ExpoPlatform Releases Event Tech Forecast 2023

January 13, 2023

ExpoPlatform, which uses AI-powered solutions to build events, communities and marketplaces across in-person, virtual and hybrid channels, unveiled the Event Tech Forecast 2023. The report focuses on how the digital evolution of the industry will shape businesses this year and features exclusive findings from professionals and expert insights from top contributors.

The four sections of the report include:

  • The amount of annual revenue expected to come from digital channels
     
  • The biggest windows of opportunity for event technology
     
  • The most important challenges facing event professionals
     
  • The key ways event tech is helping the industry

The Event Tech Forecast 2023 comes amid a huge return to live events over the last 12 months, with many organizers now recognizing digital as a key part of their offerings, according to Conor Riordan, content editor at ExpoPlatform.

“The events industry is going through a digital renaissance, with participants in live shows now expecting their experiences to be fueled by technology,” Riordan said. “The [report’s] findings reveal that organizers too are seeing this as crucial to their business models as a way to increase revenue and reach and improve offerings.”

He added, “Our study highlights some of the challenges planners will face in getting to grips with this new landscape, while also giving advice from an expert panel about how to make the most of any opportunities.”

Digital Revenue

Half of event professionals surveyed for the study now expect between 10% and 29% of their annual revenue in 2023 to come from digital channels, an increase of more than 10% compared with ExpoPlatform’s previous research in July 2022. Additionally, 9% of respondents believe digital channels will account for 70% or more of revenue, and 9% expect it to be between 50% and 69%.

Meanwhile, more than have of respondents predict digital revenue to increase in 2023, 32% believe it will remain the same, and 5% think it will decrease.

Windows of Opportunity for Event Tech

The study revealed several areas where event tech will play a key role, with community nurturing for engagement, revenue and reach at the top of the list, according to 64% of respondents. Other areas include providing exhibitor ROI (50%), digital monetization (50%) behavioral metrics (36%), mass personalization (36%) and product discovery (14%).

Key Challenges

The survey includes the top challenges facing event professionals, with a seamless experience across platforms as the biggest, according to 59% of respondents, followed by good exhibitor ROI (55%), integration between suppliers (55%) and lack of skilled resources (55%). Other obstacles reported include smooth exhibitor onboarding (36%) and audience levels (32%).

Top Uses for Event Tech

Event professionals surveyed chimed in on 10 key ways they are using event tech, including:

  • Event mobile app (64%)
     
  • AI matchmaking (50%)
     
  • Lead retrieval (50%)
     
  • Community and marketplace (45%)
     
  • Interactive floorplan (45%)
     
  • On-demand content for post-event (41%)
     
  • Simultaneous hybrid streaming (32%)
     
  • Self-service exhibitor stands (28%)
     
  • Hosted buyer meetings (23%)
     
  • Location-based notifications and analysis (18%)
     

For more details on the report’s findings and to receive insights and advice from industry experts, click  here to download a free copy of the Event Tech Forecast 2023.  

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.