In March of this year (right before COVID hit = perfect timing as per usual), Tycoon welcomed four new tycoons onto the team.
In June, three of us began walking down the event trends path, having no idea where it would lead us. We had some initial goals, such as sharing ideas and insights on our social media channels and with the rest of the Tycoon team. We also knew it would at least be a good learning experience and growth opportunity for all of us.
We also, and perhaps more importantly, had two very large goals in mind:
- To create an event trends report which we would publish in the fall when the event industry typically ramps up.
- To have the report certified so readers could claim hours towards their professional designations.
We built a project plan, outlined goals, determined how we would conduct research, and tried to figure out how we would measure success. It was decided that we would source trends locally, provincially, nationally, and globally. We knew we’d need to balance inspiration and excitement with the reality of our local environment and the impact of COVID. We would start sharing trend findings on our social platforms in July and, in the meantime, build the trends report behind-the-scenes.
At the same time, we began the process of applying for the Preferred Provider Program through the Events Industry Council (EIC). Becoming a Preferred Provider reflects our organization’s commitment to providing education that helps individuals earn or maintain the CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) certification. This would also allow us to submit our Event Trends Report to EIC as an educational program. EIC would then review our report and determine if it qualified for CMP continuing education (CE) credits.
THE SECRET SAUCE
Part of our research included gaining a deeper understanding of our current industry climate, virtual and hybrid events, and the platforms, apps and other digital tools available for designing remarkable online experiences. However, we didn’t limit ourselves to our own industry. Instead, we expanded our research to include many others, including technology, interior and digital design, fashion and food. Slowly, as we got deeper into the research, we began to see themes emerging.
Then, patterns within these themes started forming, and soon we were able to draw a visual representation of how our research and trends were interconnecting. (You can see the final evolution of this visual on page 18 of the Event Trends Report!) That’s when the floodgates opened and the report came to life.
STORMY SEAS CREATE SKILLED SAILORS … AND EVENT PROFESSIONALS
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. During the research process, we were aware that we wanted to present insightful and valuable information in our report; we didn’t want to simply regurgitate existing information. We were well into the research process and still couldn’t see how we would be able to achieve that. However, we stayed hopeful that the research would lead us somewhere (as they say, stormy seas create skilled sailors) and, after a couple of months, we began to see the patterns amongst our findings.
As well, although we knew it was important to approach our research with the current industry climate in mind, it was often difficult to see past the limitations of COVID and think about the possibilities of the future. Many of the “trends” forecasted at the beginning of 2020 were no longer applicable just a few months into the year. However, this encouraged us to think outside the box and use our creativity.
LA PIECE DE RESISTANCE
In the end, we created something that we are really proud of. The Event Trends Report examines the implications of interconnecting four overarching themes and determines pathways leading into the future of the events industry. As well, we provide our application and execution tips on how to implement these various trend ideas.
This report is for anyone who plays a role in, or is interested in, the event industry who wants a deeper understanding of industry trends. This includes planners, agencies, vendors, venues, designers, technology providers, and fabricators just to name a few.
You can check out the Event Trends Report here!
HOW TO APPLY FOR CE CREDITS
In addition to finalizing the report, we were approved by EIC as a Preferred Provider and the Event Trends Report qualified for CE credits! So now, once you’ve read the report, you can claim 1 CE credit by completing this form on our website. Your information will be sent to EIC and they will make sure your credits are added to your account!
WHAT SAY YOU?
At Tycoon Events, we are always learning and one of the ways we do that is through feedback. If you have feedback you’d like to share about the Event Trends Report, please send it our way.
We are more than happy to receive it and to be totally honest, we absolutely need it!
– Your Tycoons, David + Kirsten + Stephanie XO