From a marketing perspective, the lack of events has proved traumatic for many a marketer. As we all know, this has been the traditional stomping ground for shaking hands, exchanging business cards, broadening networks and setting the scene for future pitches and new biz.
We believe that virtual events have worked, to a fashion, but few of us are spending as much time at these events and for IR or Sales, meeting potential investors or funds in virtual booths can be painful, particularly if the technology fails the test.
But needs must. We do need events to broaden our knowledge and our trusted circles. Virtual events are here to stay, we just have to get better at doing them. The technology and experience is improving and increasingly our expectations are changing.
Going forward the likelihood is that traditional physical events will include a mix of virtual - the hybrid model. It is unlikely that any time soon, if at all, we will be travelling as much as we once did, hence the need to cover both sides.
Times have changed. We will move past the Covid concerns, but then there will be concerns about the depth of our carbon footprint. Gone are the days when you all went for a jolly… instead it is down to whether or not you really need to be there. Does it need to be you and the team, or just you.
Having said that, events have not disappeared, they are still operating and they continue to be good opportunities to develop your business. You just have to approach them slightly differently.
Click here to see a calendar of events for 2021.