2020 is set to make a significant mark on the history books. And for many people, there’s nothing that 2020 can do to ever improve its reputation.
For marketers, it’ll go down as the roller-coaster year that forced the fastest pivot ever. Virtual and hybrid events are paving the way forward for companies that previously relied on traditional in-person events to meet their goals.
It will also be the year that event professionals proved their resilience. (Although, let’s be honest: We already knew this.)
Our new report, based on a survey of 3,000+ event professionals and attendees in the U.S., found extreme shifts in the events landscape as the global pandemic accelerated several trends.
Here’s the reality: Companies are extending work-from-home policies indefinitely, business travel is still halted, and in-person gatherings are still restricted in most places. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that virtual events aren't going anywhere.
And even when in-person events return, 79% of companies anticipate hosting hybrid events instead. Get ready for virtual and hybrid events to be a permanent part of our lives.
Virtual events helped companies stay relevant in 2020. In fact, 36% of event marketers said this was the most important factor when hosting an event.
But in 2021, their events will need to help drive revenue, sales and leads. The majority of people we surveyed said that revenue and sales growth was the most important six-to-12-month goal for their company.
It turns out that shorter events with smaller, curated attendee lists deliver the best results. More than half of the attendees we surveyed felt that virtual events should be 30 minutes or less.
In 2021, we expect marketers to continue migrating away from big anonymous trade shows and conferences to more tailored and targeted virtual and hybrid events.
Nearly 60% of event marketers and professionals told us they are using the same technology and processes for events as they were pre-pandemic. Event professionals are doing a herculean job of doing more with less, but using technology that wasn't designed for this virtual and hybrid future will hurt them in the long-term.
Download the full report now to learn how virtual and hybrid events can support business growth →
