The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions and new practices of the resulting lockdown have left an indelible mark on the face of many industries, and events are no exception, whether the event takes place online, in the real world, or as a hybrid of both.
As the demand for virtual/hybrid events continues to grow, we need to factor in how we define our approach by focusing on who our audience really is, and then use those insights to design the outcomes and content for our event. Recalibrating how you assess event objectives makes all the difference when creating attendee experiences that drive engagement, impact, legacy, and behavior change.
What That Means
Since the COVID lockdown began, we've gone back and forth between entirely virtual connections—unable to have physical contact with anyone outside our homes—to gradual easing of restrictions with distancing measures still in place. However, with some sectors still due to reopen for business (and the undeniable toll of the pandemic on the travel and hospitality industries), creating bespoke events must pivot away from a "one size fits all" approach.
By thinking laterally about the implications of the latest government guidance—as well as the societal implications of business sectors that are reopening versus those that aren't—we can turn event planning on its head to find ways to innovate in both physical and virtual event spaces.
Looking Ahead
The current period of quiet reflection will be followed by a flurry of activity and concern about how to deliver in a post-pandemic climate that is still not fully back to normal. Senior stakeholders in organizations will be turning to event organizers and asking, "So what should we do, and how can we do it?"
Considering people first will stand you in good stead. Look at the "personas" of your event attendees: the various types of people who use (or might use) your company's services, products, and website. Identifying personas up front will help you understand your delegates' experiences, behaviors, goals, and needs. Doing so in combination with audience segmentation is a powerful lens to apply to event design (see checklist elsewhere in this article).
When seeking to innovate with our new reality as the context, brainstorm ways to create new ways of engagement—for example, highlighting digital content by rolling it out over the course of a few days, pre-recording set pieces, or livestreaming keynotes and panel discussions. Create an immersive experience for attendees by designing events with the goal of gathering people together, even from disparate locations across the globe.
