After a successful — albeit begrudging — era in which virtual events reigned supreme, event professionals are increasingly planning and executing in-person events once again.
Case in point? A Bizzabo survey conducted in June and July 2022 revealed that 83% of event organizers plan to host at least three in-person events in 2022, with 24% planning to host at least 10. Looking ahead to 2023, 85% of event organizers plan to host at least three in-person events, with 35% planning to host at least 10. These findings reflect a study from PCMA, which found that nearly 70% of event organizers were planning in-person events for the second and third quarters of 2022.
Although the world of in-person events may be ramping up quickly, event organizers continue to embrace virtual elements. Our survey found that 68% of event organizers plan to have a virtual component at their next onsite event. Similarly, PCMA’s study found that one out of two planners worked on hybrid events so attendees could attend according to their preferences.
With 72% of event organizers agreeing that in-person events are a crucial part of their organization’s overall marketing strategy — and 70% of them seeing their event budgets increase or stay the same from 2021 to 2022 — the future seems brighter than ever for the events industry.
That said, returning to in-the-flesh events is not without its challenges. Chief among them? Not everyone is ready to participate in a live-and-in-the-flesh experience. Although our survey found that 73% of professionals were either “ready” or “very ready” to return to in-person events, that still means 27% of people are on the fence.
Event organizers have to accept a more health-conscious reality. They must do everything they can to safely return to in-person events, including offering sanitizing stations, encouraging mask use, delivering contactless experiences, and keeping tabs on local policies and procedures.
To learn more about the current state of everyone's favorite event format, check out the infographic below or click here to open in a new window:
