![What is Next For The New Normal For Events? Forecast for 2021]()
by Sandy S | Jan 18, 2021 | Event Apps, event management, Events, Mobile Apps, Virtual Events
Future of Events
Events in 2021 will be drastically different from that of last year, as the pandemic is successfully being suppressed. With the vaccines being said to reach people by mid-2021, the pandemic will recede. Most people are left wondering when things will return to the way they used to be and how that will affect event planning.
For those planning events, it might seem confusing to choose between in-person events, hybrid event and virtual events. This article aims to provide a guide to what these are going to look like this year.
Vaccination Plan
According to experts, the vaccines should reach most people by mid-2021 which means that most events can start transitioning from completely virtual and include some remote elements but for this to work out certain precautions must be strictly implemented. We feel local, national, and international Events in March of 2021 will still be virtual.
In June of 2021 local and national one can be in person but international ones will be hybrid. In September of 2021, local and national events will be in-person but international will be hybrid.
Even while carrying out remote events, the attendees need to test negative and adhere to the following principles:
- Limit the Number Of Attendees with the 6ft rule in mind
It is essential to note that with an active pandemic, the people should maintain social distancing. Therefore, the ideal number of individuals should be chosen so that they can maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other. Fewer guests mean that it’s also easy to keep a track of their travel history to curtail the spread of the disease. Limiting and scaling down the number of people preventing crowd. www.colombia.co The duration of the meetings also need to be kept in mind and they need to be kept short.
- Make Sanitary Equipment Compulsory
The guests and organisers, both need to have access to sanitary equipment at all times. The guests need to be provided with alcohol-based hand sanitisers immediately after registration. The event should also have appointed sanitation sites which have access to sanitisers, disinfectant wipes, tissues, gloves, and masks. Wearing gloves and masks should also be made compulsory. Technological equipment used to present such as microphones, tablets, and iPads also need to be disinfected after each use. Thermal scanning equipment can be installed at entry points to check for symptoms.
During such troubling times where we are required to stay 6 feet apart, the venue where the event takes place needs to be large because proximity would lead to the spread of the virus, this is also a reason why hybrid events would work best since it does not put a limit on the number of people who can attend these.
- Get Creative by transitioning to Hybrid Event
Just because an event is a hybrid event doesn’t mean limitations need to be forced upon it, in fact, hybrid events only increase the chances of networking. Attendees who are not free at the time-span can send recordings, the remote event can also be recorded and uploaded to virtual platforms. Hybrid events also allow more time to be devoted to Q&A sessions. Due to their nature, they also allow for more networking and engagement.
The venue determines the outcome of the event, to prevent crowding and contagion, a large venue is ideal so that the individuals can maintain 6 feet distance. Outdoor space or a place with several windows is also beneficial for airflow. A spacious venue ensures that there’s ample distance between each guest. Strict guidelines laid down by the CDC and WHO need to be followed. It should also be ensured that enclosed spaces such as lavatories which are a haven for the spread of the virus are sanitized. The venue should also have closed dustbins to dispose of the waste.
To have a successful event during a pandemic, there needs to be diligent planning. Establishing efficient communication channels is extremely important to keep track of all the guests and individuals in the event. If the monitoring is successful the information can also be shared with health officials. Creating a health policy before the event and mailing it to the attendees is also resourceful so that they are aware of the various rules and regulations in the event, for example, specifying before the event that the attendees should not shake hands or hug to greet is more helpful than letting them know during the event. Think about setting up a contact tracing log to examine if the guest has come in contact with the virus.
- Consult Public Health Officials
No matter how systematically things are planned, some things are beyond control and it is imperative to have medical professionals on board before planning an event. The local public officials must be consulted. Every individual attending the event must provide their contact details so they can be relayed to the health officials in case of emergencies. The attendees must also be provided with contact details of the health officials and other health hotline numbers. It is resourceful to have an onsite crisis response team as well.
