2020 Event Industry Trends - View from the Bridge as seen by Jo Mayer, Showlite’s Head of Marketing


Posted on Wed 12th Feb 2020 at 9:42pm

So, what's going to be changing in the event industry in 2020, apart from everything? There's a bit more Brexit certainty than there was this time in 2019 (or 18 or 17), and that can only be a good thing from a planning perspective. But what other trends and tendencies are bubbling up in exhibitions and events that might make their mark this year?

Wellness

The desire for wellness and spending money on experiences rather than stuff is as strong as ever, and the industry, companies and associations are putting more focus on wellbeing and mental health in the workplace too. Expect to see more opportunities to train in mental health first aid, learn about good mental health habits, and to understand how positive and open attitudes towards mental health contribute not just to employee wellbeing, but company success too.

Food and beverages are ripe for change, and the momentum behind meat alternatives and plant-based foods has come as a result of environmental and wellness pressures acting in the same direction. When Burger King was criticised for cooking its meat-free burgers on the same griddle as its Whoppers, people missed the point. Burger King wasn't aiming at a vegetarian consumer, it was targeting carnivores who wanted to cut down on meat. This kind of mass-market shift isn't going unnoticed.

Sustainability

Which brings me to the next trend - it's so obvious that I'm almost cheating, but sustainability issues will continue to dominate the event sector. As an industry that is constantly building and dismantling on such a large scale, the scope for waste creation is massive. The rise of sustainability standards and best practice guidance has led to big wins in terms of reducing, reusing and recycling - with plenty of events generating zero waste to landfill. But looking at the carbon economy, the bulk of the event industry's carbon footprint is still generated by transport.

The growth of modular stands will continue, propelled as much by sustainable goals as financial ones. Not only do they offer accelerated build and breakdown times, but they also offer advantages in terms of reduced waste, reduced transport costs, and greatly increased reusability, all of which help to reduce the overall carbon footprint of exhibiting.

At the moment, Electric Vehicles account for fewer than 1% of the cars, vans and lorries on British roads, but the first production, all-electric, lorries are currently being trialled by several major manufacturers, and sales of consumer electric and hybrid cars and vans are growing by 220% annually. 2020 is going to see much more aggressive interest from the event industry in electric vehicles of all kinds, but it's going to take longer to decarbonise the transport side of events.

Expect to see greater determination from conferences and exhibitions to cut the use of single-use items, whether that’s paper cups, lanyards, delegate cards or water bottles. There will be more and more support for zero waste, low-carbon options wherever there is a choice - meat-free menus, reusable bottles for delegates and contractors, and discounted train travel. More events will have their own CSR programmes, many of which will have sustainable goals like beach cleaning, tree planting or food donation.

Technology

5G has now been rolled out over most major UK cities with a few glaring exceptions. It doesn't sound like a huge leap from 4G or even 3G, but it’s likely to signal a huge shift in how we use our digital tools, and that is going affect everything. Apart from offering big jumps in internet speed and capacity on mobile devices, 5G won’t be making any big waves this year, but within the next ten, it’s likely to revolutionise how we use digital technology. It will be possible to instantly connect anything to a secure, high-speed network, from a lightbulb to an autonomous fork-lift. How the innovators use this ability over the next decade will surprise and delight no doubt, but more importantly, 5G offers massive increases in efficiency across the board to accelerate towards sustainability goals.

Careers

Finally, I think that 2020 will be the year that the events industry really begins to register as an attractive career option in the minds of the graduates and school leavers this summer. With increasing professionalisation through ESSA Accredited and the launch of Exhibition News Event Careers Live, there has never been a better time to connect with young people getting ready to start their careers, whether that’s through school visits, university career fairs or apprenticeships.

