It will soon be one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Although the world’s biggest vaccine rollout is now underway, organizations are struggling to decide whether to move forward with a virtual event or postpone. Last year, many pushed in-person events back to 2021, and are now realizing this year may be no more conducive to hosting an in-person event. If the purpose of your event is to build business relationships, it may not be in…
Plans for Metro Vancouver’s newest events and convention centre are coming into focus. Burnaby city council outlined a potential direction for the facility last week. With a total floor area of 196,380 square feet, the concept features a 60,000-square-foot hall that could be used for a single event or reconfigured into two separate spaces to allow events to take place simultaneously. Other areas of the proposed venue include approximately 40,000 square feet of atrium lobby and pre-function space, 27,000 square feet…
While the shift to virtual events in 2020 was challenging, event planners quickly discovered loads of useful data that a digital format can provide. More than physical events, virtual events provide organizers unprecedented insight into attendee demographics and behaviour. This information can be used to create bigger and better future events. But this data is only useful if you know what to collect and how to analyze it. Event and Session Attendance Your virtual event platform enables you to see…
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Other than printed collateral and overly branded products, most people welcome giveaways. And the cooler and more usable the gift, the greater lasting impression it will have on event attendees. Here are five items to consider including in the ever-popular swag bag, which has become an increasingly critical way to connect with registrants as events have moved online. Headphones or Earbuds Headphones or earbuds are handy for listening to seminars, they can be used long…
Good event content has always been valuable for attendees but it seems even more so with virtual events. A new poll by Eventsforce shows 70 per cent of organizers are spending extra time and money producing high-quality sessions and presentations in order to engage more effectively with people online. And this makes sense. The serendipity of networking at in-person events can’t be replicated in a virtual environment, so attendees will naturally focus on the learning aspect. But the benefits don’t…
Virtual events aren’t a new concept but they have stepped into the limelight because of COVID, and it’s clear they’re here to stay. Grand View Research projects the virtual events market will increase 10-fold over the next decade, to be valued at $774 billion US. The most innovative event planners are already adapting and working to perfect this medium. Their goal, of course, is to ensure attendees are engaged and satisfied, especially from home. The Challenges of Going Virtual Online…
Working from home became an unexpected reality during the pandemic. Like most, I upgraded our Internet connection after making the transition to ensure everyone in my household could continue to make video calls, watch Netflix and browse the web without interruption. As the events industry moved online, more thought was given to networking technology than ever imagined as planners and producers struggled to manage Internet traffic. In an ideal world, everyone would have enough Internet at their disposal and it…
Convention centres have been hit hard by COVID-19, with many still seeing staff layoffs and rising budget deficits nine months into the pandemic. Although a coronavirus vaccine is on the way, there’s still a long road ahead as it may be summer or even longer until the vaccine is available to everyone. And then, even after the health crisis is under control, attendees may not flock back to in-person events, at least right away. As a result, venues are expected…
At the start of the pandemic, businesses rushed to move their in-person meetings and events online. The transition was so abrupt that many organizations did so without understanding, acknowledging or discussing the ins and outs of virtual meeting etiquette with their teams. In our digital-friendly age, it may be hard to imagine virtual meetings require such formalities, especially when they can feel as natural as speaking to someone in the same room. But it’s important to treat virtual meetings with…
I caught COVID-19 in early October. It was considered a mild case and I have since recovered. I never experienced shortness of breath or worried about my long-term health, for which I am very grateful. Here’s where it gets interesting. My symptoms started exactly six days prior to the start of a three-day in-person client event — one with a need for high-touch execution across multiple venues on back-to-back days. I want to note that our client’s main focus through the…
