Last year put life into perspective for a lot of us. In a previous blog, I talked about being an agent of change. Now I want to discuss how fast change can bring positive results within your business events models. Whether you dealt with navigating through chaos, strengthening your resiliency muscles or just survived, we all did one thing together and that was change.
Whether caused by taking part in a series of daylong video conference calls, catching up with loved ones from afar, or attending an event or meeting via an online platform (or a combination of all of these), virtual fatigue is a very real thing.
In a time when the travel industry has turned upside down and is striving to survive, destinations have evolved — and evolved again and again — to encourage traveling safely when the time is right. While general leisure travel is gradually increasing, meetings and convention travel is still widely uncertain in most areas of the country and will be a more gradual progression back to fully in-person.
This month, like so many millions of others, I acknowledge one full year of being without a job. So to me, it's one full year of not having the privilege to work alongside my people, and surrounded by culinarians for inspiration. I've been incredibly curious about what chefs have been up to, and how they have been re-branding offerings, utilizing their time off, changing their mindsets and preparing for a future with live events back in action.
Last year, I took the Yale certificate course on the science
Before the pandemic, brands were investing in the consumer experience more than ever. Pop-up shops, interactive ads and more helped brands deepen their connections with customers, which is critical because nearly three out of four consumers believe real-life connection is essential to companies’ success. But it all came to a halt with the pandemic’s limitations on in-person gatherings.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way we live our everyday lives. From the way we socialize to the way we work, no aspect of life seems to be left untouched, and business travel is no exception.
The Pandemic has dramatically changed speaker sourcing and performance. Last year saw far fewer bookings, compelled most professionals to reskill and revamp content for virtual, lower their pricing and become more flexible. Many trends will endure as in-person events return - here are a few to consider:
Content and Formats:
Football season has officially come to a close, and although each coach, player, sports network and viewer fumbled their way through it during a pandemic, they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Despite a lot of adversity and controversy over the risks, both the collegiate and pro leagues adapted accordingly. The football season offered fans all over the nation a tiny hint of familiarity to see players in pads and helmets execute a game that represents so much tradition and nostalgia.
When the global outbreak of COVID-19 became a reality last March, we saw in-person events disappear and the humble “pivot” made its leap from relative obscurity to the word of the season in the event industry.
Brands and their agencies knew that despite everything, the show still had to go on — the need to communicate with audiences, engage customers, inspire employees or launch products hadn’t gone anywhere.