--ends--

Our Services

“The onsite team is always happy to co-operate with the inevitable last minute changes.”
Natasha Messer, Events Operations Manager, Prospects Events
“Showlite deliver exceptionally high levels of personal service. I know that I can rely on them to deliver throughout all aspects of the pre-planning, build and onsite work”
Mark Mayo, Director, Motorcycle Expo
“I have no hesitation in recommending Showlite as a professional and reliable supplier of contractor services. They are totally trustworthy and in touch with the latest regulations and requirements”
Mirabelle Chatterjee, Head of Operations, Nineteen Events
“We had the pleasure of having Showlite as part of our event team. The staff took the time, care and attention required to make sure that our exhibitors and us as organisers felt valued and looked after”
Diane Sheppard, Event Operations Manager, Quartz Business Media
“Over 1,200 exhibitors, almost 4 miles of aisle carpet plus enough shell scheme to cover two football pitches and it was the easiest get in we have ever had. Quite exceptional”
Andrew Reed, Managing Director, William Reed Business Media
“Showlite worked diligently with great speed to complete the build in the allocated time. We look forward to working with them at our next show”
Karen Harris, Operations Manager, Idex Media
“Showlite have worked hand in hand with us, investing in design, stock and materials developing an innovative product for our customers”
Bill Hammond, Managing Director, 3rd Street Group
“It has been a pleasure to work with Showlite who provided a seamless delivery both presite and onsite.”
Paul Clarke, Organiser, Installer Live
“My sincerest thanks go out to all Showlite staff who played an invaluable part in what seemed the impossible task. It goes without saying that I would not hesitate in recommending their services to others.”
Phil Valentine, Managing Director, ETES, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics
“I can honestly say one of the smoothest builds I have ever experienced on an event in over 17 years”
Nicola Greenaway, Managing Director, Nineteen Events
“We have a longstanding relationship with Showlite. They demonstrate a real professionalism and dedication and I look forward to working with the team again!”
Hannah Webb, Head of Operations, Hemming Group
“A massive thank you for helping us make this year’s Hearth & Home Exhibition a success. ”
Claire Cox, Hearth & Home, Fireplace Marketing Company
“Thanks to everyone at Showlite for a job very well done at The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair! The event went beyond expectation and there were hardly any glitches at all.”
Ingrid Nilson, Director, The Antiques Dealers Fair Limited
“I really appreciated the positive attitude of your team and the willingness to support unexpected problem situations onsite. It has been a great pleasure working with you both!”
Joy-Fleur Brettschneider, Marketing & Operations Director, Solar Media Limited
“Thank you so much for all your support on PATS this year. Showlite were absolutely brilliant. ”
Jo Scotting, Head of Operations, Impact Exhibitions
“We always know we’re in a safe pair of hands with Showlite. They deliver professional results with attention to detail and focus on service.”
Jo Foreman, Operations Manager, Brintex
“I would recommend Showlite completely from the level of personal service, quality of work and positive work attitude to keep on going until the job is done.”
Emma Barratt, Managing Director, Broadway Events
“Thank you for all your help and support for the NFE show. We had a lot of last minute changes, and Showlite were very accommodating and professional.”
Angela Long, Sales and Marketing Executive, Wesley Media
“Many thanks to Showlite. Everything went really smoothly and the show looked absolutely fantastic.”
Mandie Lavin, CEO, NAFD
“Phex has never looked as good and the build-up and breakdown went really smoothly. Thanks to everyone. I look forward to be working with you again in the future.”
Julie Pollet, Operations Manager, Brintex
“Showlite are the ultimate in prior planning and preparation. We never have any problem and if we do have an issue we resolve it there and then. We love working with Showlite.”
Andrew Reed, MD, William Reed Events & Exhibitions
“Big thank you to Showlite … once again it was a pleasure working with you all again and look forward to 2018!”
Sam Hunt, NMBS Events Manager
“Many thanks for the brilliant job you did on this year’s UKIVA which was a great success. The team pulled out all the stops to make sure everything was ready in time and ran smoothly throughout the day.”
Christine Valdes, Event Organiser, UKIVA, PPMA Group
“We would like to thank you and the team for an excellent build and all your help in the move to Mall Galleries after 25 years. ”
Gay Hutson, Founder and organiser, 20/21 British Art Fair
“The event looked great and the help and advice from Showlite throughout was invaluable. ”
Toby Merigan, Founder, European Sport Fishing Show
“Thank you for being a magnificent partner to Highways UK. Love the Showlite can do attitude and the smiles and personality that come with it.”
Andrew Dowding, Managing Director, Essential Infrastructure Events
“We have had excellent feedback from exhibitors and visitors and this is testament to the excellent partnership we have with Showlite.”
Justine Devereux, Operations & Project Manager, Xmark Media Ltd
“It was great to have Jenni onsite as it really makes a difference having her help to co-ordinate all aspects of the project.”
Joel Swarc, Associate Director, Promotor Events Ltd
“I would like to highlight the outstanding performance of Ross Isolda during the build up of the recent Foodex show at the NEC. I would like to thank him - and the boys on the tools also, for making the whole process as smooth as it was considering the challenge. ”
Phil Birch, Team leader, NEC mains services, NEC

This site uses cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. To view cookies served on this website please review our Cookie Policy. Please continue to use the Showlite website if you agree to our use of cookies.