How to Create Meaningful Business Events: Future Meeting Space Presents 2023 Research Results

Using an engaging “late-night show” setting, the Future Meeting Space (FMS) innovation network presented the key findings from its latest research phase, which was concluded in 2023. Headlined "Creating Meaningful Events in Challenging Times", the research project focused on developing innovative event elements that deliver a lasting impact and genuine meaning for attendees. The full research report is now available for download free of charge, and the recording of the livestream from Frankfurt will also be made available shortly. Future Meeting Space was initiated almost ten years ago by the GCB German Convention Bureau and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO.

While business events are effective and versatile platforms for knowledge sharing and networking, they are, however, in need of readjustment, given the multitude of global challenges and transformation processes we are faced with. When people decide to attend an event they expect some added value from it, such as getting new insights, memorable experiences, being inspired or a special personal experience. In a nutshell, events need to leave a positive lasting impression. The new study report prepared by FMS highlights which strategic and content-related elements are needed to create such meaningful events, also providing specific recommendations on how these elements can be effectively implemented in practice.

"The future of business events is full of potential. In particular, the ongoing rapid development of AI and the steps taken to make our industry more sustainable are taking business events to new levels," says Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the GCB. "The German business event community is driving this development with expertise and creativity, which contributes to securing valuable shares for Germany as a meeting destination in a dynamic international competition."

While the research results were presented by the GCB and Fraunhofer IAO as lead research partners, the FMS team had also invited three expert guests to join them for the event which was live streamed from the "memox" meeting space in Frankfurt on 22 January: Zoe Nogai, expert for Gen Z and New Work, Tanja Bauer-Glück, expert for leadership and diversity, and Prof. Dr Mascha Will-Zocholl, expert for the digitalisation of work and organisations, highlighted the practical implications of the research project’s key findings and provided context from their respective perspectives.

Effective Use of Event Elements
The FMS 2023 research identified five key event categories, i.e., “Knowledge Gain”, “Community Building”, “Bridging Gaps”, “Providing Inspiration” and “Emotional Experiences”. They all represent fundamental event objectives and enable organisers to identify their own specific goals. In addition, the large number of event elements assessed by the FMS team, which are assigned to the event categories, provide practical orientation and guidance for the organisation and implementation of meaningful events. "The term 'meaningful' refers to creating events with meaning and purpose, a lasting impact and positive experiences for the attendees," explains Dr Stefan Rief, Head of Organisational Development and Work Design Research Unit at Fraunhofer IAO. "Ultimately, the intention behind all this is to have a positive impact on both the attendees and society as a whole."

The full study report 2023 is available for download here.

Preview: 2024 Research Phase
With the 2024 topic "Emerging Opportunities, Persisting Classics, Fading Models: Business Events in a Transformative Era", the transformation of business events will continue to be the focus of the ongoing applied research efforts of the FMS innovation network. The GCB and Fraunhofer IAO, together with their partners, will identify which processes, products and services in the business events ecosystem will remain, disappear and newly emerge in the future.

The aim of this explorative research is to identify opportunities for all stakeholders along the customer journey of business events at an early stage and enable organisers and event service providers alike to make well-informed, data-driven decisions.

About Future Meeting Space
The Future Meeting Space innovation network was launched in 2015 by the GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO with the key goal of boosting the role of business events as a driver of innovation and an essential instrument of corporate communication.

Providing trends research, the Future Meeting Space anticipates relevant developments in the business event ecosystem and identifies requirements for successful events as regards concepts, technology, and event spaces. The innovation network develops topic-specific and distinct recommendations for different stakeholder groups and regularly validates them in a real-life lab with what is happening within the industry in practice.

As one of the world's leading destinations for meetings and congresses, Germany stands for innovation, sustainability, and comprehensive expertise in key sectors of business and science. Against this background, the GCB and Fraunhofer IAO as Future Meeting Space initiators, together with a diverse range of research partners, take on the role of catalysts for the future of business events "made in Germany".

Research partners for the 2023 research phase “Navigating Business Events in Challenging Times“ were 7Cities, AllSeated GmbH, Bayer AG, Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH, DEUTSCHE HOSPITALITY Steigenberger Hotels AG, Didacta Ausstellungs- und Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Cologne Convention Bureau, Encore (represented by KFP Five Star Conference Services GmbH), EVVC European Association of Event Centers e. V., Hamburg Convention Bureau GmbH, Leipziger Messe GmbH, Stadt Münster/Messe and Congress Centrum Halle Münsterland GmbH, Radisson Hotel Group, SAP SE as well as Siemens AG.