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Knowing where technology is taking us (or we it?) isn’t an exact science. However, the experts around our table are well-placed to take an educated guess. For this particular edition of our Roundtable, we invited the finest in the Belgian event industry. Those on the brand side as well as those on the agency side. Here’s their take on what virtual worlds mean for events today, and what they’ll come to mean tomorrow.
Excuse the cliché, but the past few years have been pivotal for the event industry. In short: COVID. While events were reduced in number, technological advancements were ubiquitous. Virtual events may have been a gimmick, at first. But virtual technology’s ability to work around constraints like putting speakers on a plane for a 15-minute keynote (screws with the planet and your budget), means it’s here to stay. In the future, balance will be what we’re after. As the technology matures, so does our relationship to it. Past the gimmick stage, virtual worlds will add a layer of surprise and delight to live events. Putting the entertainment back in entertainment, yeah!
And so the question is: can a brand afford not to be present in virtual worlds like Roblox, The Sandbox, Fortnite, or Horizon? The answer: no. We’re past the question whether the metaverse is a thing or not. It is. So join the virtual world with your brand, and don’t be afraid. As with all new worlds, it’s a jungle out there. This means experimentation is welcomed, encouraged even. Do dare to try. And slowly, you’ll build a crowd with the early adopters and see the medium evolve to a mass-market tool. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: go where our audience goes.
At the same time, it’s worth remembering that not everyone has a virtual twin hopping around Roblox. Your parents probably don’t, yet they have money to spend. So while you think about how to get up close and personal with Gen Z, don’t forget about the not-so-tech-savvy. The point is: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Find ways to address each audience properly and make the medium do the legwork for you. It’s not about following every hype in a blind panic. It’s about understanding what your audience wants. Really wants. Deep down inside where it’s warm and fuzzy.
Because in the end, no matter how techy it gets, it’s still people we’re talking to. Flesh and blood people, souls strung together with emotion. Pathos! So, no matter the century, and whichever means you decide to use—it’s their gut you should be aiming for. Punch with precision, and not too hard.