The events industry (among others) has certainly taken its share of hits over the past 18 months. Just as we’ve discussed change and resilience in this space, I now want to challenge us all to start to move forward and shift! Below I detail some of how we can efficiently handle chaos and start to shift through our most difficult moments.

The future is hybrid! You must have heard this statement repeatedly over the last few months, and rightly so. We are now moving into a world where people are warming up and getting excited to go back to the physical events, though there are still those who aren’t ready to attend a physical event (whether for safety or resource/expense) but have embraced virtual events. Hence, welcome to the world of hybrid. Now, how do you generate the maximum ROI in this blend of virtual and offline events?

COVID-19’s imprint on in-person gatherings is noticeable — and it has the potential to be long-lasting. An Aventri study revealed that 89% of event organizers expect to still rely on virtual meetings even when face-to-face gatherings resume.

Thanks to the pandemic, companies worldwide embraced unconventional event marketing methods. Those out-of-the-box tactics aside, event marketing’s intent remains unchanged: providing unique and memorable brand experiences.

I think I speak for most of us when I say that in-person events are one of those things we didn’t realize we loved until they were gone. And when events and other face-to-face gatherings started shutting down over the last year, an incredibly important channel for personalized conversations and relationship-deepening evaporated. 

Nobody can predict the future, but I keep getting asked what the world of events is going to look like after COVID. After speaking with hundreds of individuals responsible for booking, planning and coordinating company events, here are the common themes I hear people reflect on. These insights come from doing hundreds of events during the pandemic and speaking to leaders in human resources, client engagement teams and event planners about how they are planning on returning to a world where we can do business in person once again.

Recently, Zoom announced the release of a new events platform that will let organizers monetize and promote their events. Zoom Events is packaged as an “all-in-one” platform that can build event hubs, provide customizable ticketing and registration options, integrate networking for attendees, track event statistics and more.

One of my few joys of lockdown began when my state allowed limited re-opening of our local health club, and with it, the pool where I can swim laps in the morning. I had not been a regular visitor to the lap pool back in the “before times,” but I knew that the virus couldn’t thrive in chlorinated water, so it seemed safe to return.

COVID-19 changed how people interact with one another, but it could not squash the need for in-person connections that engage audiences. In-person events are coming back because people crave face-to-face interactions and experiences. For example, Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference was virtual in 2020 but the company plans on welcoming more than 170,000 attendees to its 2021 event in San Francisco.

As meetings and events continue to evolve in 2021, planners and venues are finding unique and inventive ways to connect during this time.

One trend I anticipate is here to stay is that of hybrid meetings and events. Although nothing can replace in-person connection, the emergence of hybrid events has given planners the opportunity to expand their audience on a global level. Not only do hybrid events provide limitless opportunities to connect with people around the world, they also offer cost-effective meeting options.