After a tumultuous few years, things started to feel back to normal in 2022—but then 2023 turned things upside down again. From the largest bank failure issue of its kind since the 2007–2008 financial crisis, to significant drops in VC funding for startups, to much larger issues on a global scale, 2023 was a whirlwind.

Each year, we review our events database to find insights and trends from the past 12 months. Here are a few key takeaways that reflect on the past year and what we can expect from speaking and events in 2024.

How has event seasonality changed?

Although the world of events is busy all year round, there are times when more events take place, calls for papers (CFPs) run, and speaker invitations happen. Here is a snapshot of 2023 event seasonality trends by month—highlighting high-traffic periods for events, CFPs, and secured opportunities.

By analyzing this data, we can determine the busiest times in the world of events and speaking. As in previous years, the first major spike occurs between March and June, and the second spike occurs between September and November. Down periods occur in July, August, and December when summer vacations and various holidays are more top of mind. 

There is one category that does not follow this trend: speaking opportunities secured. cred sources thought leadership engagements for speakers consistently throughout the year.

So how does all this compare to 2022? Despite a different social and economic climate in 2023 than in the year prior, event seasonality trends have remained constant year-over-year.

What other trends are top of mind?

Drawing from lessons learned and trends from the past year, here are a few key trends that will impact our approach to speaking and events in 2024:

• Understanding shifting content priorities: AI was the word in 2023. Looking at Google Trends data, there was a growing number of searches in 2023 for AI conferences. While AI showed up on many (read: most) conference agendas, with everybody wanting a piece of the pie, it was harder than ever to stand out as an authentic thought leader in this space. Organizers were most interested in hearing from speakers who stepped away from mainstream thinking, offered different or contradictory perspectives, and focused on real impact and results. 

• Keeping an eye on budgets: Given the cautious funding environment of 2023, organizations across industries were being more conservative with budgets across the board. Both speakers and event organizers worked to get the most bang for their buck by piling more activities with their event presence - earned speaking slots, on-site meetings, media engagements, private dinners, etc.

• Modernizing on-site event logistics: Event organizers and operations teams adapted to the fact that most of us always have our phones within reach. We noticed an uptick in conferences using unique apps for things like registrations, wayfinding, networking, audience engagement, and more. Beyond accessibility, event organizers are exploring other ways to modernize on-site logistics with initiatives like NFT ticketing. We’re excited to see how this will evolve in 2024!

Interested in working with cred on your speaking program? Get in touch at speak@credpr.com!