Nearly three out of four of respondents feel closer to their audience than before, and some 50% of organizers are planning events that will help foster community in the new year.

“I’m looking forward to creating curated, inclusive events that focus on people and the community. I think people want to celebrate and live more now than before, so events that help people celebrate, nurture, and grow are high on our list,”
says one organizer.

“We’ve always worked to create a space that felt like a family reunion, and this pandemic truly showed us how valuable that is. Our audience is our family, and we miss them the same way we miss our relatives whom this pandemic has isolated us from,” says Henderson.

But “community” means more than it did before the pandemic.

Virtual events brought in new audiences from broader age and ethnic groups, from different geographic regions, and included the differently abled who found online attendance more accessible.

Conversations sparked by the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 may have also encouraged organizers to reassess how welcoming their events are to those outside their usual audience.

Attendees are hoping these folks stick around even when events return to in-person.

“In 2020 and 2021, we grew our audience online from our live streams and from radio play. We are excited to translate that audience to live events, merchandise, and ticket sales in 2022,” says a respondent.

Another organizer says they are looking forward to “reaching out to rural communities with our concerts, and making connections with care homes using technology to assist us in tailor-making musical resources, such as individual playlists.”

All this enthusiasm for the future doesn’t mean event creators are entirely blind to the challenges ahead, however. Some 20% of respondents express fears over a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

This anxiety was particularly pronounced in Ireland, with 40% of organizers indicating concern. An uptick in Ireland’s virus transmission rates in December 2021 had public health officials cutting capacity levels in half at indoor events. In an Irish Times article, the lead singer of the band Ham Sandwich called the decision an “absolute nightmare” logistically for anyone with a sold out show.

In Australia, “planning for next year” was even more of a concern than COVID safety worries, with nearly one-fourth of organizers citing this as their primary worry. This is likely tied to a wave of event cancellations in December 2021 as the Omicron variant tore through the country.

However, while uncertainty lingers globally, there are strong signs we’re emerging from restrictions to gathering — New Orleans’ annual Mardi Gras celebrations will once again draw millions to the city in March; England’s Cambridge Folk Festival, one of the longest-running folk festivals in the world, is back on for this summer; and, after going virtual in 2021, Australia’s Melbourne International Film Festival will be in person starting in July.

So, with a return to gathering firmly on the agenda this year, how are those pre-event jitters? Nearly one in four of survey respondents say they are concerned about low levels of attendance this year, and ticket sales reflect this worry. Among those who sell tickets, 50% of respondents reported that sales volume is down compared to pre-pandemic levels.

But, it’s not all bad news. Another 26% say their sales have increased, and another 24% report sales are on par with levels before the pandemic.

This bodes well for future revenue, as it’s traditionally more difficult to raise ticket prices once they’ve been lowered. As events power back up over the next year, organizers should be able to count on a return to more-normal income levels. Need help pricing your events? Check out our ticket pricing guide.

The pandemic has generated unprecedented concern for safety at gatherings, which means organizers are enforcing measures to curtail virus transmission. Globally,

Social distancing

Mask requirements

Asking for proof of vaccination

were the three most-popular tactics for enforcing safety at events.

With more positive signs of a return to normal on the horizon, we must not forget the ways in which event creators pivoted when times were tough – interestingly, strategies differed significantly across regions.

In Australia and New Zealand, contact tracing played an important role for 47% of respondents. In the United States, just 11% said they used contact tracing. Almost 3 in 4 Canadian respondents asked attendees for proof of vaccination compared to 33% of Americans. Masks were required at 70% of Canadian respondents’ events, while just 35% of Australian organizers surveyed required them at their events.

Such disparate strategies reflect the considerable difference in public health responses, both between regions and within countries themselves.

One important safety precaution for event planners has been asking for proof of vaccination.

The most popular strategy, globally, is asking for proof at the door, with 68% of respondents stating they confirm vaccination that way.

