In 2022, expect to see a return to more in-person events and a focus on fewer events of a higher quality.

Some of these likely trends are due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while others are a function of the ever-evolving tastes and preferences of event hosts and attendees.

Here’s a closer look at a few of the event trends to expect in 2022.

Live Events Are Back

While the Omicron variant has slowed the return of some live events, many continue to proceed, with participants adhering to proper safety protocols.

Comfort levels are continuing to rise and as more people are more likely to attend events, the more comfort corporate event planners have in investing in this important way to connect and share important messages.

Hybrid Is Here

Since 2020, corporate event planners in NYC have learned how to create and launch dynamic, compelling and powerful hybrid events that combine the best of live and virtual modes. Today, event planners understand how virtual or hybrid events can provide both content and connection.

Hybrid events offer unique advantages to event sponsors and planners, including:

• Better Data. There is more data available, especially from virtual event participants, that can be used to better understand how they engage, interact, participate and consume events
• Expanded Reach. With virtual options, your events can reach people who you never could in a solely in-person experience. Online events have a seemingly limitless capacity and allow you to reach out to more potential guests and engage them where they are
• Flexibility. Virtual event options provide for greater flexibility in the types of programs you can offer, the programming that is offered and how it’s presented. And with a virtual option built into the design, it’s far easier to pivot in the wake of ever-changing health conditions

Sustainability a Consideration

The focus on climate change and its impact on the world is ever-increasing. The trend towards virtual and hybrid events and conferences can become another powerful opportunity for companies seeking to address climate change. Virtual events are increasingly going to be a part of a company’s environmental mitigation strategy.

The Power of Film in Storytelling

The use of film and video has for years been an increasingly common element of corporate events. We see that trend increasing as event planners borrow more from the art of film. No longer will video be just used for B-roll. It will play an ever-expanding role in the storytelling we do and shape how we use events to tell powerful, compelling and thought-provoking stories.

Less Becomes More

There is a lot of noise out there … everywhere. Event planners are recognizing that to cut through that noise means doing fewer, but better and bigger, programs. You want to focus on something that is going to make people sit up and notice in 2022. Events that are exceptional, memorable and have a wow factor are the ones that are really going to stand out.

Leading event planning companies like Twenty Three Layers create events that make an impact, delight attendees and deliver on goals. New York-based companies have had to adapt to a rapidly changing event planning landscape, and the 2022 landscape is no exception.