Togather speaks to Marja-Leena Toseland, Editor of PA Life Magazine

Hi Marja-Leena, we hope you're doing really well. I want to kick this off by asking why do you think it's so important for companies to be throwing regular events?

A great question to start with, because there are just so many benefits that businesses will see from throwing regular events, such as summer parties or regular drinks.

A major point to mention is that in-person events that encourage socialising have taken on a new level of importance. Working from home and hybrid working have risen and creating the bond between teams that improves engagement and productivity and all of that good stuff is more vital than ever.

In-person bonding brings a new level of job satisfaction as well; when you get to know your teams and colleagues it just changes the whole dynamic for the better. People are willing to go the extra mile for people, as they would do for friends.

Further, people simply demand more from their workplaces these days. We don't just want to do the job and go home, we expect a lot of soft perks around it and for the workplace to fit into our values and become an increasingly big part of our life and identity - and throwing events can seriously help with that. They bring people together from diverse backgrounds and really make them feel like a team, and ultimately make them feel positively about the company.

Simply put, they're more important than ever now.

So how do you think business events have changed over the last few years, and why have they become more important?

So I think events are definitely becoming more and more important. Technology is increasingly making people more and more isolated in their day-to-day lives and work - and while you might be communicating with colleagues when you're looking at your computer - it's not the same as having face-to-face meetings in the office or socialising with in-person.

Because of this it can often take a long time for new people joining a business to get up to speed and feel like they're really fitting into a team. Regular social events can help make new employees fit in much more quickly and strengthen the social bonds between longstanding team members.

In terms of how events have changed, people simply demand more from experiences now. Going along to a basic conference to watch a few speakers and sit there quietly each year just doesn't cut it anymore. It has to be an amazing, interactive experience to make it truly worthwhile. That means if you can create those experiences for your staff or your clients, it's a huge bonus and probably does a lot to help with talent attraction, retention and your general employee brand.

A good event can be used a tool for many things these days.

You spend a lot of time talking to EAs, PAs and Office Managers. What trends are you noticing in the events they're organising?

So of course sustainability is a word that's on everyone's lips. Event organisers are factoring it into everything from their choice of venue, to catering, to location and travel considerations. It's not something that's just a trend as such, it's something that's now on everyone's agenda when they're planning events.

Then you need to take the diversity of the tastes of the attendees, because everyone has different preferences and it can never be a case of one size fits all - so you have to make sure dietary options are covered, as well great choices for alcohol and non-alcohol drinkers.

As I mentioned before, events are moving away from those boring old conferences where people are just sitting passively, so it's very make important to make sure that events are interactive and about getting people involved. Remember, concentration spans are shorter these days, and you've got to keep attendees engaged to make the most out of the event.

Also, most events now have some sort of wellness element to it, whether it's just increased break time, or ways for attendees relax and take some time out. So whether there's a real wellness area or a less intense programme, that seems quite a big change.

What key factors do you think define a high quality event that engages everyone involved?

Firstly I'd say it's vital to know your audience. It's a not case of one size fits all, different people want different things from the events they attend, and you'll know best what makes your audience tick. Really think about who will be attending the event and try to tailor it around it them as much as you can.

Make sure you have great food and drink options too. There are really high expectations on this area now, and it'll have a big effect if attendees think it's not up to standard. This means making sure that you're covering all major dietary requirements and providing great non-alcoholic options at a minimum. The quality of caterers and bar suppliers has really improved over the last few years so there's no excuse to get this wrong.

The UK's food and drink culture has just evolved so much, and the quality is so high at restaurants now, that we're just used to high quality in this area. People don't want to put up with basic food and have a few sandwiches now, it's just not good enough anymore.

Food in particular can also really be a centrepiece of the events, and used to theme it - another trend we're seeing more and more of.

And finally, why should corporate event organisers be reading PA Life?

We're right in the middle of bringing the corporate buyers, the PAs and EAs and event professionals, the other buyers and the suppliers together. So we're serving both audiences well, and we're here really trying to create great content for for the PAs and EAS, who are the important corporate buyers. So that's why we're here and we've been doing that for 25 years.

You can check PA Life out here.