The Future of Events: Balancing Hybridization, Sustainability, and In-Person Connection in 2025

2024 has been a high-intensity year of events for Emerging, accentuated by exceptional engagement in events. As part of our suite of services, events serve as a critical platform for advancing the goals of our clients and fostering impactful connections. Through these engagements, we have observed emerging trends poised to reshape the landscape of stakeholder mobilization and communication in 2025 and beyond.

Online vs. Live Events: A New Balance.

In the post-pandemic landscape, the event space evolved, with hybrid formats and sustainability emerging as defining trends. Online activities have numerous benefits and are favoured for their affordability, global reach, and convenience, making them ideal for webinars, training, and certain conferences.

However, we have noted a resurgence of Live Events in 2024. Despite online success, in-person events are seeing strong demand. People crave the human connection, networking opportunities, and sensory experiences that live events uniquely provide. Clients focus on more localized curated activities to reach their goals and target audiences more effectively. They are great for relationship building and bilateral engagement towards more committed outcomes. One of our clients recently likened the outcomes of our UNFCCC engagement to “3 years of relationship building, reputational enhancement and business development in 2 weeks!”

What are the new trends?

We are seeing the hybrid model emerging as a major trend by blending the best of both worlds, hybrid events cater to diverse audiences and deliver greater flexibility. They require thorough preparation, and a solid technical infrastructure which can become a technical challenge depending on the territory of operation, but they are here to stay as they enable global participation while maintaining local engagement. Hybrid events are a way to make events more inclusive, allowing people with disabilities, budget constraints, or other barriers to participate. Additionally, digital components provide event organizers with real-time analytics on audience behaviour, engagement levels, and content preferences and allows for us to readjust our clients’ strategies. Finally, in the face of uncertainties like travel restrictions or local outbreaks, hybrid models ensure event continuity.

Emerging is a remotely operated firm since its inception and is a member of the United Nations Global Compact, so it is understood that we also analyze the environmental impact of our events from a sustainability perspective. Sustainability has become a critical consideration in the events industry, and this is a factor we are also taking into consideration. It is now a part of our responsibility to be driven by a heightened environmental approach. Some examples of sustainable practices on our check list include:

• Prioritizing eco-conscious venues
• Measures of waste reduction
• Partnerships with organizations to offset the carbon footprint from travel and logistics
• Virtual participation
• Sustainable materials
• Catering choices

In 2025, the events landscape will continue to evolve, with hybridization and sustainability shaping how organizations engage their audiences. The balance between online and live events highlights the importance of adaptability, offering global reach and cost-efficiency while meeting the demand for human connection and localized impact. By integrating hybrid models and sustainable practices, Emerging is committed to fostering inclusive, impactful, and environmentally conscious event experiences that advance client goals and stakeholder engagement.

We look forward to 2025 and hope to see you soon in-person or online!