onlife

During the pandemic, entertainment and social life went virtual as a result of a force of nature. But post-pandemic (knocks on wood), virtual hasn’t left the building. Au contraire. The event industry can’t ignore the virtual possibilities when organising, well, anything. But how do the physical and the virtual relate to each other? Are they mutually exclusive or reinforcing? And is there a difference between single-brand events or fairs and summits?

As is

The pandemic gave us no choice but to turn to virtual events. Now that the nasty bug has left, we have the freedom to choose again. But how to choose wisely? There appears to be a shift in the self-evidence of flying across three continents to give a one-hour talk. And we’re sure the planet is thankful for that. Virtual sometimes becomes the solution to other problems than the pandemic: distance, ecological constraints, budget… And sometimes still, it is used as a PR stunt, as the shimmery bait to lure new attendees to your event. Or to show you are still ahead of the game, adding some digital buzz to your event, just to show you can, or out of FOMO. It is normal for new developments or technologies to start off as a gimmick and only later become a truly embedded, useful piece of the puzzle.

Could be

We have to see the rise of virtual as the disruptive force it is. First as a necessity during the pandemic, but since then, it has rooted itself in our daily practice. Now, we are evolving into a more mature relationship. The question is not what will we do with virtual worlds, but how they can be of added value to the visitors, and the event. Following visitor’s swift switch from online to offline, distinction between analogue and virtual is fading more than ever. VR is maturing to a point that, if the experience is pleasant enough, visitors will even tolerate VR glasses on their face. And if it’s a way for them to avoid the commute, they will happily log on to your online event.

Just like with people, each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you want clear-cut information, you go on the internet. If you want to be amazed by immersive experiences, you put on those VR glasses. And if you want to meet people, open yourself up to serendipity and connection, you go out and sign up for that networking event. You can’t always know what you want, and a carefully curated analogue event is sometimes best positioned to surprise and delight. Still, with the evolutions in hardware and software, meeting up with another avatar might come to feel just as pleasant and casual as the real thing. We’re not there yet, but we might be in the not-too-distant future.