Spotlight on: virtual events Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many virtual conferences and events have made the transition to being hosted online
According to the Events Industry Council, business events contribut- ed over £1.15trillion to the worldwide economy. As a result, we are seeing many B2B companies adapting to the current restrictions and choosing to hold their events digitally. With a plethora of corporate events and conferences now being held using digital event platforms, could this become the new normal or will in-per- son events make a dramatic comeback when businesses eventually return to normality?
Whilst virtual events may seem popular at the moment, this is perhaps not out of choice but necessity. When the country begins to return to normality - which is looking evermore possible due to the recent announcements regard- ing a COVID-19 vaccine being well on its way - a return to in-person events may be the first move for many compa - nies, however the advantages of virtual events mean they could still be used in some form across the industry. What’s more, many larger corporations have already announced a long-term or
even permanent working from home strategy, wherein many employees will continue to work almost entirely remotely. Businesses recognised the advantages of this method of working during the first national UK lockdown, with reduced spending on office spaces and a better work-life balance for employees. This shift to remote working could mean virtual conferences are here to stay. Stacy Nawrocki, Head of Global Product Marketing at IBM Watson Media said, “as consumption habits
08 | Metrics Monthly
November 2020 | UK Edition
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