The future is now the present, and yesterday is already history: today and tomorrow’s events.
There was a time when we talked about the future, imagining that through our screens, we could share incredible virtual experiences or even engage in seemingly “simple” situations that were, until then, real. Like having dinner together, each in our own homes, traveling to discover distant countries without boarding a plane, or even imagining visiting the planet Mars without knowing what it’s really like.
But one day, everything changed suddenly. What happened? What seemed like a common and trivial flu decided to spread like malware in a computer, taking many human lives and creating an unprecedented global health, social, and economic crisis. In just three months, nothing was the same. Every country and every person on Earth experienced a situation that seemed straight out of a science fiction movie. Not even Spielberg himself could have imagined such a terrifying script.
Several weeks have passed, and in most of the severely affected countries, we are still under a state of emergency, with most of our freedoms restricted.
From the beginning, almost every economic sector, one after another, has been slowing down or collapsing like sand castles. Our sector, the Events industry, was one of the first to fall. If you recall, on February 13th, the imminent cancellation of the Mobile World Congress was announced, leaving the sector and the city of Barcelona with millions in losses. Exactly one month later, on March 13th, we entered a state of emergency, confined to our homes with the best intention of trying to save as many lives as possible and halt the pandemic. Almost two months later, we are still in a very precarious situation, and as for our sector, we can’t even think about returning to “normalcy” anymore because what was normal and routine in our daily lives three months ago is not only no longer the case today, but it probably won’t ever be again, as the rules have completely changed.
So, what do we do now? If we can’t travel, gather, meet, come together, and share… Where do events stand? Where does our sector stand in this limbo?
If I start reading and listening to the news in the industry, the conclusion is that everything we’ve learned over the years in producing and executing events is now history. It’s probably better to start thinking not just about Plan B, but already about Plans C and D… And that’s what many people are doing.
However, I have always believed that coins have two sides, just like a bottle can be half full or half empty, depending on how you look at each situation. Many people are counting the hours and days for things to “return to normal.” It’s clear that we can’t continue planning events as we used to, at least not in the immediate future, so the sooner we become aware of that, the better. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 25 years in this profession, it’s that things never go as planned, no matter how perfect the plan seemed, no matter how many lists, meetings, and protocols were in place. There’s always some unforeseen event, and do you know when you’re a good event planner? It’s when you have the resources to turn that unforeseen event into an opportunity to improve the scenario.
So, what do we do now? If we can’t travel, gather, meet, come together, and share… where do events stand? Where does our sector stand in this limbo?
If I start reading and listening to the news in the industry, the conclusion is that everything we’ve learned over the years in producing and executing events is now history. It’s probably better to start thinking not just about Plan B, but already about Plans C and D… And that’s what many people are doing.
However, I have always believed that coins have two sides, just like a bottle can be half full or half empty, depending on how you look at each situation. Many people are counting the hours and days for things to “return to normal.” It’s clear that we can’t continue planning events as we used to, at least not in the immediate future, so the sooner we become aware of that, the better. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 25 years in this profession, it’s that things never go as planned, no matter how perfect the plan seemed, no matter how many lists, meetings, and protocols were in place. There’s always some unforeseen event, and do you know when you’re a good event planner? It’s when you have the resources to turn that unforeseen event into an opportunity to improve the scenario.
In recent years, event organization has been evolving exponentially, integrating new terms and dynamics. It has gone from being something elitist to becoming a common format for all companies to achieve multiple objectives: increasing sales, improving reputation, engaging the audience or employees (engagement). Do we want to give up all of that now? Of course not.
We are embarking on a new path, a different path, but one that will provide us with unexpected emotions and even opportunities to do things that were once limited by space and time constraints.
Welcome to the era of Immersive Events, where the only limits are the ones set by your imagination. Without spaces or walls, with your own rules, and where your brand connects with your audience from anywhere and at any time.
What are you waiting for? These are the events of today and the future..