CONCLUSION
Physical events are advisable only if they are necessary, otherwise, people can migrate to virtual or hybrid events. Hybrid events are the best of both worlds since the attendees can choose to attend remotely or virtually. The advantage of this approach is that it ensures more coverage. Hybrid events make in-person events safer as one can provide multiple options for the attendees to choose from to access the event remotely reducing in-person attendance.
Webmobi.com has a hybrid event platform where the events can be conducted with extreme simplicity, with a priority given to safety. Whilst planning and preparing events, the health and wellbeing of individuals must be prioritised and hybrid events make sure that’s the case. To learn more about hybrid events and the best practices surrounding it click here.
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![What is Next For The New Normal For Events? Forecast for 2021]()
by sachinanand | Dec 30, 2020 | Association Meeting, Case Study, Corporate Meetings, Event Apps, Events, Technology, Trade Shows, Virtual Events, Webinars, Zoom
Introduction
The use of virtual events has become increasingly popular. While this may be attributed to the global pandemic, it is still a technology that people had started to embrace. Our objective is to look at how to run a successful Virtual event. First off, let’s first define what a Virtual event is.
What Are Virtual Events ?
This is a meeting that is held online. They are held on web-based platforms that are used to connect people across the globe through the internet.
Virtual events are divided into several categories namely;
Webinars – A webinar is a meeting that is held online through platforms such as Zoom or Google meet. The participants are able to listen to the presenter and participate through answering polls, asking questions or contributing to a discussion.
Virtual conferences – These are very much like physical conferences only that they happen online. They are beneficial for large groups with a set agenda that need to discuss their matters.
Internal Hybrid events – These are virtual meetings that seek to incorporate the participation of the participants while making presentations to them through online platforms. They incorporate features of a virtual event and those of physical events. They are conducted within an organization.
External Hybrid events – These are virtual meetings that seek to incorporate the participation of the participants while making presentations to them through online platforms. They are done outside the scope of an organization. It means that they constitute participants from different organizations
In order to hold a virtual event, there are some elements that one will need to use.
What are Virtual event elements ?
Event website
This is a website set up for purposes of marketing the event. As such, any information regarding the virtual event will be posted here. It also forms a good place for attendees to register their attendance and also place their queries concerning anything that is not clear to them.
Event registration
It involves the collection of information by the event planners about the attendees. This can include their names, their location and occupation. Event registration helps the planners to have an idea of the number of people that will be in attendance and their specialty. This information helps the planners to prepare adequately for the event.
Live presentation content
This refers to the use of powerpoint presentations or slides to share information with the audience in a Virtual event. The presenter shares their screen to the other participants so that they follow what the presenter is doing. Live presentations are instrumental especially when presenting data such as financial projections, charts, bar graphs and diagrams.
Live, one-way audio/video
This takes place when the attendees view and listen to one person, usually the host or keynote speaker. The microphones of the attendees are turned off so as to minimize interference. It seeks to mimic a physical classroom presentation where the speaker is the focus of the attention. https://littlescholarsnyc.com The participants mainly follow the discussion.
Question and Answer
It is an interactive session where the audience is able to ask their questions to a host. When the presentation is over, participants can be allowed to seek clarification on the matters discussed in the form of questions. This can be through the use of a moderator to whom participants send questions. Also, the participants may ask questions directly. The presenter then answers these questions appropriately.
Live polling
This is a tool used in virtual events to get feedback concerning a variety of things. For example, live polling can be used to gauge the attendee’s appreciation of the content being shared. It is also helpful in ensuring that the participants remain active during the virtual event. Live polling is real time and can be done while a session is ongoing.
Note taking/favorite slides
It involves taking down notes while the host or keynote speaker makes their remarks. This can be done by one appointed participant or by every participant. As opposed to delegating this task to one person, attendees are encouraged to take down their own notes for their own future reference. However, when an entity holds a formal virtual meeting, note taking can be done by one member of the meeting who will then share it with the entire group.
