The event industry is currently in an extraordinary situation: the Corona pandemic has resulted in a ban on events. To break the chain of infection and slow down the exponential rise in infections, countless events are being postponed or cancelled.
This is essential and right, yet it poses a serious economic problem for the industry. To avoid a complete standstill, alternative formats are therefore all the more important. Can digital events be a solution here?
Events are platforms that bring people together. Here, innovations are presented, networks are nurtured, trends are identified, and knowledge is exchanged. When no events take place, a void is created. Therefore, the questions now are: Are there alternatives to in-person meetings? Can planned events be transformed into other formats? Thanks to digitalization and new technologies, can we turn analog events into digital events? And most importantly: How do we stay in touch with each other?
The good news is: the industry is prepared and isn't starting from scratch. Digitalization is a well-established and sustainable trend in the event business. As early as 2017, 75% of organizers confirmed in a Xing study that digitalization brings about an optimization of their event management processes. Even though we have rarely organized purely digital events so far, numerous tools we use for event organization are now digital: Digital attendee management simplifies guest administration, digital ticketing offers participants maximum flexibility, and event apps help visitors with planning and orientation. Furthermore, live broadcasts extend the reach of messages, and webinars deepen knowledge without geographical constraints.
Until now, such tools have been components that accompany and support analog events. In times like these, they can compensate and form the infrastructure for digital events and alternative formats. AirLST offers a platform solution for virtual events with extensive features and has expanded its service for digital events accordingly.
Of course, such a shift to the digital space is not suitable for every event format, but events that prioritize information and networking particularly benefit here. Shared exchange is paramount. Therefore, events such as employee training, workshops, or panel talks can be relatively easily moved to the virtual space. What does that look like? What resources are needed for digital events?
On a landing page, you present the course content and objectives and enable registration for the course. Once participants have signed up, they receive their course materials via email. Supplementary videos can be made available on the landing page, and a survey tool allows you to gauge sentiment and assess new knowledge. Additionally, discussion groups can be formed on your social media channels, enabling participants to interact directly with each other. This is how quickly your employee training sessions can become digital events.
You've secured top-tier experts for a panel discussion, and now the event is cancelled? Move the discussion into a virtual space, let the panel deliberate, and stream the discussion live as a digital event for your participants via Facebook, YouTube, your own website, or other platforms. Invite your participants to digital events and ensure easy access. Chat functions enable interaction and questions for the experts. Live streams are digital events par excellence.
So simple and so proven. In an email, you can address each recipient personally. Consistent communication and transparency are essential, even when it's still unclear how things will proceed. Depending on the event format, you can also convey your content this way. Through email communication, you stay in touch and can disseminate your messages quickly and easily. You have a direct line to your participants and can react flexibly to questions and changes in circumstances.
While the atmosphere of a live event and personal interaction are unique, digital technologies can help us navigate the current situation. For a – hopefully short – while, events are shifting to the digital space, fostering innovations that suggest an even stronger fusion of analog and digital in the event industry in the future. Digital Events and alternative communication strategies can now ensure continuous contact, which we can build upon in person once the situation allows.
Plan your own events with up to 50 guests — including landing page, email delivery and ticket scan.
Try it now
