Event ROI: become an Event Optimizer
- November 26, 2025
- Events
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The events sector in 2024: what's at stake?
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by Jade Caillot
- December 5, 2023
- Events
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Heavent Paris is a compass for the French event market. And the 2023 edition, the 23e of the name, closed with a series of records, whether in terms of visitor numbers, stands, exhibiting companies or foreign exhibitors. What does this undeniable success say about the future of the sector, and in particular about trends for 2024?
A stroll through the aisles of Heavent Paris 2023, which closed its doors on November 16, was enough to detect a positive energy rarely felt at this time of year.
Traditionally, November is a time for players to express their concerns about the uncertainties of the coming year.
This is not the case in 2023. After exceptional years in 2022 and 2023, everyone seems to be looking forward to the coming years with great optimism. While event operators (agencies, service providers, venues, destinations...) certainly have reason to believe, growth may not happen on its own.
Firstly, the success of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris will obviously influence the morale of the entire French events sector for years to come. But regardless of the2024 Games, the development of Events (with a capital E!) will accelerate in the future if professionals lead the transitions they are facing, which were discussed in the various conferences and workshops at Heavent Paris.
Paris 2024 will reveal much of its truth in the coming weeks
The current upheavals surrounding the Games, caused by the question of security or transport, by the searches or even the outrageous prices of metro tickets or hotel rooms, do nothing to dampen the general good mood. It has to be said over and over again: the 2024 edition of the summer games will be exceptional, starting with the singular opening ceremony, about which nothing will be known until D-day. Stakeholders (the Organizing Committee, sports federations, the National Olympic Committee, corporate partners and certainly many others) are currently planning their event activations.
Many operators, and venue managers in particular, are hoping that the hoped-for strong momentum will live up to their expectations. On this point, the first quarter of 2024 should provide the first indicators of the mobilization and desire of all stakeholders to invest more or less massively in side events. The creative, technical and financial capacity of event industry professionals to respond to these principals during the summer of 2024 will have a lasting impact on the French event industry in the years to come.
The first of these transitions is the sustainability of events.
Paris 2024 is shaping up to be the most eco-responsible Olympic Games in history. The organizing committee is in step with French professionals, who, in terms of ISO 20121 certification, are the most advanced countries in the world in this field. The challenge in the years to come, starting with 2024, is to move from intentions to solutions.
The announced revision of the ISO 20121 standard, one of the legacies of the Games, should give priority and reward to action.
In recent months, a number of carbon calculators dedicated to the event industry have appeared in France (Cleo, Climeet, ClimateSeed...), which will help you opt for low-carbon solutions right from the design stage.
Endally, labels such as LEAD-Label événement à ambition durable-will encourage and perpetuate best practices in the areas of waste, carbon emissions and social issues.
With these tools - and others... - the commitment is real and aims to integrate new solutions, often more innovative and ever more respectful of the climate, human beings, diversity... The stakes are high: to create decarbonized emotion and therefore perpetuate the event industry, which would put itself in danger if it did not respect this trajectory.
Meaning as the basis for every event approach
Eco-responsibility is part of the new meaning to be given to events.
Beyond being aligned with the company's values and vision, the event now seeks to generate a lasting impact on each individual participant, on the audience or community as a social body, and on the world. It must bring them value. For each and every one of them, the event will leave a positive legacy to be maintained and promoted.
Meaning is also expressed in the content of the event: destinations that display a singularity in line with the event's objectives, venues, such as heritage or cultural venues , and activities that, in addition to giving pleasure to those who practice them, bring value to others, will be increasingly favored. An event is often expensive, so every euro spent must demonstrate, in 2024 even more than in previous years, that it creates value.
Organizing a meaningful event, the commitment of the CEO of Républik Supply.
Data enhances event content
To meet audience objectives and improve the participant experience, you need to know them better. 2024 will usher in the era of data in events.
Collecting, analyzing and exploiting data are becoming strategic levers for the success of events.
Not only do they enable us to better understand our audiences, but also to personalize experiences, measure performance and ROI, target communications and marketing, forecast future trends and develop new partnerships...
Data fosters a constant process of improvement. If it enables the creation of stronger content and the evaluation of its impact on audiences, it will also encourage investment in events.
The surprises of artificial intelligence
We're only at the beginning of the generative AI adventure, but 2024 will undoubtedly mark the advent and development of the first innovative solutions drawn from this technology of the future.
When you consider the effect of GPT chat on content editing, the range of possibilities offered by the 2,000 to 3,000 AIs already in existence is limitless.
From the creation to the production of events, their influence will be enormous, although we can't fully imagine the impact.
AI will undoubtedly make it possible to analyze data and thus :
- personalize experiences,
- optimize production resources in the field,
- automate many repetitive tasks,
- improve audience engagement,
- improve safety features,
- make experiences even more immersive or interactive when coupled with other technologies such as augmented reality or virtual reality...
In short, there's no end to the surprises!
The entire events industry is eagerly awaiting 2024.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be the visible face of a rapidly changing French events sector that expects long-term benefits from this incredible Olympic adventure.
At the same time, the players must continue their technical, technological, marketing, digital and eco-responsible transformation, which will undoubtedly shape the attractiveness of tomorrow's event industry.
Organize a sustainable, meaningful business event
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