of all kinds." 

Joey Burdon, events and wedding entertainment specialist, Warble Entertainment, United Kingdom
"We’ve kind of got past the 'awkward phase' of hybrid events now and it looks like they are here to stay. My hope is two-fold. Firstly that we can increase the confidence and comfort levels of those wanting to attend an event in person, possibly with added incentives. Secondly, that we start to see events really own the hybrid model and make attendees' virtual event experience absolutely incredible, not just an added option."

Vivian Perez, sales and marketing manager, Metro Events, San Francisco
“My biggest hope for the industry is that we come back not only bigger and better than ever, but also wiser. We have learned a lot during the past two years, and I hope we don’t forget those lessons. We got creative and scrappy. We pivoted. Most importantly, we showed a lot of support for each other. We checked in frequently, supported new ventures, and offered flexibility to parents and the vulnerable. I hope we are able to keep supporting each other the same way, because it will only mean that we get back on our feet much quicker.” 

Tim Sperry, president, Sperry Tents, West Wareham, Mass.
"We are looking ahead to 2022 and seeing clear signs that it will be a repeat of 2021 when it comes to demand and volume. ... Each new year presents new opportunities to push the limits of creative tenting and layouts. Our hope for the industry is that we all keep quality at the forefront. We encourage our fellow vendors to stay focused on what inspires you, let go of what doesn’t, and to set healthy volume boundaries to protect the best interests of your staff and your clients."

Chris Federspiel, CEO and co-founder, Blackthorn.io, New York
"With Omicron, the focus on virtual events won't let up any time soon. Companies will continue to seek ways to meet with their customer communities in a hybrid-attendance world. My biggest hopes include: 1) Continuous, slow growth in in-person attendance. Booster shots, mandatory face masks and proof of vaccination become the standard for any in-person event around the world. 2) All companies will license more robust virtual event software than just a webinar app. 3) Someone creates the first immersive virtual event platform, akin to Meta's Oculus. The world needs more than video on a screen to meet globally throughout the pandemic."

Crystal Biringer, president, Toast of the Town, Anchorage, Alaska
"While 2021 was certainly challenging for all of us in the events industry, we do hope to see the innovation and creativity of the past year continue into 2022. We have seen more changes in one small time frame than ever before in the last 20 or so years of doing events, with clients and planners embracing and adopting new technologies, event formats, digital broadcasts, the use of AR for both live and virtual events and more, and all under the umbrella of health and keeping people safe. ... We hope to see this commitment to progression and innovation continue into the new year, and with it we anticipate that events in 2022 will thrive."

Abby Tobias, founder, Sole Power Productions, Toronto
"I expect 2022 to be a bright one for all of us in the events industry. My biggest hope is that we can all take what we've learned from these past two years and be fully prepared to jump back into action. Our situation isn’t new any longer, it’s no longer a 'pivot.' Business is never simply handed out. It’s on all of us to be ready to produce and execute based on the current landscape—whether that means in person or virtually. I hope to see everyone succeed. We’re ready!”

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