Future of Hybrid and Virtual Events by Mediaplanet_USA

A Mediaplanet Guide to the New Era of Event Planning

Future of Virtual & Hybrid Events

Marina Worre How the co-founder and CEO of state-of-the-arts virtual events company, Worre Studios, is shaking up the industry

Talley talks the future of meetings: virtual, hybrid, user experience, and data Learn how Encore can help you plan your greatest hybrid event yet

JUNE 2021 | FUTUREOFBUSINESSANDTECH.COM

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How Data Can Help Customize the User Experience The use of technology in our daily lives has increased consumer demand. Today’s users expect more tailored information, and event attendees are no different. Not only have virtual events driven sustainable results, but they have proven to be valuable resources for connecting and engaging global stakeholders. Everything in the virtual space is focused more on the real-time user experience (i.e., when I click this button, something will happen) compared to in-person events where the attendees have limited control. In this digitally driven world where preference, data consumption, and digital footprints are quickly changing, event strategists must optimize their experience strategy by focusing on data consumption and usability. Many business event strategists struggle with the ratio of questions on the registration forms (concise vs. comprehensive). Gathering meaningful information via effective registration forms will strengthen our abilities to plan for inclusion. What happens when we ask participants to highlight any diversity requests or even articulate their goals for attending the experience? Even though these are easy to implement and send a strong signal of thoughtfulness and inclusivity to event audiences, strategists do not collectively use these approaches. Event organizers of tomorrow need to be more conscious about delivering exceptional experiences based on the actual personas of delegates. The only way to identify these personas and the types of actions that fit them is through data. Derrick M. Johnson, II, CMP, DES, Chief Diversity Officer & Director of Event Strategy, Talley Management Group

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Event Service Professionals Shape Destinations With Planner Feedback A post-event survey is a critical tool that planners should not confuse with another piece of junk email. Event service professionals at hotels, convention centers, and convention and visitors bureaus carefully review and use feedback from meeting planners to improve their destinations, operations, and service. Survey responses from planners — the people who are bringing attendees to a destination and venue — are instrumental when facilities are considering decisions like capital improvement projects. Using feedback In Pittsburgh, for example, the services team knows the building struggles with access from one side. Based on feedback from multiple clients, the Pittsburgh team can show the building owners data from the surveys to help validate the need for a capital improvement project. Client opinion is taken very seriously because needed improvements, for example, might jeopardize a future booking. Hearing feedback from planners is also valuable for a destination’s outside partners, as it measures how effectively all aspects of a des-

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tination work together to ensure client delight and return business. Areas for review Elements like transportation, restaurants, and retail can be evaluated for performance and value to the planner’s attendee experience, says Julie Brakenbury, CGSP, director of services at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. Positive and negative responses help event service professionals provide feedback to partners so they know what they are doing is working — or isn’t.

Denise Reid, event planning manager at Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans, loads all feedback into spreadsheets so she can easily recognize areas of improvement or strengths on which to capitalize. Her team discusses survey results at weekly staff meetings to ensure the comments are being heard, and more importantly, addressed. By reviewing planner feedback, event service professionals can bring about meaningful change. n Jamie Huckleberry, President, Event Service Professionals Association

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Publisher Chandler Bishop Business Developer Abraham Freedberg Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Kayla Mendez Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Dustin Brennan Partnership and Distribution Manager Jordan Hernandez Director of Product Faye Godfrey Cover Photo Denise Truscello All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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Shaking Up the World of Virtual Events Organizations owe it to themselves to understand how technology is changing virtual and hybrid events.

