Corporate events are supposed to bring some joy and refreshment to your workforce - but anyone can agree that a boring and uncomfortable corporate affair is the last thing most people want to go to.

Event planning has faced considerable developments and significant changes in recent years. New event trends bring about fresh opportunities and challenges. These recent trends in corporate events will help yours outshine every work party that came before, and will make your staff eager for the next one.

We're not talking about door prizes where the same old people from HR win some cheap kitchen appliance. You need to know about newer technology if you want to rock their socks off - and luckily, it's all there for you below. Read on.

1. Live Streaming

Live streaming is a trend that is currently being tested in corporate event planning, and its rate of adoption is growing. Many participants, including event professionals, have boarded the ship in anticipation of reaping the benefits.

Live streaming is the process of broadcasting your event live over the internet for attendees who are unable to make the event in person. Its use is gaining popularity, and event experts believe it’s going to be a major hit in the years to come.

The fear of live streaming stems from the myth that it may decrease attendance, but evidence shows that it typically raises attendance. People who view an event online are more likely to attend in person the following year. With tools such as YouTube live, Facebook live, and Periscope the ability to livestream your event is easily within reach. Last year alone saw over 6 million events streamed live over the Internet.

2. Event Apps

Event Apps serve a number of functions from tracking attendees, to keeping your guests engaged with additional content at your event. There is no better way of delivering event marketing messages and sparking more engagement than using an event app. With integrations such as Eventbrite, EventBoard, CrowdCompass, and Pro Party Planner, event planners can keep their audiences engaged in ways that are cutting edge. They are set to strengthen the events industry by expanding outreach in the market.

Some apps act as a local social sharing platform, some connect live presentations to audience members’ phones in real time, and many more.

Click here for a list of 17 killer apps to get you started.

3. Distributed Commerce

Did you know that it is now possible to acquire event tickets on Facebook? Facebook has recently created an integration system that enables fans or guests to buy and receive tickets online without the buyers leaving Facebook. This simplifies the process of ticket booking by bringing ticketing agencies to where the fans already are, which has bridged the procedural bottlenecks of the process. More event tickets are being sold through Facebook, which is now an approved distribution platform – and everybody’s on Facebook.

4. Gamification

Gamification is a growing trend in the event planning industry. Popular games for events keep guests engaged, entertained, and encourages team building. Gamification makes for a fascinating challenge that make an event more memorable because it turns the event into an immersive experience. When merged with social listening, gamification has become an established trend and event planners can attest to this fact.

Examples include escape rooms, scavenger hunts, and anything else that involves overcoming obstacles as a team.

At its core, this is the concept of bringing play and competition into an event. While event attendees are learning and networking, there is no better way to encourage interaction than through playing challenging and engaging games. Your guests are in for an event full of fun.

5. Augmented Reality

Among event trends bound to take the coming years by storm is AR. In addition to offering an unrivaled event experience, it goes a notch higher to provide extra information on the event.

Augmented Reality superimposes more information on a user's view of the real world. The use of additional information or creating an interactive aspect to your event can make it more memorable. You can have them use their own smartphones or provide high-tech goggles as they walk through the space, learning more about the objects in front of them.

In turn, the exchange of information is made easier. AR offers an explicit experience with insurmountable possibilities to create and encourage participation. It integrates real-time settings with the digital world bringing forth a great event experience.

6. Smart Badges

Exhibition events are the primary benefactors of this new trend. They make use of Smart Badges equipped with devices to capture and accumulate data swiftly. This can include flow of foot traffic, time spent in certain areas, or time spent running a race. Smart Badges also enhance data visualization.

This is a unique and essential trend that is working exceptionally well for many events. Considering the challenges faced by event organizers because of the frequency, scale, and volume of new data, they employ this technology to efficiently plan, manage, and implement these exhibitions.

Stay Ahead of the Crowd!

People absolutely dread boring corporate events. But on the flip side: an exciting, entertaining, engaging event can drastically increase your employee loyalty and keep them talking about how much they love their job for a long time. These trends are young and exciting, so get out there and master them if you want to be the most sought-after event planner in town!

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