A JOURNEY WITHOUT MAPS
Matthew Gidley , TFI Lodestar ’ s head of strategy , speaks to its clients about their learnings from the pandemic .
In July 2021 , TFI Lodestar ’ s Josh Willmott won Online Event Producer of the Year at the CN Agency Awards . For Willmott and TFI Lodestar , the previous year has been one of rapid learning and adaptation . Matthew Gidley , TFI Lodestar ’ s head of strategy , speaks to the company ’ s clients to discover how the pandemic had affected them , how they had adapted , and what it might bode for the future of live events .
Emerging smarter and wiser Whether it was the construction industry events lead who hoped it would all blow over , the automotive and mobility comms director who assumed it would be tricky but manageable , or the pharmaceutical business unit director whose company saw it coming and went into lockdown before we were into March , nobody could foresee how Covid-19 would affect the live events industry . The disruption was unprecedented , but we may just emerge smarter and wiser as a result of it .
“ It gave us a chance to reset ,” our pharma client told us . “ In events we are
Josh Willmott , senior producer , TFI Lodestar
working a million miles an hour , but it gave us the chance to stop and look around . It enabled us to change , do things differently , recognise what works and what feels outdated .” Our automotive director agreed , especially when it comes to digital and hybrid events formats : “ Covid-19 has been an enabler , an accelerant . We are so much better with digital now .”
The power of live Change can be painful though , as our pharma client said , and at the start of the pandemic it felt like we were embarking on a journey without maps , making it up as we went along : “ We had a rulebook in events , and the rulebook was completely ripped up . We didn ’ t know how to engage with our audience , or whether our audience was even still there . It was a constant process of learning and lightbulb moments .”
In the short term , virtual events became the global panacea . Events companies developed the capability , and everyone jumped on board . But how effective was it ? Were we using new tools to answer old questions , and in the process missing something crucial ? “ Virtual conferences are not the same ,” a financial services client told me , “ if I attend a virtual conference I ’ m also working and taking calls . I ’ m not ‘ in the room ’, literally or otherwise . My customers will be doing the same – we are losing engagement .” Our automotive client recognised this and was quick to embrace hybrid as soon as restrictions eased : “ Hybrid was a big help . It didn ’ t www . conference-news . co . uk