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Achieving event success in 2024: five trend predictions

Members of our event management, digital and medcomms departments share their best practice tips and trend predictions for the new year.

What does meeting success look like next year, in the context of healthcare?

From creating opportunities for enhanced connection, to evolving formats and frequencies, and new ways with medcomms, here a selection of our SWM Partners’ experts weigh in.

Prediction 1: More personalised, and deeply connected meetings

Vicky Gomez Gibson, Project Director, SWM Partners

Throughout this year we’ve seen an increased number of delegates not only seek, but expect to attend meetings that are wholly tailored to them. There are several benefits associated with this approach, too, in that they can prove more educational, informative and memorable.

In 2024 this means not only paying close attention to key demographics such as job titles, locations, cultural backgrounds and age groups, but factors including passion points, learning styles and accessibility requirements. Leveraging this information to not only design a meeting, but the pre and post-event communications, will be essential in creating a wholly personalised experience.

This data also presents opportunities for planners to create deeper, ongoing connections with audiences, and enables delegates too, to connect with like minded attendees. Furthermore, it ties in with Accor’s Meeting Expectations: The Future of Meetings & Events Report, which identifies ‘selling belonging’ as a key trend.

Prediction 2: Balancing meeting formats, and expectations

Bridie Hook, Digital Programme Manager, SWM Partners

Client enquiries for purely in-person events increased threefold in 2023. This has particularly been the case for studies that commenced during the pandemic, as organisations sought to bring key opinion leaders, healthcare professionals and patients together to meet face-to-face.

While the pandemic feels like a distant memory for many of us, we know that it is now possible to learn and network both physically and remotely, and as such, demand for virtual and hybrid meetings has remained high, too.

I therefore don’t see some delegates’ preference for virtual healthcare meetings to disappear into 2024, which means finding a balance between company objectives, study goals, and attendee preferences will be key.

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Prediction 3: Looking beyond traditional medcomms

Ritika Sharma, Scientific Programme Director, SWM Partners

While cohesively branded and designed materials such as booklets, brochures and flyers will continue to have a place in 2024 and beyond, I envisage that there will be a rise in demand for alternative communication methods such as medical animations and podcasts.

Wyzowl’s The State of Video Marketing 2023 survey, for example, revealed that 91% of consumers want to see more online video content from brands. While medical animations are designed for a very specific group of people, this figure highlights that the modern audience is increasingly seeking video content. From a healthcare perspective, this can be incredibly effective when communicating a complex concept or process with clarity.

Gated podcasts represent another opportunity in 2024, in that they enable study leaders to provide ongoing updates to healthcare professionals as key developments arise, in a way that reflects their busy schedules.

Prediction 4: Sustainability is a focus, and the role of the agency key

James Smith, Managing Director, SWM Partners

The event industry has enhanced its focus on sustainability in recent years, and according to Amex GBT’s Meetings & Events’ 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, 78% of industry professionals expect that their organisation will have net zero goals in place by the end of 2024.

While protecting the planet has taken more of a front seat, next year – and in future years – I anticipate that it will become a core part of the meeting planning process, with reducing carbon emissions all considered and calculated when it comes to travel, accommodation, and venue and supplier selection, among others.

Additionally, the role of the event agency when it comes to measuring a meeting’s impact after the fact will become the norm.

Prediction 5: Evolving event frequencies and numbers

Bridie Hook, Digital Programme Manager, SWM Partners

There’s immense value in larger scale events, however many clients have been increasingly requesting our support across several smaller, micro events, which bring delegates together throughout the year, and sees healthcare organisations meet their audiences where they are.

Moving forward, the key here will be to leverage technology to connect and engage both virtual and in-person delegates, and consider how digital tools can be leveraged in place of physical meetings, and to maintain attendees’ interest when they are joining in from afar.

Get in touch

To learn more about these predictions, as well as our niche healthcare expertise, email our team via hello@swm-partners.com.