7 Event Trends For 2021

The events scene has been struck pretty hard by Covid, but it’s nice to see things getting back to normal as the year progresses. While it has been tough not being able to plan our dream wedding or eccentric birthday party this past year, the quirky and unique event trends that have taken us by storm have made for some interesting and memorable moments. The world of events is forever changing, and with Covid, we have been pushed into a new era of event planning, with a new wave of virtual events becoming a fan favourite with organisations looking to expand their audience and for loved ones to enjoy the big day without having to leave the living room.

Event Trends To Incorporate Into Your Planning

Keeping event trends in mind when planning your big day, special performance, or corporate event is great for helping you to plan an unforgettable event. Whether you wish to incorporate virtual features or go all out to make up for lost time, there are a host of trends that you can take into consideration. Inspiration for everything from entertainment to delicious food can be taken from current trends, such as the classic chocolate fountain, and the trendy doughnut board. So, to make it all worth the wait, let’s help you plan the ultimate event with our top trends.

• Event Entertainment Trends
• Event Sponsorship Trends
• Virtual Event Trends
• Event Food Trends
• Event Specific Trends

Event Entertainment Trends

When it comes to event entertainment trends, there may be some suited certain event types more than others. However, most of the trends available are suitable for almost all events, and all you will need to is tweak the trend to match your event aesthetic. For example, music can be tailored to weddings, themes and formal events. Personalised entertainment has become an extremely popular feature, which can easily be customised to match your event. One of the best ways to achieve this is through incorporating photo booth hire in London, which not only allows guests to personalise their keepsakes but also allows you to add branding or a message to the printouts. You can choose from a host of photobooths, including the classic booth or a more social distanced friendly option with our hashtag printing.

While it may be something new to you, interactive entertainment has also become increasingly popular. Although you may be thinking, ‘what on earth is interactive entertainment’, it is something that can easily be incorporated into your event with The Big Collective team. A popular choice is our interactive digital graffiti wall, which allows guests to get creative by designing their very own masterpiece, which can then be printed out onto mugs, t-shirts, bags and much more. View our case study page to see our graffiti wall in action, or contact the team today to book your digital graffiti wall in London.

Event Sponsorship Trends

Sponsoring events allows your brand to be seen by many, whether thats showcasing your logo on screens, banners or letterheads, or introducing guests to your product by providing food and drink sponsorship. With many brands attempting to do the same, it can be hard to know how to stand out from the crowd, but there are a few small event sponsorship trends that you can utilise.

One of the best ideas is to get yourself involved in micro-events. Micro-events have seen a rise in popularity in the past year with restrictions to the number of guests allowed at events. Although you may think that it is pointless sponsoring an event where only 30 people will be attending, most of these events record presentations or live stream the entire event. This is a great way to get your business name out there, and with the power of social media helping audiences to share videos, you are likely to target more people than sponsoring larger events.

Virtual Event Trends

We are now all well aware of the power of virtual events and their ability to introduce a larger audience to your event, but what virtual event trends can make your event even better than the last? One idea is to have ‘micro experiences’, which is where you utilise Zoom features by allowing people to join groups, dropping in and out of presentations and activities. This is also a great function for team building events, as it allows smaller groups to break off and then come back after exercises.

While you may be miles apart, you can still incorporate some fun entertainment ideas into your virtual event, encouraging people to join in. For example, our hashtag photo booth allows your guests to take photos and print them out using a personalised hashtag. This is a great way to get your event seen online, while also allowing guests to have fun with the multiple features available. On the other hand, for more formal settings, our Twitter wall is perfect for analysing and monitoring data throughout your event, interacting with online audiences to promote your brand.

Event Food Trends

When speaking about trends, who can forget about food? Having provided entertainment services for many clients over the years, there is certainly one trend that we have always seen popular, and that’s a delicious selection of food. Throughout Covid, we have seen some fun and creative ways to feed guests, many of which we think make for a great solution for all events going forward. The best event food trends include those where guests don’t have to share their yummy treats, and can dive into a freshly cooked or prepared meal to keep their bellies from rumbling. One of these trends is to have a food van which helps to create a fun solution for preventing contamination.

