In November of 2020, we surveyed 2,000 of our customers and asked various questions about hybrid events. When we asked them to give a general forecast of their 2021 events, our survey respondents shared that they plan to allocate nearly 80% of their total spend on virtual and hybrid solutions. To maximize your total spend, ...

Internet service is the thread that weaves together various event elements to help deliver a seamless experience, ensuring attendee satisfaction, and managing costs. That’s why it’s important to hire a dedicated internet services partner.    “Think of it as an insurance policy,” says Alex Wedesky, Encore Director of Internet Services. You pay for insurance to ...

Even the smallest event can involve surprising complexity: innovative technology, remote participants, not to mention on-site curveballs. And with each vendor or production partner, that level of complexity becomes amplified by the need to manage additional people and processes, expectations and production schedules. That’s why – especially if you have limited time and resources – ...

You’ve heard the term ‘immersive experiences.’ But what does that mean? Let’s go beyond the buzzword to look at how you can use cutting-edge and traditional audiovisual (AV) technology to leverage this trend.  What is an immersive experience? An immersive experience is one that engages one or more senses. It encourages people exposed to the experience to become active participants ...

Every year, Encore surveys thousands of meeting and event professionals about meeting/event patterns and formats, how they spend their money and their biggest concerns. Individually, these quarterly Planner Pulse reports form snapshots of current industry trends. But taken collectively, we can begin to forecast where the industry is headed. Looking at the big picture painted ...

Humans are social by nature. We are inherently driven to connect and create moments of belonging. This is where in-person events shine — they satisfy this innate human need while fostering a sense of community. By bringing participants together, you enable engagement on various levels, whether through direct communication, nonverbal cues or even physical touch, ...

Key findings from the Encore 2022 Winter Planner Pulse With the world of events ever-changing, staying up-to-date on the latest industry trends is an essential tool for crafting successful experiences. To help ensure your event design, programming and format resonates with today’s audiences, Encore surveys meeting and event professionals quarterly to capture a closer look ...

Small meetings have become an incredible source of growth and opportunity in the wake of the pandemic. Catering to a group of 50 or fewer participants means you can provide more targeted programming, promote greater intimacy between your audience and stakeholders, and foster meaningful interactions that build trust. This holds true whether you’re conducting a ...

Watching in-person meetings and events return has been exciting. Industry trends have shifted rapidly over the past year which has kept event planners on their toes. Our Winter 2022 Planner Pulse Report indicates that 70% of planners are currently booking or sourcing new events. The industry is getting back on its feet and many events ...

Whether you notice it or not, music is everywhere. It plays in the background of almost every public place you visit — from grocery stores and restaurants to clothing shops. In fact, music is so omnipresent that when it’s absent from something like an event, people notice. “Having no music creates a void that you’re ...

The return of in-person events is a welcome change from the cloistered era of pandemic-induced, learn on the fly virtual event planning. But the rebound also added stress to event professionals, who — even before the pandemic — occupied a job that annually topped CareerCast’s list of “Most Stressful Jobs.” Thankfully, Encore offers resources and ...