“Take that historical wisdom, couple it with modern technology that we have today, that’s how we can create more sustainable events in the future,” said Morrell. She predicted that the sustainable event trends will revolve around resourcefulness, durability, local sourcing, and functional food. Merrell and Anil Pacheco (AOO Events | AOO Floral) also offered sustainability trends in their session David Merrell Presents: Current Trends in the Event Industry . Biophilic design is popular right now, they pointed out, due to the use of natural elements to decorate indoor spaces. The conversation has also evolved to a more comprehensive view of sustainability. During their session Floral Mindset 2025 , Liza Roeser (FiftyFlowers) and Darin Bahl (Tailored Twig) discussed overall business sustainability, analyzing sustainability beyond the environment and diving into sustainability as it affects people, operations, technology, finances, and community. Of course, Catersource + The Special Event is committed to working toward a sustainable future as well through the Informa (the show’s parent company) Fasterforward To Zero plan. Sustainability is an ever-changing subject, but the trend was still at the forefront of Catersource + The Special Event, a sign that event pros are committed to making real changes in the industry. Boundaries are BIG Mental health has been a trending topic for a few years, but this year, the resounding focus was on setting boundaries. Event pros are realizing that without protecting time, energy, and resources, mental health is impossible to achieve. In his session Boundary Bootcamp: Practical Tips & Techniques for Establishing & Maintaining Boundaries in Your Business , Brian Green (By BrianGreen) honed in on four major areas for boundary setting: physical, time, emotional, and intellectual. “We teach people how to treat us,” said Green. Placing limits on how much people can access your physical space, time, emotions, and intellect allows you to better cultivate these areas of life and business, preventing burnout and giving you more energy to create successful events. Of course, it can be uncomfortable saying “no,” but Green insisted that saying “no” to non-essentials is really saying “yes” to the essentials—which is saying “yes” to yourself. 4.
The Opening Night Party’s past-themed segment was inspired by the venue’s speakeasy-style design. It was easy to feel old-timey in a themed venue.
matically like anything ion to a moment." n Bilida
This year the SEARCH Foundation’s Annual Signature Event was held on a yacht- turned-event-venue, which inspired the theme “Yacht Chic: Naturals and Neutrals.”
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SPECIAL EVENTS SPRING 2025
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