Cons: • Over-reliance on automation: It’s easy to set it up and forget to check in, leading to missed opportunities for more personalized engagement. • Subscription costs: Many of the best marketing tools come with a big price tag, so balancing functionality and cost is key to not draining the bank on the wrong tools. As we roll into 2025, expect even more integration between marketing tools and social media platforms, making it easier to manage your outreach across multiple channels. SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS: KEEPING YOU CONSISTENT If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 2024, it’s that social media consistency can make or break your brand’s online presence. Social media scheduling platforms have been a lifesaver for event pros looking to keep their feeds fresh and engaging without constantly being tied to their phones. These tools help you plan out your content in advance, schedule posts, and track engagement, all from one dashboard. Pros: • Time management: Scheduling tools allow you to batch your social media posts ahead of time, ensuring you stay top of mind across your social channels. • Analytics: Most platforms offer insights into which posts are resonating with your audience, helping you fine-tune your strategy and hashtags to reach the right audience Cons: • Lack of spontaneity: When everything is pre-scheduled, you miss out on those real-time, in-the- moment opportunities to engage with your audience. • Content fatigue: Keeping up with social media trends is exhausting,
Looking forward, social media platforms will likely continue to evolve (oh, that algorithm!), so it’s essential to keep your eye on the latest trends and features and be sure to follow accurate business advice. TECH STACK PLATFORMS: SIMPLIFYING YOUR WORKFLOW One of the biggest challenges for event professionals is juggling multiple platforms for different aspects of their business—booking, client management, social media, floorplans—and so on. In 2024, there’s been a growing demand for platforms that integrate more tasks into one seamless experience, making it easier to keep everything organized. Pros: • All-in-one functionality: Having everything in one place can reduce the overwhelm of managing multiple apps and tools. • Improved organization: With your streamlined workflow, you can track where clients are in the process and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Cons: • Learning curve: Not everything is meant to work together. Many all- in-one platforms are complicated and hard to grasp, and they are just an okay solution. There is no unicorn platform out there; it’s all about perfecting your tech stack. • Price point: The more features a platform offers, the more expensive it tends to be. It’s important to weigh the cost against how much time it will save you in the long run and what features you are actually using versus paying for. In 2025, expect tech platforms to become even more integrated, with added features and more intuitive interfaces, making them even more indispensable for small business owners. As your business grows and changes, so will your needs. Be sure
to check out every platform often; you never know when one might all of a sudden work better for your business than another. LOOKING AHEAD: 2025, HERE WE COME! Besides the usual wedding and event trends (yes, even pampas grass is still hanging on), we’re predicting even more tools for 2025 aimed at making your business run smoother than ever. One thing is clear: technology isn’t just a tool—it’s become a vital part of how we run our businesses. Whether it’s AI helping you communicate more efficiently, marketing tools driving your outreach, or social media platforms keeping you consistent, embracing the right tech solutions can help you grow and thrive. Keep an eye on emerging trends and remember that while technology can be your best friend, it’s all about finding the right balance between automation and the personal touch that makes the event industry so unique. Here’s to a future filled with innovation, creativity, and success! Nora Sheils is the founder of award- winning planning firm Bridal Bliss and co-founder of Rock Paper Coin , a client management platform that offers a streamlined approach to contract, invoicing, and payment processing for the wedding and event industry. Nora is a well-known and sought-after speaker on national stages. Recognized as one of the Top 500 Event Professionals by BizBash, Nora has also been heralded as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry by Eventex.
and relying solely on scheduled posts makes your content feel repetitive and robotic.
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SPECIAL EVENTS WINTER 2024
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