Recorded content
This refers to sessions of the virtual event that have been recorded. While the presentation is live, it is possible to record the entire event. This recording can then be made available to the participants at the end of the virtual event depending on the policy of the event planners.
Interactive video conferencing
These are video conferences which allow different people to converse while in a virtual meeting. It seeks to allow interactions between the participants. This is suitable in a setup where a discussion is required. In order to handle this well, there needs to be a moderator who allows different people to speak in turns. This will reduce instances of confusion or participants talking over each person.
Feedback surveys
They refer to remarks by the attendees on how the virtual meeting was. These surveys can be in the form of questionnaires sent to each participant. It can also be verbal where participants air their recommendations towards the end of the virtual event. They can help the organizers to improve on future virtual meetings.
Now that we know what a virtual event is, we can look into ways to make it successful. Many would think that virtual events are easy to set up and run. This is unfortunately not correct. However, as we shall see they do need planning and preparation to ensure the meeting is smooth.
Tips on Running A Successful Virtual Event
Video
Attendees are encouraged to turn on their cameras in a virtual meeting where possible. Communication is largely not verbal hence the importance of seeing the people in a meeting. A study conducted on the same showed that 55% of a presenter’s credibility was due to their body language while 38% was as a result of the tone of their voice.
Always mute your audio
In order to enhance the quality of a presentation being made, it is always good practice to ensure that one’s audio is on mute unless they have been asked to speak. It’s always a turn off to hear noises in the background of one participant in the middle of a meeting.
Test your software
Prior to having a virtual meeting, the participants should ensure that they have downloaded the software required and tested it. Failure to do so will mean that a few minutes will have to be spent bringing everyone up to speed, something that one could easily do before joining a meeting.
Have an agenda and a Moderator
The nature of virtual meetings is that they can easily spiral out of context or be intimidating to the participants. In order to alleviate this, it would be prudent to have an agenda in place. This agenda should be communicated earlier to the people who will take part in the event. The moderator comes in very handy in steering the discussion.
Interactive features
In a bid to make the session more involving, one should use interactive features such as polls, annotations, screen sharing and Q&A’s. This will make the participants active and liven the session. It will also help in involving everyone in the meeting.
Feedback
At the end of the meeting, collecting feedback from the participants is an excellent way of gauging the success of the meeting. It will also provide insight into areas where improvements should be made in future.
Final Thoughts
The success of a virtual event lies in collaborating both technology and human resource to achieve the objective of the meeting. This is why time needs to be spent ensuring that every aspect of the meeting is covered. That said, it is possible to have great virtual meetings if these tips are implemented.
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by Sam | Jul 3, 2018 | Blog
Tech Events – Top 25 Events
Leaving behind the plethora of conferences that saturated 2017, comes a brand new set of exciting prospects for development and engagement. This year’s line up of top tech events and conferences will leave you breathless and rejuvenated at the same time. And more often then so, one of the primary aims of attending any tech events is the following media coverage. That’s why webMOBI has put together a comprehensive list of best tech events for this year and the next. This curation will allow you to not only easily navigate through the mass flood of tech events and conferences in the coming months, but also attend to the ones that best fit your professional objectives.
USA:
1. XLIVE Annual Conference and Expo | APR. 2, 2018: Like any other Las Vegas party, the XLIVE convention in Vegas, Nevada, is famous for convening leaders and major players in the music, film, tech events, sports, beverage, brands and the tech worlds to exchange ideas and experiences. The event is notorious for providing attendees an experience that resonates well with festivals and live tech events.
2. RSA | APR. 16-20, 2018: From individuals with start-ups to established corporations to news reporters; the RSA tech conference is an event that’s marked very early on everyone’s calendar. The conference attracts over 40,000 infosec leaders for keynotes and hands-on discussions regarding the current attack vectors and possible defense strategies. Hosted in San Francisco, the RSA also highlights the business side of cybersecurity, and it hopes to exhibit new resolutions and services through extensive dialogue. And to top that off, techies often end up finding new partners and customers through the interactive sessions.
