By Mr. Vipul Solanki, Director, NAEMD – Nest Academy of Event Management and Development
Being an industry that is deeply dependent on face-to-face networking, when the pandemic led the world to a halt, the event management industry’s prospects seemed ambiguous. But always buoyant and innovative, the sphere of outdoor entertainment has already started retooling for the future. With the industry starting to gradually adapt itself to the new normal, the educational institutions imparting event management courses have taken refuge in innovation to tide over the crisis. Event management organizations across the country are offering training methodologies as per the socially distant learning while ensuring to keep it at par with the physical classroom experience. You need to learn many things to creating a new event from scratch.
Going by various studies conducted, about 94% of companies in the events industry are aiming at exploring the sector of digital IPs to enable amended consumer attraction and retention in the coming months. Industry experts suggest that a measured industry transition will be perceived, which will involve 3 primary phases – phase 1 will entail boasting about wired events, followed by phase 2 that will mark a gradual onset of physical experience with restricted attendees, and finally the phase 3, wherein the whole industry is expected to bounce back stronger.
Below mentioned are ways by which event management institutes are taking cues from industry that is adapting to the global crisis to ensure a smooth learning process:
- Hybrid events becoming a standard: The pandemic has shifted the focus a bit for event management institutions. The industry has been pivoting to digital experiences like hybrid events featuring a blend of live and virtual components. This model enables a number of students to be present at a physical location, while the audience at large attends the event remotely. With there being no perceivable sign of going back to a world of in-person only meetings, in the near to mid-term, hybrid events offering in-person and digital participation will be standard. Although hybrid events run parallel with shared moments of engagement, these should be planned as two separate user experiences. There are a host of online event podiums like webcasts and 3-D immersive worlds, so comprehending which one will accomplish on the organisation and participant goals is of prime significance.
- Creating ‘omni-channel’ experiences: Prioritizing your audience prerequisites and understanding how the students would like to engage and with what content is vital in facilitating to build an engaging experience. With the event industry tuning to become hybrid or omni-channel in the future, organisations will have to generate content, communities and experiences that will help engage the audience in the medium they are most comfortable in. The institutes need to be forward-thinking in embracing new business models and skills development, which will facilitate recovery and fuel growth.
- Equipping students with modern advertising techniques: The pandemic times have noted the growth of consumer-centric, dynamic and engaging advertising methods. With consumers being confined to their homes, their social media usage has increased. In the wake of this trend, several organisations are educating students by resorting to virtual platforms by engaging in live streams, dedicated pop-ups and landing pages to drive traffic and to enhance viewer participation.
- Ramping up experiential marketing: This new-age marketing strategy is being adopted by institutions to equip students with immersive brand experiences. Such engagement marketing technique emphasizes on promoting differentiated experiences designed to help students connect with brands.
By binding innovation, the events industry continues to play a significant function, even during these challenging times, and this advancement will be indispensable not only for its survival but also its success in the forthcoming years.
