This post is part of G2's 2022 digital trends series. Read more about G2’s perspective on digital transformation trends in an introduction from Tom Pringle, VP, market research, and additional coverage on trends identified by G2’s analysts.

The impact of the pandemic on the events industry

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, businesses were faced with innumerable challenges—the technical difficulties of remote work, concerns about cybersecurity, disruptions in the supply chain, and economic uncertainty, to name a few. Across industries, it was a year of change and adaptation as businesses sought to continue serving their customers and supporting their employees.

While the pandemic continues to affect every aspect of our lives, uncertainty has given rise to technological innovations that are helping businesses meet the demands of our new, remote world. The events industry is no exception. As one of the industries most affected by the pandemic, event software companies were forced to accelerate their product roadmaps to support virtual events. This year, expect to see continued investments in virtual and hybrid event technology that will help businesses bridge the divide between digital experiences and in-person events.

Hybrid event solutions are the new standard for event management   

In May 2020, G2 created a new category for Virtual Event Platforms in response to the sudden pivot to virtual events and related technologies. Over the next year, the category grew exponentially every month as new competitors emerged and users reviewed their business’ virtual event solution. As of December 2021, the category includes more than 4,000 reviews across 176 virtual event platforms.

As virtual event platforms gained ground and became a necessity for businesses to maintain their event programs, in-person event management platforms fell out of favor. In 2021, however, the Event Management Platforms category on G2 began experiencing renewed review growth, indicating a shift back to events with in-person or hybrid elements. 

In 2021, the number of G2 reviewers who said they were using event management software for hybrid events increased more than 1,100% compared to previous years.   

Last year, many businesses realized the benefits of online events, including wider reach, higher attendance, and reduced costs. But with virtual fatigue setting in and some attendees yearning to meet in person, expect event planners to shift their focus this year to software solutions that will help bridge the gap between in-person and online events, such as mobile event apps and event networking and matchmaking software. 

Event networking tools will be paramount to the hybrid event experience    

One of the most important and challenging aspects of running an online event is replicating the attendee networking experience. It’s simple enough to adjust live event content for a virtual audience with adequate planning, but how do you reproduce the hundreds of opportunities an attendee might have to meet a new business partner or client at an in-person event?

Fortunately, innovations in event technology and artificial intelligence have vastly improved the quality and quantity of event networking software on the market. Businesses have already begun leveraging these tools to enhance attendee engagement: G2 review data reveals a 372% increase in reviews for event networking and matchmaking software compared to last year.   

On G2, 9 out of 10 reviewers that mention "networking" as one of the most-liked features in a virtual event platform give the product a rating of 4 or 5 stars. 

While businesses shift from online to hybrid events in 2022, event networking software supporting the hybrid experience will be more important than ever. Mobile event apps will make it easier for event planners to connect in-person attendees with virtual ones, while new features like video meetings and AI-powered matchmaking will create a seamless networking experience for sponsors and attendees alike. 

Online communities: engaging customers before, during, and after an event

After more than a year of remote work, video meetings, and online events, many of us are feeling the effects of virtual fatigue. However, this doesn’t mean that event organizers need to plan for a return to 100% in-person events--it simply means reshaping the event experience to combat virtual fatigue. One of the best strategies a business can adopt is to create an online community for their audience. According to G2 traffic and review data, interest in online community management software is on the rise.  

Small businesses, in particular, are leveraging online communities more often now compared to previous years. Online communities would have offered smaller brands and organizations the ability to stay connected with their audiences throughout the pandemic--and allow their customers to interact with each other. 

Online community management software allows companies to create a branded digital space for their customers to engage in discussions, network, and build relationships, even when they aren’t attending an event. Maintaining an online community also provides businesses with a direct line to engage with customers--even before an event takes place and long after the event ends. Several Leaders in G2’s Winter 2022 Grid® Report for Online Community Management, such as Mighty Networks, Influitive, and Higher Logic Online Community, provide features for creating and managing events within a digital community. 

Final thoughts

2020 was just the start of a radical new standard in event planning and management. The past two years have driven rapid innovation in the events industry to support our new way of living, working, and communicating. We’re past the point of calling virtual events a trend—virtual and hybrid events are here to stay. Fortunately, there is no shortage of software and services to help businesses meet their event goals in this new era of online events.