Predicting the Future of Event Technology

Brian Ludwig (cover photo), Senior Vice President of Sales at Cvent, considers the future of event technology and how it might impact travel, hotels and venues, and the way attendees engage with each other and their event environment. 

The meetings and events landscape looks a whole lot different than it did when we started Cvent 22 years ago as an online event registration software company. Most of these changes have been slow and gradual – but these last two years have been completely transformational. Regardless of the speed of change, it is part of my job to stay ahead of the innovation curve – which is why I enjoy looking to the future of what comes next for the industry and predicting what technology will be developed and adopted to support those changes. In fact, some of my predictions that once seemed so far-fetched are now in the realm of possibility. For example, back in 2016 I gave a presentation in which I predicted the growth of hybrid events at a time when only 2% of events were using such technology – now, they’re quickly gaining in popularity and the term is commonplace, something that was obviously accelerated by the industry’s rapid digital transformation in response to the pandemic. 

So, how will technology and the event experience continue to evolve in the next five, ten years? While there are so many ways to explore this question, I’m going to focus on three key areas: how attendees will get to events, how venues of the future will innovate, and how attendees will engage with each other and their event environment.

With travel congestion and environmental impact to consider, there’s an incredible opportunity to find new ways to get event attendees from point A to point B, many of which are currently being explored by some of the world’s most recognised brands. For example, at Consumer Electronics Show this year, an Uber/Hyundai partnership revealed a drone-taxi hybrid vehicle that could be used to transport delegates through the skies, perhaps even autonomously. Second level public transport is another fascinating option, where large vehicles that look like a cross between a train and the Imperial Walkers from Star Wars, simply move above the already existing road infrastructure above congested traffic lanes. 

When it comes to longer journeys, we can also expect to see changes at airports, including security scans taking place passively as you walk through specific areas, removing the need for long queues that have become an airport staple. This technology is not that far off and is currently being tested at the Dubai International Airport. Speeding up the process even more could be autonomous suitcases that follow you, going where required, perhaps all the way to your robotic hotel? Already in existence in China, robotic hotels offer an entirely interaction-free accommodation experience that includes room service robots. It will be interesting to see how both travellers and hospitality professionals balance the desire for automation with our expectations for high levels of service.

The venues of the future will have sustainability as part of their core infrastructure. There are incredible options in development around the world including plastic eating bacteria, concrete that absorbs the energy from footsteps converting it into usable electricity, and even a hospital in Mexico that has external cladding capable of filtering and cleaning the pollution from passing vehicles. Even the flights to and from an event could be made more sustainable by making the actual journey part of the event with onboard meeting rooms. The ROI of our events and their impact on the environment will certainly be improved if networking and knowledge sharing start at the point of departure, rather than arrival.

Augmented reality is already utilised in the industry, but in a very modest way. This is bound to change as organisers truly start to appreciate its benefits and capabilities. Through both our phones and other mobile devices, we will be able to layer personalised insights and information in real time – providing delegates with critical information about both the event space, and the people around them. It is hard to comprehend just what this will look like in the future because mobile and wearable technology develops so quickly. It’s only been 15 years since the launch of the first iPhone, who knows where we will be in 2036.

For virtual events, the technology is also continuously improving. Gamers are already riding the VR wave, but the technology will become more pervasive and mainstream – giving virtual attendees a “real-life” experience as if they are at the event alongside in-person delegates. With the right use of drones, robots, and cameras, this is a very real possibility and could be closer than you realise. Not to mention, it offers an incredible opportunity to increase engagement between virtual and in-person delegates.

In short, we’re living in an era where technological development occurs at a pace we’ve never seen before and it’s going to be exciting to watch this space and see how these new technologies, many of which are already in development, will shape our industry and the metaverse. What we’ve seen from the past is that the best technology enhances the attendee experience rather than detracts from it, which is what makes these predictions so exciting. The technology of the future will make events more sustainable, accessible, interactive, and engaging – providing digital components that complement and enhance both the in-person and virtual experience.