ABPCO hosts its own awards moments , or glass of wine in the bar afterwards moments , that is actually where relationships are forged .”
Merging the two elements together is the puzzle that event organisers are struggling with in today ’ s market . But could the increased pressure to effectively run two events ( in-person and online ) be negatively impacting those in our industry ?
Lishman says : “ We ’ ve got to be careful about burnout now ,
because organisers are trying to catch up with conferences that have been postponed , as well as run those that were already in the diary for this year . I think all of them are under more pressure .
“ Organisers are now trying to work out , do we do hybrid events ? Do we do livestream ? Do we record ? How do we utilise some of that learning that we ’ ve had over the past couple of years and make it so that it ’ s better for the future ?
“ Some of that will also help with sustainability too , as far as cutting down on travel and things , but I think it is about focusing on being collaborative and engaging , so that we really maximise that potential of live events .”
What ’ s next ? Beyond the need for technology , Lishman has a role in shaping what organisers prioritise in the coming months and years . She highlights how being transparent with other people in the industry and working with other organisers can create new best practices for conferences .
When asked what conference organisers should focus on in the next 12 months , she answers simply : “ Collaborate . I think a lot of organisers , particularly the in-houses , find it quite difficult because they ’ re in an association but they ’ re running that one conference . I think the beauty of ABPCO is that they can ask questions , they can meet other folk that are in exactly the same situation .
“ I think if you stand still , you ’ ll go backwards – the question now is how do you learn quickly enough ? How do you have that network to support you , if you are just working on one conference in house ?”
She adds : “ What we ’ ve always tried to do with ABPCO is have that professional network so that people know that they can ask a question . We have a members ’ forum where people ask all sorts of different things and people will respond with an honest answer .” CN
www . conference-news . co . uk