at the height of the pandemic , we were lucky in that our people are incredibly talented and re-shaped their skills to meet the demands of virtual very rapidly – it also helped that from the Samsung 1H launch to Corvette Next Gen Reveal , we ’ d been delivering hybrid events for some time pre-pandemic ,” McCoobery recalls . “ As we recruit now , virtual and hybrid event experience is something we look for and value very highly in candidates of all levels and departments . It ’ s all part of this longer-term trend towards a hybrid future for our industry .”

Complementary content is key

Capturing the content and leveraging it for much more than the actual event is something Roberts and her team are doing frequently . “ With SAP Effect 2020 we created 30-minute episodes which fused education and entertainment , and they were edited down into trailers for pre- and post-event promotion across social and web . This bite-sized content approach is something more and more clients are requesting . They want to know : how can we extend the life of this beautiful , cinematic event content , rather than have it disappear after the event ends ? “ So now we ’ re devising strategies where our clients ’ events are tied to a

content plan with detailed timelines spanning multiple formats , content types , and approaches . Take our work with Rolls-Royce – the digital and media content is inextricably linked to the in-person dealership activations we do for them . It ’ s one of the reasons we extended our branded content studio and content marketing agency , HEVE into APAC last September .”

A return to large-scale live events ?

While APAC is ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to the hosting of in-person experiences , Roberts explains : “ Large-scale consumer-facing events like sporting matches and music festivals are happening regularly now with strict Covid-19 compliancy

protocols in place , but brands are proceeding with caution .

“ At the moment their hybrid events are for smaller groups and the sessions are shorter , but there ’ s also a lot of creativity in the mix – like opting for small-scale experiential activations and stunts that are then amplified to millions of people , digitally . Overall , I predict large-scale in-person B2B and brand events won ’ t become the norm in APAC until at least early 2022 .”

Stephenson adds : “ While in-person attendee numbers will be more around the 30,000 – 50,000 mark instead of the usual 100,000 plus , the return of Mobile World Congress ( MWC ) as a hybrid format in Barcelona is a positive indicator for our industry in EMEA .

“ What will be interesting to see , is how brands choose to invest in the event and cater to their multiple audiences – will there be as many exhibitors , for example , and will the stands be as impressive ? And how will the content change ?”

The event industry has undergone immense change amid the pandemic , but there have been learnings , too – many of which agencies can lean on as they navigate this ‘ new normal ’ post pandemic world , and deliver cutting-edge hybrid experiences for their clients and their most important audiences .

Top : Claudia Stephenson

Middle : Kristina McCoobery

Bottom : Laura Roberts

Top left and left : Effect 2020 , for SAP . INVNT created 30-minute episodes which were also edited down for use on social and the web