| Many of our clients have been waiting to see what happens at the start of this new year. We have a new president, we have vaccines, and we have state, county and city regulations changing. So everyone is wondering – does that mean that we can have an in person event?
It’s a good question, and one that we are happy to be discussing again after 11 months. We miss our in person events, and can’t wait to see our clients face to face again! That being said, I don’t think we’re there yet. WE still expect virtual to be a part of every event through June, and expect most events to be hybrid in the fall. I see it as two separate factors right now. Since health and safety are always first, it is still going to take a while for people to get vaccinated. When? I couldn’t say, but it will take some time. It’s also going to be a while before some of our population feels comfortable being in large crowds again. The other factor is that many people LIKE the online experience. Whether it is due to shorter event times; the ability to attend an event and work at the same time; work from home and reduce their travel; increased family time; or because now they have upgraded their home setup to be a full recording studio (that might just be me). Reason aside, that portion of the population will continue to participate in events online. Our focus for the next few issues will be on how to hold a successful hybrid event. It requires planning for TWO events, as you have TWO audiences! Last week our Virtual Platform, Hopin, released their mobile app to start addressing how to integrate their virtual world into the in person world. Meanwhile our Custom Platform, with event partners Hospitality Resource Group and MackTeck Solutions, have already executed successful Hybrid events. So a solution is only a phone call away! Hybrid is coming! But in the meantime, let’s get those virtual events planned and scheduled. I guarantee, they will take more time than you think! We leave you with last week’s recording from the Spark of Change event, which had over 1000 people registered from over 60 countries. Our team formed some great relationships, and got some good tips from our international and local colleagues, that we hope to bring to your events! – Joe Guilderson |
