Daring to be Bold in the new world of events

With business events evolving to reflect changes in the workplace as well as wider cultural, social, and digital changes, The QEII Centre has launched its Dare to be Bold campaign to help event planners think outside the box.

New expectations

We’ve witnessed a shift in the type of events that resonate with delegates. This change began over a decade ago and has accelerated in the last five years. Much has changed in this time. Millennials and Gen Z now comprise over half (55%) of the UK workforce, compared to only a third a decade ago. This generation grew up in a digital world, and are drawn to events that mirror the fast-paced, visually rich digital world they live in.

We’ve seen broader cultural and social changes, too. Over the last five to ten years, with the increase in remote working and the ubiquity of technology and social media, the lines between leisure and work, and work and home, have become blurred. Today’s delegate expects workplaces (and by extension, events) to feel more like home, with all the comfort and personalisation that entails.

In this time, we’ve also seen workspaces become more experiential and intentional – places to visit for clearly defined outcomes. This mix of changes have fed into the world of business events, leading to innovative new formats and opening up opportunities to engage on a deeper and more impactful level with delegates.

Make it personal

In addition to these cultural, technological, and social changes, an estimated 15–20% of today’s UK workforce identifies as neurodiverse, which includes variations in brain function such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. As traditional event formats can be draining and intense for those with diverse needs, it’s encouraging to see so many event planners adapting event formats and designing events with differing needs in mind.

From walking meetings and quiet zones to curated networking experiences – adapting an event format for diverse needs is an excellent way to ensure that everyone feels welcome and valued. In our experience, these carefully considered events result in a better experience and higher engagement for everybody.

Re-imagine events

Re-imagining how events could be run doesn’t mean tearing everything up, but it can pay to make bold choices. Experimenting with immersive technology, playing with design, formats, and introducing fresh new voices and ideas to your speaker line-up can effectively engage with the differing needs and expectations of today’s delegate.

Today’s delegates attend events for great content, connection, and idea sharing, but they’re also seeking meaningful experiences that they can’t find elsewhere. At The QEII Centre, we’ve seen many creative and well-executed examples of this re-imagining in action, from silent conferences to detailed menu personalisation for delegates of different nationalities, and from immersive branding, marketing, and AV to table-side cooking demonstrations for a culinary event.

The QEII Centre’s spaces are built to adapt to big ideas, whether that’s a creative product launch, a hybrid experience with global reach, or an unexpected collaboration that challenges industry norms. Our in-house technical production team QEII Live works closely with planners to bring ambitious ideas to life. From dynamic LED wall set-ups and immersive lighting schemes to live-streaming, virtual speaker integrations and multi-room productions.

As a purpose-built, blank canvas event space, our venue is designed for big ideas. Whether you are looking for large, medium or small spaces, The QEII Centre can accommodate a wide range of layouts and capacities. Some capacities can be increased by removing walls between rooms, providing plenty of options for networking and breakout spaces. From full centre functions to intimate board meetings, you are never short of options, and the space and flexibility with which to create your unique vision.

Dare to be Bold

Our in-house caterers, QEII Taste, are experts in thinking outside the box. For our recent showcase at the venue, they created incredible, mouth-watering displays to generate excitement and spark conversations. This included live cooking stations featuring a variety of delicious paella, ‘sea water’ starters including cucumber and ginger tea, chalk stream trout tart and a plant-based miso ice cream station with edible sand. The talented team also designed the ‘seafood floor’ – an artistic and impressive edible display of tempura sea leaves, coral tuile, savoury sponges and edible stones.

The sustainability-focused QEII Taste employ a tailored approach to event catering, with bespoke formats and menus that cater to individual tastes and event requirements.

We champion planners who think differently. From unique menu formats to show-stopping AV or incredible personalisation, what steps could you take towards bold new event design?