impactful and rich in meaning .”

A lot is said about how virtual events are the future , what does this mean for live experiences ? Bastic is clear in his conviction when he says live experiences aren ’ t going anywhere . “ Events like our Lights of Christmas in Sydney prove that people want to come together to celebrate . People want to share experiences , build traditions and create memories ,” he says . “ The social impact of live events can ’ t be underestimated and certainly shouldn ’ t be undervalued .”

Tomorrow , made Elevate Sydney was masterminded by an organisation called Tomorrow Made , which specialises in strategic development , placemaking , digital marketing , international media , stakeholder relationship management , government liaison , sponsorship , and communications .

Katrina de Jersey , a former journalist , is co-director alongside Renee Malyon , and has a unique insight into global events , marketing , sport , and communications , after more than 20 years working on complex and demanding campaigns across sport , tourism and government in Europe , Australia , Asia , Russia and the Middle East . Yet she is fervent in her belief that the desire for face-to-face connection is stronger than ever , in both B2C and B2B contexts .

“ The pandemic has highlighted that there is still a human need to connect with each other , in person , and experience something extraordinary together ,” says de Jersey in reference to how the pandemic has affected behaviour change .

“ The way in which we achieve that may have changed , but that is ultimately the core objective . Virtual events have been a great advancement and an effective way to continue to work , connect and build relationships , but the pandemic has demonstrated that it can ’ t replace an in-person experience in the long-term ,” she adds .

“ Having said that , the in-person experience must be memorable , and ensuring that B2B journey is smooth makes great inroads to achieving that .

“ Utilising a consistent flow of interaction , as customers switched between multiple channels , was certainly important to us . Specifically , during the pandemic , where information must be conveyed quickly , consistently , and accurately , as it affects the consumer behaviour .”

De Jersey believes there will always be a place for virtual events , and in many instances she says it ’ s a more logical , efficient and cost effective medium .

However , there remains challenges for organisers in how they approach their event marketing strategies , regardless of context .

“ There is no question that experiential marketing has changed significantly during the pandemic , and this has prompted a total re-evaluation of consumer behaviour and communications ,” she says .

“ For Elevate Sydney , our approach needed to be more responsive and flexible to adapt to the ever-changing environment . We experienced a total shift in the hierarchy of messaging and information that audiences want and

“ The social impact of live events can ’ t be underestimated and certainly shouldn ’ t be undervalued ”

need to know to purchase a ticket .

“ It ’ s true that headline talent is still a primary consideration , but Covid safety , ticket returns , and conditions of entry were also key drivers supporting decision-making to attend .”

De Jersey notes that for the Skyshow , they saw an increase in last-minute ticket purchase decisions , higher-than-average attrition rates , an increased volume in customer service enquiries , a more vocal and active community sharing event information online ( primarily social ) and a demand for quicker information and responses to queries .

“ We noticed that more than ever , there needs to be a strong focus on crisis / issues communications . No event wants to appear tone-deaf to the environment around them , and this required a constant monitoring and re-evaluation of the broader environment . A social post scheduled in the morning may be completely inappropriate even a couple of hours later ,” she adds .

In a post-pandemic world , the sense of anxiety among delegates may take time to dissipate , but with solid communications and an emphasis on experience , organisers now have the chance to reinvent their events .