Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1325965
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JANUARY 6, 2021 Page 22 What Will Events Look Like in 2021?…continued from page 21 Continued on page 23 Without a reasonable chance of added value and a low risk of losing money, big in-person events are still on very shaky ground for all of 2021. 2021: Virtual, In-Person…or Hybrid? This past year has changed the way we look at events. In lieu of just taking the year off, we have learned to meet via our computers, tablets, and phones. Even though they have been around for many years, online meeting platforms exploded in popularity in 2020 because there was no other way to get a lot of people together. Many organizations and groups couldn't just take the year off without hosting some type of event since it is still important to meet, learn and exchange information. As the dust clears a bit and we look to the future of meetings and events for 2021 and beyond, one thing is clear: virtual and hybrid events are here to stay and, alongside traditional in-person events, will become fixtures in most meetings and event programs. Why is hybrid here to stay? Some would argue that it should not have taken this long for virtual meetings to be embraced in the first place. However, in a year where we have all been forced to attend a show, educational event, or convention online, it has shown there is value in having an electronic component to events. According to business experts at McKinsey & Company, "We have vaulted five years forward in consumer and business digital adoption in a matter of around eight weeks." That pace of change can be intimidating and make some people resistant to adopting the technology. It's hard for some people to tell the difference between a true innovation and a temporary fad. One thing's for sure, both organizations and the public have seen the power of virtual events and are building ways to execute them more confidently in the future. At the same time, we are all feeling the loss of the traditional in-person norms for getting leads, networking, and literally kicking the tires of business products. For that reason, virtual meetings will never fully replace face-to-face gatherings, but there will always be virtual meeting opportunities going forward. As many have learned this year, the virtual version of an in-person meeting can be anything from a full interactive live experience to just watching recorded sessions and keynote speakers. When face-to-face meetings return, it is highly likely that some of them will be "hybrid," meaning there will be a face-to-face element for those who travel and a virtual element for those who don't. Those in attendance can take advantage of the virtual aspects too, adding even more value to their experience. I like to think of it as a much more robust version of the conference packet you receive when you check in at a conference. Instead of the conference being on the printed page, it is coming to you on your screen as well as around you in the physical world.