Top 10 Predictions from Engagement, Reimagined

03.05.2021

Colin Girkout, Marketing

Top 10 Predictions from Engagement, Reimagined

After a year into the pandemic-induced pause on live events, we’re seeing widespread shifts in how brands navigate audience engagement and meet the changing expectations of their company’s key stakeholders. InVision’s recent webinar “Engagement, Reimagined” brought together industry experts from Delta Air Lines, Live Nation, SAHARA Las Vegas, and the Los Angeles Convention Center to discuss their organizations’ experience pivoting to digital, and their customers’ mindset as we look forward over the next two years.

Read below for 10 predictions and learnings from our conversation, which we anticipate will shape the future of audience engagement:

1. Gearing up for 2022: Putting a stake in the sand

The pandemic timeline moves quickly, with best practices and key learnings evolving just as fast. Based on the current trajectory of vaccinations, and the human desire to gather again, we can realistically predict a mid-2022 resurgence of in-person engagements while optimistically hoping for sooner. This presents the industry with a short buffer period to begin charting a path forward and setting the stage for “audience re-engagement.” During this important window of time, we can expect further exploration of digital and creative media, an increased amount of localized hybrid events, and an overall refinement of event action plans, with the goal of preparing audiences for a full return.

2. The landscape has changed and so have our audiences

By the time we consistently gather again, our audiences will have a revamped perspective. The impact of the pandemic will be long-lasting, giving event planners an added responsibility to create confidence-inspiring environments, structured by health and safety. Jon Paul Potts, InVision’s SVP, Strategic Solutions, said that “It will be important to offer healthy demonstrations of empathy and agility in order to formulate a sense of community and connection.” While the industry is ready to make a comeback, the preference of event attendees, owners, and venues will have shifted in favor of more agile and personalized engagements that allow for easy and flexible navigation.

3. Marketers will need to adjust how content is consumed

As we come out of this digital-only period, our audiences will expect adjustments to how content is packaged and delivered. Not only will there be a need to communicate more frequently, but an additional need to continue to serve our digital communities. Instead of limiting access to the 2500 attendees in a ballroom, content will need to be optimized for multimedia consumption. It is InVision’s prediction that “content will remain king,” and by creatively leveraging technology, we will create even more value than before.

4. Adding a “digital companion” to the event

Admittedly, the events industry has been slow to adopt and impart evolving technologies into our audience engagement tactics. Now with the existence of 5G and mixed reality, it’s become possible to provide a variety of impactful experiences within the venue itself—a digital companion. Benjamin W. Long, VP Strategic Alliances, Live Nation says that “Live streaming and hybrid events [are] a way for us to provide access to people that didn’t necessarily have the time before, which will enhance the overall community around each engagement.” As we get back to in-person audiences, we anticipate a flexible approach to events, where content is easily accessible within the venue in a decentralized fashion.

5. Emphasizing the end-to-end experience

Planning for in-person experiences in a post-pandemic world will require that we focus on new priorities. To rebuild our audience’s trust, we must follow-through on our end by adhering to the appropriate health and safety protocols while providing easy access to key information regarding the attendee journey. Matt Long, Director Insight Integration, Delta Air Lines, shared that “[Delta Air Lines’] customers are looking to them to provide a one-stop-shop experience from the beginning of the travel journey to the end.” Event planners will need to consider the entire end-to-end event ecosystem and how to help audiences feel safe and secure, from the hotel to the taxi or rideshare, from the event venue to the lobby bar.

6. Brand sponsors will explore new ways to foster engagement

For those of us in the sponsorship business, this has been an especially challenging time to meet brand awareness and sales conversion goals when confined to a virtual setting. But much like live events, our panel predicted this will offer us an opportunity to increase the effectiveness and desirability of event sponsorship packages when we return. According to Benjamin W. Long “There is a lot of room for innovation for brand partners who now have an opportunity to reimagine what the live experience can look like across food and beverage, content, and the overall experience using hybrid components.” As our industry progresses, we must rethink how sponsorships change under an altered format and how to best achieve results for all stakeholders.

7. Cost shifting in the industry

Addressing the elephant in the room, we had to discuss what was on everyone’s mind—cost. Outfitting events and venues with the appropriate hybrid, health and safety components is not necessarily a quick (or a cheap!), fix. Ellen Schwartz, General Manager, LACC, pointed out that going forward it will all be about “shared risk”: “Each of us in this comprehensive events ecosystem will have to own part of the added costs ranging from improving air filtration systems, upgrading bandwidth, adding additional space, and supporting the expansion of hybrid broadcasting.” Much like brand partnerships, the resurgence of live events will hinge on our ability to cost shift and reorganize risk management. With the goal of creating more value for our attendees, the investment will be worth the trouble.

8. Nothing will ever replace the face-to-face experience

While we are expecting an industry migration towards hybrid events, the bedrock of the industry is still powered by live experiences. Christopher Bond, CMP, CHSE, head of sales for SAHARA Las Vegas, shared that “Our industry craves the social interaction that face-to-face brings, and it is needed to offer people the hands-on experience they are looking for at a trade show or convention.” Attendees frequent trade shows to be inspired by an idea, explore a new innovation, or spark a new connection with their peers. After a year-plus in isolation, look for audiences to be hungry for a long-awaited sense of community, enjoyment, and above all, relief.

9. Watch what happens in the World of Concrete

Keep your eye on “The World of Concrete” event that takes place June 7-10, 2021, in Las Vegas. An event that usually sees up to 60,000 visitors staying in multiple venues across the city, it could be an important bellwether for the in-person events industry… How will the main exhibitor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center operate? How many people will attend? How will attendees navigate Las Vegas in COVID-safe way? And will there be any COVID cases coming out the other side? The success and safety of the World of Concrete – and other events like it in the summer and into the fall 2021 – will go a long way to determining the future of the rest of us in the in-person event planning industry.

10. This is just the beginning

The conversations InVision is having with our clients are not an endpoint but a starting point. Never before have we seen such digital and strategic transformation in our industry, which opens the door to entirely new and exciting ways of connecting with our audiences. Albeit different, we can expect the “new normal” to be a better version of what we remember in 2019 and allow brands to deliver true value in an authentic way.

For more information on the future of audience engagement and for a copy of our “Audience Reengagement” whitepaper, please contact your IVC Account Director or email info@iv.com to learn more.