OPENING IN A NEW ERA
FOR BUSINESS EVENTS
The impact of Covid-19 has transformed the business events industry. Today the necessity to attend physical events is offset against the convenience and security of digital interaction. The mainstream acceptance of online meetings and business exchanges underpins a credible alternative to the physical event attendance, with its considerably greater cost and time commitments.
THREE FACTORS TO CONSIDER
All our promotional campaigns are built with three emerging trends in mind
POST-COVID PLANNING
The ability to deliver meaningful events is very much governed by protocols that constrain live events with dense people-to-people interactions. High value networking experiences must align with new delegate psychology, so demonstrate measures that give event organisers peace of mind.
REMOTE ATTENDANCE
The accelerated digitalisation of business events has seen alternatives to event attendance become mainstream. Destinations must now create a compelling business case for event organisers, enticing them with the prospect of being the place where the markets exist in order to get business done.
4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Ultimately, the ability of government systems and public authorities to sustain events for multi-year tenures will depend on their city's business events credentials. By demonstrating transparency and efficiency throughout their proposal, organisers can select them with confidence.
BE OPEN TO STRATEGIC CHANGE
Destinations have to provide a compelling reason for potential attendees to book flights, hotels and interact in close proximity with large crowds of strangers. Those that do must to demonstrate their openness and accessibility, and the economic opportunities that position them ahead of their competitors.
As destinations resume their international events activity, it will be within a more competitive environment than previously experienced. It is not only the means but the message itself that must be changed in order for them to remain relevant to their audiences.
WMM worked with leading business event associations in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak
The WMM-produced UFI Coronavirus Report began as a daily update designed to build consensus as to how to prepare destinations and venues for the reopening of international business events. and contributed to the creation of the UFI publication, Re-Opening Business Events, now in its third edition.
Our involvement enabled us to sit front and centre as event businesses constructed a framework that would build confidence in business tourism, and our campaign development reflects this approach in all aspects.