Cameron Roberts discovers how event tech is aiding in fostering connections online.
One of the classic points against virtual and hybrid events is the lack of corridor talk, the random meetings that are considered impossible to replicate online. This randomness in interaction is what contributes to the feeling of community onsite at an event, which is often what separates an engaged audience from one that has checked out.
The roadblock is one that can prevent organisers from investing in networking tools on platforms for virtual events. But it is vital that online events maintain this interactive focus, creating connections is a key driver for delegate attendance to events after all.
To find out how event tech is contributing to creating community and how event organisers can encourage online networking, I spoke to Ashley Friedlein, founder, Guild and Amy Underdown, head of events and marketing, Oxford Analytica.
Virtual as a strategy
An increasingly popular idea for organisers is that virtual events can help in the creation of connections in person. By utilising webinars and online conferences as part of an overall strategy, communities can familiarise themselves with their peers prior to in-person events.
Oxford Analytica uses webinars to allow for global content sharing, then use the connections made online to create deeper networking at its live conferences. Underdown said: “I think webinars have always had a place pre-pandemic. They’re very content heavy, which does always have a place, I think as we go along this journey and understand what post-pandemic events look like we will see them become more prevalent in event strategy.”
She also spoke about how Oxford Analytica utilises online events to create initial points of contact, to make in-person networking more personalised. She spoke about connecting people online, saying that it “breaks down that initial barrier online prior to an in-person event.” Underdown did however say that blending the virtual to the live was not for everyone.
She said: “I think events are definitely going in in that direction. But I don’t think that’s the be all and end all, I don’t think that has to be how you run your event strategy.”
Friedlein spoke about the concept of forming relationships 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.”
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 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 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.
Want to explore these ideas further? Join the conversation on Events 365.
