An early preview of IBTM’s annual IBTM World Trends Watch report has revealed that despite ongoing economic and geopolitical instability, the future of the meetings and events industry looks bright, thanks in part to the relentless march of technological innovation and its increasing application within the meetings and events industry.
To reflect the growing importance of technology in events, a new section has been added to the report this year specifically focusing on global technological innovation and its impact on the events industry.
The full report, which will be unveiled on the first day of IBTM World, taking place in Barcelona from 27-29 November, will delve deeper into wider technological issues from outside the industry such as personalisation and automation.
Aside from the exciting opportunities presented by technology, the report will also assess the wider economic landscape and how this relates to the meetings and events industry.
Alistair Turner, Managing Director of EIGHT PR & Marketing, and Dr Rob Davidson, Managing Director of Mice Knowledge compiled the report using over 25 key sources of existing industry data and interviews with industry luminaries to deliver a concise synthesis of industry performance in 2018 and predictions for 2019.
Commenting on the report, Alistair Turner says: “Innovation is good for meetings and events, and we’ve benefited from a lot of it in recent months. For example, in pharmaceuticals we’ve seen an increase in wearables, self-diagnosis and nano-technology all creating shifts in a historically stable industry. Similarly, the automotive industry is going through its own seismic changes. We add in the almost relentless dynamism of the ICT sector and we see great opportunities for events. When things change, people need to communicate and that is what we do in events.”
Alistair continues: “It is also important to underline that, in an unstable world, there are few things more definite than an event, and that when issues confront us, events provide a calm setting for reflection and problem-solving.”
The IBTM Trends Watch report 2018 will be available to download at www.ibtmworld.com from 27 November.