It was only a few months ago that I experienced an anxiety never felt before.
An industry I loved and had been entrenched in my entire career was crumbling around me.
I blissfully recalled memories of seeing Coldplay live at Wembley Stadium, and more locally, being inspired by the plethora of female leaders that Business Chicks hosted at their monthly breakfast events.
The anxiety was relatively short lived. It only took a few glasses of wine for me to realise connectivity is key and there was a way.
By helping brands realise this, we were able to disrupt the events industry once and for all by embracing virtual offerings to connect businesses with engaged brand followers.
Virtual events are not a new idea, but it’s taken a few attempts – and a global pandemic – to see them come to the fore.
Arguably, virtual delivery is more favourable for attracting a targeted audience than expensive in-person events where many of the guests are just there for the free food.
What I love about the new normal for the events space is the opportunity to get creative.
Never have we had quite such a blank canvas as this. More often than not, we are constrained by client and industry parameters, which can limit creativity. The forced change brings blue sky - and the perfect opportunity for us to think big and go hard on digital innovation.
My team at Spoke has been fortunate to operate across both the West and East coasts. We’ve been able to work with clients to deliver the perfect hybrid solutions, including taking face-to-face events hosted in Western Australia and repurpose them into engaging virtual offerings to appease audiences in the East.
If you’re like me and are not fazed by the lack of visibility of what the future brings, remind yourself of the following:
Think Long Term
Focusing on your digital interactions with an experiential lens is the way to win.
You may currently see virtual as a necessary response to the current climate, but it's really about building more tools and avenues to connect with your audiences into the future. Long term, you’ll be better for it.
Think Data
The data we’re collecting is expanding our knowledge about the new approach to events and allowing us valuable insights for future planning. Time is a currency that many attendees have more of right now. People are craving connection. They want to hear new information or receive golden nuggets of insight.
Think Macro
Digital will play an important role in bringing smaller events together, however, think about major international events that are being connected by technology and sharing a common spirit. The intention is to elevate a small initiative to a global meaning.
Think Real
At present, we are adjusting to the way we occupy physical space. Everything right now is an experience. Whatever the world looks like in the near future, the goal is to empower your brand to be the best.
With ambiguity comes opportunity. How will you turn the present into your future?