In the United States, however, 43% of American respondents are collecting this information before the event begins, compared to the other regions surveyed who answered in the range of 23%-32%. Approximately 30% of respondents are using a third-party app to verify vaccination status.

Confirming vaccination status can be a challenge for organizers. Asking for proof upfront requires additional planning or software, while asking at the door can generate long lines. This will likely continue to be a pressure point for organizers through 2022. Curious to learn from your fellow event organizers? See how three Eventbrite organizers are handling proof of vaccination at their events.

You can check out Eventbrite’s guide to keeping your event COVID-19 safe here.

Virtual events were the standout trend of the past two pandemic years, with 46% of organizers stating they organized their first virtual event during 2020. Ireland takes the prize for most pivoters to online hosting: 64% of respondents from the country stated they hosted their first during the pandemic.

Online-only events aren’t going to dominate indefinitely, however.

“Green events” have been a major trend for years. In 2020, Eventbrite asked its audience if they were “taking steps to improve the environmental sustainability of your events” to which the majority responded “yes.”

Has this value weathered the pandemic turmoil? It’s complicated.

In our recent survey, greening events was ranked a lower priority than keeping events safe or profitable. Around 20% of respondents ranked “making events environmentally friendly” as a high priority. The chaos of two years of a pandemic may have forced organizers to prioritize survival over environmental concerns.

However, the emergence of virtual and hybrid events could be doing much of the heavy-lifting of sustainability, without the need for organizers to order compostable dinnerware.

A recent Nature Communications study found that hosting a gathering online reduced an event’s carbon footprint by 94% and its energy use by 90%. Hybrid events, with at least 50% of attendees tuning in virtually, could reduce carbon footprints by two-thirds.

As the return to in-person gatherings continue, greener event strategies like ordering vegetarian catering will likely remain popular. However, it may end up that simply continuing the trend of virtual events could have a bigger overall impact on the environment.

Regardless of what the future holds, organizers view their strengthened adaptability as cause for optimism.

Almost half of respondents connected their optimism with the fact that events have become more innovative and creative.

A two-year-long pandemic forced event planners to pivot, adapt, and innovate at unprecedented levels. Events went virtual, outdoors or hybrid, and required strict attention to complex public health rulings.

“Over the pandemic, I have tried more new approaches to programs than I have throughout my whole programming career. Through the trial and error process, I feel like I’ve landed on programs that I never would have tried in the past.”
Christina Daniels, Director of Residences and Classes at Pioneer Works in New York, NY.

Some 50% of respondents believe that events have become more innovative and creative during the pandemic. Australia and New Zealand reported lower numbers than other countries, but they’ve also been able to avoid some of the distancing measures that other nations like Ireland have had to contend with.

Respondents also feel like the pandemic has sped up digital transformation, with 82% agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement.

Large numbers of respondents tried out hosting online events for the first time during the pandemic, and many plan to conduct hybrid events in the new year.

“By this point we have figured out the virtual logistics, and our hybrid events are becoming better, and smarter,” says a respondent. Another said they were looking forward to “embracing the learnings and best practices from COVID to enhance and improve future events — permanently.”

This digital revolution means that event planners have even more opportunity to connect with and promote to their attendees via email and social media, thanks to internet signups.

Surveying audiences will be important as the pandemic response evolves in the coming year. What attendees wanted in the early days of a pandemic may differ from what they want now, while others might prefer that virtual events stick around long-term.

With all these new crisis-forged skills, respondents are feeling ready for the year ahead.

In most countries, almost half of organizers say the pandemic years have made their team more resilient.

With organizers fueled by the desire to see people in person again, and the hope that the pandemic is entering a much less restrictive stage, events seem poised to make a serious comeback this year.

But, even if another variant emerges, or some other unforeseen bump in the road arises, the past two years of skill-building have made hosts exceptionally flexible. Compared to 2020, organizers have many more ways to host gatherings, a lot of practice pivoting swiftly, and a much thicker skin.