The world of events post-pandemic. How do events in the post-COVID era look like?

By BluExperience | 29 may 2022 | event
It has been over two years since we have been living differently than before. The temporary restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus have turned the previous order upside down. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a change in our daily habits and the development of new solutions. We had to move many things online, which was challenging but also opened up new possibilities. The situation related to the epidemic has primarily forced us to change the format of events and accelerated the transition to new technologies. Today, online conferences, meetings organized using virtual tools, and remote work have become commonplace and no longer surprise anyone. What possibilities do we have available now? We write about this in today’s article.

Virtual events, possibilities, and limitations.

In the face of the pandemic, the event industry was quickly dominated by the virtual world. Online events, organized using live streaming technology and online software platforms, have become not only a necessary alternative but also a convenient and effective tool for communication and lead generation. Organizing virtual events offers a range of benefits. Thanks to such formats, there is the possibility to reach a significantly larger number of people compared to traditional in-person meetings. To participate in a prestigious event of interest, one no longer needs to travel to another city; in fact, they don’t even need to leave their home. From the perspective of an organizer and event manager, online meetings offer the advantage of no limitations and burdensome costs, as well as the ability to comprehensively analyze the event. However, it is important to be aware that no matter how well-planned and executed an online event is, it cannot fully replicate the direct interactions with others, the liveliness of emotions, and the sense of presence that were taken away by the pandemic.

The new face of events – hybrid events.

The main challenge for event hosts is to create an event that is exciting and engaging for participants. Virtual meetings are based on innovations that enable such possibilities. During the pandemic, we have seen the opportunities that arise from combining remote participation with the physical world. It turned out that the golden mean can be the hybrid format, which we are now familiar with and can confidently utilize. With the emergence of hybrid events, we have entered a completely new dimension. Hybrid events offer the best of both formats, combining the advantages of in-person meetings with virtual elements. To ensure that an event generates interest among participants and delivers tangible benefits, having a compelling concept is important, but it is also crucial to have a well-thought-out marketing strategy. It can be beneficial to seek the assistance of an event agency in creating such a strategy. Hybrid events can be promoted in various ways, including through dedicated websites, newsletters, YouTube channels, and leveraging social media platforms effectively.

The future of online and hybrid events

The situation related to the pandemic has been a tremendous challenge for the economy. The rapidly increasing number of infections led to the closure of schools, shopping centers, and cultural institutions, and all planned events were canceled. Fortunately, the event industry managed to weather the crisis and quickly recognized the wide range of possibilities offered by organizing events online. Virtual and hybrid events have firmly established themselves in our daily lives and currently enjoy the same, if not greater, interest than traditional offline events. The time of lockdowns and restrictions has taught us that we can make meaningful use of new technologies in an increasingly digitalized world. Nevertheless, we all miss normality and crave the opportunity to participate in real, live meetings. From a global perspective, it can be expected that online and hybrid events will probably stay with us permanently, constituting an attractive alternative to events in the physical world. It is quite possible that there will also be situations, such as a global pandemic, in which virtual events will be the only option.