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online , saying : “ Trust is a hugely valuable , but a very sensitive and ephemeral thing . We still form those strongest bonds in person . I still don ’ t think online does that as well . But as we ’ ve seen with dating , for example , it ’ s has moved to people meeting online now . So , they still meet in the real world , but it ’ s the initial connection that can be created purely digitally .
“ There ’ s no reason why that shouldn ’ t apply to event attendees . I think that the opportunity with these digital communities is having access to this group of people year-round .”
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Community vs audience
One vital aspect of connection online is the creation of a community space , the key difference between a community and an audience is the feedback that a community provides . This plays into tech ’ s role in networking online in that a 365 platform gives industry peers a place to become a community , thus feeding into an event ’ s potential delegate range .
However , treating delegates as a community and nurturing them as such is something organisers have historically struggled with . Friedlein said : “ I think a lot of event organisers don ’ t have community people , or it ’ s assigned to someone quite junior , it ’ s just not taken as seriously as it should be . Therefore , it ’ s more likely to fail . I think some event organisers have been burned , they ’ ve tried it and said , it doesn ’ t work , therefore
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Amy Underdown
I ’ m not going to do it again .” One thing Friedlein also said about events is that , as they take place during a specific point in time , it ’ s hard to make the community feel on-site stick . He said : “ I think , the truth , the inconvenient truth maybe , is that delegates , attendees and sponsors , care a lot about those
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“ Event organisers try and create a year-round community around an event that actually happens at a point in time . It ’ s very , very hard to keep people engaged for that length of time .”
– Ashley Friedlein , founder , Guild
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events for about a day or two before the event during and about a day or two afterwards . Then they lose interest , because the events done , they ’ re busy people and off they go and thinking about other things .
“ Event organisers try and create a year-round community around an event that actually happens at a point in time . It ’ s very , very hard to keep people engaged for that length of time .”
The prevailing learning seems to be that event technology can be a critical part of creating connections , but that it is a supplement to real conversation not a replacement for it . Whether organisers use event tech to break the ice , or to stay in contact with their communities , the fact is that in-person communication is still a key factor for event success . CN
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