Join Social Tables Founder & GM Dan Berger and Event Manager Blog Editor Julius Solaris in a rundown of the coming year’s 19 most important hospitality and event trends. In this annual and much-anticipated tradition, we’ll break down how meetings and group business are poised to evolve in the year ahead, as well as what these prominent trends and changes mean for the industry at large.

1. 19 Event Trends Shaking Up Group
Business & Meetings in 2019
January 2019
Dan Berger
General Manager
Social Tables | Cvent
Julius Solaris
Editor of Event
Manager Blog

2. I’m a planner.
I’m a supplier.
I’m a believer.
I’m a participant.
Dan Berger is the Founder, VP, and General Manager of the
Washington, D.C.-based Social Tables.
Founded in 2011, Social Tables provides event sales, marketing, and
operations software which has enabled over 250,000 planners and
5,000 hotel & venue professionals to execute 4.5 million events.

3. Founder of EventMB.Com
The most influential platform for event
professionals worldwide since 2007
- 250,000 Report downloads
- 400,000 members community
- 300,000 monthly readers

4. 1. Introductions
2. Helpful tips
3. 19 Trends
4. Where to Learn More
5. Q&A
Agenda

5. Helpful Tips
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an email at
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6. About Social Tables
● Founded 2011.
● Over 5,500 customers.
● 95% customer retention rate.
● 100,000 events planned per month.
Nearly 300 events have been hosted at STHQ (pictured) since it opened in December 2016.

7. ● Cvent acquired Social Tables in October 2018
● Any venue’s Social Tables floor plans will be available in the Cvent Supplier Network
● Social Tables now has access to more resources
to innovate faster and strengthen its client services
● We are now a part of a connected portfolio
with many best-in-class solutions
Cvent + Social Tables: Better Together

8. 1. Uncertainty will be a key theme
Source
CWT Meetings & Travel and other industry
outlets predict robust growth in both
demand and supply, however we are
cautiously optimistic.
Planner takeaways
● Adjust budgets to anticipate higher
rates and book event space as early as
possible.
Venue takeaways
● Score leads with tools like Event Sales
Solution to save your sales team time.

9. 2. Say goodbye to typical venues
92.3% of event professionals believe events
are more likely to be booked outside of a
hotel than they were five years ago.
Planner takeaways
● Planners need to turn to new
solutions that can help them source
non-traditional venues without the
drain on time and resources.
Venue takeaways
● Hotels need to evolve event spaces or
risk losing business to nontraditional
venues.
● Form BD partnerships with venues.
Source

10. 3. “Bleisure” is still a thing, and it’s growing
71% of all generations report the destination as a
factor in the decision to attend a meeting. 20-30%
name it as the deciding factor.
Planner takeaways
● Balance the need for affordable destinations
with attendee desires for vacation-esque
business getaways.
Venue takeaways
● A great attendee experience might result in
transient business later on.
Source

11. 4. Now taking center stage: sustainability
The plastic straw ban spearheaded by Marriott
will kickstart a renewed focus on using renewable
resources at events. Sustainability at events
means assessing the whole carbon footprint.
Planner takeaways
● Encourage attendees to bring reusable
coffee mugs and go digital with event
content.
Venue takeaways
● Phase out wasteful products, like single-use
plastics and
paper cups.
Source

12. 5. Brands must impact word of mouth
Rises in consumer preferences for “social proofing”
mean having a recognizable, respected brand that
people talk about is more important now than ever.
Planner takeaways
● Leverage a venue’s uniqueness. Consider the
Alzheimer’s Association, who worked with London
& Partners to light up the iconic London Eye ferris
wheel in purple.
Venue takeaways
● Identify a feature in your venue or your
community that distinguishes you from your
concept, market it, and turn it into a sellable
incentive.
Source

13. 6. Mid-sized cities will keep making moves
93% of international event planners say that a
destination’s culture highlights are an
important piece of the decision.
Planner takeaways
● Work with CVBs in midsize cities to
execute truly local, memorable
experiences such as curated tours and
exclusive events/deals.
Venue takeaways
● Partner with local restaurants and
attractions to bring a taste of your city’s
culture to all of your attendees.
Source

14. 7. The venue sourcing process will evolve
Only 16% of planners say they are extremely certain of
their venue when they begin the sourcing process.
Planner takeaways
● Use powerful hospitality search platforms like
the Cvent Supplier Network to find the perfect
venue
● Begin planning with the interactive floor plans
you find on the Social Tables sourcing platform.
Venue takeaways
● Advertise on the Cvent Supplier Network
● Get floor plans directly to clients through the
Social Tables sourcing platform.
Source

15. 8. Personalization will move beyond personas
96% of the Social Tables audience believe events are
expected to be more personalized than ever.
Planner takeaways
● Allow participants to vote on topics ahead of time.
Use live polling to make real-time topic changes.
Try a silent conference, where attendees wear
special headphones that allow them to toggle
between/choose a speaker.
Venue takeaways
● Showcase different event-specific variations with
proposal software. Personalize information about
the person during the sale.
Source

16. 9. Meetings are becoming festivals
The 800+ annual festivals in the U.S. see over
32 million attendees in total.
Planner takeaways
● Performances and other festival-esque
entertainment elements can boost
engagement, but also require buyouts
and complex logistics.
● Study consumer events to get ahead of
trends.
Venue takeaways
● Resorts, golf courses, and similar
venues should utilize their spaces to
accommodate these events by offering
buyouts in shoulder seasons.

17. 10. Attendee data continues to be in demand
Source
There is a big data opportunity around attendee
engagement, booth visits, session tracking, etc. but event
planners have yet to find solutions that fully leverage it.
Planner takeaways
● Before you start collecting more data, use the data
you have.
● Develop attendee personas by mapping content,
food, activities, etc. to get a leg up on personalizing
events end-to-end in the future.
Venue takeaways
● Ensure RFID-enabled hardware is a part of your
capital expense budget.

