Meeting formats of the future

To meet the needs of future generations and the demand for a higher ‘Return on Meeting Investment’, meeting organisers need to shift towards co-creating events and facilitating meaningful connections between delegates. 

For years there have been clear signs that live meetings needed to shift away from one-way-communication formats and massive contributions to carbon emissions.

The pandemic disrupted meetings and congresses even further, forcing meeting organisers to adapt. The very essence of why we need to meet face-to-face was questioned and debated. The conclusions were clear. People still want to meet in person, but for delegates to prioritise international travel, the value of the congress must outweigh the cost, time, comforts of home and sustainability concerns.      

The shifting needs and priorities of delegates require new approaches to organising events and creative solutions for the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of association congresses.

The co-creation of new methods

With the ‘Meeting Formats of the Future’ initiative, MeetDenmark is co-creating new designs to enhance meeting outcomes and impacts in collaboration with international associations.

The initiative is looking to kickstart an important industry discussion with the aim for not-for-profit associations to:

• Get a more in-depth understanding of how new trends and disruptions impact the event industry, and what it means to the design of their meetings.
• Discuss what we need to stop doing at our events and adopt different approaches to organising face-to-face.    
• Be inspired by new ideas and best practice for events and meeting design.