The media industry continues to struggle with getting back to a pre-pandemic conference and tradeshow routine. It’s such an important part of the value proposition for most media companies,
and it’s equally important for the sectors they serve. Both buyers and sellers need face-to-face interaction.
We can ponder the fate of live events as much as we like. Digital platforms
are improving and will continue as such. We’ve all gotten used to online events, and there’s plenty of value in not having to get on a plane and spend two or three days out of the
office.
So maybe the frequency of live events changes, and we become more selective, but the fundamental need for in-person meetings (including sales calls and the like) will never disappear.
It’s hardly necessary to restate their advantages.
Which takes me to two recent personal experiences. I spent a good part of last week struggling with my ambivalence about attending
non-business in-person events. One would have been an indoor convention with thousands of people. The other was a smaller function, a local fundraiser. I just don’t know whether I want to expose
myself if I can avoid it. I mean, why?
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I’ve been ambivalent all along, but last week’s dilemma came in the wake of the news that a series of Phish concerts in New York last month were
super-spreader events. Maybe half a dozen people in my small Facebook feed reported they got COVID at those shows.
Then, on Friday morning, I spoke to a colleague about an upcoming event
where masking and proof of vaccination will be mandatory. The colleague politely objected, suggesting masking should be optional.
This is the dilemma the events industry faces as we come up on
summer 2022. Professionals want and need in-person events. Buyers and sellers alike need them. But when they get into the details, they start asking questions like:
- Do I really want to
get on a plane now that masks are not required?
- What is the event's vaccination and masking policy?
- Will it be properly social-distanced?
Even as event producers
seek to create transparently safe spaces, all these concerns nevertheless exert downward pressure on event attendance.