What I learned from the EventBank Online Forum: The Future of Events Post COVID-19

Here at The Giles Agency, we work with several event companies and have been saddened to see them struggling with the obvious obstacles presented by COVID-19. Facing much uncertainty and grappling with new restrictions, the events industry has been one of the hardest hit across the globe. To see how to best support them, we have been educating ourselves on both the challenges and the potential solutions and opportunities.

With this aim in mind, I joined EventBank’s online forum focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on the events industry. Panelists Anita Chau, Director of Marketing at KPMG; Noor Ahmad Hamid, Regional Director Asia Pacific at the International Congress and Convention Association (Icca); Greg Crandall, Senior Vice President, Global Activation Team at Pico Group; David Abrenilla, Founder and President of Mediacom Solutions, Inc.; and Eric Schmidt CEO & Co-Founder of EventBank discussed the important questions everyone connected to the industry is asking.

Although each panelist was based in a different city, I noticed many commonalities in terms of obstacles faced. With the spread of COVID-19, many if not all physical events have now been cancelled, postponed or gone digital. Many companies like KPMG and Pico group are trying to re-establish events online by turning to webinars and online forums. Now you might think running an online event is simpler than a physical one, but our panelist discussion revealed that just the opposite is true.

Online events throw up new challenges around monetization, technological infrastructure and cyber security. Platforms must be chosen with great care. Companies like KPMG must review a great number to ensure they are compliant in the country they are operating in. In addition, platforms must offer the necessary key features such as the capacity to hold everything from small roundtable events to big conferences that involve thousands of people.

As for attendees, the biggest question revolves around how they will get the same value and experience that attending a physical event delivers. One of the main reasons professionals attend physical events is the networking – the invaluable opportunity to meet the people that will take their business forward.

Greg Crandall shared that it often takes a lot of trial and error to get the networking right at physical events and now the industry must rethink this element for online. He felt that by finding the right way to do introductions online, perhaps through business matching, online networking could actually become more efficient and effective than face-to-face. And with that possibility, event companies would be in a better position to monetize online given the added value.

In Malaysia and the Philippines, Noor and David are working hard with the government to track international meetings and to figure out how events will be able to continue in terms of health, safety and hygiene. The priority for the industry is to keep communications open to ensure communities are engaged through online events while local and international governments slowly start to allow the return of physical events.

It seems everyone is in agreement that physical events will never be replaced, but both Anita and Greg think the disruption of COVID-19 has forced the industry to rethink the ultimate purpose of an event, as well as examining the benefits and drawbacks of holding an event physically versus online. They agree that businesses which are quick to adapt by going online will be in a stronger position, while those who choose to cancel events and stop communicating while they wait out the storm may find it difficult to bounce back afterwards.

If you’re taking your events online and need help reworking your comms, get in touch.