BRIDGE BACK TO LIVE
Chelsea FC hosted a live event at Stamford Bridge , with 62 % of the audience confident events will be back to normal in a year
orty industry leaders and event organisers gathered at the ‘ ReConnect – Power of People ’ hybrid event organised by Chelsea Football Club on 25 May to debate the core issues covering how the £ 84bn sector can successfully emerge from Covid-19 . There were a series of panel discussions and interactive polls with attendees that identified a wide range of industry insights .
ReConnect kicked off with a poll asking the audience if they thought most live events would be back to ‘ normal ’ within the next 12-18 months . Positively a majority of 62 % answered ‘ yes ’, but 23 % said they were ‘ not sure ’, and 15 % said ‘ no ’. Statistics indicating that although there is rising optimism , many of us still feel there is a way to go before events truly get back to normal and innovation will be required in the interim .
Live panel discussions were chaired by Conference News editor Martin Fullard . The first panel ‘ One Industry , One Voice and # WeCreateExperiences ’ highlighted the importance of the industry continuing to use this movement of event industry campaigns and associations that have come together to ensure there is a consistent message to government to help the sector get back on its feet . Founders of One Industry One Voice , Rick Stainton of Smyle and Simon Hughes of BVEP were on the panel , to discuss how the campaign had worked successfully and what needs to come from it next .
Stainton explained that One Industry One Voice had bought the industry together at a critical time . He said when Covid hit , there was initially a struggle to unite and collate the data and messages on the importance of events to the UK economy and employment – with 1.5m employed by the industry .
“ We weren ’ t speaking to each other , there was too much conflicting data . Ultimately , we wanted to create not a bunch of toothpicks being thrown at press or government but a spear of clarity , and an understanding about the power of events ,” he explained . Stainton also hopes there is a lasting legacy from the campaign .
The next panel was ‘ Hybrid Events – How Should They be Designed ?’ with Tracy Halliwell the director of tourism for London and Convention Bureau , Hire Space founder Edward Poland and Lucy Adamson , Chelsea Football Club ’ s meetings & events manager , all giving their views . Halliwell kicked off with a positive for the UK arguing that London has venue collateral that can deliver . “ A lot of venues have been working on hybrid while things have been quiet .” She would now like the industry ’ s help to promote London as a hybrid event hub .
The panellists and Fullard agreed that there was ‘ no magic formula ’ for hybrid events and it depended on the client and their sector . ‘ Different sectors want different things ’ Fullard argued . ‘ Manufacturing and retail want live . Whereas for healthcare professionals , if you are not practicing , you ’ re not earning money , so dialling in online makes sense .’ The panellists were also unanimous that hybrid events are here to stay , but that they would become more merged with live events and a whopping 82 % of the audience thought there would be continued demand for hybrid events even once restrictions have been lifted . www . conference-news . co . uk