It’s not unusual for the night before a big event to feel somewhat different, although this year there is definitely a heightened sense of uncertainty engulfing the atmosphere. Unfortunately, many of us have become accustomed to the feeling of ambiguity over recent months, and this is not an emotion you want to translate into your events.
Whilst there is an element of excitement paired with a hunger for events to return to the state that we left them, it would be naïve to assume that this is the case. In fact, it is the complete opposite.
The clinking of glasses and smiling whilst exchanging business cards feels like something of the past, a vacant memory. Events filled with a sea of people from across the globe seems like something out of this world. Sometimes it is hard not to reminisce about the past and how events used to be. But now is the time to look forward.
Lockdown birthed the growth of online events, a short-term solution seemingly shone into the spotlight overnight. They became the widely accepted substitute for events. Making a piping hot coffee to awaken tired eyes on a winter’s day to sit in front of a laptop became the norm. Perhaps we craved a coffee to stay awake whilst tuning into a another underwhelming PowerPoint presentation. Perhaps it was just the usual thing to do, with each sip simultaneously adding a sense of nostalgia and normality.
“Your mic is on mute” and “can you see my screen” were phrases we once heard on a daily basis, maybe we still do. By no means will these expressions vanish overnight, or even become a thing of the past anytime soon. But the buzz for events to return is shining a light, a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel.
As we said, it would be naïve to assume that we are returning to the same events landscape that we left 18 months ago. If only there was a solution that allows you to communicate with your audience virtually and in-person, the ultimate hybrid brand engagement experience?
Oh, wait.
Returning to events is going to feel like entering a new world. Familiarities with a futuristic twist. A world outside of the four walls we have all become so accustomed to. A world full of new technology accompanied with new opportunities.
Virtual Visitor is also like a new world. A new online world. Innovative and advanced. Your visitors can explore your environments like they would an event in person. Better yet, when you are at an event, this perpetual brand engagement portal allows you to create a unique user journey, personalised to each visitor. Working both online and in person, Virtual Visitor is the perfect hybrid concoction that can help leverage your events, no matter the circumstances.
Virtual and hybrid are not things of the past. They are both a part of the future. The new world. The new normal.
Are you ready?