Changing times: Pandemic forces events industry to reinvent itself

A seismic shift in the way businesses in the events sector engage with clients and customers

A Life On Line conference was hosted by Glenda Gilson, with influencer James Patrice, DJ and TikToker Marty Guilfoyle and fashion broadcaster Michele McGrath.

These are changed times in the events industry. As the economic fallout from the pandemic continues to impact, the last 15 months have brought about a paradigm shift in the way businesses and organisations in the sector engage with clients and customers.

The old event planning model that pertained for decades has changed irrevocably as a new order of business now takes centre stage.

“We have re-invented our business model since the pandemic and undertaken an entire digital transformation,” Paul Davis explains. 

“We were originally an in-person event company but we were lucky because most of the events that we worked had a streaming or broadcast component to them, whether it was a big outdoor festival or a conference, a brand activation for a company or an employee engagement event. When the pandemic hit, we were able to quickly pivot and go straight online.”

Forced by Covid-19 into finding innovative solutions to cope with a different world, the Davis Virtual Events Agency and its clients looked at creative ways of doing things.

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Going 'hybrid'

“While people were unable to meet in person during the pandemic, this also created an impetus to develop and improve the standard, quality, and engagement of online events. In the events landscape of 2021 and beyond, 90% will turn ‘hybrid’,” Paul predicts.

“This transition was challenging but we are starting to see a post-pandemic revival in hybrid events and hopefully full in-person events will return soon,” he says. 

“Hybrid events are a mix of remote, studio, and audience events where the show is partly online with some participants in the venue and some taking part from home or from another venue or studio.

In the last year we have learned a lot about operating in a way that is more sustainable.

"We have been able to harness amazing technologies and platforms and repurpose them to host great events.”

Part of that process is the knowledge that it’s not always necessary to get on that flight to attend an event or speak at a conference.

“Events can leave a heavy footprint and keeping the tools we have been using during the pandemic can help reduce that footprint.”

Hybrid events will become the norm as people can choose to attend online or in person, for a range of reasons. 

Guest speakers and performers will also continue to be able to take part from anywhere in the world, and events can be accessed at a more affordable rate for those who prefer to take part online.

“Massive changes have happened to the commercial landscape over the last 15 months, with so much moving online,” he says.

The agency recently staged a Life On Lineconference, an online gathering for event professionals, corporate organisations and online influencers to look at new ways of delivering virtual messages, engaging with audiences and using tech to enhance the experience. It was a forum where contributors outlined how the pandemic changed their operational outlook.

“The band Zapho wrote and recorded a record virtually with all the members in different countries. DJ Kelly-Anne Byrne produced and broadcast a show from home and virtually from New York, and Vogue Williams drove her Bare By Vogue brand almost exclusively on line. So, in many respects it is unrecognisable, and many of these changes are here to stay.”

Paul Davis.

Like the events sphere, technology means that almost all businesses can connect with their customers and fans both online and in person, he adds.

Augmented and Virtual Reality has been a transformative addition to online events, helping not only to communicate a message — but also to add some fun.

“Mixed Reality is very powerful to amplify a brand’s presence and message online and in real world events and activations. We will see these kinds of elements become the norm as brands especially embrace cutting edge technology.”

The Davis Virtual Events Agency works with technology and pharma companies such as Google, Dropbox, Intercom, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Its roster also includes the HSE, the Cork, Fingal, and Dublin Councils, and large cultural and sporting events like Culture Night and the Cork and Dublin marathons.

“We help our clients with employee engagement, brand activations, conferences, and events. We help them create authentic and memorable live experiences, make their companies great places to work and engage their employees.”

The agency currently operates in Ireland, the UK, and US, with an eye to further new horizons also in the mix: “In the last year we have had clients and attendees take part in events from all over the world so working on global events for remote clients now makes a lot of sense,” he explains.

Return to normality

Looking to the imminent Irish summer of 2021, Paul is optimistic of a return to a number of essential fixtures: “I think that we will see a return to some sporting activities first this summer and autumn. There may some small event activity around indoor events later in the year or even early 2022. I’m hopeful that we will have an entertaining end to the year.”

As Ireland Inc slowly and cautiously emerges from lockdown, Paul looks to a challenging phase — but one laden with upward possibilities across the economic spectrum.

“In March 2020, the events industry came to an abrupt standstill and will never resume as it was before. But we have shown in Ireland that we are incredibly resilient, positive and creative, and that will be the tone of our emergence from lockdown.”

The challenges ahead will be retraining people, capitalising on the new opportunities and supporting those whose sectors have suffered the worst.

“People have come up with some great ideas while we have been quiet, so I am looking forward to a really inspiring couple of years to come and I have no doubt that the country will thrive and blossom over the next few years.”