FOCUS

Organising and hosting an event is a costly and resource-intensive affair; during a time when budgets are much tighter, unnecessary expenditure isn’t an option.

Join Meetings as we navigate through what essentials and add-ons can be expected from post-pandemic events.

The lockdown and limitations on social interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic spotlighted just how important face-to-face interaction is to the human psyche. So much so that it led to the establishment of #WorkAnywhere – a global advocacy movement representing remote workers and lobbying for a policy and legislation shift for the creation of remote working communities.

So why is there such a growing emphasis on establishing genuine connections and growing communities? Well, in short, people thrive on positive social interactions. “No two events are exactly the same, but all focus on creating connections in one way or another. Maybe attendees connect with each other, with content, or with an idea. You need to think about how to create those connections. For instance, if the goal of the event is to teach attendees, you need to think about what attendees are learning, why they’re learning it, and how you want to teach them,” says Cvent’s Social Tables, highlighting the importance of creating genuine connections.

And there is a scientific consensus that the human brain’s reward system releases dopamine when experiencing such a connection.

“Data from functional imaging studies in humans exhibit striatal activations for a variety of rewarding social stimuli. There is evidence from a variety of studies that the dopaminergic reward circuits in the basal

THE RIGHTstuff ganglia form the primary neural system for processing reward of various social stimuli which could motivate social behaviour,” it was noted in a 2010 academic review titled, ‘The rewarding nature of social interactions’. This makes a strong case for why we as event organisers and planners need to focus on providing the best possible platform and environment in which positive social interaction can thrive. ALIGNING NEEDS An article published on the PubMed Central website alludes to how the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a marked change in the way event attendees consume events, noting that “key findings highlight pleasure and excitement and sense of safety as salient personal values. Respondents also found health/safety attributes particularly important, considering them must-be attributes. Providing health/ safety services prior to the event would be effective in decreasing dissatisfaction.” This shows that event organisers should place a clear emphasis on health and safety protocols in the lead-up to and during their

events. The article goes on to further explain that there has been a distinct change in how consumers engage with products and services.

“Amid the pandemic, consumers’ expectations for event products/services are subject to change. As such, event organisers need to be able to examine event attributes in order to track and predict possible changes, find opportunities to improve services, and seek ways to offer services that can fulfil certain needs. Product and service attributes significantly influence customer perception and consumption experience,” says the article.

This sort of key research is extremely valuable and provides solid insights into why it is so important to ensure whatever our event is about aligns with our attendees’ needs.

EMPHASISING VALUES AND AUTHENTICITY

A central element of many successful events is creating shared purpose and values, and framing our event content in such a way that emphasises values is a game changer for how we discuss topics during our conferences. Purpose plays a huge role in the ‘why’ behind what we are hoping to gain from bringing together any event. Most importantly, if we connect with our audience in the most authentic way possible, it creates resonance and a memorable and impactful experience for them.

The Signatry, a global body dedicated to generating support for charitable projects, has tapped into how to create this impact.

“The key to a successful event is personal engagement which leads to transformation. Real change happens when your audience begins to move beyond the transaction of giving and focus on the broader experience. Emphasising the heart and mindset of possible change, and not just money, will impact their hearts and partnership is likely to follow,” says the non-profit organisation, explaining that a means to achieving this partnership is to “invite guests to join in the mission and play an active role in problem-solving; they will see themselves as a part of the story – one where they can be the hero.”

CREATING SHARED AND CONNECTED EXPERIENCES

It may be the trivial act of breaking bread together or appreciating artistic expression that brings you closer to your audience.

“People want shared experiences – they want infotainment that can compete with Netflix and Hulu. Events for events’ sake are long gone... What will make someone leave their home, their children, the comfort of their

What were the initial goals of the event? How can these be reimagined in a different form of meaningful engagement? And how will we measure success? From there, we unleash creative thought and innovation, deploy our unique resourcefulness and deliver an unexpected solution to the problem at hand.”

- Lynne Webster

couch, and spend time with you?” asks Lynne Webster, founder of Donor Relations Guru.

These shared experiences are as vast as they are varied and will depend entirely on the attendees’ preferences, so understanding their needs and wants will be the first step to identifying what will be a hit. At the same time, this can also address the essential need to communicate with your attendees.

“To plan a successful event, organisers need to listen to their audiences, understand their needs and plan an event that envisions these desires. Only by effective communication from the organiser can marketers communicate the right messaging and marketing promotions to attract the intended audiences,” says UK-based marketing agency Smart Insights.

For event organisers and their clients and sponsors, creating a proper communication strategy can ultimately lead to increased sales, the generation of prospective leads, brand awareness and affinity, cementing relationships and building credibility – all very good reasons for ensuring your communication plan is on point.