The future
of events

looking forwards and thinking differently

The changes flung into our lives by the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be going away anytime soon. In fact, they’re going deeper than most of us originally imagined. We’re all thinking differently about how we’ll operate in the coming months and years, both at work and play.

So what will the future look like when it comes to events?

Right now, many of us don’t have a choice about whether to work remotely or in the office. We’re at home, end of. But navigating this daily-changing terrain is teaching us just how liveable remote life actually is. Which is bound to have influenced our thinking by the time we can move more freely. Pre-pandemic, many companies were taking meetings and conferences online when it was practical to do so. When it got more complex, they came up with fresh ideas and work-arounds.

Why go virtual?

Businesses move towards virtual events for a variety of reasons. These include a desire to control costs, and to reduce the environmental impact of multiple delegates travelling to and converging on one (sometimes faraway) location. The virus bombshell has simply speeded this trend up. At Integrity we’re experienced at organising online events because we know clients appreciate how flexible, scalable and cost-effective they can be.

It’s straightforward enough to connect a group of people – whether for an intimate clinical meeting or a 1000-strong training webinar – in the same online space. They all get to hear the same speakers, join live polls, chats or interactive Q&As, and take away the same knowledge and links to practical resources. Job done.

For some, interacting online can feel miles easier than introducing themselves to new faces at a trade show. And online registration makes it simpler for hosts to track how/when attendees took part and responded to content during/after the event. Which means there’s less need to cross fingers and hope for a strong response to that post-event survey.

And whatever happens, virtual events are much less likely to be derailed by the weather…

What’s harder to replicate is the simple power of face-to-face social connection.

Which means there’s still a place for live events. It’s an important place. We’re now more aware of that than ever, spending our days far apart from colleagues, friends and even family, deprived of in-person contact.

A live event is crammed with natural opportunities to make personal connections on a deeper level than might occur at a virtual one. The chance to chat with a colleague you’ve only met online. The chance to try out a product side-by-side with a hands-on expert. The chance to meet a key speaker or industry hero face-to-face. The chance to find out in person if you ‘click’ with a potential collaborator or mentor.

Because we’re all human, communication in person brings understanding, friendship and revelations.

It’s not just the cherry on top of any working relationship, it cements the foundations. We shouldn’t underestimate that value.

And let’s not forget that when we attend an event in person, we can surrender ourselves to that world. The call of meetings, childcare and pinging inboxes stays muted, leaving us to enjoy the luxury of focusing on the here-and-now. Rare, these days. With an online event, distractions surge in to hijack our attention the minute we break the Zoom connection.

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At Integrity we’re experienced at organising online events because we know clients appreciate how flexible, scalable and cost-effective they can be.

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FutureOfEvents

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What’s harder to replicate is the simple power of face-to-face social connection.

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It’s time to focus on exactly what an event means for your business.

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The question is, which criteria will businesses use to justify holding a live event? Which industries have the most to gain from keeping live connection alive? Or even, which have the most to lose from not bringing people together?

It’s time to focus on exactly what an event means for your business.

How much value does it have, in terms of growth and ROI? And ultimately, what type of event is most likely to ensure you maximise that value? Whether you opt for virtual or live, the events industry is uniquely primed to help you hit those goals. That’s some much-needed good news.