The Future of Virtual Events
Just like many other types of business, the event management sphere has experienced a big shift in regards to a working mode because of the global pandemic. Holding virtual events has become a new normal for most of us, in general. But even now, when things are gradually stabilizing with varying degrees of success, virtual events still seem to be as popular as those held in person. Does it mean that one day, an on-screen meeting mode might take over a live interaction? Let’s break down each mode and see.
The best thing about organizing a virtual event is that it’s most of the time cheaper and more time-efficient than the preparation for an on-site event. You don’t have to spend time and money on renting a venue for your event. Also, the weather can’t let you down anymore: your event will still be in place, rain or shine.
With all the money and preparation time that the virtual mode saves us, it’s important to acknowledge its downsides too, such as Zoom fatigue. Watching the screen for an hour and more obviously feels exhausting, even though many of us have learned to adjust to it. So, it might get difficult to keep the attention of the audience at some point as well as encourage active participation from their side. And don’t forget about the Internet connection! While the weather seems to be less of an obstacle for virtual events, the Internet still can let you down.
The need for a real human connection seems to be critical when it comes to thinking about the future of virtual events. Even with the flawless Internet connection, a well-structured program, and interactive format, the physical presence of events’ participants is crucial and can’t be artificially recreated, at least now. That’s how humans are wired, and that’s why people will likely continue choosing in-person events in the nearest future, or stick to a hybrid mode, depending on the circumstances.
At this point, you can ask yourself: how to choose the best format for event management when the pandemic situation is still up in the air? Here are a few things to consider.
Duration. If you think the event will take an hour or two, virtual mode might work. Oftentimes, the events like conferences, webinars, or workshops do not require much time, so it makes sense to lean towards the online mode. Since our attention span is limited, it’s good to keep it shorter.
Purpose. Is it more an informative event like a presentation or something more interactive like a writing workshop? It might be better to keep interaction away from the screen if it’s possible and hold workshops in-person.
How comfortable your audience is. While many people are craving for a live interaction, others are still cautious about the pandemic's restrictions. Make sure to double-check how many people are ready to return to an in-person mode before planning such an event.
What do you say? Are you back to holding in-person events, or do you still stick to a virtual format? Or maybe hybrid? Feel free to jump in and share your preferences in the comments.