Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
Retail and consumer sessions forTASDEmnesAdobeCoca-ColaManagement EventsRich's Products
Featured inBloombergThe Wall Street JournalThe Telegraph
Manish at Eventcombo, a New York based platform specialising in hybrid and virtual events, invited Matthew to give the keynote at its annual summit on the Future of Events and Event Tech, a subject close to the event organisers he works with around the world, all still reeling from the pandemic.
Matthew first set out the damage. The pandemic wiped out over $30 Billion in revenues in the US alone and put a $1.5 Trillion industry on its knees, as players tried to pivot their businesses and business models just to survive.
"Future events will go from the in person, hybrid, and virtual events we're all accustomed to today, to highly complex mixed reality and fully immersive events that attract not hundreds of thousands of attendees but tens of millions."Matthew Griffin, New York, June 2021
It also fuelled some of the biggest venture capital investments the industry has seen, including $250 Million into Hopin, as organisers rushed to move events online and looked for simpler ways to make everything work. That shift, and the fresh money behind it, accelerated a wave of multi-sided events platforms that he expects will be the industry incumbents for years to come.
He then looked ahead to what events will become: beyond today's in person, hybrid and virtual formats to complex mixed reality and fully immersive events attracting not hundreds of thousands of attendees, but tens of millions. His message to the audience was that the events of the future will look very different from the events of today.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Platforms will set the terms.
Fresh money, including $250 Million into Hopin, pushed organisers towards simpler online tools. That accelerated multi-sided platforms, which Matthew expects to be the incumbents for years. Leadership teams should treat platform choice as a long term commitment, not a short term fix.
Formats will outgrow today's menu.
Matthew expects events to move past in person, hybrid and virtual towards mixed reality and fully immersive formats. 311 data puts wide use of mixed reality at 2032, with a first product in 2012 and a readiness level of 9. The tools exist now, and the scale arrives later.
Plan for scale, not survival.
The pandemic forced many organisers to pivot just to stay alive. The next shift is about reaching tens of millions of attendees rather than hundreds of thousands. Business models built for rooms and venues will need a fresh look.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which platforms do we depend on, and who controls the terms?
What would our event look like with ten times the audience?
Where could mixed reality fit into our next event plan?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
What does this keynote mean for organisations that run events?
It means the format of events is set to change, and the platforms that host them are already consolidating. Organisations should review their platform exposure and test new formats early.
How do multi-sided platforms relate to the future of events?
These platforms match buyers, sellers and users in one place. 311 rates the trend Act now, with wide use dated to 2016, and Matthew expects them to be the events industry incumbents.
How does mixed reality relate to the future of events?
Mixed reality blends real and digital objects in one space, which is the route to the immersive events Matthew describes. 311 rates it Explore, with wide use by 2032.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Simulations are becoming people's new reality.
311 Institute's Future of Gaming codex explores what happens when simulations become people's new reality, the same shift behind the immersive, mixed reality events Matthew described.