3. Recode Code Conference | MAY 29-31, 2018: To be hosted In Palos Verdes, California, this tech conference has seen some of the most influential tech companies like Lyft, YouTube, and HBO, send their leaders to take the stage on media, tech, and politics.
4. E3 | JUNE 12-14, 2018: This Los Angeles based conference is notorious for being fabled as the “mecca for gaming.” From Indies to chartbusters, the E3 tech conference is sure to draw fans crowding the venues for the first play of some of the year’s most anticipated titles. Game developers will also be exhibiting their creations, with the media covering the best parts of the convention center.
5. Black Hat | AUGUST 4-9, 2018: With over 150 security companies showcasing their new solutions to over 7500 attendees, the Black Hat tech conference has always been a pioneering forum in bringing together some of the most dominant minds in the information security field. The conference highlights the exchange of research, trends and in-depth sessions on the latest security risks and possible solutions. It proposes one of the most concentrated platforms of cyber-security tech members and offers terrific opportunities to network.
6. TECHSPO Los Angeles | Mid-JUN, 2019: This technology expo is a space where business, technology, and innovation come to fruition. The conference exhibits the next wave of tech and creativity; showcasing new developments such as contextual technology, VR and AR, IoT, Wearables, 3D Printing, and many more! Attendees must prepare themselves to be amazed by the evolving new age of tech that is bound to influence our businesses in the future.
Note: Although attendance is free, it is however limited. So register ASAP!
7. The New York Summit | TBD, 2019: With a date soon to be announced, the New York Times is preparing to bring together some of the top leaders in business and technology, to scrutinize the promise of emerging AI tech. The conference will include invigorating explorations of the impending challenges, overriding questions, and opportunities that AI tech is proposing for world organizations.
8. SXSW | TBD, 2019: This meet up is no novelty in the world of tech events. One of the USA’s signature conferences, the SouthxSouthWest convention continues to create forums for creative minds, media outlets and large businesses and corporations build dialogues on potential strategies of development. The conference is a melting pot of tech, film culture and invites networking opportunities (in addition to BBQ).
9. CES | TBD, 2019: Apart from being a productive conference for business meetings, CES allows its attendees to meet reporters and gain the kind of media and PR attention one needs to kick-start their efforts. Known for being one of the table-setters in the line of tech events, the conference allows for an early look into the methods in which new developments in tech make its way into our current enterprises.
Europe:
1. Artificial Intelligence Conference | APR 10, 2018: The London based conference delves into the technical and abstract spheres of the emergence of AI. Attendees often enjoy extensive sessions and showcases on AI enterprise, the impact of the tech on current and future businesses, societal implications, and our future interaction with AI.
2. IFA | AUGUST 31-SEPT. 5, 2018: Europe’s largest technology conference is bringing together large household names and new exciting players in the business. From consumer electronics to home appliances, the IFA is one of the biggest tech trade shows on the continent. To be hosted in Berlin, the IFA tech event is attracting more and more US-based companies into the fold, allowing them to experience the European market and gain some of the media attention the conference pulls every year.
3. World Summit AI | OCT 10, 2018: The World Summit AI is a guaranteed trip for every techie. To be hosted in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the conference is a fast-paced and emphasizes on the innovation and safe development in machine learning. The event also promises to provoke deeper thinking, new partnerships, potential investment projects and new tech alliances.
4. Web Summit | NOV 5, 2018: What started out as a simple idea almost a decade ago, the Web Summit has grown to become one of the largest technology conferences in the world. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, the conference aims to connect the tech community with every other industry, to bring about a healthy and productive partnership for future businesses.
5.OnBrand | NOV 11, 2018: This event is the largest trending meet up of Europe’s most celebrated and sharpest minds in the tech and design industries. Across the years, delegates such as brand directors, creative heads, and CMOs gather in Amsterdam, to discuss and build upon the crossovers between technology and marketing. Notorious for being “Europe’s intention creative hub,” OnBrand also hosts many talks and sessions on the growing trends in the tech world that will eventually shape the future directions of the industry.
