Events and Entertainment Trends in 2021 – Rebuilding the entertainment industry

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If any industry suffered most from the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, it was the events and entertainment sector. Even when other services were allowed back in business, albeit briefly, entertainment businesses never regained any ground. The rebuilding of the events industry will require adaptation to the new landscape that 2020 created. It will mean fully embracing the emerging entertainment trends of 2021. There are whole new ways for people to engage, while still staying safe and rebuilding confidence in a group setting.

The COVID-19 pandemic almost destroyed an entire industry. Not only are events termed as luxuries, but they are also the industry most affected by limited capacities and social distancing. 2021 does have some light to shed on ailing entertainment and events business. As vaccination rates increase, and more people become less vulnerable to the direst consequences of contracting the COVID-19 virus, the more people will be allowed to mingle. And the more people allowed to gather together, the more in need they will be of entertainment after months of deprivation. 

How Can We Predict With So Little Data for 2020?

The fact is there is data available. The entertainment businesses that managed to survive and thrive through the drought of 2020 have adapted quickly. Not only is there scope for existing businesses to expand and rebuild their previous levels of success, but new niches are also opening up for recovering and fledgeling companies to show their innovation.

We aren’t there yet, but when countries worldwide reach a vaccination point that protects it most vulnerable citizens, we will see an explosion in communal, social, and experiential entertainment events. 

Live and In-Person, But with a difference 

We are human, and even the most introverted of us need interaction and engagement with the wider world. Real-world, experiential events will draw people out of their homes as soon as circumstances allow it. However, technological advancements, lingering fears and a desire to avoid every having to lock down again will alter the live experience for a long time to come.

Even with the most vulnerable made safe against the worst ravages of COVID-19, there will still be safeguards in place. 2021 will not see the elimination of facemasks, nor will there be an overnight eradication of social distancing and capacity restrictions. However, you will see more people mingling and experiencing live music, theatre, film, and other events with likeminded people.

Even with easing capacity restriction and allowing people to mingle safeguards will probably entail negative COVID-19 testing before events, along with vaccination “passports” when vaccines begin distribution to the general population.

The Open Air is SO Much More Inviting

To combat the lingering fears people have, of mingling in tight spaces, outdoor venues will become significantly more popular and in high demand. Not just for the usual concerts, but also more personal events such as weddings and christenings. With so many of these significant life events cancelled or postponed due to severely tight attendance restrictions, indoor venues will be unable to accommodate both old and new bookings. Moreover, outdoor venues are more likely to feel an easing of capacity restrictions far sooner than indoor ones.

If the vaccination schedules go as planned in much of the developed world, we should see an easing of large capacity crowds by the beginning of summer. And summer is the time when outdoor events are more likely to go ahead with fair weather predictions – it’s a win:win all round. 

It is strongly indicated that even when the summer ends, outdoor events and venues will continue in their popularity.

Hybrid-Virtual Events

While many people deprived of experiences outside the home will be desperate to once again feel alive in the atmosphere of a live event, not everyone will feel that way immediately. Businesses that have embraced the virtual aspects of entertainment throughout 2020 won’t give it up easily. There will still be people who can’t be vaccinated, still fear the virus, or are too sick to attend events. They will still appreciate and PAY FOR, a virtual experience. 

What’s more, we have no idea when things like travel restrictions will lift. Consequently, appealing to virtual event attendees from far away expands the profit margin significantly. It’s a two-for-one deal on the side of the event organisers.

If you can’t catch a flight to see your favourite artist, maybe you could get the virtual ticket instead. 

Hybrid platforms will become more sophisticated, and offer more than a simple 2D representation of a 4-dimensional experience.

Event Tech Boom

Event planners and corporations have had to become event-tech savvy in 2020. What’s more, the steep and expensive learning curve that was 2020 will not go unnoticed, nor can they afford to ignore the investment. Investment in systems for contactless ticket scanning, virtual interaction, and group tech experiences has taken a toll on profits. There is even development underway to allow facial recognition to identify people by just the top half of their face. A useful tool while masks are still in widespread use. Companies need to recoup these costs however they can. If that means making even more money along the way, then so be it. Event tech is with us for the long haul.

Some event tech has yet to reach its full potential. However, those innovations are still under development because companies need to future-proof against something similar happening again. Virtual reality can’t replicate the in-person experience and engagement. That is something event tech companies see that as one of their biggest challenges ahead. 

Event tech has so many facets; I couldn’t even try to address them all here. However, they benefit from enhancing the live experience and sharing the event with those far away. It’s also used for capacity control, ticket distribution, and even data collection for tracking and tracing attendees in the event of an outbreak or other incident. 

Less is More; Smaller is Better

Before we once again reach the dizzying heights of an unfettered carnival atmosphere, maskless and free to embrace one another, the smaller venues and events will make an appearance. Smaller venues and event have the cachet of feeling more personalised and unique. An up-close and intimate experience has significantly more experiential value than a distant and impersonal one. In a population deprived of these more personal experiences, the popularity will be astronomical. Small but intricately designed events will become the “go-to” experience of the post-lockdown event-seeker. The event experience quality will far outweigh any increased cost to the attendees.

Smaller events have more benefits to the organisers; 

• Fewer attendees to control, trace, identify and keep safe, 
• Less administration to ensure negative COVID-19 tests or vaccine confirmations, 
• Fewer security staff requirements,
• Less chance of an extensive scale infection sweeping through thousands of attendees,
• Reduced RISK overall.

If you’ve ever talked to someone who saw The Beatles at The Cavern or Stone Sour at Corporation, they will tell you that intimate gigs are the best experiences ever. Especially when compared to the massive arena shows.

Health & Safety Gone Mad?

No, not at all.

It’s not the events and entertainment industry of 2019 – and I doubt it ever will be again. Too much has happened to the entertainment industry, both in the circumstances that effectively shuttered its doors and in the tech innovations that opened new ones. Continued health and safety restriction in capacity limits, negative test checks and more will continue long after reaching optimal vaccination targets. And we should accept that fact. 

We can move forward and embrace the trends that extend into the future. Thus ensuring we still have an entertainment industry when we reach the other side. Moreover, we have a reasonable buffer against possible future episodes of a similar kind by embracing safety measures and new entertainment trends.