Event Specific Trends

Having worked in the entertainment industry for many years, our team are well aware that there are multiple industries that have unique requirements, but luckily, we have a few tricks up our sleeves for all event types to make your event stand out from the crowd. From decorations to the perfect photo booth, you can choose from a selection of trends to make your own. Below we have pieced together a few of our favourite trends for each event type to give you some inspiration.

Weddings

If Covid has taught us anything, it’s to enjoy the little things in life, not to take things too seriously, and no matter what else goes wrong, as long as you’re surrounded by family and friends, you’ll make it through. This insight into life has taken over wedding trends this year, and we’re in love with some of the laid back concepts our couples-to-be have incorporated.

Relaxed and informal wear is surprisingly right at the top of our list. Instead of expecting guests to come dressed to the nines, many weddings have encouraged guests to arrive casually dressed to enjoy their event. This is a great idea for post-Covid weddings, as many of your guests may have been hit by redundancy or taken a pay cut, meaning they may not have the funds to fork out for an outfit they’ll only wear once. Not only does this make sure your guests feel comfortable, but it also makes the brides stunning wedding dress stand out even more.

For a lot of newlyweds, their ‘I do’s’ were rushed during the pandemic, making after parties one of the must-haves this year. While you may have only been able to have a few people at your wedding a few month’s ago, many couples are choosing to go all out and celebrate with all their friends and family at an after-party (even if that means a year later!). This gives you the chance to incorporate all of the features, decorations and entertainment you always wanted. Extended celebrations are also very popular this year, particularly for those that still want to keep their celebration groups smaller. This is also perfect for when you have multiple age groups at your wedding, as it allows you to create a party to celebrate in accordance with your guests. For example, for elderly guests, you can invite them out for an afternoon tea, for celebrations with friends you can book a night out, and for close relatives, you can opt for a meal at your favourite restaurant. By extending your wedding, you can cater to everyone’s needs while also milking your big day!

Proms & Balls

After many years of working hard, a prom or summer ball can be a big moment in a teenager’s life. It gives them the perfect opportunity to dress up, mess about on the dance floor and say goodbye to friends as they go their separate ways to university. This makes it vitally important to make sure that they go out with a bang!

As restrictions have now eased, it gives you the opportunity to incorporate more trends to give your students a night to remember. The first step is always to consider a theme, as this will help you to create the perfect setting and decorations. Some trending themes include the following:

• Country Style
• Enchanted Forest
• In The Woods/Jungle
• Disco Fever
• Neon
• American Diner
• Masquerade Ball

Now that you have your theme idea, it’s time to think of venues, be sure to pick one that will suit your theme well. For example, for an enchanted forest theme, it may be best to pick an outside venue that you can decorate with lights, artificial flowers and blankets. Now it’s time for the food! While a sit-down meal may seem like a nice way to send off your students, it’s highly unlikely that everyone will enjoy their meal. For this reason, it’s extremely popular to have food stations, buffets and even food trucks.

Brand & Product Launches

More and more people are valuing one-to-one time, making this a great feature to add to your brand launch to get to know your audience and welcome your new products or business. Although the restrictions have lifted, there are still many benefits to showcasing your new products online through video conferencing tools. One of the main advantages is that it can capture more people, targeting audiences on social platforms and allowing guests to attend from all around the world rather than just in the local areas. Luckily, the pandemic has caused video conferencing tools to develop their systems to allow for one-to-one and advanced event features. Through Zoom, for example, you can ask guests to enter a Q&A session after your presentation for a more personal feel.

Taking Inspiration From Event Trends

By taking a look at the current event trends, it can help you to plan an event to remember. Everything from venue decorations in London to food and creative entertainment can all be incorporated into your event for a memorable evening that we think everyone deserves after the hardship of Covid-19. If you are still looking for some clever and innovative ideas to bring your event to life, then why not take a look at our previous articles? You can find everything from wedding themes and baby shower ideas to how to organise a successful corporate event!