So it is 2023, COVID responses worldwide are winding down, we don’t have to wear our masks anymore and the world is returning back to normal. Everyone wants to be back in person and virtual events have bitten the dust, right? Well…maybe. The truth is there is still a market and a need for virtual events but virtual fatigue is definitely real. The event type you ultimately choose is going to depend on many things: Your event goals What…
Strategic direction provided to associations prior to 2020 may not be the direction we would advise today, especially when it is regarding the event execution of their annual conference. The past two-years we have been educated on how to improve digital presence at a faster pace than ever before. The way we executed an event pre-pandemic is now history. The skills we learned, the new habits we developed, and our refined digital presence over the past couple of years…
Why pre-record content? In a nutshell, for your sanity! Pre-recording content ensures that everything will be ready to go on the day, limiting the amount of technical issues that could occur. There’s no chance of speakers failing to turn up, having connection issues, forgetting what time zone they are in or any of the other myriad things that can go wrong with a live event. Another important and often overlooked benefit is that it gives your speakers a chance…
Over the last two years, everything has moved online. Our commutes to offices have been replaced with working from home computers; dining out has been replaced with Uber Eats orders or at-home meal boxes; and even in the world of events – an industry grounded in bringing people together – has had to transition online too. From hosting virtual meetings, cooking with famous chefs, attending galas… the list can go on and on. But despite the progression we’ve made…
As we enter a new world of events, it’s safe to say that hybrid events are here for the long run and after a couple of unsettling years due to the pandemic, audience expectations are higher than ever. We have all seen the full potential of virtual events and their unique ability to engage global audiences. As we start to see pandemic restrictions lift, there is an increasing demand for events to maintain the benefits of both in-person and…
A recently published study by EventMB found an overwhelming majority of event organizers (81 per cent) believe they have to design and execute separate, dedicated experiences for in-person and remote audiences when hosting a hybrid event. Fortunately, with the right production technology and expertise, you don’t have to plan two separate events when going hybrid. Here’s how. Focus on Content Hybrid formats allow you to produce one event with two outputs. Take Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The five-day event…
As hybrid models gather momentum, many event planners are becoming increasingly concerned about one issue that has no clear answer: pricing. Here are five key questions to help you determine how to price your next hybrid event. 1. What is the hybrid event makeup? When producing a hybrid event that combines in-person and virtual attendees, you can choose where to place the emphasis on pricing. This will be determined in part by your communications strategy and what level of profit,…
Hybrid events – where in-person audiences are mixed with audiences attending virtually – are the next step in the world getting back to business, including the events and meetings sector. Though, to be honest, that definition is a bit too simplistic perhaps. The Events Industry Council provides this definition: “A meeting that combines face-to-face and virtual aspects.” But what that combination means exactly is up to event planners, it seems. Many events will go this route to ease into getting back into…
Covid-19 vaccine rates globally hover at about five per cent and Canada is sitting at 4.8 per cent as of this writing, which means for the event and meeting planning industry virtual events are still very much a reality for the next while. Soon we can get back to in-person meetings and events, but for now we’re still Zoom-ing. So what points of etiquette should be noted? Well, a few things. Just as we would be considerate and watch our…
The production advantages to creating virtual events are clear. They’re much easier to execute and track for engagement and are far less expensive. There are a few other advantages that you may not have thought about though. Low costs can equal more exciting entertainment: Because of the lower operation costs involved in hosting virtual events, companies have significantly more wiggle room to splurge on more exciting event entertainment than what their budgets previously allowed. For example, a company who hosts…
