Despite Virus Pandemics — Why Events Will Not Be Virtual in the Future
People will continue to come together and this is a good thing!
The coronavirus has caused many events worldwide to be canceled or postponed. While this cannot stop the pandemic, it can slow down the spread of COVID-19. This helps to bring the treatment of severe cases under control by “flattening the curve” through social distancing. As painful as it is for organizers, speakers, participants, volunteers, and also for budgets, this is a reasonable measure in our highly interconnected and globalized world.
Large crowds are always a risk for spreading viruses.
Events are therefore predestined to be a major driver of pandemics since many people come together in a small space and offer very good transmission routes. With the technological progress of recent years, however, solutions are now available that allow us to question:
Is there no other way than bringing many people together in one place and still experiencing something together?
Decentrally organized and virtual events are a trend that has become possible with the aid of digital solutions. They enable you to participate from home or as part of small groups in local places. This saves on travel expenses and can also be a sustainable solution for reducing carbon emissions. And concerning pandemics such as COVID-19, this slows down the transmission of viruses in the society. Are online events therefore the future for the event industry?
The answer is no.
There are three main reasons why people will continue to come together in one place for events, despite the risk of virus pandemics.
1. Diving into the Atmosphere
When the whole crowd sings to the band in unison.
When 80,000 people sing a song together at a sporting event or concert, it is incomparable and cannot be replaced by online broadcasts. The atmosphere when people experience a festival or conference together is also unique and cannot be simulated virtually. Events and encounters create an overwhelming atmosphere, which is driven by endorphins and adrenalin. Those are completely different from movie nights at home!
2. Making Social Encounters
Here’s to the nights that turn into mornings and foreigners that turn into friends.
Events, where people come together, are magical. Because they consist of the social encounters that are possible through events. At such events, you come into contact with interesting people whom you have not yet met and would probably never have met in this way. This happens when you run into them accidentally or listen to conversations that are interesting for you.
3. Experiencing Spontaneity
The best things happen unexpectedly.
The dynamics are also different from online events: on-site much more happens spontaneously and unexpectedly. At a conference you stumble over an interesting session by chance, at a festival over a fantastic side stage, at a major event over an exciting stand or workshop. Such events are a surprise package that participants look forward to. The result of what we will experience is uncertain. Therein lies a great attraction to leave our comfort zone and visit events.
Conclusion
The needs of the people are important — just like a backup plan.
Atmosphere, encounters, and spontaneity are valuable elements that cannot be replaced online. They add value to events that make us enthusiastic. Therefore, events, where many people come together, will continue to be very important in the future. Virtual events or decentralized events are only a second choice for the foreseeable future. They are especially interesting for events where the interaction between people is secondary. An example of this are conferences for information transfer to large groups.
However, it is good to know that for times when there is no other way, online events or decentralized concepts can be used. For example, when a virus pandemic breaks out. As there will always be one from time to time. It makes sense for the event industry to prepare for the use of these alternatives and consider them as plan B when organizing “traditional” events. This is supported by modern event platforms like Calendify, which offer nowadays many possibilities to announce online events with live streams.
This article is also available in German: Trotz Virus-Pandemien: Warum Veranstaltungen auch zukünftig nicht virtuell sein werden
