Tis the season to reflect on the past year and look forward to what awaits us in 2014. And as we here at Planning Pod prepare for a year of growth and new tools and features, we wanted to give you the inside scoop on what we’ve been hearing from event professionals and what we’ve observed in our own business with our 2014 event management trends blog post.

So here are 8 trends in event planning and event technology we have been seeing over the last few months that we believe will carry through to much of 2014.

4 Trends in Event Planning for 2014
1. A push for the exotic
Many event planners are looking to more exotic cuisines and cultures to add spice to events and deviate from the norm. From corporate events to weddings, clients are looking to planners to create a vivid experience, and planners are finding inspiration from Cuba to Capetown to give it to them.

2. Spending is still tight
As the country’s economy recovers, both companies and individuals are still hesitant to spend money, and this includes on events. Business will still keep a very close eye on event budgets and be hesitant to splurge on expensive decor, entertainment or travel, and individuals will look to less expensive solutions for parties and weddings.

3. Shorter lead times continue
Companies will continue to stay lean-and-mean and respond in quick fashion to changes in the markeplace, and this reflexive business model will spill over into events. Gone are long lead times and many months of event prep time, and in their place are short-turn events that require quick thinking and flexibility. And as those long engaged couples finally decide to tie the knot, they will not be pusing out their dates but will opt for smaller, faster turn events.

4. Creative outlets at events becoming more popular
Providing attendees and guests for ways to express their creativity at events will continue to foster guest engagement. Those events that provide guests with tools that enable them to shape their experiences – from crowdsourced content to interactive displays and forums – will be more memorable and inspirational.

4 Trends in Event Technology in 2014
1. Decentralization of planning teams pushes collaboration
One thing we have seen is the increase of telecommuting as well as geographically dispersed planning teams, which has increased the demand of tools that connect teams as well as provide centralized repositories of information. Collaboration tools will become even more important as event planners strive to keep everyone on task.

2. Increased demand for application integration
One request we have seen increase in the last few months at Planning Pod is whether our tools sync or work with other popular software applications. This desire for software/app integration and syncing will continue to increase for all event technology providers as users look to their new apps and software to pull or share existing data from their older applications.

3. Streamlining of tools, software and apps
On the flip side is that event professionals also want to cut down on the number of tools and resources they are using in order to streamline their processes. Instead of using separate tools for dozens of discrete tasks (to-do’s, budgeting, communications, finances, venue/room layouts, etc.), they are looking for fewer tools to do more. This could lead to some consolidation in the industry, but probably not for a few more years.

4. On-site apps more widely used
From on-site registration and social media interactivity to agenda and content sharing, event app and mobile platforms for handheld phones and tablets are becoming increasingly popular with event management professionals, and these technologies will be seen and used at even more events this year. However, there are a wealth of technologies and features available, and in the next year or two we will see a leveling out of the playing field as event managers discover which features  are most widely used and appreciated by their attendees and guests.

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As you consider your event planning or venue management technology needs for 2014, see how Planning Pod’s 20+ tools can simplify how you manage your events or venues and collaborate with people. Try Planning Pod free for 14 days.