18. 11. 5G is slowly bursting onto the scene
1.5 billion 5G subscriptions will be active by 2025.
But for planners and venues, that should matter now.
Planner takeaways
● By the mid-2020s, on-site wi-fi may be much
less valuable as 5G grows in popularity. Put that
budget and time to better use.
Venue takeaways
● Venues in midsize cities may initially suffer a
drop in demand by the mid-2020s, as
consumers congregate in cities with robust 5G
offerings. Prepare for this downturn.
Source

19. 12. Closed ecosystems are forcing mobile apps to
evolve
Nearly 3% increase in mobile app use in 2019.
Planner takeaways
● Talk to your provider about a holistic
mobile strategy.
Venue takeaways
● Plan for events where everyone is on an
internet-ready second screen at all times.
Source

20. 13. Security is a safe bet
90% of Social Tables survey respondents stated
that event security should still be a top priority
for the industry.
Planner takeaways
● Always map out escape exits on-site, and
ensure a destination city is geographically
appropriate for the season (e.g. avoid
coastal Florida in September)
Venue takeaways
● Security is top of mind for planners, show
you’re ready. Create evacuation checklists
to distribute to planners during the
negotiation process.
Source

21. 14. Wellness as the way to productive meetings
Wellness is influencing event offerings — from F&B to
agendas, and lighting. For example, Westin is
positioning wellness as their value proposition for
meetings. Some hotels offer in-room Peloton.
Planner takeaways
● Highlight wellness wins in event advertising. Use
wellness add-ons as a negotiation chip for your
business. Offer wellness swag such as blue-light
glasses or workout gear.
Venue takeaways
● In RFI responses, highlight gym and wellness
amenities and healthy F&B options, including
locally-sourced and allergy-conscious foods.

22. 15. Experiential playground spaces are in
Last year, 80% of event planners reported more
experience creation in their jobs than just two to
five years previous.
Planner takeaways
● Ensure your event isn’t just ‘constant
delivery’ but includes time for networking,
work in cutting-edge technology (like VR)
that helps attendees.
Venue takeaways
● Create spaces that facilitate setup of
multiple layouts quickly with movable walls,
and flexible furniture. Equip rooms with
tech such as walls of TVs that can deliver
new content quickly and power stations.
Source

23. 16. It’s time for event F&B to ‘veg out’
A recent poll commissioned by the Vegan Society
showed that Britain’s vegan population had grown
from 150,000 to 542,000 in just a decade.
Planner takeaways
● Millennials are twice as likely to avoid meat
product than older generations. Show
flexibility in menus for younger audiences.
Venue takeaways
● Too many full-service hotels have vegan
“options” that are little more than salads.
“Beef up” those options to win over younger
customers.
Source

24. 17. Minimalism in event decor will have maximum impact
Whether it’s modern decor or the millennial
lifestyle, less is more when it comes to the material.
Planner takeaways
● Free up budget by spending on simpler,
smaller chairs, tables, portions, and venues.
Devote the remainder to memorable content.
Venue takeaways
● Is your ballroom full of unnecessary molding
and ornamentation? Evaluate how you can
modernize your offering to appeal to
millennial preferences.

25. 18. Improved transportation will make new destinations viable
Between 2019 and 2023, the ridesharing industry
is forecast to see continued adoption resulting in
11% growth annually.
Planner takeaways
● With mid-size cities growing in popularity,
planners need to be creative to provide
robust transportation. Devote time and
budget to ridesharing.
Venue takeaways
● Ensure you have a private shuttle to and
from the airport and/or must-see
destinations in the surrounding community.
Source

26. 19. Face-to-face time (and events) will be coveted
52% of survey respondents said that event
marketing drove more business value than
other channels.
Planner takeaways
● Schedule ample opportunity for
networking and spaces for scheduled
face-to-face meetings.
● Partner with marketing to leverage their
budgets.
Venue takeaways
● Create spaces that promote spontaneous
interaction and highlight them in your
offering.
Source

27. Bonus trends!

28. 20. Cannabis demand is higher than ever
⅕ of all states in the US have legalized
recreational marijuana consumption, and
demand for cannabis at events is on the rise.
Planner takeaways
● Arm yourself with information; identify
which states have legalized recreational
use vs. those who permit medical use.
● Ensure adequate policy and waiver
measures are in place to avoid any
potential liability.
Venue takeaways
● Venues in states with legal recreational
use should consider investing in
dedicated consumption spaces.
Source

29. 21. Tight labor markets mean employee shortages
Alan Greenspan said America is experiencing
‘the tightest labor market’ he’s ever seen. So
long as the economy over-performs, this may
mean unmet job openings and higher wages
in all sectors.
Planner takeaways
● Anticipate that certain venues may lack
the labor force necessary to pull off
larger-scale events.
Venue takeaways
● Get creative with new employee
incentives to differentiate yourself in the
labor market.
Source

30. 22. The re-emergence of boutique & indie hotels
Big chains such as Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt are
making room in their budgets for acquisitions
of boutique and independent chains.
Planner takeaways
● There are now more opportunities than
ever to give your attendees that coveted
‘live like a local’ experience with the
service and professionalism you expect
from the big brands.
Venue takeaways
● Local and authentic is in. If you aren’t or
can’t be a boutique hotel, invest in spaces
and themes that nevertheless bring a real
local experience to attendees.
Source

31. Learn More
www. socialtables.com/signup
(877) 973-2863
Dan Berger
General Manager
Social Tables | Cvent
Julius Solaris
Editor of Event
Manager Blog