Audience experience One of the main problems is the passivity of the traditional event experience. “People sit and watch, but they don’t have the interaction that they need from the screen, typically a laptop screen,” notes Larry Smith, president of Worre Studios. “You’re just sitting there. It’s a very passive experience.” That lack of engagement is important because the virtual aspect of events is here to stay, even after in-person events return. “Companies are now seeing that hybrid events

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eventy-five percent of event organizers shifted to virtual events in 2020, and most companies plan to keep their events virtual or hybrid for the foreseeable future. The key challenge is audience engagement. “Right now, everyone is throwing up a Zoom grid on their screens at home and staring at the camera,” says Marina Worre, co-founder and CEO of Worre Studios, a stateof-the-art digital virtual events company. “It’s really hard to keep the energy going because you need the feedback of the audience, you need to see that reaction. And when you have that one-way stream, you don’t have that.”

could be a solution for where they don’t have to deal with quarantine times or the uncertainty of international travel,” Smith notes. Technology is key Virtual and hybrid events are only possible because of technology, but it takes more than just an internet connection and a camera to engage organizers, speakers, and audience members simultaneously. That requires cutting-edge technological solutions that not only serve the needs of the current moment but are capable of keeping up with future demands in terms of bandwidth and features. “When we had our last event

in 2019, we pre-sold 7,000 tickets,” says Worre. “Then COVID happened. We decided we needed to build our own studio where we can host events.” That studio sports a 65-foot circular stage with 14-foot ultra-high-resolution LED video walls, as well as two smaller additional screens. This allows Worre to configure events as either 360-degree purely virtual experiences or with up to 300 in-person audience members. The studio’s twin 5G network connections allow them to shoot and transmit events in 8K resolution — and currently handles up to 250,000 participants from around the world, with the ability to scale to millions. They held their first

event, which attracted more than 36,000 participants, in December 2020 without a single technical glitch. Future-proofing the technology was crucial. “What we’ve done is procured and installed technology that allows us to be ahead of the technology curve and competition through the next 5-10 years,” says Smith. “Our issue was, let’s buy the best of the best now that will allow us and our clients to feel confident in having the most up-to-date technology, no matter when they use the studio.” Audience engagement underlies every decision. Worre Studios can handle multiple live translation streams, and speakers or organizers can put

any audience member up on the screens for real-time interaction without lag or delay. Production aspects like music and virtual effects can be pushed to both the speakers and the audience so there is a shared experience and sense of real-time feedback, unlike traditional virtual events. Best of all, Worre Studios can provide all the technology and support staff, so companies or event professionals don’t need any expertise or technological infrastructure to plan their hybrid or virtual events. “We call it the interactive village,” says Smith. “Always up, always ready to go, and having the support staff to operate it regardless of country, regardless of language.” For Worre, the future is now. “Even though it’s just them sitting in front of their computer, they feel the energy, they feel the laughter, the cheers, they hear the music,” she says. “All of that creates that two-way experience — you cannot compare it with anything else.” n

Jeff Somers

To learn more about what Worre Studios can do for your next event, visit worrestudios.com

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How Forever-Changed AV Makes Meeting Planners Shine Meeting planners need a trusted AV partner when it comes to the rapidly changing technology and evolving demands for events.

The Future of Virtual and Hybrid Events

The good news is that help is out there. More control With uncertainty at an all-time high during the pandemic, a little more control seems to be on every meeting planner’s list. AVT Productions president Rick L’Heureux says his technical production company, based in Santa Clara, California, is delivering a record number of pre-recorded content for upcoming events. More engagement Too many times, attendees at live events become lulled into being passive spectators. But “one-way street” events have gone bye-bye, according to Steve Wildemann, president of Advanced Staging Productions in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His company uses different online platforms and streaming methods that enable attendees to become part of the event. More options As event planners return to events amid the pandemic, change will remain a constant — Plan B has become the new Plan A. Giving presenters options for on-site and remote access is an important part of today’s contingency checklist, says Donald Guzauckas Jr., vice president at HB Live in North Haven, Connecticut. Mark Miller, President, Rental Staging Network

The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted the B2B exhibitions industry into a new era. When the realities of COVID-19 were truly being felt in the spring of 2020, the entire industry and its supporting ecosystem basically shut down. Organizers had to quickly transition and find a way to continue bringing buyers and sellers together. In 2021, this has left a major question on everyone’s minds: Are virtual events here to stay? Yes and no. First, it depends on the market vertical. For example, fashion shows exist well in the face-to-face environment because of the need to feel the fabrics, see

