The 2025 events season is underway but before you start booking venues, grab a coffee and take 5 minutes to familiarise yourself with the biggest trends in the industry this year. In a climate of uncertainty, it’s important to have your finger on the pulse so that your organisation can create events that are relevant, sensitive and impactful. This year, budgets are likely to be tight so it’s time to use creative strategies to achieve your goals. Here are our top 8 event trends for 2025:
Immersive experiences
Passive attendance is a thing of the past. This year, think about ways you can use technology to enhance the storytelling element of live events and deepen guest engagement as a result. Attendees want to be fully involved in the event experience and to connect with tailored content on a deeper level.
That doesn’t mean going fully immersive straight away. Start small, get feedback and refine the experience for next time. One easy win might be moving from static presentations to more interactive workshops or using pre-event and onsite surveys to get instant feedback from delegates.
VR headsets and technology-enhanced event production will make your guests feel like VIPS and foster a sense of pride and excitement in your organisation
AI strategies
Think about using AI to enhance brand activations at your event and create unique personal experiences for each delegate. As well as using AI for practical initiatives like note taking and personalised meeting content, consider other playful uses. Perhaps guests could customise their own event avatars based on the theme of the conference.
Sustainability is expected
Sustainability is no longer a nice to have, it’s the norm so make sure you sense check every decision against the environmental impact. According to an ICCA 2023 international sustainability report in the events sector, 71% of respondents cited sustainability as “extremely important” or “very important”, while 25% of respondents also reported a “significant increase” in participants requesting more sustainable options or initiatives in live events
The destination you choose is one of the biggest factors when it comes to the carbon emissions of your event so staying in the UK might make more sense than booking flights overseas. From the savings you make on travel, why not opt for a luxurious 5-star venue like Estelle Manor (just down the road from Octopus HQ) in Oxfordshire that creates an exceptional experiences for your guests. You won’t hear any complaints when they clap eyes on the 3,000sqm Roman-inspired spa.
Unique venues and destinations are still a popular choice, particularly if they align to company values or set the tone in delivering the right message. Newquay in Cornwall has moved on from its reputation as a mecca for stag and hen dos and is a hot destination for 2025. Many hotels in the area, like Watergate Bay and Bedruthan focus on sustainability, exhilarating outdoor experiences and the mental health benefits of time spent by the coast. Team building activities could include yoga on the beach or surfing lessons.
Zero Waste
As well as recycling facilities and water refills, think carefully about catering. Survey your guests in advance for their dietary requirement and, based on the information gathered, look at reducing the choice of menu options or including more plant-based dishes. The PIG hotel chain has a philosophy that everything on the menu is either grown in their kitchen gardens or sourced from within a 25-mile radius.
Data-Driven Personalisation
Instead of a group of 100 people, think of your guests as a collection of unique individuals. The more attention you pay to each person, the more valued they will feel. Data plays a huge role – so much so that we’ve written a whole blog about it – so from attendee registration onwards, make sure you’re asking the right questions and using the answers to inform your decision making.
Keep your overall goals in mind
At every stage of the planning, consider what the purpose of your event is and focus on the ‘why’ over the ‘how’. Even event professionals are sometimes guilty of focusing on the creative details, but every aspect of your event should be geared towards the overall goal you are trying to achieve. That might be employee engagement, team building, sales growth or the successful launch of a rebrand.
In an ideal world you would ask your guests before, during and after the event to communicate their understanding of why they are there and what the event is for. It’s been a success if they all come up with the same answer!
Create synergy between work and home
Hybrid working has blurred the lines between work and home and it’s a good boost for employee morale if the importance of life outside work is reflected in the events programme. If your business has a heavy focus on being family friendly – why not organise your event before or after school holidays and work with the hotel to offer a favourable room rate so that employees can bring their families to stay for a few days if they want to. The offer won’t be taken up by everyone but it’s the thought that counts and employees will take note.
Prioritise attendee’s mental health at every stage with breaks scheduled for spending time outside in nature and “quiet” rooms to relax in between sessions.
Explore new formats
With data and AI allowing us to personalise more deeply and create immersive experiences, don’t be afraid to experiment with multiple event formats. If you don’t have the technology infrastructure in place to execute your vision, look at working with an outside partner – at Octopus, we can recommend several suppliers.
Consider whether your event can be broken down into smaller, more intimate and personalised workshops where guests can interact more. Or, can you offer specific activities to attract different types of attendees instead of one generic team building event? For an event we organised in Venice, we offered multiple activities, both on and offsite, for guests to choose from. These included a private Murano glass tour and a gastronomic tour of local markets and hidden cafes, to a lively five aside football match.
To talk about how to incorporate the latest trends into your 2025 events, contact Sarah Hopgood here, email hello@octopusevents.com or call 07860 145950
