A new research reveals marketers expect events to continue to take place virtually.
The 614 Group’s survey “The Future of the ‘In-Person’ Business Economy” says 51% of media and advertising executives expect only virtual events will continue to take place in the longer run. Nearly 30% of respondents expect in-person events will not see attendance similar to that of pre-pandemic levels, any time soon.
The majority of marketers said they miss interactions with their counterparts. Marketing
businesses are expected to witness an impact as they are typically reliant on personal
relationships and in-person contact thereby, affecting business performance, notes the report.
Organizations can start focusing more on virtual socialization and networking events to
strengthen social ties. According to the report, 56% of them said in-person events allow them to spend quality time with existing clients while 44% think it is an opportunity to spend social time with their colleagues and counterparts. But the current scenario changes it all. Sixty-four percent of marketing executives believe virtual events are an opportunity to meet new business prospects and generate leads.
Virtual events are expected to boost the morale of marketers and maintain the necessary social ties for creativity and innovation in the remainder of 2020. They will garner a much better understanding of what to expect and accomplished in virtual events and bring changes in business events.
More than 60% of marketing professionals expect to see global virtual events with live video feeds from headlining speakers. Meanwhile, 47% foresee a rise in member-only virtual networking events. Around a quarter of them expect to see mixed reality experiences in the near future as technology will be used to create remote events where attendees can demonstrate and try new products or services.
Well-curated virtual events can bring the ecosystem closer during this time of crisis thereby, enabling marketers to move ahead.