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the colors, and examine the samples. This cannot be achieved well in the digital space. The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) noted in its Global Virtual Events Trends Study that, of organizers surveyed, people attend digital events for learning and prefer face-to-face events for networking, relationship-building, and transactions. Coming together For the majority of trade show organizers, face-to-face events will always be the preferred way to bring buyers and sellers together to conduct business. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it is the firm realization that face-to-

face interactions are essential. Most organizers are looking to augment or enhance their face-toface event with a virtual component to reach audiences that they could not traditionally reach before. Particularly in 2021, when corporate travel bans are still fairly common and travel restrictions are in place for international visitors, offering a digital component to your in-person event will be what many organizers plan for their event stakeholders. What the trade show community as a whole has embraced is the notion of online communities extending the face-to-face experience year-round. In the CEIR study mentioned previously, the top three reasons for moving to virtual to serve communities were: provide education for professional or personal development, keep professionals up-to-date with industry trends, and help brand marketers generate leads and achieve branding objectives. It sometimes takes a crisis to push people and companies to be innovative. While the events industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, event professionals persevered and used virtual offerings as a way to move forward in the face of uncertainty. The digital world will continue to grow and, if you are savvy enough, you will find a way to make it work for you. n Nicole Bowman, MBA, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)

Making Virtual and Hybrid Events More Engaging Than Ever Before Joe Schwinger CEO, MeetingPlay

Ben Chodor President, Intrado Digital Media

Corbin Ball Event Technology Speaker, Consultant, and Writer

Mahoganey Leigh Jones, CMP, DES, HMCC Founder and Principal Planner, Event Specialists

Matt Harvey VP, Virtual and Hybrid Events, Encore Event Technologies

In 2020, the event planning industry underwent a massive transformation as in-person events were halted. We asked our panel of experts about how the future of events is adapting and changing.

Ben Chodor: As more people consider heading back to the office and business travel is picking up, many of us are looking forward to the return of business trips and the personal connections made through handshakes and shared experiences during in-person events. However, the business events industry has undergone rapid digital transformation in the past year, ushering in a new era for event planners and attendees. As a result, virtual events are here to stay — there is no turning back. The benefits of events delivered through multiple channels are impossible to ignore.

more over the past year than in the previous decade. During the pandemic, nearly everyone, from grade-school kids to grandparents, have been getting video conference training through Zoom and other products, and we are getting used to them. Billions of dollars of funding and acquisitions in the virtual/ hybrid event technology space have been made this past year. Nearly all the major event registration software companies and many of the mobile event app companies have pivoted to develop virtual and hybrid event counterparts to their existing face-to-face event technology offerings.

Corbin Ball: Although virtual events have been around in some form for more than two decades, the pandemic has created an unprecedented explosion of innovation and development of best practices in using them. Virtual meeting technology has easily changed

Why is it important to revolutionize virtual events to keep up with trends, and keep consumers and attendees engaged?

events have allowed us to continue delivering on our goals and objectives, while also allowing us to continue to generate revenue (yes, many organizations saw higher profit margins off their events in 2020), and meet corporate goals and expectations. If we do not continue to seek out trends and understand new ways to meet our attendees where they are, not only will we be left behind, but our attendees will register for other events that are more enticing to them. It is no longer enough to plan an event that you believe attendees will attend; you have to know they’re interested in what you have to offer, and how it is different from everything else in the marketplace.

tion with in-person as part of an overall event program strategy, taking the best elements that the different formats offer. For example, a software user conference that traditionally took place in person over four days might evolve into a month of virtual learning and online information-sharing sessions, leading up to a shorter in-person event where ideation and networking are the focuses. An industry trade show event may extend its in-person tradeshow with a persistent, year-round virtual presence where suppliers can continue to connect with buyers. An in-person corporate sales kickoff may extend its message to more junior team members participating via regional watch parties with local collaboration, getting the message further into the organization more quickly. Captured content at events will also be repurposed on-demand, extending the life and message of the event, and driving ROI. n

Can you discuss the need for virtual and hybrid events in 2021 and beyond? Joe Schwinger: The need for virtual and hybrid events in 2021 and beyond is driven by the new normal that COVID19 has brought on the event industry and its attendees. Virtual events were around before COVID, however, it was the pandemic that created this “Uber moment” in the industry. As a result of being forced into this new normal, event organizers, planners, and attendees clearly see the value of having a virtual event as well as an onsite event, and now combining the two together.

