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Greetings all,
We hope you are off to a great start in 2019, and wish you all the best for a fantastic year ahead! Following a break for the holidays, we have dusted off the snow and hit the ground running, as our HRG Event Solutions team teamed up with United Rentals for their annual supplier trade show at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.
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Looking back at 2018, it was a great year for HRG, as we partnered with new clients to manage high profile events, lead workforce training programs, and develop innovative marketing solutions. And as we look ahead, we are more excited than ever about our prospects, and look forward to working with a truly outstanding team who are totally committed to helping you achieve your goals.
In this first HRG e-newsletter of the year, we review top level market trends in meetings and events that we think will help you prepare to achieve your goals and generate positive outcomes.
We hope you enjoy our newsletters, and look forward to hearing from you about topics you are interested in learning more about in future editions. As always, we invite you to review this and other breaking news on our
HRG In the News,
HRG LinkedIn Group pages
, and on Facebook.
Wishing you all the best for a fantastic 2019!
Regards,
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 Robert O. Sanders Jr., CMP
Partner
Hospitality Resource Group, Inc.
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 Michael Lattari
Partner
Hospitality Resource Group, Inc.
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Meeting and Event Market Trends and Forecast
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 The events industry is on a roll, with a growing economy, low travel costs, and an increasing focus on live, in-person meetings and events, despite improvements in videoconferencing. 41% of mid- to senior-level marketers consider live events to be the most critical marketing channel in achieving business outcomes, according to this
Event Marketing 2019 report
, and the
2019 Pulse survey of event planners by EventBrite
reports "nearly half of respondents (49%) said they plan to host more events in 2019"
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Based on our research and feedback from our clients, industry experts and analysts, we have come up with 5 key trends that will generate a strong M&E ROI:
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5 Key Trends to Watch in 2019
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1. M&E Budgets to Increase - Moderately
As any event planner will tell you, it has always been an uphill battle trying to increase their budget. According to a
recent survey by Event Brite
:
- 50% of respondents believe their budgets will stay the same in 2019
- 38% say budgets will grow
- Only 6% will reduce their budgets
- The biggest driver of budget growth is marketing and promotion, as 41% say they will increase spending in this area; marketing and promotion is tied for the top spend category (alongside F&B).
With budget allocations growing for event marketing, event planners will need to toe the line on other costs, from venues to F&B and travel, and rely more than ever on technology and marketing to become more efficient in a sellers' market.
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2. More Creative, Unique Meeting and Event Concepts
 With the continuing growth trends in M&E, planners are under increasing pressure to create more interesting, dynamic and creative meeting and event strategies. At the same time, they need to respond to the demand from an increasingly diverse target market of attendees for more entertaining, interactive experiences.
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According to Paul VanDeventer, President and CEO, MPI: "We are in the middle of an industry expansion, with increased attendance in both live and virtual events... meetings are becoming more frequent and larger, yet shorter in duration, with an increased focus on events for niche groups."
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 In the year ahead, we will look for new ways to engage attendees across multiple generations with innovative venues, activities, F&B offerings and speakers. Some examples include:
- Attendee participation in F&B
- More social media to enhance networking and solicit live feedback
- Shorter presentations and more fun activities to increase interaction between speakers, attendees, sponsors, etc.
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3. Venues Freshen Up In Response to Millennials
 As M&E Planners focus on generating higher levels of engagement for their attendees, we will look for more creative venue options that will offer a fresh experience. As traditional options like ballrooms can be perceived as a "been there/done that", more industrial, raw settings and outdoor experiences offer a more unique scene to create a memorable experience, and they are here to stay for the foreseeable future. For example, in Manhattan, the new Marriott Moxy offers a millennial look and feel that mixes a sleek steel structure with stunning views.
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4. M&E Tech Trends - Tipping the Scales
 Technology continues to weave it's way throughout meeting presentations in new ways. At one conference, attendees were asked to text their input to a central number, and it was recorded on an electronic map onstage. Venues are offering innovative event management tools to drive up their ROI.
According to Cvent, event technology can increase attendance by 20%, improve productivity by 27%, and decrease costs by as much as 30%.
Another example, according to Cvent Social Tables, is Projection Mapping, an augmented reality experience, these devices light up any surface and turn everyday structures and buildings into 3D interactive displays, and a
social media wall.
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5. Sustaining Sustainability
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| The Jacob Javits Convention Center in NYC installed a 6.75-acre green roof - the second largest of its kind in the U.S. |
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The trend to "green" events is quickly becoming the standard for planners who incorporate sustainable, low carbon footprint elements for attendees who have come to expect it.
From green event venues to event promos and rapid "organic" growth in farm to table, event planners have integrated sustainability into their planning as a common practice.
Other examples of sustainability in events we are seeing include: replacing registration collateral and swag bags with mobile event apps and tech giveaways.
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Meeting & Event Planning and Management - Questions for Event Planners
2018 provided event planners with ample options to create memorable, cost effective events, and the consensus outlook from industry experts is that, with careful, strategic planning, they can anticipate a solid ROI on their meetings and events in the year ahead. Some questions for event planners to contemplate in 2019 include:
- How do I engage my audience - in-person and virtually - before, during, and after my meeting or event?
- What tools and technologies can I apply to deliver a better ROI for my events?
- Who do I know that can help us with developing new creative M&E themes, speakers, and F&B options to improve my audience/attendee satisfaction?
What do you need to do to ensure the success of your next event?
 With experience managing more than 1,000 successful meetings and events, HRG's Event Solutions team has earned an industry reputation for unparalleled service. For a no-cost initial consultation and event audit to help you maximize your Meetings & Events ROI, give us a call at 914 761-7111 or
info@HRGinc.net
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About Hospitality Resource Group
Hospitality Resource Group, Inc. (HRG) is a group of vertically integrated companies, with over 20 years of experience developing innovative training, marketing and event programs for businesses, education institutions, not for profit organizations and municipalities. HRG clients benefit from our proven ability to develop effective management solutions to expand their markets and engage their companies to
build brand equity, increase sales and improve productivity.
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| The HRG family of companies includes:
HRG has earned widespread recognition from leading industry organizations, including: |
Corporate Office: 237 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY - Phone: 914.761.7111 - Fax: 914.761.7854 -
info@HRGinc.net
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Many of the leading hotel brands are fully invested in their quest to compete and curry favor with event planners, as featured in the
