When we last left off, I was heading to a conference in Chicago. Back for just over a week, this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and pen my thoughts on the experience. It seems that the simple act of my leaving town has resulted in a sudden flurry of new business activity here at Impact Productions. (Note to self: get out of Dodge more often!)
The seminar, I am happy to report, was well worth the travel and expense. I was re-energized by the opportunity to network with peers, and truly inspired by some great content — which focused on industry trends, emerging event technologies, and case studies of winning event marketing strategies by top brands.
Am I at all surprised that I got more charge out of this in-person training session than I did from the webinar I attended the week before? No. I was fully engaged, and took part in peer meetings and brainstorming sessions you simply cannot replicate online. And I think most people would agree there is no substitute for face-to-face time with a presenter. Face to face, after all, is still the best way to interact, share ideas, and build relationships.
That is the very message of British Airways’ new ad campaign targeting business travelers. Aptly themed, “Be there face-to-face,” the multi-phased program focuses on the importance of face time with regard to building relationships that help grow businesses. To date, this has largely been the stuff of event industry publications. It is truly validating and beyond exciting that a mega brand such as British Airways is spreading the word – and citing real-world examples and compelling stats – on the power of face-to-face meetings via mainstream advertising. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/business/media/
26adnewsletter1.html?_r=1)
So it’s official then? In the “virtual vs. live event” debate, live wins every time, right? And virtual events will go down as a short-lived fad of this not so short-lived recession? Not exactly. Virtual communications, while allowing marketers and planners to bridge the gap during these challenging times of budget cuts and restricted travel, have proven to be a very effective tool to help extend audience reach, maximize costs, and increase ROI. Online event technologies are now officially part of the event marketer’s tool kit – and they are not going away any time soon.
Many marketing and event professionals agree that live (or physical) events and virtual meetings will live side-by-side. And progressive brands are already integrating virtual components into their face-to-face events, producing what are known as “hybrid events.” According to Miguel Arias, Director + Partner at Imaste IPS, a recruitment services agency based in Madrid, “Hybrid events will become a natural trend in 2010.” (Read his full comments in response to my October 2 blog, “Can Live Meetings Really Be Replaced by Virtual Meetings?” and check out his company’s valuable findings on virtual meetings at http://blog.imaste-ips.com.)
Going forward, the meeting and events industry will indeed be about live events and virtual events building upon each other to help drive bottom-line results. And I believe that those brands that exploit these synergies and embrace a strategic mix of face to face, online, and hybrid event solutions, will be better positioned to reach their customers and communicate with their stakeholders.
The challenge is discerning when to employ face to face and when to deploy technology, and how to create relevant, authentic, and engaging hybrid experiences. I have a feeling brand marketers are up for the task. I know I am.
