#MICETRENDS
BELONGING:
THE NEW BUZZWORD
Conference delegates want to feel a sense of belonging when attending an event. This is a trend that has surfaced after the pandemic and that event organisers are paying attention to in 2023.
O
ne of the first event trends we saw emerging after Covid travel and social gathering restrictions were lifted was the fact that people were hungry for physical contact, and they wanted to meet each other in person. Face-to-face meetings on the exhibition stand have become popular as a result, but organisers have also started paying attention to creating personal spaces for delegates.
ARE HYBRID EVENTS IN AGAIN? Inclusivity is not a new concept for event organisers. They already know that their venues should be accessible to those with physical disabilities – from restaurants, restrooms and auditoriums with seating areas for wheelchairs to drop-off points at entrances. However, the mental and emotional wellness of people should also be taken into consideration. This may include delegates who are not comfortable in crowds and who choose to join events online.
LET TECHNOLOGY DO THE JOB Consider adding a livestream, or posting a video on your website of show activities to include those people who live too far away or might have been too sick to attend. If you do that, you might see them at the next show.
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To be more inclusive and create that feeling of being special and belonging somewhere, stands can be designed to have sit-down areas with coffee, or interactive areas with touch screens. Everybody wants to feel special and included, and short video interviews could be conducted with delegates and posted online (of course with their permission) or you could have a photo booth and email photos with a post-event report to delegates after the show. Consider screens with captions in different languages to make it easy for all to get the message or understand the brand. After all, we do have 11 official languages in South Africa. Organisers should create spaces for likeminded communities where attendees can congregate and spend time. Live competitions are always exciting at a show and draw attendees.
INCLUDE THE HEARING IMPAIRED In 1996, the South African Constitution identified South African Sign Language (SASL) as one of the languages in our country to be promoted and developed. In 2018, SASL became the official language at schools for the hearing impaired in South Africa. SASL development and standardisation started. On 2 May 2023, a historic milestone was reached – National Assembly
approved SASL to become South Africa’s 12th official language. This means the hearing impaired community of our country is a step closer to truly belonging in the workplace. This news opens up new career possibilities for young people, who could qualify as SASL interpreters. There are a number of very good certificate courses available at tertiary institutions such as Wits University, University of the Free State, North-West University, Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria, University of KZN and Eden Language Academy. Meetings asked Carol Weaving, managing director, RX Africa, whether the events industry is ready to embrace SASL as a new language at conferences. “I think as an industry we should have already been having a sign language expert at our live conferences. This of course adds a layer of costs to the budget but could also be a sponsorship opportunity for event organisers and partners to collaborate on.” She adds that registration and event staff would also have to be trained, but that many people want to have this as an additional skill in their armoury. “Furthermore, event organisers and exhibitors who provide sign language interpretation may attract a larger audience and reach a wider market.”
MEETINGS MAY/JUNE 2023 •
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