Planning an event in the modern landscape can seem drastically different from what the process was even just a few years ago. Technology is driving not just how the event is presented, but also how it is organized, how attendees are invited, and how follow-ups are done. Keeping up with these trends can be both exciting and exhausting. To help with this, we have put together a cheat sheet comparing and contrasting what is changing, and what is staying the same, when it comes to planning a great modern event that integrates AV. This post focuses on the small-to-medium event but check out our upcoming blogs on large events and the direction in which they are trending.
Working From Home Is Not A Barrier
Over the past few years, both as a result of the pandemic and as a response toward crowded cities and high costs of living, fewer people are gathering in metropolitan offices, making it harder to execute the traditional small event. However, with the continued and rapid development of webcasting and videoconferencing tech, people working from home or remotely can engage with their teams and continue to collaborate on projects of any size. This also leads to a new type of event and technological support, where an AV provider is able to enhance what IT is able to provide, through the use of high-quality microphones, cameras and other infrastructure, and make these small-to-medium-sized meetings more appealing, immersive and interactive.
Small Events Can Be Just As Impactful As Large Ones
Previously, it has taken larger, more prominent events to draw in presenters of a higher caliber (due to several factors such as travel, accommodations and compensation). The modern smaller event has been able to flip this assumption on its head. As the knowledge transfer and interactivity through webcasting and videoconferencing can be just as effective as a live keynote or plenary session, these presenters are able to join these smaller meetings remotely, removing several barriers to their attendance. They are even able to fit several presentations in a day through this format. This has become especially prevalent in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.
Tech Provides Data And Data Is Key
Partially or completely virtualizing the small-to-medium event means that the technology used is able to create meaningful data logs. These allow the event planner and the client to study what works and what does not, in terms of presentation format, interactivity, and engagement. For instance, a town hall or AGM with a virtual webcast is more likely to have a higher voter turnout and a higher number of ballots cast, due to the ease of use and convenience. When studying how quickly voters are able to interact with the ballots, planners are able to better set up the flow of future events to maximize this engagement. This data also allows the event, and the organization, to be more representative of the audience in its activities.
Connecting In Small Gatherings Works
A popular trend, especially among multi-site and multi-national organizations, has been to promote gathering small and connecting large. This has been accomplished through the establishing of AV and event infrastructure at each of the locations, and allowing them to connect to each other. Through the use of an AV partner who understands such large scale communication and has experience in different markets, multiple offices can be connected. This then allows for large gatherings and knowledge sharing, while still retaining the closeness of local teams.
With these trends, developing technology continues to drive the shift. However, the core desire to be social is still at the heart of wanting to hold events, and this continues to be evident in the modern event. Choosing to gather for social “happy hour” with a mix of in-person and virtual elements, has proven to rank highly in what attendees expect from gatherings. So, while it may look different, people continue to want to meet.
