A few of our event-expert members shared their take on today’s biggest industry trends. Think: countless blooms of flowers, a guaranteed social-worthy shot, intimate dinners and even excursions. Read on for a behind-the-scenes look at the new depths of experiential.
Sara Shenasky
Senior Vice President & Executive Producer | Mind Over Madness
Flower-bombing, the arranging of oversized, show-stopping floral arrangements, has been quite popular at events in recent months and the trend has moved beyond the velvet rope via flower-flashes, public re-installations of these designs post-event, which extend the breathtaking beauty outside of the occasion by allowing and even encouraging passers-by to help themselves to the blooms. This trend not only spreads unexpected happiness but is eco-friendly and provides brands with additional earned media for via bonus social impressions garnered from the general public posting about these happenings. I took a conscious consumerism approach to this trend for a philanthropic event I produced by incorporating live greenery, in lieu of flowers, as sustainable centerpieces and living stage décor and then donating all the plants to a Robin Hood housing affiliate that helps the homeless get off the street.
Cover photo: Aria Isadora/BFA.com
Ashley Clauss
Interim Director, Experiences | VOGUE
As cliché as it might sound, I think we'll continue to see bold, memorable and shareable ("Instagrammable") moments. Brands continue to want interactive experiences that are multi-sensory. The intention should be to surprise and delight. Consumers don't just want a unique experience, they expect it. That being said, the why of any event should be very clear, so the uniqueness shouldn't overshadow the objective.
Troy Williams
Principal & Event Designer | Simply Troy Lifestyle + Events 
Mixing metallics is a big trend right now. You can mix your gold with your copper or silver and rose gold. It’s a great look playing with the various mixed metals.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Fancy, Photo credit: Angela Howard Photography
Miraya Berke
Founder, Event Stylist & Producer | Pop Productions
One of the biggest event trends is designing experiences that can be shared on social media. We all spend so much time on our phones that events are a refreshing opportunity to interact with people, but at the same time we all want to share what we're doing! I am the Co-Founder of Dessert Goals, a dessert festival in NY & LA, and we design our festivals for social sharing. We build an Instagram Garden with custom photo backdrops for attendees to document their sweets. When we're at an event that we are excited about, we want to document it, so we can remember it and so we can brag to our friends about our cool experience. So many pop ups are opening that are exclusively for content creation, so I think the events that incorporate experiences to create content as a part of the event design are extremely trendy.
Dessert Goals
Lauren Austin
Executive Creative Director | MKG
Like many other categories and aspects of society, Instagram has had a huge impact on experiential. I think the biggest trend of the past 2-3 years (and a trend that doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast) is experiences that are created for Instagram. Selfie Factories like 29Rooms, Museum of Ice Cream, and the countless iterative versions that have popped up across the country are easy to create, fun to experience, and provide easy social amplification that brands love. I think brands that break out from this predictable formula and can find ways to engage people in more unique and innovative ways will see success. 
29Rooms, NYT
Dera Lee
CEO, Dera Lee Productions
Brands are taking guests on a journey, expanding their events beyond the cocktail party in major markets such as New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. We are seeing experiences now taking place in Tokyo, Japan or even Ibiza with exclusive one of a kind experiences. Having guests interactive directly with the brand through fitness or meditation is another up-and-coming trend. 
Dera Lee Productions; Photo Credit: Sean Smith
Overall, events are becoming overall more immersive with over the top event design especially with the success of Refinery 29's 29Rooms. Instead of just one photo booth moment entire spaces are being designed from floor to ceiling for guests to capture photos from any angle in the room. We are also noticing that guests want more of a tactile experience instead of a super high tech experience. Simple things like balloons are still quite a trend! 
Dera Lee Productions; Photo Credit: Sean Smith
Josh Tierney, Vice President, Strategy & Cole Griswold, Vice President | BMF Media 
BMF Media
Smaller, more curated experiences that are tailored to individuals so they can have a personalized experience. These are often accomplished with more intimate dinners or excursions where people can truly interact with each other in an authentic manner. Another trend is balloons (through a craze set forth by Geronimo) in long colorful clusters. Floral is also everywhere, from exploding and spilling out of unique objects and installations, to freshening up a tablescape; the un-vased bouquet is back.
BMF Media
