Evolution of the organiser
SOME NEW RESEARCH BY THE GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU FINDS THE ROLE OF THE EVENT ORGANISER SET TO SHIFT
he German Convention Bureau ( GCB ) presented the results of a new piece of in-depth research , conducted over 18 months , in February .
The ‘ Business Events of the Future ’ study comes from a Future Meeting Space initiative which the GCB set up in 2015 , to develop a vision of how the future of events will look . It was presented live at Messe Frankfurt , as well as being streamed as an online event .
The study found that events will play an increasingly important role in how large companies communicate with their customers , and digital events will be a cornerstone of this communication . At the same time , however , it found that the desire for physical locations and authentic experiences has grown strongly . The role of events as a hub of international relations cannot yet be replicated in virtual spaces .
The study stipulates that online events need to be “ perfectly staged , infused with emotion and smartly connected ” in order to hold the attention of a discerning audience . On top of this , they need be more than just one-off occurrences , but part of a year-round communications strategy . Events will serve as a point of contact for customers 365 days a year , and provide constant visibility for brands .
GCB ’ s managing director Matthias Schultze commented : “ With the results of the study we offer all stakeholders involved in events recommendations for how they can – depending on their objectives – successfully use business events as a
Application : Social Media Analytics
Quantum Computing
Above : Innovation Catalogue , Technology Overview
Data Analysis
5G
Application : Edge Computing
Virtual / Augumented Reality
Robotic Process Automation
Technology Overview
Cloud Computing
communication tool in the future .
“ Being authentic is the basis for emotional and unique experiences , thus establishing close , long-term connections with the participants – whether they are actually on site or digitally integrated into events .”
‘ Business Events of the Future ’ also found a number of changes on the horizon for those who work within the events industry . It expects that events roles in large companies will merge with ‘ community manager ’ -type roles .
Application :
• Digital Twins
• Avatar Conferencing
• Immersive Learning
Blockchain
Application Programming Interface
Application :
• Cognitive Environments
• Multi-Angle Streaming
• Group VR
• Holoportation
Internet of Things
Application :
Two-Way Live- Translation
Artificial Intelligence
• Silent Conferencing
• Wearables for Payment
Greater technical knowledge will be required from all on the organiser side , too . A fluency in virtual platforms and hybrid meetings will be an essential skill moving forwards .
Dr Stefan Rief , institute director at Fraunhofer IAO , commented : “ When we started our third research phase in summer 2019 , the pandemic was still far away and face-to-face events were everyday business . Only a few months later , virtual and hybrid formats experienced a quantum leap and this
14 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 111