Conferences and Events in 2021

By 08/09/2021 March 19th, 2024 Blog, covid-19, Customer experience, Networking
barrett-sales-tend-9-Conferences-and-Events-in-2021-Rising-from-the-Ashes-of-2020

Sales Trend 9 from the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2021 is about the much-changed Conference and Events industry.

By guest author Donna Morris – Book Speakers Direct

barrett-sales-trend-9-blog-numberSitting in on the Annual Professional Speakers Association Conference mid-March, as the delegates (all speakers) entered the conference on Day One, there was no way they would know of the effect the recent news of a strange new disease would have on everyone there.

Over the course of the conference, speakers around the room were getting messages to advise them that their speaking engagements had either been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. It was surreal and everyone was struggling to make sense of it and of what it would mean to their future and their income!

Within a matter of days, Coronavirus had flattened the conference and events industry and cancelled millions of dollars of services.

As the months moved on, there is a quiet positivity and optimism that things are starting to rise again, albeit in a different format. After those long months of not knowing what was happening and what was going to be the outcome of all of this, there is some light at the end of that proverbial tunnel.

Large face-to-face events are still a long way off but there are hybrid and online events. Like the Phoenix, our industry is slowly rising out of the ashes.

After the dust settled and the reality sunk in about the state of the conference and events industry, there was much scrambling to embrace Zoom and other web-based video conferencing tools. The demand for webcams, quality cameras, on-camera video lights, high-quality microphones and other AV gear was so high that waiting lists stretched for months. It was Online or nothing.

Professional Speakers and Event companies undertook training to embrace a new way to present to their audiences and new rules were being drawn up on how to grab your viewers and keep them engaged and inspired. Speakers reviewed their messages and how to make an impact over a screen, without seeing and feeling the audience’s reactions.

Also having access to international presenters was starting to open up, with no travel and additional expenses to cover in the budget, this became much more attractive. The reverse also applied. Our Australian based speakers could gain access to international audiences.

Here at Book Speakers Direct, we partnered up with Booking World Speakers, based in Europe, to provide the opportunity for some of our speakers and our business to get this exposure, plus showcase a few international speakers to the local market.

As we move forward, we need to be flexible and ready to do things beyond the ordinary as we work to keep events happening and everybody safe.

Here are some of the key considerations:

Communication and briefing is key!  It is a matter of building trust with your clients, sharing that your COVID-safe Management Plan is compliant with Government guidelines and can ensure the safety and well-being of their audiences, crew and others involved.  Involve all departments early in the planning and embrace QR codes, with minimum collection of data as needed to protect privacy, for registration and movement of delegates.

Have a contingency plan – Expect the unexpected

Businesses need to involve their team and embrace technology and its capabilities, what it can do for their clients and adopt critical and creative thinking and problem solving skills to show their clients they can still provide the services they need.

Remain innovative and forward thinking so our customers feel confident about the ‘new way’ to present to their own teams and their own clients.

Online events are not at all like a face to face event.  There is a huge need to adopt creative thinking to ensure the audience is kept engaged and the messages are delivered succinctly and impactfully.

A great Host makes all the difference. In order to best deliver a hybrid or an online event, it really is crucial to engage a Master of Ceremonies or Facilitator to create the right atmosphere, to introduce the next segment or speaker and to keep the attendees engaged the whole time.  Make use of tools, such as the chat box to get immediate feedback and to gauge the success, also include survey questions through the event to get reactions to help next time.

Safety is a priority. As the events industry moves forward into the “New Normal” trust is the most important currency. We need to build trust by embracing new governmental guidelines, innovative use of technology, letting go of “how it used to be”, engaging with all stakeholders and ensuring everyone is fairly compensated for their contribution.

‘Under the Business Events Exhibitor Grants program, Australian businesses exhibiting at an approved business meeting, convention, conference and incentives event in 2021 will be able to apply for upfront grants to cover up to 50 per cent of their costs ($10,000 – $250,000).’ [1] Hon Prime Minister of Australia – The Hon Scott Morrison MP

Our industry will rebuild and is rebuilding. It continues to be a matter of patience. In the meantime, stay connected with your clients and keep abreast of any changes to COVID guidelines.

 

With credit and thanks to Gerry Morris, Warwick Merry CSP, Celia Wouters of Events Outsourced, and Daniel Udall of OzParty
[1] https://www.pm.gov.au/media/restarting-australias-business-events-sector (dead link)

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