Pandemic threat to the events industry is an opportunity for innovators to make the pivot to virtual

In March 2020 nobody would have ever thought that the world was changing the way it has. When we were asked to stay home we were expecting a couple of weeks of hiatus before going back to business as usual. As we know that was not what happened and we are still experiencing drastic changes to the way we operate. This is especially true in the events space, specifically, business events. 

Nobody is willing to take the risk to hold in-person conferences or meetings. In fact, most offices have become remote for the foreseeable future so there isn’t any in-person team meeting either. Social distancing, mask wearing, and sanitizing has taken over any in-person experience, thus many physical events have been canceled. 

The lack of in-person contact is taking a toll on many. And although virtual events are not exactly the same, they are all we’ve got right now. This gives the events industry an opportunity to do something great for those longing for human interaction. 

There are several things working in your favor. 

First, those who would never attend a virtual conference or event are doing it or seriously considering it, because there’s no other option. 

Second, because your event is now virtual, you have unlimited capacity (within your tech ability). And you’re not limited to an audience able to physically attend your event. Your pool of potential attendees is much greater than before. A greater audience not only means more ticket sales (if you’re selling tickets) but also greater, more creative opportunities for sponsorships.

Third, the cost of logistics will exclude venue, catering, travel, accomodation, (as much) staffing, and other costs that come with an in-person event. This gives you the opportunity to invest that budget into perfecting and promoting the virtual experience. 

This means that now is the time to charge ahead and seize the opportunity of virtual events and do it better and ahead of everyone else. This includes your marketing strategy. Whether you’re an events production company trying to make the shift into offering unique virtual experiences or a long-running conference doing it remotely for the time being, it’s important that you have an impactful marketing strategy in place to get you ahead of the competition. Contact us for a free consultation.