Mahoganey Jones: The simple answer to this question is not being left behind. Virtual

What does the future have in store when it comes to virtual and hybrid events? Matt Harvey: We’ll see virtual and hybrid used in conjunc-

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Creating a More Inclusive Future for Virtual and Hybrid Meetings When the world went remote last year, the value of virtual meeting technology reached a tipping point. For global companies, this way of communicating solved some huge challenges and reduced costs. For those who thought a global reach wasn’t possible, on-demand language interpretation is now available. Corporate America is no longer defined by physical offices. Hybrid-styled work and meetings are here to stay, as evidenced by companies like REI, Shopify, and Twitter committing to permanent work-from-home structures. Despite this, a virtual world does not mean the absence of human interaction. The acceptance of video conferencing means communication will better succeed, because words are only a small part of conveying an idea. Behind multilingual meeting technologies like KUDO — which feature drop-down menus with 100s of languages — are highly skilled interpreters; real humans. One might expect this to be achieved with the use of AI, yet human involvement is still very necessary. Recently, AI has made huge strides in the world of translation, but this is only for written words. Technology can make sense of grammar rules and definitions, but interpretation is the art of delivering meaning behind words. Only humans can decipher the nuance of body language, local idioms, and facial expressions to get meanings — so vastly different to each person — correct. The future of successful meetings depends on video conference technology with real-time language interpretation. Talk about global inclusivity, this technology ensures that everyone has a chance to participate in the conversations that matter, regardless of language. Fardad Zabetian, CEO and Co-Founder, KUDO

This article has been paid for by KUDO.

Imagining Virtual and Hybrid Events in a Post-Pandemic World

We asked Lisa DeGolyer, deputy executive vice president of the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI), about what event planners and attendees can expect as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you discuss the need for virtual and hybrid events in 2021? As life comes back to the live events industry, I can see how some organizations are benefiting from adding a hybrid option. I’m not a believer though that it is a blanket add-on for everyone. Some live events are better suited for it than others. Like continuing education

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seems logical to me, while more experiential events, not so much. With global events being on a virtual scale, what do you think is the importance of translation software? I can see how that tool could be more in demand with a shift in the industry. I’ve used it myself personally just as I’ve traveled, and the advancement of the software has really come a long way. I can only imagine it going up in need with this shift. What do you think the future has in store when it comes to virtual and hybrid events? In 2020 of course, most events cancelled or went virtual. Now here

we are just a few months later, midway through 2021, and things are improving in some parts of the world, and many are experimenting with offering the hybrid option. There is no surprise to me that there’s an uptick during this transitional time, but as our world continues to recover from COVID, I personally believe the dust will settle some. I think some events will continue to offer it because it makes sense for them, while I think others will decide it’s not a good business model for them. I think this is a year of trying it on for size and seeing if it fits with the culture of your organization and what your goals are. I’m not a believer that all events should or will offer a hybrid option, I just think each event really needs to analyze it and see if it best meets their objectives. In a post-pandemic world, what do you think in-person events will look like? As a planner, some of the things I’m thinking about are determining the protocols for meeting safety and navigating attendees’ personal decisions or their “rights,” and what challenges that will pose for us. And it seems to be a moving target. Planners are going to need to adjust as we go. I think developing and enforcing health and safety measures is a new hill to climb and, to be honest, as a planner, I am hoping to have experts that can help me do that. And that can be done through your local contacts or through a DMC. n