6. Mobile World Congress | TBD, 2019: The MWC, in Barcelona, Spain, is the largest premier tech event for any and all mobile technologies. Initially, dominated by European and Asian companies, the MWC has seen increasing participation rates from US-based companies in search of opportunities in other overseas markets. And it’s very likely that delegates would get exclusive opportunities and bragging rights to having witnessed the launch of major new mobile tech – like the Samsung Galaxy S9. The MWC has attracted over 6100 CEOs, 108,000 attendees, and has showcased cutting-edge displays and much more.
Canada:
1. Digimarcon | Late MAY, 2019: 2019’s Digimarcon will mark the 5th anniversary of the Canadian-based annual digital marketing conference. The tech event is famous for connecting digital marketing leaders with new audiences of investors and customers. Attendees often find themselves networking through novel ideas, technologies and unique business propositions. The conference focuses on discussing new ways to satisfy consumers through updated digital strategies, cross-analytics, search engine marketing and mobile integration and engagement.
Middle East:
1. The Sign and Graphic Imaging | JAN 21-23, 2019: Set in Dubai the Sign and Graphic Imaging tech conference is a 19-year-old prominent forum that has generated billions of dollars worth in sales for delegates serving the signage, POP/POS, and advertising industries. The SGI tech trade show has received some of the most dignified and major decision makers in the industry to take part in the exhibitions and attendees can get the chance some of these imminent leaders. The show is expected to attract attendees not only from the MENA region but also from around the world, for invigorating trade and networking opportunities.
2. The OurCrowd Global Investment Summit | MAR 7, 2019: Scheduled for the March of 2019, the OurCrowd Global Investor Summit is one of the largest and most anticipated investor events of the year. Ready to be hosted in Jerusalem, Israel, the summit is also revered for being the biggest equity crowdfunding event across the globe. The event hopes to offer an unmatched platform for members within the tech-start-up-ecosystem, to network, learn and grow from each other.
Asia:
1. Computext | JUN 5-9, 2018: Considered to be one of Taiwan’s largest B2B marketplaces, the Computex conference concentrates on tech that regards itself with consumer electronics, data storage, networking products and other wireless communication services. The tech events have witnessed several suppliers and distributes from various cutting-edge brands in the industry, interact and present their services.
2. TECHNOTEX | JUN 28-29, 2018: Based in India, the TECHNOTEX international showcase and conference emphasizes on the technicalities and chain of textile production, packaging, and distribution. The conference focuses on the growing market for investment and trade between India and other nations in the technical textile industry. TECHNOTEX hopes to provide a creative platform for exchange between international companies and leaders in the technical textile value chain.
3. Systems Integration | AUG 16-18, 2018: One of the leading trade shows in the Philippines, the Systems Integration conference serves as a substantial exhibit space for emerging technologies such as AI, pro-AV, transmissions and much more. It is known for being the marketplace for office solutions and tends to attract thousands of attendees who hope to see some of latest developments in gadgets, video and lighting, ITC and out-of-home media.
4. Malaysia IT Fair, KL | JUL 31 – AUG 2, 2019: The Malaysia IT Fair, KL, simplifies and helps create a quintessential platform for IT industry players and stakeholders to jump-start their work and campaigns. It also facilitates an accessible forum for companies and individuals to demonstrate their products and service, to a vast audience. The Malaysia IT Fair, KL, also offers a lively learning ambiance for its visitors to acculturated to the volatility of the IT world.
5. The China International Internet of Things Exhibit | AUG 16-18, 2019: One of Asia’s largest IoT expos, the China International Internet of Things Exhibit covers the different layers of the IoT industry and its subsequent chain of functions. It provides delegates with IoT applications and integrative solutions to members from different sectors and businesses.
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