7 Game-Changing Event Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2025

Hey event organizers!

2025 is off to a fast start, and it’s shaping up to be another big year in the event industry.  With a whirlwind of new technology and innovations, shifting attendee expectations, and a renewed focus on in-person experiences (not to mention those ever-present budget concerns), the big question is: what trends should planners really be watching this year? How will these elements come together to create the next generation of unforgettable events?

We’ve got you covered! Here’s our list of the top trends every event professional needs to know for the year ahead.

 

I have no shortage of gifs.. : r/DunderMifflin

Trend #1. ROI, ROR & Making Every Event Count

Achieving event success in 2025 goes well beyond packed schedules and lively crowds. As event planners, we’ve all seen the focus in recent years around the idea of return on investment, or ROI, when it comes to our events.  And there are a ton of great strategies and innovative tools out there for maximizing your ROI.  But this year, we’re going to see the focus really shift toward ROR, or return on relationships.  

That’s because with events, it’s not just about the numbers!  We’re an industry that’s built on relationships, connecting and networking with our audiences and teams to forge meaningful and lasting partnerships.  Good ROR strategies will help create brand loyalty and community around your event that will continue to pay dividends well beyond this year’s event itself.

New engagement-scoring technologies and platforms are giving planners more ways to measure these success metrics for their events. Combining qualitative feedback (like attendee sentiment) together with hard metrics (like event attendance) offers a well-rounded view of an event’s overall engagement and its resulting success.  But it doesn’t stop there! Quantifying unique session participation data, conference interactions and networking activities, social proof, and even post-event actions help identify what strategies deliver and where adjustments are needed.

With the right tools, event planners are set up to succeed in 2025 and beyond – ready to satisfy attendees, forge stronger business relationships, and deliver amazing experiences with memorable results!

 

Trend #2. Hybrid Events Are Here to Stay (But Smarter)

Virtual events had their moment of breakthrough during the pandemic, but as the event industry continues to shift more and more back to in-person events, hybrid events have evolved to offer an important remote option for many organizations.  Bridging the gap between virtual and onsite, these hybrid conferences are becoming more refined, offering unparalleled accessibility and inclusivity for a spectrum of attendees worldwide.

If you’re not familiar with hybrid events, the term refers to events that offer both a traditional in-person experience along with online or remote access options.  And we’ve seen a big rise over the past few years that we expect to continue.  In fact, according to the American Express Global Meetings and Events Forecast, we’re now seeing around 20% of events offering some kind of hybrid solution (with 59% in-person-only and 21% fully remote).  

Hybrid events have been reshaping how organizations connect with their audiences, offering flexibility that wasn’t possible in the past. And the numbers don’t lie — a whopping 86% of B2B organizations report positive ROI from hybrid events within just seven months of holding them.

Seamless integration of physical and virtual components is the secret sauce here: think live-streamed keynotes for remote attendees or interactive networking sessions that connect in-person and virtual participants in real time. These elements bring people together in meaningful ways, regardless of their location in the world.  It’s also a big win for event accessibility, offering access to your conference for those unable to attend in-person.  

And again, don’t sleep on those ROI and ROR tools (see Trend #1)! Data analytics and engagement scoring tools can be perfectly tailored to hybrid events since you’re often already integrating digital touch-points and access for your online components, helping you better understand what’s working, what’s not, and how attendees engage across different formats.

 

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Trend #3. AI-Powered Magic: Personalization Like Never Before

Attendee personalization has long been a goal for event planners, but until recently, delivering highly tailored experiences at scale was more of a dream than a reality. In 2024, we saw event professionals starting to adopt AI tools in all sorts of new ways.  And in 2025, these technologies are firmly cementing their place as indispensable resources for creating experiences that feel uniquely designed for each attendee.

What kind of attendee personalization are we talking about? AI is powering innovations that range from matchmaking platforms, to personalized session recommendations that make sure participants’ schedules align with their professional goals, to post-event summaries that leave attendees with clear takeaways of what they just witnessed.  With 57% of attendees highly valuing these summaries, this is a trend that’s making a real impact.

But personalization goes beyond just making agenda recommendations. AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek — along with the applications integrating these models into their software — can now assist with making pre-event and post-event communications more efficient, more targeted, and more appealing. You can even use AI tools like Gamma, DALL-E, and Midjourney, to help design stunning visuals to supplement your event marketing materials and excite attendees before the event even begins.

Once on-site (or online), AI sentiment analysis takes personalization a step further, gauging audience reactions in real time. This kind of feedback can help event organizers maintain active participant interest throughout the entire event, and provide valuable insights and takeaways for future events.

With over 63% of planners already using AI tools to streamline everything from content creation to logistics and data analysis, 2025 is shaping up to be the year where personalization becomes not just achievable, but expected — redefining the attendee experience in the process.  We’re definitely keeping a close eye on this one, and will continue keeping you updated on the latest AI tools and insights that matter most to event planners!