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How Disney Can Make Your Next Meeting or Event Unforgettable Now more than ever, we realize how important it is to stay connected with your members, employees, and customers, whether you’re meeting virtually, hybrid, or face-to-face. At Disney Meetings & Events, we’re here as your trusted resource. No two programs are alike, so we use a customized approach to enhance the digital experience through “Disney at Home” touches, professional development and content from Disney Institute and National Geographic, shared interactive experiences, and even gamification. When you partner with Disney for your meeting, you get access to bestin-class planners, industry-leading technology, world-class culinary experts, and unforgettable entertainment. Most importantly, you’ll get Disney’s legendary creativity, storytelling, and attention to detail. We will work with you every step of the way, sharing and developing ideas and resources to create the best possible outcome for your organization. When you use your imagination, you transform your meeting into something incredible only found at Disney. Disney Meetings & Events offers all aspects of creative services, including digital production, entertainment, professional development, themed settings, table décor, and so much more. Everyone has a story to tell, and Disney Meetings & Events helps bring that story to life. Each Disney Meetings & Events destination is home to award-winning accommodations, sophisticated nightlife, and a wide variety of entertainment and recreation options. There is an array of exclusive Disney Difference benefits, including award-winning creative resources, customized professional development content, and private events in the Disney theme parks. All of it is delivered with Disney’s legendary standard of excellence in creativity and service. Maryann Smith, Vice President – Sales, Services & Events, Disney Destinations

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How Tech Has Created a New Meeting Venue As the pandemic forced the redirection of most meeting and event business to the digital sphere, industry professionals are evaluating how the current and nearfuture landscape is impacting their skills and the education necessary to succeed. The myriad ways in which meeting and event professionals have embraced or been forced to interact with new — or “new-to-me” — tech during the pandemic have been especially notable. From evolving a staid mindset to learning new skills, always-agile meeting pros are bombarded with input and options while looking to grow. “Many of my peers may not like to hear this, but I believe the challenge is not the technology, but the changing role

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and, more importantly, mindset of the event professional,” said Hugh Lee, president of Fusion Productions. Meeting professionals may groan about the time commitment to keep up with the latest tech, or get lost in the sea of digital platforms while simply seeking an avenue to replicate what should have been an in-person gathering but online. Shifting business However, Lee warns, “The business itself has evolved. The biggest challenge facing event professionals is understanding that digital has moved events into the business of content, community, connections, engagement, and commerce. Event professionals should be asking what are the best and brightest ideas and technologies that drive

and leverage the above, not what platform will help me mirror my event online until we get back to face-to-face events.” That’s one of the key points Brandt Krueger expresses during the sixweek Virtual Event and Meeting Management certificate program, presented by the Event Leadership Institute and Meeting Professionals International, an online course that helps professionals maximize the business tool of digital events to deliver on organizational growth and objectives. “For reasons I can’t fully explain, the job of choosing platforms and things like that just got dumped into the laps of planners themselves — people who would frequently not describe themselves as being ‘techie’ in any way, shape, or form have been launched into this digital world,” said Krueger, the program’s instructor. Help available New and additional skills have proven mandatory in the current environment. Like it or not, many meeting professionals have found themselves in a situation in which they’ve had to learn additional skills as quickly as possible. Even with signs of recovery visible across the industry, the need to evolve knowledge will persist. Thankfully, there are many educators stepping up to help. Jessie States, CMP, CMM, director of the MPI

Academy, closely follows industry trends and other factors that impact the work life of meeting and event professionals. “The pandemic accelerated something that was already happening — the addition of the digital environment,” she said, citing the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Work” report to underscore digital literacy as a bucket that encompasses many of the essential skills meeting professionals must learn to remain effective and employable moving forward. “These new skills are needed to exist in what the job will look like in 10 years, when so many of the day-to-day things will no longer be a part of what a meeting professional does.” States has seen relationships between many planners and tech suppliers become stronger during the pandemic, spurring much-needed conversations — conversations that probably should have already been taking place. “And that’s a really good thing; it’s like we’ve evolved into really understanding that they aren’t tech suppliers, they’re really our partners in the creation of an engaging and changing experience,” she said. “The conversations are richer and much deeper because of that.” n Michael Pinchera, Senior Editor, Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

