For the vast majority of professionals, the past few years have turned into a long series of online meetings, webinars, and virtual events following the pandemic. This new “virtual reality” of work from home has taught us more about Zoom wallpapers, Meet meetings, Microsoft Teams settings, webcam etiquette, and how to dress formally from waist up than we would learn in a lifetime.
The good news about these virtual experiences is that attending meetings or events is no longer tied to a specific location. This global perspective has enabled (and continues to allow) greater participation from anywhere and at any time by anyone. Event organisers are therefore faced with new needs: to create a shared experience for on-site and virtual participants; involve virtual participants to compensate for the lack of attention; make the contents accessible to all types of participants and overcome any language and cultural barriers thanks to the immediate and accurate translation of web pages, content, and all communication related to the meeting. With the help of innovative technologies, organisers have a chance to increase the inclusion and accessibility for all participants whether they are taking part in-person or remotely.
Local events can, for example, become international thanks to automatic transcription and subtitling in real-time for masses from systems such as the Cabolo® Conference System.
New technologies and, in particular, Artificial Intelligence allow corporate teams, local and international, to organise meetings that facilitate the active contribution of participants.
Hybrid mode will not disappear
The mix of real and virtual will continue to be one of the major choices for event organisers who will be able to draw on a wider and more international pool of participants. The real challenge will be to make networking and lighter events hybrid too.
Organisations will have to come up with creative solutions to ensure that they engage the public and keep the attention of ‘remote attendees’ high. Providing different ways to get information, meet, and participate will be the highest priority.
Sustainability
Many companies are moving towards more sustainable ways. Conferences and events can have a high CO2 footprint; therefore, we expect to see environmentally friendly technologies, a reduction in the use of paper and waste, and a focus on sustainable materials. Hybrid events will also reduce the need for travel by reducing the number of flights, car, and train journeys.
Technology and Artificial Intelligence Applied to Events
Artificial Intelligence can make the event unique and tailored to each participant and, at the same time, offer organisers a new layer in the post-conference planning and data collection process. Machine Learning can build attendees’ agenda by helping them choose sessions they are interested in or signposting people to networking with, entertain them longer and increase touchpoints. Machine Learning creates a wide networking among participants, assessing each person’s interests and creating more strategic connections between participants who share the same interests and business goals.
AI in events is not only used during the event itself, but also to collect, organise, and analyse attendee data during the event to use it in the future. Data to be made available to both marketing and sales for future actions, as well as for more informed planning of upcoming events to ensure an excellent experience for everyone.
