A Shift in Perspective
It all changed back in 2009. Sure, events had been happening for a good 2,000 years before then and really supercharged with the great exhibitions of empire building. The automotive trade specifically added some extra pizazz with the launch of shiny new things at the start of the last century. But in 2009, our articulation of what we do, as an industry, took on a new gear and we were able to not just see, but explain (and sell) our value in no way since those first, international, wildly expensive, incredibly cruel, and unethical shows of imperial strength that typified the Victorian and Edwardian eras took place.
Pine and Gilmore captured The Experience Economy and (paraphrasing) showed us that consumers were purchasing more experiences than products and attributing more value to that experience than the service or consumable that it sat within. They told us that we weren’t buying coffee in Starbucks, we were buying a coffee experience.
Fast forward to 2025, stopping off in 2019 when this author, alongside a few other event strategists and academics, coined the Virtual Experience Economy (see previous blogs for more on that) and we find ourselves entering a new era of experience design. A significant one, once again as we continue to articulate not only our value as an industry but also the unparalleled growth the industry is experiencing right now. In short, Experientialism is moving to Transformationalism.
The Rise of Transformational Events
What does this mean? It means that the expectations of consumers, audiences and attendees are rising against the ambition of the event producers who are strategizing and creating event experiences. No longer do they want an incredible experience, they now want a transformational one. The first is awe and wonder, and the second may be something more profound.
Heady ambitions, but not insurmountable and not unusual. Ask the person next to you to name the first concert they went to, then ask them to tell you about it? They won’t shut up, nor would you. This an experience with immense meaning, not always for good, but some events just stick.
Pick your experience, an academic who inspired you or gave you lifesaving data; a brand experience that made you fall in love with the latest pair of trainers/make-up/computer / AI Service etc; the inspirational speaker who changed your life, the panel discussion that shifted your world view. They all take place all the time and they are the new currency of events. Exciting and engaging an audience remains the core key objectives, create something transformational and you have the holy grail.
This is the broadest trend, but also the most exciting as it asks us to project into the future how the fundamentals will change. Just think how much has changed since 2009 – keep in mind we’re still in iPhone 3 at that point – and it’s difficult to predict the future.
The Role of AI in Events
Delving into the future, it's remiss to look at trends in 2025 without uttering the term AI. In 2024 we looked not at where AI was going, that was too easy, its trajectory is unparalleled by the internet, telecommunications, and everything else before it. Ours was a question of adoption by the event industry. Sure, we create transformational experiences, but we’re pretty slow on technological adoption. Damn right too, historically we’re a one-shot-a-year industry, it’s best not to experiment if you need a year until you can put it right.
The Three A's of AI Adoption
Adoption takes place under three main areas, all of which are being advanced by AI technology at the moment, and in 2025 show no signs of abating.
Automation: AI’s magic is in its scale, its ability to automate large complex tasks and relieve human resources is naturally highly valued by #eventproffs
Augmentation: That layer of added data, theatre, or design. Create events aren’t disappearing into the metaverse, they’re being augmented with new and exciting tech layers. These layers increase engagement, magic word no.1 in the event professional playbook
Accessibility: from streaming services that expand audiences from local to global, to technology that lets diverse audiences into the experience, be they disabled, neurodiverse or just anti-the whole event experience. AI creates solutions that speak to every audience member and offers tailor-made, accessible services
Grow my audience, give me more engagement, and save me time. AI is solving these century-old event planner pain points and because of that we’re seeing mass adoption across the industry.
Mass adoption but not quite the physical products that transport us into Star Trek. Maybe the AI revolution happened already, but at a grassroots level. Maybe we’re in ubiquity already. But the products will come, and they will work if they follow the ‘three A’’ guide.
The Embrace of "Dumb"
Technology yes, but all is not Smart, 2025 will also embrace ‘Dumb’. AI is turning the world into chrome, algorithms are taking away our humanity, and Smart Phones are impacting mental health and relationships. The world wants imperfection, it wants tactility, it wants retro and nostalgia, and it wants to remember the days when a Nokia ringtone was the most annoying thing about a phone, and it wasn’t causing existential threats to humanity.
Look out for retro-designed newsagents and old 1penny sweeties, harping back to linear television and bottle stops on your Dr Marten’s Boots. These are iconic styles, packed full of a sense of place and emotion. To transform someone, you don’t have to give them a vision of the future, you sometimes need to remind them of their past. Dumb phones are a consumer objection manifesting in a trend, they are about a rejection of technology in exchange for humanity, this is a trend never more singularly personified than in a live event.
The Importance of Talent
Lastly, let’s talk about talent. The people behind the event and the event industry. The industry is suffering growing pains, it needs more people, it needs more talent, and it needs more skills as it tackles everything from AI to sustainability, to creative and strategic. We need more people at every level. We’re seeing talent migration as growing regions headhunt the leaders from around the world and bring them back to their own emerging industries. We’re seeing the events industry raid broadcast and media as we look for ever-smarter production values. But we also just want a talent pipeline, on a local level.
There is so much opportunity here. The barrier to entry for a job in the events industry is so low, and the ceiling so high. We can embrace anyone but also give them the aspiration to achieve anything. Name an industry that can offer entry-level jobs to students and people with barely any qualifications, but still give them the aspiration to run an event, own a company, or lead a business and a team.
Transformational Experiences Start with Transformational People
This is an industry that loves people, loves diverse skills, that embraces every part of society and could do well to explore the far reaches of it to find its next generation of talent. It’s a moral responsibility, but it’s also the secret sauce of how we can continue to create transformational experiences. Maybe the best experiences come from a diversity of thought and experience, maybe by transforming the lives of the people who run the event, you’re more likely to transform the lives of the people that attend them.
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Authors
Alistair Turner
Al Turner is the Managing Director of EI8HT PR & Marketing (a specialist creative agency servicing the events industry), and author of the ibtm World Trends Report.
Gemma Baker
Gemma loves all things social media and keeps busy by creating lots of Hire Space content. When she’s not creating content, you'll find her shopping, exploring or at the gym!