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How Virtual and Hybrid Events Are Helping the Events Industry Thrive Post-Pandemic Events may have been cancelled or moved online during the pandemic, but now the events industry is poised for a comeback and a big digital transformation. “My prediction is that conferences are going to stay either virtual or hybrid until 2022, when the threat of COVID-19 is lessened,” said social media and digital marketing expert Marissa Pick of Marissa Pick Consulting LLC. She says digital conferences of the past year have had a positive impact. The digital events have enabled more people to attend virtually. Many of these events have been free, with participants paying a small fee to access slides, if they choose. Digital transformation Pick, named a “Top 29 Event Industry Influencer” by G2 Planet, says the pandemic caused an acceleration of a digital transformation: “The silver lining is a rapidly evolved digital for many brands that were kind of avoiding it,” she said. Now’s the time to use digital event platforms to connect audiences and build longer-lasting relationships. Pick has some favorite platforms, including Brella, which offers custom, one-toone meetings, as well as live streaming; and Hopin, which provides webinar sessions, chats and polls, and interactive elements that can be fully customizable and brandable. She’s also a fan of Clubhouse, an audio-only social media app, which she says is great to pre-promote events. Pick encourages brands and businesses to capitalize on this digital transformation to more effectively reach their audiences. She says it’s essential to get the attention of attendees, especially the younger generation. For example, sharing quotes on social media is really powerful visual content. “Content has to be engaging, short, and visual,” she said. “That’s really the future.” Kristen Castillo

Why Continuous Innovation Is Key to the Future of Events In February 2020, no event industry executive would have imagined upending every live event they had planned and moving it to a digital platform within weeks. Yet that is exactly what we had to do. Thanks to determined and courageous event trailblazers, we made the pivot and we accomplished at scale — from global mega events like CES and iconic customer events like Dreamforce, to mid-tier conferences and even specialized events like our 2020 CEMA Summit. We harnessed our inherent creativity, ingenuity, and resilience to deliver truly remarkable virtual event experiences. As the world begins to recover from COVID-19, we are seeing restrictions loosen and brands starting to plan and hold in-person events. While we are delighted to see the return to live, we are still putting a lot of energy and creativity into making virtual events more meaningful, engaging, and valuable. Virtual and hybrid events are going to remain a big part of our portfolios — likely forever. Every event executive I talk to is energized and encouraged by the progress we’ve made and the incredible innovation we’ve seen in evolving digital experiences — born out of necessity, but becoming more mainstream. We learned

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a great deal in a short time about planning and executing virtual events, and have begun to pivot again; away from traditional virtual venues toward more immersive, authentic digital experiences that complement and augment live, in-person events. We are learning to capture and master the rich data collected at hybrid events. We can measure beyond qualified sales opportunities and net promoter scores. We can look at attendance goals, registered versus attended, and our conversion rate target. We can also track average dwell times; how many people are really watching our programs and which programs are being watched the most. We’re expanding and enriching lead generation by leveraging digital platforms to allow customers to book informational meetings based on their needs. Inbound meeting request links can be integrated into pre-event campaigns, offered during the event in virtual/hybrid event lobbies and in post-event follow-up activities. Further, meeting

automation platforms (MAP) can automate meeting scheduling, capture key meeting information, and deliver it into CRM systems. We’re perfecting the technology and expertise to create virtual production environments with countless possibilities for delivering engaging and immersive experiences. For example, extended reality (xR), a new approach that is revolutionizing film and television production, is transforming what is possible on live event stages. Event production teams working virtually can use xR to deliver Augmented and Mixed Reality in the studio, and deliver it live onto a green room screen, an on-stage digital display, or to the small screen via livestream. I believe the future of virtual and hybrid will be one of continuous innovation. It has always been this way for the events industry. There is no “new normal,” just the next normal, born from something extraordinary. n Kimberly Gishler, Executive Director, Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA)