The new year is building momentum, new trends rising and falling in the event planning world while you’re still accidentally dating your checks 2018. Both the micro- and macro-management aspects demand a close eye, and luckily, there are plenty of clever sorts out there to help you along. Here are some of our favorite ideas we’ve found floating around the Internet.

Endless Events strongly promotes authenticity, placing it at the top of their 15-strong list. Authenticity has become more important than ever, in regards to both brand uniqueness and a proper understanding of each event’s core themes. This field, like all others, is terribly crowded, and neither blatant imitation nor genericness are likely to get you the attention you need to stand out.

Also worth noting is #7 on the list: bleisure (business + leisure) travel. Any event more upscale than Fight Club demands a certain level of professionalism, but too much can be counterproductive, taxing to both the organizers and participants. For people to be at their best, and for the experience to be actually enjoyable, there needs to be some measure of comfort, from VIP lounges to simple access to alcohol. The more pleasant something is, the more memorable it is, and clients a long way from home will be a lot more receptive to new products or ideas if they actually want to be there.

Eventbrite offers its own menagerie of predictions, pulling from over two dozen prominent figures in the industry. Nick Gold of Speakers Corner presses the need for speakers who can give confidence; frankly, the past two or three years have been a relentless artillery barrage of misery, and both companies and the people who man them can use all the confidence they can get.

Penny McGrigor of Eventist Group suggests that we’ll see an increasing conglomeration of events, with both budget concerns and an increasing demand for the spectacular leading to fewer, larger events. Katie Dartnell of Holiday Inn London-Wembley advises readers to keep millennials in mind when putting together food menus, although considering that millennials currently span the 23-38 age range (depending on your exact definition of the era), they should probably be kept in mind for everything.

The Science Museum Group’s Jodie Guilford expects more events that “take guests on a journey” in a literal rather than metaphorical sense, with events that change theme and/or location as the evening progresses. Ali Blows of the National Theater sees an uptick in “Instagram moments” coming, offering guests the opportunities for selfies and charming photos/videos to spread the word online.

WeddingWire has some more concrete predictions. They expect 2019 weddings to feature more color, South American pampas grass, and luxe fabrics. All we can say to that is yes please and BRING. IT. ON.