I’ve had a number of conversations recently that got me thinking about some of the shifts happening in our industry. Nothing formal, this isn’t a trend report or predictions, but rather a few recurring themes that keep surfacing when I talk with clients and fellow agency owners. They’re not seismic developments, but each has the potential to shape the events industry in meaningful ways.
1. The Shift Toward Year-Round Thinking
I’m seeing more clients explore long-term event strategies that stretch across the full year and multiple touchpoints. Instead of treating each event as a standalone moment, they’re thinking about continuity, cohesiveness, and how the story unfolds over time. It’s not the majority yet, but I like this trend. Events will always differ from PR or advertising; most are still viewed as one-off experiences rather than integrated campaigns. But when brands zoom out and see events as part of a broader arc, the results are stronger for the organizations and healthier for the industry as a whole. It’s a smarter, more strategic way of working.
2. An RFP Crossroads?
RFPs feel like they’re at an inflection point. On one hand, clients are routinely bringing more agencies into the process and asking for increasingly extensive responses. On the other, agencies are becoming more selective about where to invest their time and energy. Some are even taking protective measures around their IP. One owner I spoke with this week shared that they now charge for proposals. We don’t take that approach, but I understand the rationale. It raises a bigger question: are clients asking for more because they truly need it, or are agencies finally feeling empowered to push back on what has long been a one sided process? I’m not sure if the balance of power is shifting, but it certainly feels worth noting.
3. Integrating AI at Events
I wasn’t going to make it through a full post without mentioning AI, was I? Clients are already asking how to bring it into their events. It makes sense, AI is everywhere and brands want in on the conversation. The real challenge is making it meaningful. A gimmicky AI integration won’t do much, but when it actually enhances interaction, personalization, or storytelling, it can be powerful. The catch is that AI is moving so fast that long term plans risk feeling outdated before the event even happens. Eventually things will stabilize, but until then it will be interesting to see how agencies and brands adapt in real time.
Leave a Reply