 

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4. Sustainable and Inclusive (and Here to Stay)

Over the past few years, sustainability and inclusivity have steadily climbed the list of priorities for event planners, and in 2025, they are firmly at the top of many industry conversations.  

Attendees increasingly expect eco-friendly and ethically conscious practices when it comes to the events they choose to attend. Sustainable choices can be a win for your event, for attendees, and for the planet.  That’s why we see planners across the board actively adopting measures that reduce waste, prioritize renewable resources, and ensure equitable access for all participants.

So what are some ways you can make your event more sustainable and inclusive in 2025?  There are a ton of resources and sustainable event guides out there, including our own!  But some of the eco-conscious trends we’re seeing this year include ditching plastic badges for more sustainable paper on-demand event badge solutions, sourcing local and planet-positive catering options, and being thoughtful about waste and material selections.  

When it comes to more inclusive event planning, venue selection is key. Planners are on the hunt for spaces that not only meet accessibility standards, but take transit options into consideration as well.  And bonus sustainability points if the venue achieves green building certifications!  Globally, 1.3 billion people experience a range of disabilities, meaning accessibility isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a must.  Event planners in 2025 should be stepping up to create experiences that welcome everyone.

Speaking of venue choices, that leads us right into:

 

Trend #5. Unique & Experiential Venues Are on the Rise

In 2024, we saw attendees increasingly craving experiences that go beyond the ordinary, and in 2025, this trend is at many event planners’ top of mind.

Looking at venues outside of traditional settings, from experience-based settings, to historic or culturally significant locations, to museums, and even unconventional spaces that don’t typically cater to events can create immersive and distinct environments that leave a lasting impression. In fact, 49% of North American planners have prioritized booking unique venues for their 2025 events, which is a significant jump from recent years.

The appeal of these venues goes beyond just the aesthetics. Many of these places allow for more creative layouts that cater to diverse needs, or a more interesting overall attendee experience.  Some are perfect for more immersive or branded experiences as well.

This year, we’re sure to see one-of-a-kind experiences that make their mark on the industry, dominate our social feeds, and create serious event FOMO, as planners continue to recognize that the setting of an event is as much a part of the experience as the programming itself.

 

two men are standing next to each other looking at a cell phone ..

Trend #6. Event Tech Takes the Wheel

We’ve seen massive strides in recent years when it comes to event technology and event management software, and in 2025, we’ll see more and more planners embracing these innovations and depending on them as essential tools to drive their process.  

Whether it’s an all-in-one solution or something more flexible that you can tailor to your specific event needs, there’s tech out there to help you streamline and deliver better results for every step of your event.  From seamless conference registration and signups, to pre-event communication and automated attendee data collection, to badge design tools and logistics configurations – new tools can help you be more efficient and effective, and deliver a better experience to your audience and attendees.

When it comes to the day-of event, advancements in onsite check-in and registration technology can help take the stress out of check-ins and even reduce the staffing needed.  Plus, fewer lines and less chaos upon arrival can dramatically improve your attendee experience and set right the tone for your event.  Combine that with session and engagement tracking, real-time analytics, mobile-friendly digital agendas and attendee networking opportunities, and that’s a big win for event planners (and attendees).  

But that’s not it – as event planners, we all know that once an event ends, that doesn’t mean the work is over.  Leverage your tech platforms for attendee feedback, analytics, session data like lead retrieval and continuing education credits, and follow-up marketing. 

As event technology tools continue to evolve and see widespread adoption, they’re no longer just nice-to-have extras—they’re becoming essential for running smooth, engaging, and data-driven events. 

 

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7. Data Activation: From Overload to Insight

With the speed of information these days, we all know the pain running into a manual process that really slows us down. This year, however, the tools to activate and harness data are becoming more widely available and easier to implement. 

With the abundance of digital touchpoints, encountering data overload is a real concern. And many teams still rely on manual processes that can be both inefficient and lead to errors or mistakes.  For instance, 45% of planners are still manually inputting lead information. 

Improving data activation this year can start with the basics. Badge printing and QR Code solutions can automate lead retrieval, provide real-time check-in info, session participation stats, and networking opportunities that can automatically sync with your event software platform.  Establishing a single source of truth across teams that’s efficient and error-free, ensures everyone involved in planning and analyzing the event is working with consistent, accurate data. 

Innovations and automations like this are becoming easier and easier to integrate across all aspects of your event, and this year we’ll see more planners move from being overwhelmed by data to using it strategically for better event outcomes—a win-win for both planners and attendees!

 

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The Future of Events Is Now

2025 is poised to be the year where data, technology, conscious planning, and personalization redefine what it means to create a successful event. Planners who embrace these trends will bring their attendees experiences that are engaging and unforgettable – all while improving their own efficiencies and analysis in the process.  Here’s to a great year of events ahead!

 

February 5, 2025

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February 5, 2025

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